Your dream kitchen!

[Mezzaluna]

Congratulations! You've just won a contest. The prize is unlimited funds to make the kitchen of your dreams in your home. What would you include? What features and equipment would it have? Remember, the sky's the limit, so dream big.

[coolJ]

Well let's see, I live in a condo that was built in 1972, so I'd have to be imaginative and redesign the lower level ( of the house that is), my dream kitchen would cut into what is currently the dining room and part of the living room as well. I would put in a charbroiler and flattop/oven combo. definetly a salamander, walkin cooler and freezer, double cabinet steamer, convection oven as well. and I would have all steel counters and cabinets, and a butcher block. I might even throw in a meat slicer and a stand mixer. I could go on but pretty soon I'd have more kitchen than house.

BTW great thread Mezz.

[Mezzaluna]

CoolJ, that sounds like a great place to turn out wonderful meals and have fun.

Here's what I'd include. (Suggestions are welcome!)

Large fridge with "satellite" drawers around the kitchen (one for beverages, one for greens, etc. in logical places)
Wine cellar and cooler
Large upright freezer
Speaking of freezers, ice cream making equipment
Two wall ovens, both convection (Dacor?)
I like the idea of a salamander too
Six-burner gas cooktop with grill and griddle
Wood-fired rotisserie (gigot d'agneau anyone?)
Warming drawers (for dishes or proofing dough)
Granite countertops
Island with removable Boos butcher block
Large pantry with pull-out shelves
Storage cabinet for cookware with pull-out shelves (I have three shelves like this now and LOVE them, but not everything fits)
Swing-up shelves for mixer and food processors (I have one for the processor right now)
Deep sinks with gooseneck spigots
Reverse-osmosis filtered water system (larger- I have a really small one now)
Green house for herbs and tender greens
Food dehydrator
Complete set of All-Clad cookware
All the Henckels knives I'd want that I don't have already
Dining space and dinner service for 30 people
Bottomless food budget... Bring on those Alba truffles!

[phatch]

First I have to build a good-sized detached garage. Then the kitchen remodel can start. I don't want to do a remodel that is untrue to the character of the house's facade, so some pictures help explain why the garage is part of the kitchen remodel.

This is roughly what exists now (though there's a window over the sink as shown in the remodel):



And after the new garage is built, the remodel would proceed along these lines:


Which means I need to raise the floor of the garage, add heating and cooling, serious hood and ducting. Dig out under the garage and finish for the ambient ground temp storage for potatoes and other good. Iv'e seen the work of a local company that does this mostly for home theater. No window light to contend wtih and well sound proofed on all but one wall. They could certainly do the work for a good storage room. This will need some climate control work too.

The current kitchen would get some touch ups for serving as a butler's pantry and snack center.

• microwave oven for casual snacking
• a fridge for beverages and snacks
• redo the counters to get rid of the cooktop hole
• redo some cabinets for the smaller fridge and disappearing wall oven.
• The storage would be for the various grades of service.
• Dishwasher for those items.
• a toaster oven somewhere. Good for snacking and toasting of quick items.

Off in the kitchen:

• a 6 burner stove with grill
• killer hood
• wok ring
  2 convection ovens
• One micro
• Separate fridge and freezer. Maybe some more downstairs in the store room.
• Two rolling carts/locking casters marked by C
• Table marked by T

Debated extending the bottom window into a small greenhouse for winter herbs, but it would look stupid on the house and cause entrance/egress issues
Dashed lines show upper cabinets

Mezz's list is pretty good. Throw that in too.

Do I get to hire a worker in perpetuity for cleaning duties out of this budget and prep help? Some staff is part of a dream kitchen it seems. He/She can live in the apartment above the detached garage.

Phil

[Mezzaluna]

That's an impressive design Phil. Three dishwashers! I guess that means I'm invited to dinner since you'll have capacity for the entire Chef Talk membership, right?

[phatch]

I hate doing dishes. Hate it, hate it. Dishes were a punishment growing up. That's why.

One, or maybe two of the DW's would be the new drawer style. The butler's pantry is a likely candidate as that would cover the daily dish use. probably one in the kitchen too as that's enough for most day's cooking dishes. But I still need a full sizer for the big pots and platters and bigger events.

Phil

[kuan]

In my dream kitchen...

There will be no dirty dishes and water will boil immediately.

If that can't be done, then something like Mezz's dream would work too I guess.

Kuan

[phatch]

Originally Posted by kuan

water will boil immediately.

I like the sentiment, but I think that would cause more problems than it would solve.

Phil

[AzRaeL]

sky is the limit eh?
Alrightie then..firstly i'd get myself a Bigger house.

The Cabinets and fixtures will be bulthaup.
worktop will be stainless steel with silestone (engineered quartz).

Cooker range from Wolf, fridge will be a large built in Sub-Zero.

Oven ... a large 90cm model from Gaggenau or Wolf.

Flooring black and white checkered Linonleum.

[panini]

My ideal kitchen would be one with a chef on call 24-7