Kitchen Equipment Recommendations

Hello Everyone,

After ten years, we are finally redoing our very old styled, galley-type kitchen. So, now I am looking at new kitchen equipment (cooktop, ovens, refrigerator, dishwasher--the whole lot). I would like to hear your recommendations on the brands you like the best. I have been looking into Viking, Bosch, Thermador, etc. I really want a great looking kitchen with great appliances. Which should I choose?

Bella

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It all depends on your budget. Do you have a price range in mind or is it unlimited?

Also: what kind of cooking do you do the most? If you want to grill all year, but can't do it outside in winter, consider getting a unit that includes a grill. Can you vent your hood to the outdoors? What about pasta cookers? How many people do you cook for at one time? How much do you bake, and are you comfortable with convection or not?

Before you go out to buy for looks, look at what you expect to do, and narrow your equipment desires based on that.

Kimmie and Suzanne,

Thank you for mentioning your ideas. We do a lot of cooking--mostly Italian in my kitchen. I definetly want a six-burner gas cooktop. Four burners are just not enough. I also would like a double oven, possibly one a convection oven. The frig will be a double wide (I hope).

I don't want a professional stove, as I have read that they are not insulated well enough for home use. I have been reading in all of the remodeling magazines,company literature, and Consumer Reports, so I do know what is out there.

Price is not much of an issue. I will not buy something just because it is pricey. It has to come with good recommendations and appeal. We have been saving a long time, and I really want to get fine quality equipment

Does this give you an idea?

Thanks, Bella

I'm just a huge Viking fan, good stuff and it lasts forever.

I like Viking too.

You could also take a tour at Monogram

A friend of mine just remodeled her kitchen and went with Miele. For a tour, click here

Also, a tour at Le Gourmet Kitchen may be enlightening.

Hope it helps :rolleyes:

:eek: :eek:
Oh, I'd love to be in your shoes. I love the whole Viking line looks wise, and i guess quality wise you can't beat em'. But I've also heard great things about Thermador and they seem to be not as expensive as Viking.

Can't wait till I leave this life of bachelorhoodness and build my dream kitchen with my wife :D :bounce:

http://www.siematic.com/home.shtm

There's some ideas in here if you want some layouts idea. I love the contemporary look personally. :bounce:

Thank you everyone for your ideas. My husband really likes the Viking line. Perhaps you can tell me if there are any dealerships close to or in Cleveland or Pittsburgh. These two major cities are very close to me. According to Viking, they have dealerships only in Philly and Michigan. There must be someone closer!

Thanks once again

Words from one who knows appliances...

This message is actually from my s.o. who does this stuff for a livin'. Hope it helps and it's not too late...

"I am in the distribution business of appliances and have a lot of exposure to all the appliances out there.
I will start by saying this, there is a lot of misconception out there in the "pro appliance market"
I will try to best break down what I do know of the individual product. Really the best thing to do is REALLY look at the product in a over-detailed way.

VIKING- Probably the best advertisers out there, the range is IMHO mediocre. The burners are simple stamped stainless steel that does a less than average flame distribution. This is VERY important when you have that flame cranking out. You're really only effectively hitting the edge of the pans. ALOT of Viking is also sourced from other manufacturers. Up until about a year ago the refrigerator was made by Amana which was literally 1/2 the price. This is until Viking bought them. The dishwasher is also sourced althought I don't know by whom and the same goes for a lot of their accessory items such as the wine unit, and icemaker which is manufactured by MARVEL ( a very high quality but underated company). But you are paying about 33% more for viking. What this basically means is YOU ARE PAYING FOR A NAME !!

GARLAND- Garland residential cooking appliances are perhaps the BEST cook tops on the market the truth is in the burners. They have a solid cast iron "star" burner that has a range up to 18,000 btu's and also a simmer that goes very low. It's these star burners that give them the BEST heat and flame usage and distribution. Essentially this is what alot of pros use but this is a scaled down version for home (perfectly insulated). Garland only makes cooking probucts such as cooktops, ranges, and hoods- no wall ovens or other appliances. Garland's ovens only come in gas and have open burners.

WOLF/SUBZERO- Wolf is Subzeros new baby. Subzero bought Wolf out about 1.5 years ago and is marketing them to death. Wolf has always made a good quality range product. Very underated until subzero started giving them a lot of exposure. They have a semi-sealed burner constuction which makes clean up fairly easy and 2 stage burners so you get good heat distribution. Wolf is also releasing a whole new line up of products. Subzero is still the only refrigerator manufacturer using the 2 compressors. Great quality units that don't have the laundry list of service and comressor issues that they had with some of the earlier "500" and previous series units.

THERMADOR- Thermador is still the only pro range manufactuer that uses 100% sealed burners. They also have a "star" shaped burner that is only available on the Dual fuel ranges (gas cooktop w/ electric oven) and cooktops. The all gas oven uses a round sealed burner that has poor flame distribution like the Viking. Thermador also sources their dishwasher from Bosch (Bosch/Siemans also owns Thermador) but overall decent product throughout the line. You will pay "popular brand" pricing on this merchandise.

G.E. Monogram- This is a VERY sourced out line of product, the only thing that GE makes in this line is the refrigerator, the range is a DCS, the wall oven is Bosch, the dishwasher is a Regency, the wine and beverage units are from Marvel. You are basically paying for a lable that says GE Monogram that matches the other appliances in your kitchen.

DCS- Here is another manufactuer of true pro cooking product that has a line up for residential. DCS is an underrated product as they dont have the advertising budget of some of the other brands. But overall a solid range with good flame distribution.


There are other brands out there such as Kitchen Aid, Dacor, Five Star, Miele, etc.

All the manufacturers also have good web sites as well.
If you need more information I will be more than happy to respond.

p.s. NOT a fan of consumer reports magazine! At least for appliances they shoot themselves in the foot many times. "

NY Home Cook

Thank you so much for the great information. It is great to hear from someone who really knows the products and their pros and cons. I may have some rethinking to do.

Now all I have to do is find dealers within my area and check everything for myself.

Thanks so much again. You have been a tremendous help to me.

Bella

Shape of available space...

In addition to brands, etc., you need to consider your vertical space as well. Use as much as you can to keep floor space clear and counter space workable. It must be exciting to be doing your kitchen over! When we move, we're reserving a chunk of change to re-do the kitchen in whatever house we buy. We know it won't meet our standards...without the commensurate $1.5 million price tag.

Bella,

You might be interested in a cookbook separated into two main parts: cooking and home design.

I came across a book today called Living and Eating by John Pawlson (architect) and Annie Bell, trained as a chef before becoming a food writer at Vogue.

It's a neat concept: the recipes seems pretty interesting and the authors demonstrate perfectly their vision of uncluttered luxury in the kitchen!

Click here for more information.

I had looked into Viking and heard so many horror stories about the new ones that we shied away from them. viking is no longer totally made by Viking, but parts from many makers all cobbled together. I ended up getting a Dacor 6 burner gas cooktop with a electric convection, regular and convection/bake feature with an infra gas broiler. Have not regreted the decision at all. YOu will need to remember that you need a commerical hood for this type of stove and a 24" stainless backsplash unless you plan on fireproofing your walls. I have had no problems with it except that I have to wipe up spills that show on the black top. Clean-up is quick, has a self clean oven and it's HOT. 15,00 BTU's per burner. What a delight! I chose not to get the griddle/grill function on a stove because I never used the one I had at a previous house. I prefer the 6 burners. Thye oven will hold 3 full sheet pans at a time, but I find that the baking is slightly compromised with that size. I have however, baked three pans of cookies/bars at once and been well pleased with the results. It has taken some getting used to the full convection feature, but we are making progress.

Thank you everyone for your information. I have been checking the websites of the various appliance brands and getting as much info and I can. I truly appreciate your ideas. They are invaluable.

I think we are going to shy away from the Viking line of cooktops and ovens.

I live near Pittsburgh, PA and Cleveland OH. Do any of you know dealerships which sell the Dacor, Thermador and other brands of appliances? Also, if we do have to go out of town for a purchase, who do I get if the appliance needs servicing? Does someone have to come from the place of purchase to fix my oven?

Thanks for keeping this thread going. I am digesting everthing you are telling me.


Bella

Bella, if you to any of the major web sites for the brands, they usually have a place to look for distributors or where you can enter an address and up pops the closest dealer. I have had my Dacor for almost a year now and have had no need for any type of service. The manual even explains how to calibrate the oven by yourself...which I needed to do. i would check with any large kitchen remodeling place. They may know of dealers in the area.
Good luck and keep us posted. We have Home Depots in this area and they have an upscale design store that sells most of the major brands. We found that we could do as well shopping at a local store who would match the price. We prefer to give back to the local businesses when we can.

bella-
i am also looking to redo my kitchen and i live in the cleveland area. if i come upon great resources i will let you know and would appreciate the same. you are a few steps ahead of me, though. i am just beginning to ponder what's out there. all these responses have been great for me too!

Business Card?

Hey NY Home Cook! Do you have a business card? Im also going to remodel my downstairs kitchen MYSELF! I mean design and purchasing wise not the actual construction. And was also thinking Viking or Thermador. You seem to be a pro in this area and since you are in the distribution field maybe I can buy the product from you or someone you recommend.

Rhermador cooktops and Bosch ovens....

I did a personal chef job a few weeks ago for a couple whose kitchen had just been re-done. They installed a Thermador 5 burner gas cooktop that really was a joy to cook on. The heat was fast and even. I needed all 5 burners at one time and the 5th burner was really convienent. Cleanup was easy and the surfaces were easily washable. They also installed a double Bosch oven. The top oven was convection. I used it for a number of things and thought it did a good job and seemed well made.
I don't know if I would run out and buy the oven, but that cooktop........

The one thing I always want in a home kitchen is a rice cooker...just cause they are so dern easy.

Matt

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I found a local distributor for Dacor, Viking , Subzero, Miele, and Gaggenau (sp?). My husband and I just happened to be looking in the window of a local kitchen design store and the owner came out and invited us in even though the store was closed. He spent about an hour with us showing us all the different brands and giving us his opinion of them.

I fell inlove with the Dacor six burner cooktop, too Jill. It was beautiful and had so many options with it. The Dacor ovens were great too. Very roomy and even heating throughout.

There was a Viking range there too. Once I really looked at it I knew that Viking would be out of the race for me. In a professional kitchen it would be great--I'd like to get one for my restaurant. But for a home kitchen it was too massive and very difficult to clean for someone who hates cleaning!

The Miele dishwasher was really neat. It can fit 14 european placesettings and wine glasses. It can also do fine silver and never harm it.

The owner was super. He cooks for the public every saturday and told us to come back next week. I think he said he would be doing rack of lamb so that people could see how the Dacor ovens and cooktops work.

I really think my mind has been made up. I want to thank all of you who contributed to my education. Without it I would not have known what this man was talking about.

Oh, I also learned that Garland does not make ovens and cooktops for home use any more.

Good luck to all

Bella

kitchen range

Great info on ranges! I have been told that there is a brand called Castle that is very good. Anybody know of them? Thanks.

Go to www.nkba.org This group has great guidelines on space allocation for designing your kitchen. They are weak on hood ventilation in my opinion. I want lots more CFM than the average home cook and their numbers are low.

A word on lighting. Lots. Ok, some more words. Avoid halogen. Halogen light is great, but it' s hot. I don't need more heat in my kitchen. Flourescents have improved greatly, are energy efficient and produce much less heat.

Phil

Does anyone have a recommendation for a home dishwasher that is quiet and FAST?

Just bought one.

I just bought a built-in Whirlpool Gold from Sears and its rated #2.

Here are the specs:

Whirlpool Gold/Sears.com

thanks, shawtycat. how long does it take to clean & dry, from start to finish? i never see this listed in the official product info given about a dishwasher (or am i somehow just missing this? i can't be the only one who thinks this is an important part of the decision).

My First Dishwasher

I don't rightly know how long these things are supposed to go. The normal cycle takes 73 minutes! :eek: So I started using the Quick Wash that only goes for 45. :rolleyes: Other homeowners in my area assure me that dishwashers do take that long to wash. And that mine is quick. Really??

I confess to still handwashing my dishes sometimes. Ive been doing it for 19 years so its hard to quit now. I use my dishwasher for the pots and pans and baby bottles. Youd be amazed at how that stuff piles up in my house. I dont have enegy to do all that washing.

To Bella

Hi Bella,

I happen to be in the same boat as you. I am looking into getting a new range for my home. The only problem is cost is a consideration for me so I may end up with only a range top with a lower priced oven. Have you had any luck making a decision on a range? I read all the info you got and was very impressed. Unfortunately, my head is spinning. :)

Hi Dbassist,

Thanks for your note. I am sorry it took so long to answer, but I have not been on my computer lately.

As I said, I am really sold on the Dacor range top. It comes in many different configurations. You can even get the griddle and wok attachment for it. It has a special simmering burner on which you can melt chocolate (no double burner) without it burning. This was a great interest to me as I do work with chocolate alot! If you go to their website, they will send you a bunch of info.

My best recommendation is to go to a local kitchen remodeling place and talk with the people there. I think you will get better answers out of a local owner that has been in business for several years, than you will get from someone in a large, major home appliance store.

Some remodelers will even come into your house and give you ideas on how to arrange things and which would be best for your situation.

Good luck, and have fun.

I know what you mean when you say it is overwhelming. I can't imagine building a house and having to pick everything out!

Bella

shawtycat,
45 minutes sounds good to me. but i wish there were a home dishwasher that worked in 1/2 hour or so! sure would be great to get apps dishes and soups done before the dinner & dessert plates pile up!

Bella did you choose a range yet?

Thanks for the posts on this thread. I am currently looking for a 36" residential range. It has been narrowed down to Wolf, Dacor or Garland. My wife and I love to cook, entertain and I will also be making grilled cheese sandwiches for my two girls on it...?
Any further advice from owners of these ranges, chefs or experienced kitchen warriors would be greatly appreciated.
Dave Grogan.