Kitchen Appliances

For a long time, I thought the kitchen appliance lineup was settled:

• 30" Range
• Microwave/Fan above range
• Refrigerator
• Dishwasher

That's fine, but there are other possibilities for the cooking appliances, thanks to my visit this morning with Jeff Blum of Albert Lee (Jeff.Blum@albertlee.biz, 206-282-2110 x5082). I think he expects color to come back. Everything is stainless steel these days due to supply chain issues, he said. Miele has some nice matte white and white glass finishes.

Jeff was very strong on induction cooktops--gas is a 19th-century fuel, you're either waiting for electric to heat up or to cool down. He likes a cooktop, oven rather than a range. Drawers and cabinets conveniently under the cooktop, oven at a more workable height. He doesn't think French door ovens are worth the premium; a regular door keeps you a better distance from the hot stuff.

• 30" Induction Cooktop
• Hood and Fan
• Oven/Microwave

Cooktop

I liked a Wolf Transitional 30" Stainless Steel Induction Cooktop (CI304TF/S) for $2840. It's 21" x 2" x 30". Samsung had an unusual burner pattern for $2600. I think my favorite was the KitchenAid Architect Series II 30" Black Induction Cooktop (KICU509XBL).

KitchenAid $2250 (21.31" x 3.13" x 30.75"

Hood and Fan

Well, sure. The microwave-over-the-range thing I've got now basically does nothing except make it too noisy to converse. Something simple like this, perhaps:

ZLINE 623-36 36", 4-speed ducted hood. ($900, Lowes)

KitchenAid has a much cleaner design (the fan hides in the cabinet above).

KitchenAid KXU2836 ($1300, Lowes)

Oven and Microwave

Do they make such combinations? They do.

GE Profile 30" JT3800SHSS ($4560, Albert Lee; $3400, Home Depot)

A microwave could sit on an open cabinet shelf just about anywhere. Peggy recommends the Sharp Microwave Drawer, which is designed for either a base cabinet or under a wall oven. You place food in and lift it out. Like a CD player, it opens and closes the drawer for you. Stirring is trivial and they say that liquids won't spill. The specs are only 1.2 cu ft (if that) and 1000 watts.

Sharp 1.2 cu ft Microwave Drawer ($1300, Lowes)

Compare and contrast the GE JES1657SMSS: 1.6 cu ft, 1150 watts. $186 at Lowes. The GE controls match what I'm used to (current model is a GE) and I could sprinkle six around the house for what the Sharp drawer costs and still save money.

Your basic oven. KOSE507ESS (MSRP $3100) The handle will become significant.

 

Refrigerator

I like a French door over freezer arrangement (cold air falls, so it makes the most sense thermodynamically). I like this extra drawer model in particular.

KitchenAid KRMF706ESS ($4050 on sale at Albert Lee).

With this KitchenAid model, the drawer on the left can be set for a number of functions, and the one on the right is the produce drawer. 70.125" H, 36" W, 36.25" D. MSRP $4500, $4015 at Home Depot.

Fetishize your appliances much? Wolf and Viking do it, why can't we?

I like the pulls. They are knurled stainless steel with distinctive red ends. One could pull a kitchen design together just using KitchenAid refrigerator, dishwasher, and wall oven. Let the cooktop be black and the microwave drawer be Sharp.

Dishwasher

Matchey-matchey.

KitchenAid KDTM404KPS MSRP $1350.  44dBA, FreeFlex third rack. $1214, Home Depot

Quick Costs

Scheme A - $7200

Cooktop, Oven, Microwave Drawer, Hood

Scheme B - $4909

Cooktop, Oven, Microwave w/Hood

Scheme C - $6000

Range, Microwave Drawer, Hood

Scheme D - $3709

Range, Microwave w/Hood

Cooktop - KitchenAid KICU509XBL ($2250 at Lowes)

Oven - KitchenAid KOST107ESS ($2350 at Lowes)

Range - KitchenAid KSIB900ESS ($3400 at Lowes)

Microwave Drawer - Sharp ($1300 at Lowes)

Hood - KitchenAid KXU2836  ($1300 at Lowes) - many are cheaper

Microwave w/Hood - Samsung ME19R7041FS ($309 at Lowes)

 

Past blog posts

• Storage-based Kitchen Design
• Kitchen Deja Vu
• The Ikea Kitchen