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Modern technology is such that there are few areas within the average home that are not considered suitable for an influx of electronic devices.  Even that bastion of food preparation, the kitchen, has opened its culinary doors to numerous devices and not just those involved in the actual food creation process.  For example, Dualit, a company steeped in the manufacture of catering equipment, has produced a DAB radio for the kitchen.

For those unfamiliar with Dualit, as I was until recently, this is a British company that was formed 60 years ago to manufacture toasters from a workshop just off London's Old Kent Road.  Since those early days, the company has expanded in size and product range with both catering and home appliances while moving to Crawley in West Sussex.  One thing that has not changed is that each product manufactured by the company is hand assembled by one employee to ensure a high build and performance quality.

See also: DAB Radios

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This DAB radio, which has been designed by Seymourpowell, is constructed from high quality, die-cast aluminium casing on the front and rear.  A front-mounted chrome-plated grill covers a large circular loudspeaker.  Joining the two aluminium sections together is a wraparound surface that is finished in a tactile Soft Touch® substance that has a slight rubbery feel to it.  The actual design has a definite retro look which I initially felt was rather off-putting.  However after using the radio for a short period, I began to appreciate its clean cut lines.

Available in polished, black or cream, this radio measures 2.75 x 18 x 13.5cm and weighs 2.55Kg.  It can receive DAB and FM radio so covering as many stations as possible.  Sockets, located on the rear of the radio, allow for AUX in, headphone connection, plus stereo and digital output.

The top of the radio houses a 75 x 25mm LCD panel with white text on blue.  On either side of this information panel, which provides station and status details, are rotary volume and tune/select knobs.  A row of buttons along the front cover various control features that include five preset options for both DAB and FM radio.  A telescopic aerial is located in the top right corner.

The Dualit DAB radio provides various features.  You can cycle through the range of information that is transmitted as part of a DAB broadcast and adjust the order in which stations are presented on the panel.  While DAB will automatically adjust the clock and date, you can set an alarm to occur at specific and scheduled times plus set up a snooze feature that is activated following an alarm.  For kitchen use, there is a timer feature that can count down from various pre-set times.  There is also a sleep mode for turning off the radio after a set period.

When accessing the radio's features you need to use a combination of the Tune knob with either a short or long press of the Setup button.  While this might sound a little confusing, the supplied Instruction Manual lists the required procedures and these are easily mastered.

Power can be either from the mains or the included rechargeable NiCD battery.  This latter option shows that Dualit expect this radio will be used in a variety of locations other than the kitchen.  Initially the battery will require a 16 hour charge but subsequently 3 - 4 hours should be sufficient. My tests confirmed these figures; in fact in I was able to exceed the higher estimate in both cases.

The Dualit DAB radio, whether you use it in the kitchen or elsewhere in the home, is a well made piece of kit.  Currently this radio is currently available from Amazon and will set you back £152.99 including shipping :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000KN25Q4/203-9322829-5972715?ie=UTF8&tag=gadge0a-21

http://www.dualit.com/index2.htm