Appliances, Part III

After much research, reading consumer reports and running around in appliance stores, we finally made our picks and purchased all the major appliances yesterday: the induction cooktop, double oven, dishwasher (all Bosch), fridge (Samsung), and exhaust hood (Zephyr). The salesman was close to a nervous breakdown with us.. and my husband's haggling was driving all of us crazy. But in the end we got a good deal so it was worth it and even the salesman was happy as he probably does not get customers like us very often who will buy everything at once (he must've made a nice commission).

It will take a few weeks for delivery, but that's ok, as we have not even started on the kitchen yet (demolition will start next week). I am very happy with the appliances we picked. They are all top of the line and should serve us well. We also got a 10-year warranty and at-home service plan, which will make it very easy for us in case we have trouble with any of the machines. They will even replace the product if it cannot be fixed. I cannot wait to cook up a storm with these!

Bosch Double Wall Oven

Bosch Dishwasher

Bosch Induction Cooktop

 Samsung French Door Fridge with Freezer Drawer

 Zephyr Hood

Today we have been running around looking for a countertop, unfortunately all the slab yards were closed so we could not go and actually pick a slab, just look at samples at showrooms. Next Friday we will go and make the final decision at the slab yard. The picture of the kitchen has emerged in my head, and it is dark brown cabinets, light countertop (most likely granite for durability, although I love the look and veining of marble), and matching light floor. I may have to do a light floor in the entrance too, as the entrance should flow into the kitchen and the floor tile should be the same... So many choices, so hard to choose!

Appliances Part II

I love to cook with a gas range. Gas reacts immediately when you want to change the heat level and there are no set levels as in most electric cooktops. However, our new house does not have a gas connection. Originally we were determined to change the house from oil heat to gas, but after doing some research we figured that it may not be worth the cost and effort, even in the long run. (Writing about oil vs. gas comparison could be its own post, so I won't go into details here.) Since we decided that there will be no gas connection, I had to start looking at electric stoves and cooktops. The latest thing is the induction cooktop which has some interesting features. The cooktop itself does not heat up, but the heat is transferred to the vessel sitting on the cooktop. The catch is that the vessel has to be good quality stainless steel. I use a lot of non-stick pots when I cook, which are not ideal for induction. However, induction can boil a pot of water in 90 seconds (Welcome fast pasta!), i.e. much less than a microwave oven, and has almost an endless range of heat levels, and is very steady in the heat level.

Induction Pros:

• Very FAST
• Reacts immediately when you change the heat level
• Child friendly because the cooktop does not heat up
• Easy to clean because messes don't burn into the hot cooktop

Inductions Cons:

• Only works with good quality stainless steel pots

Because I don't want to give up my health conscious ways and love of non-stick pots, the solution is a Hybrid Cooktop. It has two induction elements and three regular electric elements. So far I have only found this Electrolux cooktop that would work, but it looks really good!

Appliances, Part I

If a refrigerator can be dreamy, then this Sub Zero is...THE DREAM!

I have to think big when it comes to the fridge. We have a five-person family, and an au pair living under one roof, and we all like to eat a lot  :-) 

However, this fridge may stay as just a dream because it's so damn expensive, about $14,000, plus taxes and insurance /maintenance plan, totaling to about $16,000... With the big renovation that is not doable. But a girl can always dream, right?