Kitchen Appliances - The Finishing Touch To Any Kitchen

Once you’ve installed the new flooring, cabinets and counter tops, your kitchen is still not complete until the appliances have been installed.  Selecting the right appliances means finding appliances, which compliment both your new kitchen décor, and your family’s lifestyle. 

Appliances, just like everything else come in a wide range of styles, and models, ranging from the basic to the ultimate in luxury.  Selecting the right appliances, can be an overwhelming task if you don’t know what you want or what you need.  The follow is a brief explanation of some of the main features you should look for when shopping for your new appliances.

The basic appliances that should be in every kitchen are a refrigerator, stove and oven.  However, if you ask most people they will also include the dishwasher as well. 

Refrigerators, for the most part are available in three configurations.  The traditional configuration and most common is the top-mounted, which have a small freezer on top and the larger refrigerator on the bottom.  The next configuration is the side-by-side model.  This configuration has a larger freeze section that the traditional top-mounted refrigerator, allowing for easy access to both compartments.  The main drawback to this style is the interiors are often narrower.  The next configuration and newest style to appear on the market is the bottom-mounted refrigerators.  They have increased in popularity in recent years mainly because they place the food at or about eyelevel and usually have larger freezer sections than the top-mounted refrigerators. 

When shopping for a refrigerator or freezer, the size is measured in cubic feet.  If you have a large family or are someone who enjoys cooking using fresh ingredients then you should look at a refrigerator that has a larger cubic foot, whereas an individual who eats mostly frozen food requires a configuration that has a larger cubic foot freezer. 

Higher-end refrigerators can have such features as frost-free freezers, water dispenser, icemaker, and some even come with built-in television and radios.  In addition, some prototypes that will be on the market in the future even have the capability to keep track of the food stored in it. 

Ovens, cooktops, and ranges are the next vital appliance needed for the kitchen.  However, it should be pointed out that today’s ovens, cooktops and ranges are anything but basic.  For example, induction cooktops are an alternative to gas and electric cooking.  Induction cooking uses a magnetic field that is created by electricity flowing through a coil under a smooth ceramic cooktop.  Induction cooktops have several benefits, including that they are easy to clean, and only the pans heat up, not the cooktop.  However, it is important that you understand that induction cooktops still get hot and can burn if touched.  Induction cooktops are only available as separate units and as of the writing of this article have not been coupled with an oven. 

Today, cook ranges are available in gas, electric and some models are available in duel-fuel, which offer induction cooking in addition to gas.  In addition, some models also have the ability to grill, allowing you to grill indoors.  This is an added bonus for when you want to grill stakes but the weather outside is anything but obliging. 

Ovens are also available in a wide range of models and styles such as convection ovens that use heated air to increase cook times.  Convection ovens supplement a traditional oven with a fan that circulates heated air.  However, convection cooking isn’t just for ovens.  Microwaves also are available with convection cooking.  These convection microwaves cook food with the speed of a microwave oven but have the browning capability of a convection oven.

The next type of oven on the market is the Advantium oven.  We want to state at this point that Advantium is a brand name for an electric speed-cooking oven manufactured by General Electric and introduced in 1999.  According to GE Advantium Speedcook Ovens- GE Appliances website, GE’s Advantium ovens use intense heat from halogen lamps in addition to microwaves as the source of heat for cooking, either alternating from one to the other or using both at once. 

Dishwashers are available with options that increase their conveniences and energy-efficiency such as delay timers and economy cycle or half-load capacity.  Dishwashing drawers are the newest models of dishwashers.  They are available in one- or two-drawer configurations.  They are perfect for smaller kitchens or as secondary dishwashers.

Once you know the options you want each of your kitchen appliance to have, your next step is to select the type of finish.  Stainless steel finishes are still extremely popular.  However, because of their popularity, they also carry a premium price.  This doesn’t mean that the appliance you want is out of your price range simply because of its finish, because most appliance manufacturers offer alternative finishes that resemble stainless, such as brushed aluminum.  Many of the alternative finishes are less expensive, and they require less maintenance to keep clean.  Another finish that has recently appeared on the market and is giving stainless competition is oiled bronze finishes.  Oiled bronze finishes compliment more traditional and old-world décor or styled kitchens whereas stainless steel is more suited for a contemporary styled kitchen.  You also still have the standard options of classic black, white, or bisque colored finishes that can compliment any kitchen at a lower price point.