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Buying a Kitchen Appliance? Ask Yourself These Key Questions
Assess how you use your kitchen, and you’ll be well on your way to choosing designs to suit your needs
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They’re the hub of our homes, the room where everyone congregates, and the place we love to show off our culinary skills to family and friends – it’s safe to say that the kitchen is a room in high demand. With that comes a growing need to install cutting-edge appliances that are not only stylish in looks, but perform well and help to make our lives as stress-free as possible.
However, with so much choice on offer, how do you go about narrowing down your selection? Well, there are a few things you should be taking into account before you go out and buy a new appliance. From looking at how you live and who you cook for, to assessing what it is that you actually need from your kitchen, these types of questions will all enable you to make the right choices and help you sail through the buying process. Read on for the key things you need to be asking yourself, along with some useful design tips, too…
However, with so much choice on offer, how do you go about narrowing down your selection? Well, there are a few things you should be taking into account before you go out and buy a new appliance. From looking at how you live and who you cook for, to assessing what it is that you actually need from your kitchen, these types of questions will all enable you to make the right choices and help you sail through the buying process. Read on for the key things you need to be asking yourself, along with some useful design tips, too…
1. How Much Use Does Your Kitchen Get?
Whether you spend your time channelling top chef Curtis Stone and whipping up succulent beef Wellingtons and flamboyant soufflés, or find yourself creating family-friendly dishes that are quick on time but equally delicious, it’s worth choosing an appliance that caters for you and the amount of time you have.
For example, you might like professional appliances that can cater for heavy use. Or maybe an oven that lets you set the timings and take control of the cooking process – ideal for keen cooks who spend more time in the kitchen. A convection steam oven, on the other hand, is great for anyone looking to save time and multitask, with many designs having convenient preset cooking programmes. It really all depends on how much use your kitchen gets.
Whether you spend your time channelling top chef Curtis Stone and whipping up succulent beef Wellingtons and flamboyant soufflés, or find yourself creating family-friendly dishes that are quick on time but equally delicious, it’s worth choosing an appliance that caters for you and the amount of time you have.
For example, you might like professional appliances that can cater for heavy use. Or maybe an oven that lets you set the timings and take control of the cooking process – ideal for keen cooks who spend more time in the kitchen. A convection steam oven, on the other hand, is great for anyone looking to save time and multitask, with many designs having convenient preset cooking programmes. It really all depends on how much use your kitchen gets.
2. Do You Entertain Regularly?
Ask yourself who you’re usually cooking for? Is it a large family, in which case do you often have the kids’ friends over? Is it mostly the two of you with some occasional extra guests? Or do you entertain regularly?
The reason this is important is because it will dictate how roomy and heavy-duty your chosen appliances need to be. Those with large families will need a fridge that’s able to cope with the mealtime demands and a freezer with a roomy capacity, while couples could get away with under-bench fridge and freezer drawers.
When it comes to entertaining, you might want the latest cooktop or outdoor grill, while warming drawers are a handy addition.
Design tip: Opt for a fridge with an ice machine, and a dedicated wine cooler for a professional way to serve drinks to guests.
Ask yourself who you’re usually cooking for? Is it a large family, in which case do you often have the kids’ friends over? Is it mostly the two of you with some occasional extra guests? Or do you entertain regularly?
The reason this is important is because it will dictate how roomy and heavy-duty your chosen appliances need to be. Those with large families will need a fridge that’s able to cope with the mealtime demands and a freezer with a roomy capacity, while couples could get away with under-bench fridge and freezer drawers.
When it comes to entertaining, you might want the latest cooktop or outdoor grill, while warming drawers are a handy addition.
Design tip: Opt for a fridge with an ice machine, and a dedicated wine cooler for a professional way to serve drinks to guests.
3. What Type of Food Do You Cook?
Next, look at the ingredients you use regularly as these can be the key to choosing the right appliance. If you cook fresh most days, make sure your fridge is large enough to accommodate ingredients. Like to have lots of pots and pans on the go? Large multi-burner cooktops are ideal for creating more intricate recipes.
There’s plenty of exciting extra features you can add to your kitchen too, depending on what food you favour. Like Japanese cuisine? Opt for a teppanyaki grill. Partial to some pasta? Induction cooktops offer instant heat – perfect for pasta. Appliances such as grills for burgers and woks for Asian cuisine will all help to personalise your kitchen to your individual taste.
Design tip: Invested in healthy cooking? Convection steam ovens are ideal for healthy cooking, as they inject steam into your food, which in turn helps retain nutrients.
Next, look at the ingredients you use regularly as these can be the key to choosing the right appliance. If you cook fresh most days, make sure your fridge is large enough to accommodate ingredients. Like to have lots of pots and pans on the go? Large multi-burner cooktops are ideal for creating more intricate recipes.
There’s plenty of exciting extra features you can add to your kitchen too, depending on what food you favour. Like Japanese cuisine? Opt for a teppanyaki grill. Partial to some pasta? Induction cooktops offer instant heat – perfect for pasta. Appliances such as grills for burgers and woks for Asian cuisine will all help to personalise your kitchen to your individual taste.
Design tip: Invested in healthy cooking? Convection steam ovens are ideal for healthy cooking, as they inject steam into your food, which in turn helps retain nutrients.
4. How Much Space Do You Have for Appliances?
As much as you may want that large fridge-freezer, if you don’t have room you may have to rethink. Look at your layout and what appliances you need. If you’re short on room, you can always opt for multitasking appliances. Or, perhaps under-bench refrigerator drawers will work better for you.
If space isn’t an issue, why not opt for full-size appliances and invest in something to give your kitchen the wow factor? A bank of ovens, microwave and warming drawer will look sleek and smart, while a wine unit can offer you all the storage you need for your collection.
Design tip: Whatever the size of your kitchen, keeping your appliances within easy reach of each other makes a lot of sense – after all, you don’t want to be walking back and forth to a fridge that’s in another room. Many designers use what’s called the ‘working triangle’ when planning a kitchen, to determine an efficient layout that is both stylish and functional. All you have to do is imagine a straight line drawn from the centre of your sink, to the centre of your cooktop, and to the centre of the fridge and back to the sink.
As much as you may want that large fridge-freezer, if you don’t have room you may have to rethink. Look at your layout and what appliances you need. If you’re short on room, you can always opt for multitasking appliances. Or, perhaps under-bench refrigerator drawers will work better for you.
If space isn’t an issue, why not opt for full-size appliances and invest in something to give your kitchen the wow factor? A bank of ovens, microwave and warming drawer will look sleek and smart, while a wine unit can offer you all the storage you need for your collection.
Design tip: Whatever the size of your kitchen, keeping your appliances within easy reach of each other makes a lot of sense – after all, you don’t want to be walking back and forth to a fridge that’s in another room. Many designers use what’s called the ‘working triangle’ when planning a kitchen, to determine an efficient layout that is both stylish and functional. All you have to do is imagine a straight line drawn from the centre of your sink, to the centre of your cooktop, and to the centre of the fridge and back to the sink.
5. What’s Your Interior Style?
One of the secrets to a beautiful kitchen is having appliances that work well with your overall aesthetic. Whether your kitchen is a modern, cutting-edge design, more classic in looks or even country style, consider this when choosing your new appliances.
It might be that you like to have your appliances out on show, for a professional chef’s feel, or perhaps you prefer everything minimal and seamless, or hidden away as much as possible? Downdraft extractors that pop up from your benchtop are ideal if you like a sleek look, as they’re kept out of sight until needed, while fridge and freezer drawers take away the need for a fridge on show and are disguised as part of your run of cabinetry.
Design tip: Invest in a large dual-fuel range cooker for a bold, confident choice. They can be used in kitchens large or small and a gleaming stainless-steel finish will add to that overall professional look, while a black glass design is sleek enough for even the most modern kitchen.
One of the secrets to a beautiful kitchen is having appliances that work well with your overall aesthetic. Whether your kitchen is a modern, cutting-edge design, more classic in looks or even country style, consider this when choosing your new appliances.
It might be that you like to have your appliances out on show, for a professional chef’s feel, or perhaps you prefer everything minimal and seamless, or hidden away as much as possible? Downdraft extractors that pop up from your benchtop are ideal if you like a sleek look, as they’re kept out of sight until needed, while fridge and freezer drawers take away the need for a fridge on show and are disguised as part of your run of cabinetry.
Design tip: Invest in a large dual-fuel range cooker for a bold, confident choice. They can be used in kitchens large or small and a gleaming stainless-steel finish will add to that overall professional look, while a black glass design is sleek enough for even the most modern kitchen.
6. What’s Your Budget?
They say that you get what you pay for and that is true when it comes to appliances – they aren’t always cheap but it’s an investment and you’re likely to be using them every day so it’s important to choose a brand whose products you can rely on to perform well and are built to last.
If you need to keep costs down, prioritise the appliances you’ll need every day over those that aren’t essential. However, if the budget allows, why not splurge on something indulgent, whether it’s a coffee machine to help you create the perfect morning hit of caffeine or a warming drawer to keep your elaborate dishes ready to serve?
More: Sub-Zero and Wolf offer a diverse range of products that will cater to all your needs and suit any kitchen aesthetic. To find out more, click here.
Tell us: Which appliance would be on your kitchen wish-list?
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
They say that you get what you pay for and that is true when it comes to appliances – they aren’t always cheap but it’s an investment and you’re likely to be using them every day so it’s important to choose a brand whose products you can rely on to perform well and are built to last.
If you need to keep costs down, prioritise the appliances you’ll need every day over those that aren’t essential. However, if the budget allows, why not splurge on something indulgent, whether it’s a coffee machine to help you create the perfect morning hit of caffeine or a warming drawer to keep your elaborate dishes ready to serve?
More: Sub-Zero and Wolf offer a diverse range of products that will cater to all your needs and suit any kitchen aesthetic. To find out more, click here.
Tell us: Which appliance would be on your kitchen wish-list?
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Designed for timeless appeal, Sub-Zero, the food preservation specialist and Wolf, the cooking specialist, bring... Read More
Designed for timeless appeal, Sub-Zero, the food preservation specialist and Wolf, the cooking specialist, bring... Read More
That's my 'lotto dream', too. Lucky you, HU-226463525.
Not lotto, but I am doing Sub Zero and Wolf anyway. My kitchen is my forever kitchen.
As you would. Good choice.