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Now for the final post in our series on kitchen design. We saved the best part for last, let’s talk appliances. The range or cooktop is probably the most important appliance in your kitchen. With so many options how do you decide? Gas or electric, convection or thermal, commercial or residential? When assessing the value of gas or electric ranges to your kitchen think about what you are looking to do with your stove. Gas ranges tend to have a greater range (no pun intended) of heating levels. The cook can see the flame and adjust it accordingly. When you purchase an electric range all you need is a wall outlet to get started, but with a gas range you need to have gas lines and propane tanks installed.
Okay, so you pick your range, now what about your oven or ovens. You can get dual fuel ranges with gas burners and electric ovens. You can choose convection or thermal cooking in both gas and electric ranges. Convection ovens use heated air to cut down on cook time. The oven circulates the air around the food creating faster and more even baking. Thermal ovens heating elements to cook. If you are a die-hard baker, you may want to consider using double ovens. Double ovens allow you to use different temperatures in each oven - so you can make a meal and dessert at the same time. You’ve decided on gas or electric, now it’s time to look at range sizes. You can choose a range all the way from 30″ to 60″. The larger ranges are typically commercial quality and substantially more expensive. You may also want to decide what features you are looking for in your range - do you want self-cleaning? Do you want electronic controls? Etc. One of the bigger questions you need to be asking yourself is what is my budget for these appliances. Everyone loves Viking ranges, but with some running upwards of $15,000, you may want to consider a less expensive option. You can get smaller commercial ranges and cooktops. The prices typically start around $2,000 for a Viking cooktop and $4,000 for the basic Viking range. Commercial ranges often have advantages like better burner performance. Residential ranges often go from 1,000 to 10,000 btus, where commercial ranges go from 500 to 15,000 btus. This is important for more delicate cooking jobs.
Once you have picked out your range it’s time to look at your other appliances. Dishwashers have many features these days including noise control options, energy efficiency options, and multiple cleaning cycles. One of the things I think is really important in picking out a dishwasher is to decide what you want the tub to be made of - do you want stainless steel, plastic, or porcelain-enameled metal? Stainless steel tubs resist odors and stains and have a tendency to hold up better.
Refrigerators - oh, the options! Ever walk into a department store like Sears and wonder how there could be so many refrigerator types? Refrigerators like ranges can be commercial or residential. The price range is vast from $800 to $15,000. You should first decide what configuration you want - do you want side by side, top-freezer design, or a bottom-freezer design? What are you looking to do with your refrigerator? Do you hold lots of parties and need space for platters, etc? Some refrigerators like the Kenmore Elite have side by side doors that open to one refrigerator unit to make for lots of space and a bottom mount freezer. You may also want to consider what options you can’t live without. Some people can’t live without an ice maker or water dispenser, it’s all about your personal preferences.
Please feel free to contact me for more information. I hope this helps you with the planning of your dream kitchen.