Time to think about Kitchen Appliances
Kitchen Appliances
It’s time to talk about appliances. Hopefully by now you have read the 4 previous New Year, New Kitchen articles and you have an idea for your your new kitchen layout. If not, check them out at the following links, 1. Questions to Ask, 2. Design & Layout, 3. Look & Style and 4. Optional Extras.
If you have, it’s now time to think about kitchen appliances. Kitchen appliances can be integrated into the furniture, free standing or a mixture of both. The choice is yours and will depend on the appliances you choose and how you want the over all look of your kitchen.
Cooking
Ovens can be single or double and either low-level or installed in eye-level oven housing. Double ovens give you the option to cook larger amounts of food at multiple temperatures while single ovens are perfect for everyday cooking.
Ovens can be gas or electric which will generally be determined by which supply you currently have in your kitchen.
Agas and Range cookers look great in larger, traditional style kitchens. They remain on constantly which you may love or hate, but they do have the added benefits of drying your washing and keeping the house warm in winter.
Hobs – As with ovens they too can be electric or gas fuelled. Induction hobs are the relatively new kids on the block and are safer and more energy efficient than traditional hobs. As the name suggests Induction hobs transfer heat magnetically from hob to pan which means the ‘ring’ stays cool to the touch as well as providing much more control over temperature.
Microwaves can be incorporated into housing or be free standing. Many can be hung on the wall with a bracket or tucked away on a shelf. As long as there is an electrical point close by and you don’t have to reach over any obstacles or higher than your head to take out hot food, you can be as flexible as your space allows.
Whichever hob you choose you will need an Extractor fan to remove steam, smoke and odours while you are cooking. They come in all shapes and sizes from large chimney styles to discreet and compact under unit fans.
Food & Drink Storage
The size of your Fridge Freezer will be dependent on your lifestyle, size of kitchen and what you need to keep in there. Think vegetables, dairy, juices, packed lunches, bottles of Prosecco. Room for food platters may be essential if you love to entertain.
Oh and don’t forget those bottles of Prosecco (did I mention that already?) of course separate wine fridges are also an option, if you have the space.
Fridge freezers can be integrated within your kitchen units so they are not ‘on show’ and keep the clean lines of your kitchen design intact. Large double and American-style fridge freezers can be made into a feature.
Laundry
Your Washing machine, Tumble dryer and Dishwasher can also be integrated to match the rest of your kitchen, should you wish. Before purchasing you will need to ensure you have the correct plumbing and electrics in place.
A utility room or designated utility area is a great alternative, if you have the space.
At 4homes we work with Samsung, Neff & Bosch appliances, amongst others.
