Choosing Major Kitchen Appliances

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Select kitchen appliances with attention to how you cook and live. Current cooking and design trends may completely reconfigure kitchen space and traffic patterns. Choosing major kitchen appliances can be fun, but homeowners should think of family and lifestyle first. If hiring a designer, be prepared with a list of your desired appliances as they will impact space and traffic patterns. Many designers will want this information first, as it will influence the shape and design of the rest of the kitchen. Dishwasher Upgrades Dishwashers have undergone changes over the years, replacing loud, clunky, eyesores with incognito models that are so quiet it is difficult to tell if they are on. Look for models that feature concealed control panels built into the top of the door and stylized paneling that keep this appliance from standing out. Quieter motors and stainless-steel interiors help deaden dishwasher noise—a crucial feature for open-plan homes or kitchens with adjacent entertaining spaces. Don’t overlook the possibility of buying two or more dishwashers—a growing trend in kitchens and kitchen remodels. “Fifty percent of my clients have at least two dishwashers in their kitchens,” says Peter Solerno, a certified kitchen designer and owner of Peter Solerno INC., in New Jersey. “For larger families or homes that like to entertain, one dishwasher can be cleaning while the other is being filled with new dirty dishes.” Companies like KitchenAid and Fisher have also come up with dishwasher drawers, essentially two independent dishwashing drawers that are stacked on top of one another to accommodate single or double-drawer loads. Solerno sees homeowners in space-challenged kitchens using the dishwasher drawers as storage, too. “If there’s a shortage of storage space, one drawer can hold dishes while the other washes them.” Dishwasher Technology and Sizing Homeowners interested in cutting-edge technology should be on the lookout for energy-efficiency, shorter cycles, and advanced features designed to cut time and fuss over dishes. GE’s “SmartDispense technology,” which holds 45 ounces of detergent for automatic release with each load, and Jenn-Air’s 3-tiered dishwasher, with adjustable racks and a washing arm under each rack, are setting new marks in dishwasher design. Most American-made under-the-counter dishwasher models are a standard 24 inches in width, so selecting a new unit to replace an old one may not require space reconfiguration. If purchasing a European model, check the measurements since they are often narrower than their American counterparts. Cooktop Features Homeowners can select between cooktops and traditional stoves, conventional and traditional ovens, and even induction cooking surfaces that use magnets to transmit heat energy. Cooktops—formerly known as stoves—are now fully independent from ovens, which brings more features and flexibility to both. Commercial cooktops are becoming more popular in residential kitchens because they truly cater to the gourmet chef. High-end gas cooktops feature low-level BTU output settings for cooking light sauces or melting chocolates, which provides maximum control for precise cooking. Look for burners with an inner and an outer flame for high-precision and consistent heating.

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