Kitchen Interior Design

!: Kitchen Interior Design

Not long after we were married, we bought a house in a great area that an architect had designed for himself and his family. We loved it - very Frank Lloyd Wright, with lots of land. So began the adventure. Having just moved into our new home, we came to the conclusion that the kitchen definitely needed to be redone - yes, the kitchen interior design project was on.

There were so many things to be thought about and planned for during the reconstruction. We plunged head first into the project with little experience and our heads full of remodeling ideas, just an ideal of what we want the kitchen layout to be.

We had the contractors start the parade - looking at the layout of the kitchen and the cabinet construction, the overall construction of the house and the kitchen in particular. The bids came in - slowly at first and then in a deluge. The prices were astounding. This was in the early 1980's and the low bid was ,000, and that was for a new sink, paint and "new cabinet facings" (new doors on the existing cabinets!) Now the house was not inexpensive, but these prices were out of sight! Times were much like today, many people out of work and contracts were few and far between.

We looked and planned the movements around the kitchen, what we wanted to do with the space and how we wanted the kitchen to function. So, one week, we ordered a 40 yard dumpster to be delivered to the house. We knew about these as when we moved in, we had filled five of these babies with junk from inside the house as well as the yard. We checked with each other hoping that we were really sane, picked up sledge hammers and started on the walls. What fun it was, tearing away what had become a kitchen that we did not like and could not stand.

We had decided to open up the kitchen - that it would only have two walls with an island that was filled with drawers - big drawers with heavy file cabinet drawer slides (The things that filing drawers use to pull in and out smoothly while supporting the heavy load of paper, files and books.) They can support over 100 pounds each and we thought they would work fine to support drawers that held large stand mixers, iron pots and pans as well as dishes. We built drawers that were tall enough to hold big bowls and other tall things that are used in the kitchen. We also made drawers that were deep enough to hold baking pans and all sorts of things for cooking. There were even spice drawers with angled racks in the drawer so the labels could be easily read.

You may have guessed that the kitchen was to revolve around the stove and all the details that are needed to cook on the marvelous one we choose. After much research, we choose a gas Viking 36 inch, six burner stove with one oven. Black and chrome, it was a thing of beauty and held the place of honor in the kitchen. We had a custom range hood designed with a 'double lung' exhaust system, so the kitchen never over heated while the stove was being used. We had a pot of stock on one of the back burners most of the time.

The counter heights were at a special height as we are both tall, so the counter was perfect for working on for us. This is sometime to be considered if you have planning to keep your home for a long time or if are you remodeling the kitchen to increase the selling value. We also put carpet in the kitchen. The rest of the house had either hard wood or marble flooring, but the kitchen was to be soft under foot for the standing time is greater there than anywhere else in the house.

When you understand what you want to do with your remodeling, that is when you can start your new kitchen interior design.

Kitchen Interior Design

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Energy Efficient Ranges and Cooktops - Which to Buy - Induction, Gas, Or Electric?

!: Energy Efficient Ranges and Cooktops - Which to Buy - Induction, Gas, Or Electric?

When you turn on an electric or gas burner, a good deal of the heat does not go to the pan, but into the air. If you open the oven door, the heat rushes out of the oven and into the air and the oven has to reheat. When you turn off an electric burner, even though the the power is off, heat is still given off and is considered to be wasted. So by strict definition of "energy efficiency" one of the most used appliances in your home just doesn't measure up.

Even though cooktops and ranges do not earn the Energy Star rating under today's standards, there are some products that are more efficient than others.

I am in the market for a new kitchen stove and began the research to find the most energy efficient product that fit into my budget. With the tax credits available for Energy Star appliances, I asked if there were any Energy Star rated stoves (ranges if you will). The answer is, no. Why? Very simply, because energy efficiency is measured on how much energy it takes to perform a particular function compared to how much energy is lost or wasted by that same process.

Solar Powered

There are some small solar powered stoves and hybrid solar (solar with electric backup) for those days when the sun doesn't shine on the market today. Most of the specifications indicate a minimal temperature range and have very limited capacity. The largest capacity I found measured 21.25 inches square by 7.78 inches deep. If you are looking to experiment with solar cooking, there are any number of plans on the internet to build your own solar stove using materials found around your home. However, the solar solution may not be the most practical for a busy family. For now, being somewhat of a pragmatist, I've focused my search and the following article on the more practical options for today's busy family.

Induction/Electromagnetic

The new induction cooktops and ranges are the most efficient on the market tody. Induction cooking surface, when turned on and a metal pan is on the cooking element, produce an electrical current in the cooktop which creates a magnetic field that causes the pan to heat and cook your food. It's like magic. Even if the burner is turned on, when the pan is not touching the surface, you could lay your hand on the element. It's instant on and off. I've actually done this and was quite amazed. There is no heat loss when you remove the pan, which makes the induction cooktop more efficient than other cooking surfaces. The pans must have flat bottoms and be made of metal or the electromagnetic heating process won't work.

Most major appliance manufacturers offer an induction cooktop (no oven). If you are trying to replace an all-in-one cooktop and oven, there are several manufactures: Samsung, Kenmore, Viking, GE, and Diva. The oven component is typically electric with a convection option. Like most new technologies, the induction cooking appliances are still expensive. However, over the past year, prices have dropped.

Natural Gas or Propane vs Electric

If an expensive cooktop or range is not in your plan, there are other options. Based on current natural gas prices, natural gas, is still slightly cheaper to operate than an electric cooktop.. So, if you're investigating appliances based on cost of operation, you'll want to investigate average prices of electricity vs natural gas in your area. (Be aware that the proposed energy legislation will affect the cost of any fossil based fuel and prices will go up for both natural gas and electricity. How much they will rise is not yet known.) Overall, the savings of gas over electric has historically been minimal and amounts to less than a year in savings. If you are a cook that prefers gas, there are many options from which to choose. Many of the most popular brands are carried by Lowes, Home Depot and Sears.

Energy Efficient Ranges and Cooktops - Which to Buy - Induction, Gas, or Electric

The most energy efficient cooking solution would be an induction cook top with an electric/convection oven, followed by a gas cooktop with an electric/convection oven. Convection ovens are a little more expensive than an electric or gas only oven, but they require less cooking time, so you are using less energy and reducing your time in the kitchen. For the busy family, less time is a real plus. All in one gas or electric units are the cheapest solution, but not the most energy efficient. The differences in operating costs depend greatly on the utility prices in your area. However, the cost difference, based on the national average of gas vs electricity, is only a few cents, with natural gas being the cheaper.

Price Comparison

So, if you're in the market for a new range or cooktop and your primary objective is saving energy, go for an induction cooktop with an electric/convection oven. For that system, budget between 00 for a fully featured system and 00 for a whiz bang designer, professional grade system.

If natural gas or propane is available in your area, the next best combo would be a gas cook top and an electric/convection oven. Prices vary considerably, ranging from under 00 for a basic model to the mid-range of 00 -00 for a full featured stainless steel unit. If you have even a higher budget, there are some magnificent options for the person who really enjoys cooking ranging in price between 00 and ,000.

If the electric option is all you have, don't despair. Remember that the differences in energy consumption and energy cost between the gas or electric options are not that significant. By going the extra step and purchasing an electric cook top with an electric/convection oven, you will be reducing oven cooking time and, thus, energy consumption. Any reduction in energy consumption is a positive and will produce some cost savings. Prices for these units vary from 00 to 00 for fully featured stainless steel units. These are available from most appliance manufacturers. If your budget is less than 00, check out prices on the internet. There are good deals to be found on this type of stove. If I'm still talking above your budget, "all electric" or "all gas" ranges vary in price from 8 to 00. Keep in mind that the very low end products will not typically be self-cleaning, nor will they have the insulation to keep the heat inside the oven when cooking, nor will the temperature control of the oven be very precise.

While cooking units are not energy efficient according to the standards set by Energy Star. Since there are not significant differences in energy cost among the options, it boils down to budget, cooking style, and availability of natural gas/propane. I've given you some things to think about when purchasing that new stove and, hopefully, you found them useful.

Energy Efficient Ranges and Cooktops - Which to Buy - Induction, Gas, Or Electric?

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