With all the pieces & parts that go into building a good kitchen, it’s nice to be able to get cabinets & appliances in one place. It’s also nice to know that with the built-in models like ovens and range hood, the cabinets will fit them. What else is good about IKEA® appliances?

• affordability: ranging in price from $100 to $1,950 for cooktops, ranges, range hoods, built-in ovens, dishwashers, microwaves, & refrigerators
• finishes: stainless steel, white, and anthracite (black-ish)
• serviceability: Whirlpool, the maker of the appliances in partnership with IKEA®, also services them
• warranties:
  • there is a 25 year limited warranty on AKURUM frames & fronts, RATIONELL & PERFEKT shelves, inserts & components for the cabinet systems, and on the freestanding BRAVAD & VARDE series
  • there is a 10 year limited warranty on all kitchen faucets except the LAGAN faucet

How about the current drawbacks?

• only the dishwashers have Energy Star Qualifications
• appliances are not covered under the 25 year limited warranty. It’s worth asking the store where the purchase is made whether warranties are available for your specific order.

Whirlpool?

With the exception of ranges (not cooktops) and refrigerators, Consumer Reports consistently ranks Whirlpool appliances within the top 10, and in many cases in the top 5 listings in reliability. A word of caution regarding Energy Star compliance: read the fine print.

Answer:

Basically it boils down to price and convenience of bundling kitchen components for purchase and delivery. You definitely can’t beat the price. For specialty appliances, like counter-depth refrigerators, for example, it’s probably better to buy independently.

AHAM report: Consumers are choosing efficient appliances.

Installment #1: for the clueless

None of us were born knowing what to do in the kitchen. And since Eating In is the New Eating Out, a lot of us are now faced with the frontier of food prep at home. Which is daunting but invigorating, once the tools and facilities are demystified. This is the first in a series of the demystification process that will hopefully speed up the arrival at the invigorating end of the spectrum.

At left, aerial view of the compass rose at Alamo Community College in Texas.

That Was Then

I admit it: when I was in my 20′s, I was still eating directly out of the pot I made the macaroni and cheese in. Why do more dishes than you have to? The kitchen was a place to fend off the hungries – get in, get out, nothing to see here.  Friends would come over and look at the dust on the stovetop and say, “Don’t cook much, do ya Becky?” Uh no. No, I didn’t.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m a chef now, in my 40′s, but I do take a bit more civilized approach to eating at home. We’re not talking 12 piece place setting and doily civilized. We’re talking fresh, unprocessed food, sometimes creatively prepared, and eaten off a breakable plate civilized. (I have my limits.)

Live & Learn: Get it because you use it

Somewhere between the post-college life and now, I bumbled my way through what the heck you need in a kitchen. I made the mistakes of buying all the gadgets, even if I didn’t use them, because I thought that’s what I was supposed to have at the ready. And with everything that’s out there, it’s easy to think you might need it one day. Bad for the wallet, though. And the storage.

Thankfully CraigsList was invented and I offloaded what I rarely used. Then I rebuilt my arsenal of food prep tools by adding slowly depending on how frequently I needed it. The current collection is for meals we consume on a regular basis:

• veggie steamer: for the squash, broccoli and cauliflower we picked up at the farmer’s market that afternoon. We have a Sanyo EC503.
• blender: for fruit smoothies & soups (cream of sweet potato, mmm). We have a KitchenAid for the bigger volumes and a Braun handheld for the single serves.
• meat thermometer: to make sure the living things too small to see are no longer living
• spring loaded vertical chopper: for salsa ingredients like tomatoes and tear-free onion chopping. We have one from Pampered Chef.
• fine & coarse graters: we have Microplanes for cheeses & spices
• slow cooker: we use a Rival 4 quart for chili, pot roasts, stews – it’s fall, ’tis the season

The Basic Toolbox

Most of the above kitchen tool staples can be picked up at a local Bed Bath & Beyond, or online at Amazon. Other than that, a few knives and the usual appliances – dishwasher, oven, microwave, cooktop, fridge, freezer, and we’re good to go. For the once-a-year stuff, borrow it. Some places even rent kitchen wares used less often, like cake pans, for example.

It’s a jungle out there. You don’t have to spend a fortune, or go with super top of the line. Many of the tools we have are less than $100, and we’ve used them for years. Rule of thumb: if it’s got a motor and/or blades, best to buyer the higher end model. Equip yourself smartly. It can be done!

[where: 27518]

Yes. And by “eating well”, we’re talking

• Garlic butterflied shrimp.
• Mustard crusted salmon fillets.
• Raspberry clafouti.

I have no idea what raspberry clafouti is. And admitting that probably identifies me as a member of the Great Unwashed. But it looks delicious.

And Eric Ripert cooks all of this in a toaster oven. A Cuisinart BRK-200 Stainless Steel one. It has brick inserts and a removable stone. Cuisinart even makes a model with a rotisserie. Firing up this little baby wouldn’t run you out of the kitchen like a conventional size oven.

20 minutes to lunch.

Why would anyone want an undercounter drawer that’s refrigerated? Lots of reasons:

• it can be used as overflow for beer & chilled wine storage during a party
• it is easily accessible by short people (like kids)
• it can be located further from the main fridge, so both can be used simultaneously without kitchen traffic problems
• costs less than a large fridge to run ($32 – $42 annually)
• opening the drawer won’t let out as much cool as a large fridge door
• door panels matching surrounding cabinets can be applied for a uniform appearance (although leaving the stainless steel look would be a good visual cue that it’s a fridge appliance, not just another cabinet drawer)

What’s not to love? While they can be expensive ($1,800 to $3,000+), they do solve some convenience issues. And if the kitchen is small, and not much cooking is done otherwise, or only 1 or 2 residents, it may be all the refrigerated storage needed. Modern kitchen storage, whether cooled or not, should match the lifestyle of those living there.

Most refrigerator drawer units have 2 drawers, although there are some 3 drawer models available also. Here are some models to peruse:

• Subzero (if you really want to spend a chunk of change)
• U-line
• Marvel (my personal favorite)

There are also local sources to get other models like Electrolux (shown below) and GE’s Monogram model, including Jefferies up on Capital.

[where: 27604]

LG’s new lift-up door microwave has some serious capacity and exhaust venting power for over the range installations. Glad to see another lift up door appliance to compliment lift up doors on wall cabinets. It’s quiet, too – a mere 58 decibels.

From the LG website:

How Does Induction Work?
The electromagnetic energy generated by an induction coil reacts only with iron-like metals, not with ceramic surfaces. The pot absorbs the electromagnetic energy, and converts it into heat. Only the bottom of the pot is heated, which guarantees even heating, safety and energy savings.