Design Advice

What To Consider When Choosing New Kitchen Appliances

Overhead Range HoodWhen thinking of the way you want any room in your home to look, it’s important to consider not only the paint colours, furnishings and other details – but also the very functional parts of the room that serve very specific purposes. Items like your fridge, stove and dishwasher take up more visual space than people realize, so it’s important that there be cohesion between them and for them to be a good fit in the design of your new space.

In most modern and contemporary kitchens, stainless steel seems to be the standard finish for these large appliances, but don’t be afraid of other finish options like glossy white, matte black or warm-tone tinged metallics like copper & bronze. Recently, Whirlpool announced that Sunset Bronze, a warm golden metallic tone, will dominate kitchens in 2016 & beyond. The final choice still comes down to your preference.New Stainless Steel Fridge

While the use of these appliances is obvious, it’s important to consider the way in which you’re going to use them. Those that cook occasionally may be fine with a conventional oven, but for larger quantities of food, speciality dishes & more, you may benefit much more from a larger size convection oven. Every homeowner has their preferences, but it will be important for you to decide if an electric range or gas stove top, as well as conventional or convection overs, is right for you. Balance out the pros and cons of each based on everything from the aesthetics, ease of cleaning, heat distribution and temperature precision while cooking and more. Generally, those who frequently cook speciality items,  gourmet foods and do large amounts of baking tend to prefer gas stove tops and convection ovens over the other options.

For fridges, sizing will be just as important. How important is it for you to have a large amount of storage for frozen goods? Do you have a cold room, cellar or industrial sized deep freezer where the bulk of these types of items would go? If so, you may not need a fridge that has equal parts refrigerated and frozen food space. For larger families, a much larger fridge would be required to keep a larger amount of food from spoiling, and extras like drawers throughout the fridge instead of just at the bottom may help with kitchen organization. Keep in mind, this is one of the few appliances that runs continuously & at all times in your home, so it’s important to stick with high quality options that will last your for may years to come. 

Since these large items are used so frequently, consider eco-friendly options in addition to ones that fit the look of your space. This will not only have a positive effect on your utility expenses, but will also allow you to do your part in protecting to environment. Be sure that the appliances you’re looking at are energy efficient models.