Major Kitchen Appliances - Page 2

I'm a dual-fuel fan for ranges. I've never used an induction burner that I liked, though some were....tolerable. Electric ovens are great -- fast and no fuss. Plus they self-clean. Convection is great also, especially, for bakers, which I love to do. Two ovens are required for me because I cook far too much. I also have a grill, which I love when it is, like today, in the single digits outside and grilled salmon is on the menu. The most essential thing you need is a hood. You must have a hood. Must. Mine pulls 1000CFM and sometimes it's not enough for me. Furthermore, I am continually amazed at how much junk gets deposited on the baffles, and works its way into the drip trays. If that stuff wasn't on the trays It'd be on my walls, cabinets and ceiling. I don't believe there's anyway those downdraft affairs can compete with a proper hood and blower. Oh, and get the remote blower so that it, and it's noise are outside. Make sure that the ducting to the outside is accessible as you will need to replace/clean it once a decade -- oil or grease in there is a fire hazard! The wall behind our kitchen stove abuts the mudroom, and the 12" duct goes through the wall and into some cabinets above the washer and dryer, and thence outside. So it is more or less fully accessible through the cabinet doors. SubZeros might be nice, but aren't necessary. I wish we had a much better dishwasher though. I don't think anything much under a grand is worth it. That German unit that starts with M keeps getting praise from what I hear. ~ H http://www.styleforum.net/attachment...8&d=1231476392

Miele. Big fan but have given up my hopes of a Miele kitchen. Bosch is the other German brand that is supposed to be even better. I plan on getting a Bosch, probably around $900 or so.

+1 on Bosch

Stupid question: why the emphasis on open vs sealed burners? We have a Wolf range (for hipsters only) with sealed burners and it seems that it's easier to clean and less of a mess when you have a big spill. Are open burners considered better (for non-hipsters) because of the stronger flame only or are there other reasons?

Couldn't agree more with Huntsman on the hood. IMO could be the most important element in a kitchen, especially in an open kitchen.

Yes, Bosch works really well, very quite.

I use open at school and have sealed at home. I find open heats the pan more evenly, and the temp is easier to control. I got sealed for ease of cleaning, but I no longer believe that it really is easier to clean.

My DW is a Miele and it is awesome.

Even in event of big spills? I thought spills were a nightmare to clean with open burners. Not that we'll be changing range anytime soon but good to know...

We have a grill on our range too but it makes so much smoke that we never use it. Don't know if there are any tips to avoid fat dripping on the grill and therefore massive smoke....

We also have a Miele DW and it works well - pretty quiet too.

To clean an open burner you just slide out the tray, which should be covered with foil anyway. Easy. The surface cleaning is no different, there are just big holes.

These are only for hipsters. We also have one, along with their washers and dryers, and they are all fantastic products.

Of course! We have the hipster trifecta Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele. I think our Kohler toilets are only for hipster asses too. What do you expect, I live in NYC - only hipsters live here.

I cook with this

^^^ We had problems with our Wolf grill smoking when we first got it. Then we realized that it is not good for cooking skin on chicken breasts, or anything else with a lot of surface fat. It does very well with hot dogs, burgers etc, and also with fish, if you leave the scales on a whole one. Overall, it is only ok, and no substitute for an outdoor grill.

Speaking of major appliances, what have you decided in terms of heating/cooling/domestic hot water? The reason i ask, is that you don't have municipal services (water, natural gas), you are doing a new build, and I assume you have a fair sized lot. This makes you a good candidate for Geo (I'm a certified Geo installer). The fact that you already have a well means the possibility of an open system, which is even cheaper.

Can someone explain difference btwn 'open' & 'closed' burners? We have a 30" Wolf that is a PITA to clean thoroughy. I take it apart a couple of times a year for a good scouring, usually after something like a cream of broccoli boilover....