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May 26, 2008
All about kitchen !!
I am going to remove all appliances & renovate my kitchen in 2-3 weeks. I want to make it the best I can. Please let me hear your experiences, adviced&recommendations etc for my questions below;
-Refrigerate-- side by side door vs top freezer, with ice cube maker vs without it?, any good function and brand?
-Kitchen Sink-- ceramic vs stainless steel? double bowl vs single?
-Faucets-- any good shape and brand?
-Kitchen vent-- any good brand?
-Range & oven -- is Viking range good? any good brand of range and oven? separate range and oven vs together?
-Laundry and dryer(not kitchen related)-- which brand is resonable, energy saving and durable? Gas dryer vs electric? how to hook up dryer?
Thank you!!!
Comments
Don't take this wrong, but if you're starting in 2-3 weeks, these are questions you should have addressed earlier, or at least narrowed it down to two or three options.
Your choices will depend on, among other things, how much use your kitchen gets, its layout, your budget and what you want it to look like. Are you in a house or apartment (that could affect your options for dryer and kitchen-hood venting)? How many cooks are there, are there kids using the kitchen, do you prepare more fresh or frozen/convenience foods, do you handwash dishes or use a dishwasher?
Consumer Reports is one starting point for questions on reliability and value for budget- to mid-priced items for the kitchen. Buy some kitchen magazines, check out manufacturers' websites, go to the National Kitchen and Bath Association site for basics on kitchen planning, go to the stores to check things out in person. The Garden Web home forums are full of helpful advice but I'd STRONGLY suggest reading threads and doing a search of past threads before you post your questions, as you're asking a lot without giving enough about what you want.
Garden Web information: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at May 26, 2008 2:47 PM
I researched for over 6 months before doing my 3rd kitchen and think that you're not giving yourself enough time. I have a Viking 36" self clean and love it. The only weakness is the door hinges. Once you decide on the width of the fridge and if you want counter depth, you can compare prices and reliability of what's available. My bottom freezer counter depth doesn't hold as much as a traditional model. I hope this helps you at least a little. I bought from Drimmer on Coney Island Avenue after looking in many showrooms.
Posted by: guest at May 26, 2008 3:36 PM
If you shop like most reasonable urban people, that is, buy fresh and local and daily, I would suggest you get the freezer on the BOTTOM. Side by side are the least energy efficient.
Ice makers use energy and need plumbing. Do you really need one?
I just bought a Liebherr.
Check the energy ratings on everything, and try to go Energy Star, ditto for W/D.
I've heard, anecdotally, from friends who have bought Viking, that they have had some problems. I'm going Wolf.
I'm getting a dual S/S sink. Make sure you have protection on the bottom as that has been an issue with S/S sinks I've owned in the past.
Recently I bought a W/D and Bosch was about the cheapest high end machine. We're very happy with them. They're very efficient. Gas is more efficient than electric, you need a gas line, duh, and a vent to the outside.
Posted by: denton at May 26, 2008 9:45 PM
Hi, Denton:
How do you like your Liebherr fridge? I'm assuming you bought one without an ice maker. What model did you end up going with? And where did you buy it? I'm considering one for my kitchen remodel. Due to size considerations I liked the 24" wide with the very low depth and the ability to install a custom panel. I'd love to hear what you think of yours.
Thanks.
Posted by: guest at May 27, 2008 10:50 AM
I am momo, Thank you for your info and advice. I will check garden web,Liebherr, wolf! Thanks!
This is my first kitchen, I am so excited and nervous. I appriciate any kind of advice related to kitchen!! I have kitchen layout, 200 inch long, no island. No window in my kitchen, I need to have a kitchen vent for sure. I might be able to get ideal kitchen with my first one, but I want to try! Please give me any advices related to KITCHEN!!!
Thank you so much!!
momo
Posted by: momo at May 27, 2008 12:22 PM
When you say the "best I can" hope you do not mean crappy over-priced stuff like Subzero and Viking, both of which are purely status symbols. Go for appliances that are good value and highly efficient. Don't fall into the trap of buying stuff just because you can afford to.
That said, to answer some specifics:
Bottom freezer is somewhat more efficient. Side-by-side the worst. Icemakers are a waste of money. Buy the smallest fridge you need, not what you may need once or twice a year.
Gas dryer is twice as efficient as electric! Front load washer is much better, uses less water and is easier on clothes.
s/s sinks are noisier than ceramic but don't chip. Otherwise it's a wash. If you go s/s, get a heavy one.
Anything with more than 4 burners is a waste. A convection oven is useful if you bake a lot.
Vent the hood to the oustide.
Posted by: cmu at May 27, 2008 2:27 PM
10:50, I think I'm getting a CS1601. I don't actually have it yet, still another six weeks away from building the kitchen. I like the style, the height, altho I'm a little unsure about the long-term reliability of the door handles.
I bought from Appliance Center, 241 37th Street. My wife works next door, they met Drimmers' price, and they seemed much more interested in our business.
Agree with cmu, especially re Sub-Zero. I don't see where the extra money is in the appliance.
There are other good brands, I'd stay away from GE right now as they are getting out of the consumer appliance biz.
Posted by: denton at May 27, 2008 5:34 PM
Gardenweb is excellent, if a bit overwhelming. The only caveat is that it's a national board, so many people are not dealing with small kitchens and other issues specific to NYC.
Here's a link I saved from one months-long, very detailed discussion titled "Best (kitchen) advice from this forum?"
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0720293613004.html
Posted by: guest at May 28, 2008 9:54 AM
My two cents:
-Refrigerate-- I hate side by side, they're useless for fitting anything into them. They're being phased out of most appliance lines. It's all about the bottom drawer freezer now.
-Kitchen Sink-- I always want a huge single bowl for washing big pots. I have had both ceramic and steel. If you get steel splurge on the expensive heavy duty sink because the thinner steel will make the sink noisy as things hit the sides and bottoms in the sink.
-Faucets-- I don't believe appliances need to be pricey imports, I'm a big fan of the better models in the American brands, but one thing to definitely splurge on is a good faucet. For whatever reason, the mid-level brands are flimsy. We bought Franke, the one with the built-in filtered water option connected to the under counter filter.
-Kitchen vent-- Our stove is next to the window so we didn't vent to the outside, and I know it's fine because our neighbors with vents get as much odor in their house from cooking as we do. But if your stove is not literally right next to a window you should vent to the outside. I'd pick one based on aesthetics and noise it makes, not brand.
-Range & oven -- If you have the space which few Brooklyn kitchens too, it is better to have a counter top range and cabinet/wall mount pair of ovens. But it's not worth giving up cabinet space for that, in a small kitchen. Look in any Brooklyn kitchen, the cabinets are packed full.
Posted by: guest at May 28, 2008 11:24 AM
Thank you for the important info very much!!
All are so useful!!
Deeply appreciated!
Posted by: momo at May 28, 2008 6:04 PM
The best place for appliances is Drimmers on Coney Island Avenue. I use them personally and professionally.
The only appliance I own that I didn't get there was a Staber washing machine. It's not the swankest, but it is way more energy efficient than anything else out there and 100% user serviceable (if and when that day comes.
Posted by: Swell City at May 29, 2008 11:35 AM
I used S&W appliances in Williamsburgh and found them very helpful and with better prices than Drimmers. (I bought a thermador range and dishwasher from them.)
Posted by: guest at May 31, 2008 10:38 AM
I would like to share my recent very unfortunate and ongoing experience with Drimmer's. In June, we bought as part of a kitchen redo: a Gaggenau refrigerator ; its stainless steel doors ; a Bosch stove ; a Perla stove hood ; a GE Monogram microwave; and a Maytag washer dryer unit. The equipment was delivered in Aug. The total bill was over $11,000.
All the equipment except the stove and dryer turned out to be damaged or defective. The stove hood was dented, and the fan made a deafening noise. The refrigerator doors were dented. The trim on the microwave was peeling off. The washing machine wouldn’t run at all. The icemaker on the refrigerator didn’t work and the unit leaked onto the floor. We were told to call the manufacturers. Our contractor did so. He asked Drimmer's to replace the stove hood, but they claimed the dent was his fault first, then gave him such a hard time he bought a new one himself. The only things Drimmer's has replaced were the doors, but left the old ones in the hallway blocking the way. (Too big to dispose of ourselves.)
For the last month service people have come and gone for the refrigerator and washer, each claiming that a part is needed and promising to order it. Last night, my 8-year-old son opened the fridge door, and the 700-pound refrigerator fell on him. Miraculously, he was saved from being crushed only because the corner of the open door stopped the refrigerator from falling all the way.
We've called repeatedly. Our contractor even went so far as to go out to speak with Mr. Drimmer, the owner, and was told that “people buy Mercedes that don’t work. They call the company.”
There are numerous companies involved in this shipment, and it seems an astonishing coincidence that all of them happened to sell us damaged or non-functioning equipment on the same day. We've called Gaggenau, which asks us why the distributor won't replace the fridge. They're sending someone on Sept. 30. Meanwhile, we will have to buy a substitute fridge.
Posted by: blulight at September 19, 2008 7:35 PM
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