Kitchen 20/20 » Hardware

Do you want to blog about your kitchen remodeling project?

martin — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:48:00 +0000

We’re looking for a few intrepid homeowners who would like to share your experiences during a kitchen remodeling project- good, bad, surprising, cool, etc. Photos would be very dyson* too. We’ve been through many kitchen projects but most have been as designers rather than our own, although we’ve done that too.

If you’re interested send us a note at sammy at supernaturalagency dot com. Tell us a little bit about your project, where it stands, your design approach, budget range, etc. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

*There’s a movement afoot to turn the word ‘dyson’ into a replacement for the word ‘cool’, as in Dyson (vacuum cleaner) sucks- opposite of which is doesn’t suck= cool. Whatever.

Introducing Kitchen Design Insights

martin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:07:14 +0000

We have just launched a sister site called Kitchen Design Insights that offers a complete guide to the entire kitchen design process from initial planning to finished construction. The site covers everything from cabinets to appliances, from contractors to architects- you name it.

Be sure to bookmark it as we are just beginning to add Photo Galleries, expanded Resource Sections and more.

Visit: www.KitchenDesignInsights.com

Kitchen Q&A: Carol Smith’s Range Choice Dliemma

martin — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 22:02:44 +0000

Q:
Carol writes:
I have looked at them all. Such a good selection to choose from I am stumped. Consumer Report has such negative things to say about the professional range that I am starting to ask questions as to what do they really know about cooking. I want a professional range for many reasons other than looks. We are building a new house and of course I love the look and would be proud to show. But bottom line I do want a range and oven that will perform with out having to call the service man out. I love the Viking Range but Consumer Reports says it is prone to problems. What do professional chefs prefer in their home if they were selecting for their at home kitchen. Would they choose a regular Sears Brand because it is more affordable and less likely to have a service call? Believe me I have had plenty of service calls on products Consumer Report has highly recommended. Consumer Report doesn’t really say what the problems are with the Viking Pro Range but they just say they are more likely to have problems. Do you know any one with a Viking, Wolf, Thermadore, Electrolux, or Dacor that has said they would never buy another professional range. Just curious. The people that has put them in their home kitchens how do they feel about cooking on them. Are they always broken. Have you had any one write positive statements other than a professional chef about pro range investment to their new kitchen update. Please give a clue if you can. I don’t want to make a serious mistake. I have had a Jenn-Air for the past 16 years that was already 10 years old when I moved into my home and it still was working perfectly when we sold our home. Jenn-Air was another range that was not highly rated by Consumer Report. I have never spoke to a Jenn- Air owner that had any complaints. Thank you.

A:
Huge question Carol. Consumer Reports is very focused on reliability and Viking has had problems with that, however I think you need to consider why they are so critical of restaurant-style ranges in general. First, the heat and energy requirements are often way beyond what any homeowner needs. A twenty-thousand BTU burner is almost equivalent to the burner in a gas furnace used to heat an entire house. Heat is destructive to the materials around it which is why these high heat ranges are made of super-durable materials like cast iron, stainless steel and enameled cast iron. Heat also needs to go somewhere after it does its job and this means serious ventilation. These factors all mean that, unless you truly are restaurant style cook (cook for large numbers of people frequently), you don’t need a restaurant-style range.
That being said, I know you love the look of these ranges- who doesn’t? If that’s the case, find models that are made of similar materials: cast iron, stainless, etc. Our old Jenn-aire appears to be stainless but much of the trim is plated and it is coming off. The grates are stamped steel and they have warped from the heat so pots don’t sit flat. These are common complaints with these ranges. We have heard the same regarding Dacor, in fact a local dealer stopped carrying them because of numerous quality issues. Thermador and KitchenAid offer some nice choices as does Wolf. Viking, though they appear to be a brand that once made restaurant equipment and branched into home appliances, is in fact a company started to build restaurant-style appliances, back in the eighties when the trend started.
Check the materials for durability and think about how you will use the range. Plan on buying a quality ventilation system.
Finally I have a good friend who is a highly respected chef. When I asked him the range question he said:

" Give me a hot plate, a garbage can and a flat surface near running water and I’ll make you anything you want- it’s not the range that makes the cook."

He gets the final word.

Send Us Your Questions!

martin — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 17:11:11 +0000

Are you designing a new kitchen?
Looking for ways to spruce up the one you have?
Trying to decide between granite and marble?
Thinking about a downdraft vent? A pot rack? German vs. Japanese Knives?
How about the best way to light kitchen island?

When it comes to kitchens there are a lot of questions. We don’t have all the answers but we probably know where to find the answers we don’t have and we’ve been through the entire kitchen design/build process hundreds of times. So, pick our brains!

We’ll post the answers to questions that we think apply to our readers in general and the occasional odd, funny or disastrous ones (to help you avoid going down the same path).

For the rest, we’ll reply by email.
All you have to do is send us a brief question via Email. Please limit your questions to one per email. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Martin and Richard

Kitchen Upgrades: Hardware

martin — Fri, 21 Jan 2005 00:34:45 +0000

Looking for ways to give your existing kitchen a quick upgrade? New hardware can make those 1980s cabinets move forward in time.

Changing the hardware (drawer and door knobs or handles) in your kitchen is an easy way to give a tired kitchen a new look. We were tempted to say ‘easy and inexpensive’ but stopped ourselves just in time- hardware can be one of those unexpected expenses found in any kitchen redesign project. However if you’re looking to spend a few dollars sprucing up a tired kitchen, new hardware should be one of the options you’re considering.
Start by taking an inventory of how many door and drawer pulls there are in your kitchen. You may surprised by how many there are. In my fairly compact kitchen there are twenty (and I never counted them until I started writing this piece!). With replacements coming in at anywhere from $5 to $30 each, even my little kitchen could run from $100- 600 just for the products. However those $30 pulls can really make a plain cabinet look a lot cooler. And the good news is that even the $5 options are pretty nice, and getting better all the time.
Before you start looking consider the fact that your existing hardware is attached via one or two holes that probably can’t be changed. Take a pull off (screwdriver required) and measure the distance between holes. This needs to be exact so the easiest way is to place the beginning of your tape measure at the left side of the left hole and measure to the left side of the right hole (sounds a lot more complicated than it is). Jot this measurement down- you’ll need to refer to it when you’re shopping. This is only an issue with hardware that uses two holes. If you’re fortunate enough to have pulls that are attached with one screw, you have a lot more options because you can add a new hole above or to the side of the existing one, opening up your choices.
Armed with your hole measurement, you can start shopping. Home centers carry large assortments of pulls as do hardware stores and kitchen equipment stores. There are plenty of sources online too. There are two things to bear in mind when shopping, besides price and required mounting holes: how they look, and in the case of the local store, whether they have enough on hand for your needs. We recommend buying one pull and trying it out with your cabinets to make sure it looks good. Once you’ve decided which looks cool, grab the whole pile and get ready to jazz up your space. Be sure to include a few extra in case they are discontinued later.
A design note: take the time to really shop around. There are an incredible amount of choices including ultra modern euro-styles with all kinds of materials and finishes. One great brand for styles you don’t commonly find in home centers is Hafele, a German distributor. You may have to track down a dealer but it is worth it for these innovative designs. You also need to be aware that with many of the cutting edge handle designs from Europe, the distance between holes will probably be in millimeters. In the case of a slight difference in hole spacing, it might be possible to drill one new hole and mask the change with a decorative washer or backplate.
Finally, if you’re not particularly handy or you are uncomfortable with any of this, don’t go it alone- you can’t undo a hole in the wrong place. Call a local cabinetmaker and have then install your new hardware.