Fresh Findings for Your Kitchen II
Last week I wrote about the Kitchen Trends seminar that I attended recently. It was hosted by Jenn-Air and presented by Ellen Cheever. This week, I’d like to talk about the third piece of the puzzle- the cooking zone. Here are 3 great ideas to keep in mind when planning new appliances:
1. Induction cooktops are becoming more prevalent. They are more popular in Europe, but are catching on here. What’s great about using them is their low heat output (your kitchen doesn’t get heated because just what’s in the pan is getting heated), ease of clean-up as the surface doesn’t get hot, and you can put individual units in several places in the kitchen.
Jenn-Air Induction Cooktop
You can read more about induction in my previous blog:
https://catherineschagerdesigns.com/2010/06/introduction-to-induction/
2. Microwave/Convection oven combinations allow for smaller kitchens to have one large oven and still have the ability to host a crowd. Jenn-Air makes a model that can steam-cook, has a combination convection/microwave setting, and a speed-cook setting.
The Jenn-Air convection/microwave
3. Wall Ovens- are becoming packed with features to make it easy to cook even if you’re not the best cook! Jenn-Air even has one that you can program favorite recipes into and it can convert a standard recipe time to Convection mode time.
Combination of wall oven and microwave
So what’s your favorite new trend?
Creating Your Dream Kitchen- Part 3
Welcome back! I know, the last post was only yesterday but I’m trying to get back on track to my usual Monday and Thursday posts. Yesterday we did some thinking not only about what we’d like in the kitchen, but also about how we use the kitchen. Today, we have one more list to make and then we can talk about the pretty stuff!
List #1: All your stuff by groups, with # of items and their size ( I know, this one is tedious- but you need to do it so that you can ensure enough storage for everything). Here are some examples-
- Fry pans
Do you have any of these?
- Roasting pans
- Sauce Pans
- Steamers
- Spaghetti and stock pots
- Baking Pans
- Broiling Pans
- Serving Dishes
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking and Cookie Trays
- Serving Trays
- Measuring Cups
- Everyday Dishes
- Glassware
- Cups and Mugs
- Packaged Food (cereals, rice, pasta, flour, sugar….)
- Cans and Jars
- Spices
- Tupperware and other storage ware
- Wraps (SaranWrap, tin foil, wax paper, etc)
- Bags (trash and storage)
- Cleaning Supplies
- Utensils- eating, baking, serving,cooking
- Knives
- Paper goods- paper plates, towels, etc.
- Linens- including dish towels, pot holders, aprons, napkins
- Cookbooks and recipes
- Anything else stored in your kitchen cabinets or drawers
Ok, you don’t have to measure everything, but you should have an idea of how big the largest of each of these groups is.
It’s also a good time to look at this stuff to determine if it’s worthy of having a home in your new kitchen. If you’ve never used it, or it’s time for it to be retired, now is the time to give it to a worthy cause or send it to the trash.
Now that you’ve completed the hard stuff, let’s talk about some of the pretty stuff! If you haven’t already done this, it’s time to grab some design magazines and pull out pictures of kitchens that you really like. It could be that you like it because the color is fabulous, you like the layout or the countertops, or the cabinets- whatever- just pull about 5 to 10 pictures. Here are some good sources:
Some great sources for inspiration!
More options for Kitchen ideas!
Are there recurring themes? Colors? Cabinet styles or colors? Appliances? If you haven’t been able to zero in on a style, this exercise should help. Research different types of countertops to see what speaks to you. What colors do you like in the kitchen? Do you like stainless steel appliances or not? Again, you’re cultivating ideas here so feel free to go a little wild with your imagination! If you need more help, you can go to the National Kitchen and Bath Association and request a free kitchen and bath workbook. Just go to www.nkba.org and click on the workbook tab.
Next installment: Cabinet styles! Having fun yet?
