Built-in units with wood paneling can match and integrate into the cabinetry quite well. Finishes are also offered in stainless steel.
Designing Your Kitchen
By William Martin, Certified Kitchen Designer®
Photos Courtesy of Roth Distributing, Denver, CO
This HomeLink issue introduces a continuing series of kitchen design articles discussing each of the Elements and Principles of Design.
SELECTING APPLIANCES
Appliances are one of the first Design Elements to consider when planning a new kitchen. You'll need to decide whether you want a range or a cooktop with one or two detached ovens, one or two dishwashers, a combination freezer and refrigerator or separate units. Here are some considerations when selecting major appliances.
Cooktop
One way to determine energy efficiency
and conservation in cooking surfaces is by measuring energy transfer from
the cooking surface to the pots and pans. Gas has an energy transfer rate
of about 70%. While conductive or radiant electric is approximately 80
- 85%, the most efficient cooking surface is metal induction at 90% or
more.
Metal induction is a relatively new concept that works by “exciting” the molecules of ferrous metals. The actual burner never gets hot; it transfers energy directly to the ferrous metal cooking vessels that are placed on it. Heat is generated immediately, approximately 50% faster than gas or electric. Any pot or pan a magnet will stick to will work on a metal induction surface. There is even metal induction stainless steel cookware available.
Metal induction is often installed where safety is a concern with the elderly or children, when burners may accidentally be left on, since the actual cooking surface remains cool to the touch.
Gas cooktops are preferred over electric by many who believe that gas temperature adjustments are more precise and gradual and that heat is gained more rapidly. The latest generations of higher quality electric and metal induction cooktops combine sensitive temperature adjustments with instant heat.
Three different types of burners are available on gas cooktops. The traditional style of burner is "open" where air is drawn from below the orifice, mixes with the gas at the orifice and produces a clean burning blue flame. Typically open burners are preferred by professional chefs for their perceived cooking accuracy and performance. The downside is that grease and food particles fall through the burner to a drip pan below. These are the most difficult to clean. Professional chefs usually have someone who cleans the cooktop for them.
The "semi-sealed" burner was an early attempt to design a gas cooktop surface that was easier to clean while still producing quality performance. These failed to meet performance expectations and are being phased out.
"Sealed" burners are the best for residential use. They do not rely on air from below. The cooktop surface under the burner grate is completely sealed and easy to clean. Grates are effortlessly removed and cleaned in the dishwasher.
Gas appliance heat output is rated in British Thermal Units (BTU) at sea level where there is the greatest density of oxygen to mix with gas. Anything that burns requires fuel (gas) and oxygen. As you gain altitude the air is thinner with less oxygen. Gas appliances lose approximately 4% of their efficiency per 1000 feet of altitude gain. At Steamboat Springs' altitude of roughly 7000 feet, approximately 28% less oxygen is available, reducing performance significantly.
If you prefer gas, consider selecting a professional grade cooktop. They produce a higher BTU output from their burners than residential grade appliances and perform better at high altitudes. In addition their simmer burners and other features offer better performance over residential grade. If quality cooking is important, professional grade is a great value.
If you prefer a traditional electric cooktop consider one with a ceramic top. With no open burners, they are the easiest to clean.
When possible choose a cooktop with separate ovens located outside of the work triangle. Points of the work triangle are the cooktop, sink and refrigerator. Inside the work triangle is where cooks spend most of their time. It should be dedicated to daily work space and the appliances used frequently. Most people use their cooktop daily, ovens significantly less.
Ovens
For most of us, nothing can beat an electric oven. While gas cook tops can be upgraded to professional grade, ovens cannot. Additionally if a gas oven claims a self cleaning feature, it will not perform well at Steamboat Springs' altitude. For an oven to self clean properly it must reach 750° to 900° and sustain that temperature for an hour or more. A gas oven at 7000 feet is simply not capable of that.
Only professional chefs will notice the performance difference between an electric and gas oven. Electric ovens tend to dry food out. When gas burns it produces two pounds of water for every pound of gas consumed. A gas oven will retain moisture in food that is baking or broiling.
If you choose to have a gas range (cooktop with an integrated oven below) consider a duel fuel range. They feature a gas professional grade cooktop with an electric oven below.
Convection ovens circulate the air within the oven with one or more fans for more even and rapid cooking. The downside is they tend to dry food a little more than standard radiant heat ovens. Higher end ovens offer the convection feature with the choice of whether or not to use it.
Microwaves
Performance is rated in watts. Look for a rating of 1000 watts or more. Many combination microwave/oven units provide only about 700 watts of power for the microwave feature, too anemic for most microwave-only uses. They are intended to supplement the main radiant oven feature. Unless you have a specific need for a combination microwave/oven unit, try to avoid them.
Placing your microwave on a countertop is a waste of premium real estate needed for daily food preparation. A preferred location is above a wall oven. Almost all microwaves have the control panel on the right side with the door hinged on the left. Try not to place the microwave in a location where you have to operate around the open door.
Avoid placing a microwave above a cooktop unless all other options have been ruled out. Operationally they are located too high for most people to reach comfortably and require use above a potentially hot surface. In addition most provide a lower wattage than is desirable.
Refrigeration
Modern refrigerators are offered in a dizzying array of layout and design features. Combination refrigerator/freezers are the most common. Most use a single set of mechanical components (condenser, evaporator and compressor) to provide cooling. While this concept is cost efficient, there is a downside. They circulate the same air between the refrigerator and freezer.
A few refrigerators are manufactured with dual components. The freezer and refrigerator each have their dedicated cooling units. Air is not circulated between refrigerator and freezer. Food preservation quality is much better resulting in fewer trips to the market and less wasted and spoiled food. A dual component unit will keep lettuce fresh for ten to fourteen days while in a single component unit it will begin to deteriorate in approximately three days.
Some foods, like apples, produce ethylene gas which is associated with the ripening process. Others, such as lettuce, deteriorate more rapidly in the presence of ethylene gas. Higher quality units provide design features like air filtration and sealed drawers that can isolate these foods from each other providing longer quality food preservation.
“Built in” is a generic term for refrigerators that are only 24 inches deep. Generally built-in units are higher priced with more features. The most common door configurations are side by side, French door and single door. Most single door, built-in units place the freezer on the bottom with a single refrigerator above. The cooling components are on top of the unit above the useable space area.
Built-in units with wood paneling can match and integrate into the cabinetry quite well. Finishes are also offered in stainless steel.
Standard refrigerators are 30 to 32 inches deep, protruding out past the base cabinets and encroaching into the floor area. They appear monolithic creating a traffic impediment and visual barrier.
People generally access the refrigerator about ten times more than the freezer. Refrigerator trips tend to be impulsive while freezer trips are premeditated. Placing the refrigerator above the freezer in the most accessible space is the best design.
Side by side refrigerators work best for people who use the freezer more frequently. Side by side refrigerators always have the refrigerator on the right side with the freezer on the left. When placing a side by side make sure you will not have to walk around the open refrigerator door to access the area inside the work triangle.
French doors offer the convenience of two doors instead of one on the refrigerator. This provides easy access to the entire refrigerator area without a single large heavy door. Additionally, each door is narrower, allowing easier access to landing areas on either side of the unit. Most locate the freezer below in a single or two-drawer configuration.
Water and ice located on the outside door may provide the convenience of easy access but come with significant trade-offs. These features reduce the amount of storage area inside the refrigerator and freezer. Additionally, these optional mechanical components may increase service and repair calls.
The refrigerator you purchase will have an average life of about twenty years. While built-in and dual component units generally cost more, their superior design and performance justify the higher cost.
Dishwashers
The latest generation of dishwashers features internal water heating elements that will heat water up to 170 degrees and require only a cold water hookup which reduces the need to heat large amounts of water in a water heater for a small amount of hot water required. In addition some models reuse water during some of their cycles reducing the overall consumption of water. European manufactures also provide more insulation for sound suppression and reducing heat loss. Today's modern dishwasher soaps actually clean dishes better if they have not been pre-rinsed, further reducing water consumption.
With more frequency people are installing two dishwashers. Many families tend to use the same dishes over and over. With a second dishwasher you have the option of “clean and dirty” dishwashers. A second dishwasher may also be looked on as storage.
Even more provocatively, a second dishwasher costs less than the cabinetry it replaces. Average kitchen base cabinets cost about $500 a linear foot. Two linear feet (the average width of a dishwasher) would cost $1000. You can buy a great dishwasher for $800. So for $800 plus the cost of plumbing (about $100 in new construction) you can have a second dishwasher. Additionally for that occasional large party, two dishwashers speed cleanup with one for pots and pans and one for china and glassware.
Look for an in depth discussion of the element of Layout (the work triangle) in the next issue of HomeLink Magazine.
© 2008 HomeLink Magazine | Park Range Publications All Rights Reserved
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