If I could only choose one oven programme, Fan Grill would be it. It’s the setting I use more than any other because it gives me control over how food cooks rather than simply applying heat.

What makes Fan Grill different is the combination of circulating hot air with the grill cycling on and off. The fan cooks the food evenly while the grill develops colour, caramelisation and texture. Instead of relying on one intense burst of top heat, the browning happens progressively throughout the cook.

For me, another important control is shelf position. I almost always cook on shelf position 4 using Miele’s HUB Gourmet oven dish. Because the dish has some depth, the food actually sits closer to what would be shelf position 3. That small difference changes how much radiant heat the food receives from the grill, giving me consistent browning without the risk of burning.

I always preheat the oven. While the oven and HUB dish come up to temperature, I can prepare vegetables, fish or meat knowing the cookware will already be hot when everything goes in. Starting with a hot dish gives roast vegetables a head start and helps produce better colour and texture from the beginning of the cook.

This has become my everyday programme. I’ll roast vegetables at 220°C, then add fish fillets skin side up towards the end so everything finishes together. I might steam chicken first using Steam Oven before transferring it to the oven on Fan/Grill for colour and flavour. Or using the oven tray filled with fillets of Coorong mullet resting on a seafood stuffing for 7 minutes. A far more efficient way to prepare the family meal.

What I enjoy most is that Fan Grill rewards observation. By adjusting shelf position, cooking time and temperature, I can influence how much browning and caramelisation develops. It becomes another cooking control alongside seasoning and temperature.

For home cooks, I’d encourage thinking about shelf position as another ingredient in the recipe. Most people only adjust temperature and cooking time, but moving food a shelf higher or lower can completely change the finish. Once you start experimenting, you’ll discover the position that suits your oven and the result you’re trying to achieve.

For me, Fan Grill isn’t simply another oven function — it’s the programme that makes my oven feel most like cooking over a barbecue. It delivers even cooking, beautiful colour and the confidence to finish almost any dish exactly the way I want.