While kitchen appliances don’t necessarily make the entire room, they are certainly its most important part. A place where you prepare food and spend most of your day either working, cooking or getting the kids ready for school has to be functional, while also having a unique flare that will make you feel good in the morning and ready for the day ahead. So, let’s take a look at some of the best tips for choosing kitchen appliances that will serve these purposes.
Cooktops
Do you know what are the differences between gas, electric and induction cooktops? When choosing cooktops, you should think strategically ‒ which choice will be most efficient in terms of performance, energy consumption and investment. Gas is usually more expensive and you would lose a lot of heat in the process of cooking, 40% to be exact, because of the slow heating potential. On the other hand, people have reported that cooking with gas is a better option for a number of reasons compared to electric cooktops.
Electric cooktops, however, can be far more responsive and bring a pot of cold water to boiling in a minute, quite literally. The induction cooktop, which is a flat cooktop like an electric one but which performs like a fast-heating gas stove, reduces the amount of heat lost during the cooking process. While gas cooktops will heat the pan evenly, electric and induction grills will save time and energy, perhaps even money if you are mindful of your energy consumption. So, make sure to choose a cooktop according to your preferred cooking methods, but also your budget.
Ovens
When it comes to ovens, it is important to decide if you need a single high-performing convection oven because of its speed and efficiency, or both a traditional and convection oven, which will guarantee you both speed and a unique taste. While the majority of people would choose a convection oven in order to have dinner ready on the table as quickly as possible, many of you have a more refined taste and would go for a slow-bake process that gives food that juicy taste. That is why, in a perfect world, you would invest in a double oven, each serving its unique purpose.
Dishwashers
What is a home without a good dishwasher? You probably guessed it, a huge pile of mess with endless streams of dirty dishes. Unless you find personal satisfaction in washing dishes all day long, the best thing to do would be to invest in a quality dishwasher. You can find plenty of personalized solutions online, and Miele dishwasher solutions are definitely a very good place to start. Just make sure to choose wisely as some dishwashers consume energy, water and detergents more than others. It would be best to opt for an energy-efficient and water-saving product, which will prove to be the best long-term investment.
Dishwashers come in all shapes and sizes, from popular traditional models that open from the top down, to more modern drawer dishwashers. Additionally, drawer dishwashers can be installed at various heights depending on your preference and they can take smaller loads; so, you’ll need fewer resources. On the other hand, traditional dishwashers can be disguised to fit the décor of the room, giving it a seamless look.
Fridge
You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their fridge. Are you a double door fridge kind of person or do you need to store only the essentials, so your fridge fits in the corner? When choosing the style of the fridge, it all comes to personal needs and preferences; you certainly wouldn’t be able to feed a family of five with a small fridge.
The downside of big refrigerators, other than their price, is the fact that they usually consume more energy and actually lead to some bad habits. The more room you have for storing groceries, the more food is left uneaten and eventually, wasted. It’s also uneconomical to keep a big empty fridge running all day; so, be smart about the decision you make.
When talking about quality, it comes down to the compressor. If a fridge has a single compressor, it will have to work overtime to keep a moist fridge and a dry freezer, while a dual-compressor unit usually costs more, but is a better, long-term investment. It keeps food fresh for a longer period of time and is best suited if you buy a lot of groceries. This option is ideal for people on an organic diet who need their produce to stay fresh as long as possible.
As you can probably tell by now, choosing kitchen appliances is a lot like art as it requires brainstorming, creativity and patience. But in the end, it’s supposed to be fun and fulfilling.
Hopefully, now you have a clearer picture of the look and feel your dream kitchen should have, visit Southwest Appliances when you are ready to purchase!