My Dream Kitchen!
#11
  Re: (...)
Okay, we are closer to our renovation and remodel of the main level of our home. Looks like we may be able to start sometime this summer. I was out the other day looking at appliances. I have never purchased appliances before, they have always been in our home when we purchased it. My hubby is sweet and loves my cooking and is all for me 'getting what I want', but we have a budget.

I have decided not to get a range, but instead get a cooktop and separate oven or ovens. I was interested to see what other people here had to day about the appliances they have and/or would like to have.

This is what I want/need to get:

  • Oven or dual oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Dishwasher
  • Microwave
  • Cooktop
  • Washing Machine
  • Dryer


I am sure we will go with the stainless steel products, you can't get any other color these days in the high end stuff seems like. I do like the look of them too.

My budget for all the appliances should be around $10,000. There is some flexibility there, but I think I would like to stay around that price range to be realistic. I am not really up on brands or new features. We have standard appliances now that are 10 years old, all Whirlpool. They are fine, but we really want to upgrade.

ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME! Especially any cool appliance I may be forgetting!
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Laura
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#12
  Re: My Dream Kitchen! by luvnit (Okay, we are closer ...)
Oh Laura, I'm so envious of you doing this!! We did it in the barn and when we were finished I had my dream kitchen - after collecting ideas for 30-40 years and working in the cooking world, I really knew what I wanted and didn't want.

Just a couple ideas of what we did (and loved) - we combined counter/island tops between butcher block and Stainless Steel. The SST can look a little institutional but the wood softens it all. Our island was wood and the counters around the kitchen were SST.

My drop in stove top was a Dacor six burner gas top - Loved it also.

One thing we did in the island that was a real winner - no cupboards, all full-extension drawers and pull-outs.

Maryann will be along soon, I'm sure, she is in the process of redoing her kitchen so you two can compare notes.

Have fun with this project!! I had to leave my wonderful kithchen when we retired to Washington...
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#13
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by cjs (Oh Laura, I'm so env...)
Thanks Jean!

Oh and we are also choosing appliances first, then we will design the rest of the space around the kitchen. I am also removing our 'dining room' and will use it for more kitchen space.

Oh and I saw this really cool cupboard accessory to store your KA! It just pops out from the cabinet! I am sure some of you have this or have seen it.
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#14
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by cjs (Oh Laura, I'm so env...)
Laura, I do not have a remodeled kitchen -and boy does it need it, but we have gotten a few new appliances. I don't have gas and am limited on cook tops/ranges. I love my new one, but will not post that one. If I had gas I would go a very different route.

I will preface this by saying we often get kenmore appliances - we can get a good deal though the military and/or the scratch and dent store - and they are made by major manufacturers - and we can not afford Top Line brands.

Washer and Dryer - we got the kenmore front loaders. I LOVE THEM. Especially if you have kids. They work great and you can do huge loads and use so much less soap and water. I can wash all the bedding from the 3 kids beds at one time! My King sheet load is too small a load always have to find towels to fill it up! Would not get anything else.

We replaced out side by side refer-freezer (I will never get one again - just wasted space and too small). I got a full size refer and a full size freezer that are meant to look built in - but so much less expensive. I LOVE IT! You buy the refer, and the freezer and if needed the built in package. Here is the Link
Erin
Mom to three wonderful 7th graders!
The time is flying by.
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#15
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by esgunn (Laura, I do not hav...)
Great looking unit, Erin!! I'm so with Erin on the side-by-side refrigerator/freezer - (hope that's not what you're dreaming of getting Laura, if it is, just ignore us, we don't like them... )
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#16
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by cjs (Great looking unit, ...)
Quote:

Great looking unit, Erin!! I'm so with Erin on the side-by-side refrigerator/freezer - (hope that's not what you're dreaming of getting Laura, if it is, just ignore us, we don't like them... )




Well, a side-by-side is what we have now. Now I know the drawbacks of it. But really, I want to hear what everyone has and what they like or don't like.

I thought I wanted a new range oven. When I was at the store, they were pretty much the same as I have now. Not much different than what I already have. I looked at the range I thought I wanted that has the dual oven already in it. It was lovely, but I didn't think it would work for me.

Hearing what others use and love (or dislike) is very useful information.

I also want one of those dish sprayers like they use in restaurants. I think you have one Jean! I thought I saw it in a photo. Do you like it?
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time."
Laura
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#17
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by luvnit ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
If I had a choice I would get a freezerless refer. The side-by-sides are really too small in both sections. My BIL is talking about getting me a new dual-fuel stove, but I'm afraid I'll have to "settle" on a 36" instead of the 48" dual oven. We'll see. Anything newer than we have will help
Don't wait too long to tell someone you love them.

Billy
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#18
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by luvnit ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
OHHH SOOOO many things to wish for BUT I did that about 5 years ago and will never be sorry for my/our choices

A great deal of thought and research went into this project and hubby is such a wonderful inspiring person that I was able to achieve MORE than I could have ever dreamed of.!! he is such a sweetie and I AM SOOOOO SPOILED!!!!

When we originally built our home (15 years ago) I had to settle for the going thing on the market in South Africa---not very efficient but did the job.....as the markets progressed (about 10 years later) I had the urge to upgrade the kitchen---and I certainly did that---with a little help from DH!!!

I already had some beautiful marble countertops and did not want to replace them---also the Italian marble flooring was/is to die for!! My main issue was the cupbboards and appliances...We replaced the gray painted cupboards with American walnut---what an awesome change that was---and the appliances were changed to stainless steel products from black and white....the only choice we had at the time.

Presently, we have a double oven set-up (Miele), 7 zone ceran top stove top(Miele), Miele microwave, Miele dishwasher, and a Gaggenau side-by-side fridge freezer--all stainless steel ----I love every appliance and would not change any decision we have made!!! The products have been superb with very little in the way of problems (just a bit of trouble with the ice-maker) but all in all, I would make no changes here. The products available to you in the US are far superior and more varied......just research everything carefully and make your choice accordingly. Knowledge is your friend here!!!!!

Washer and dryer---we have Speedqueen---the best on the market here---they have been in since day one and still going strong----do you have that available there?? When we lived in the States I always had Whirlpool and those were terrific---don't know about the product today but they were always a never to die product....

What a great adventure to go through-----have fun and keep us posted------BEFORE and AFTER images, maybe????

The clean up with the ceran top is next to nothing---I know that gas is the superior medium for more accurate cooking but I really LOVE my ceran top----once one is used to the temps---can't beat the other benefits, IMHO!

I would love to hear any opinions on the Viking range----I'm sure that a kitchen re-do will be in the cards for our future return to the States---YEPPPP!!! I'm being optimistic--not very likely in the near future though!

Have fun, Laura--------this is an adventure that will not happen again so chose very carefully and pay attention to the small details---VERY important!!!!
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
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#19
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by luvnit ([blockquote]Quote:[h...)
"Maryann will be along soon, I'm sure, she is in the process of redoing her kitchen so you two can compare notes."

Don't I wish! No, I'm afraid I'm still in the dreaming phase, so I'll learn from all of you. Then, by the time I'm ready to "redo" I will have collected a lot of fine ideas. Jean, I think you may have been thinking of Cis. She just got beautiful brand new countertops not long ago.

Erin, that's a great looking frig! I'll bet you can really load that one up. Like so many of you, I currently have a side by side frig/freezer. It's okay now since it's just the two of us, but we ended up buying another frig for the basement because there just wasn't enough room for everything during the holidays.

Someday, when we do get around to remodeling the kitchen, I know that I want a deeper kitchen sink. Sorry I'm not more help, Laura, but your project sounds like a lot of fun and we will all love hearing about it, so keep us posted and take pics along the way!

Maryann
Maryann

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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#20
  Re: Re: My Dream Kitchen! by bjcotton (If I had a choice I ...)
Oh yes, Laura, I love my faucet/sprayer - but, it I were doing fresh construction as you will be doing, I'd pop for the foot lever also. What a wonderful unit that would be!

One more thing I'd like to bring up and I know it'll start a firestorm... My stove top DID NOT have sealed burners and I loved not having that mess on my stove burning and burning. With the 'unsealed' burners there are two or three trays (depending on size of stove) that pull out and everything drops thru from the burner and they are so easy to clean and go in the dishwasher also.

I'll try to think of things as I go along - one more just thot of. if possible go for a second sink somewhere in the work area. You'll never be sorry.

Guess I should preface all this with - imo!
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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