Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> Fisher Paykel dishwasher. Takes up no more space than a regular
> dishwasher, but is a two drawer "filing cabinet," which run
> independently of each other. Has multiple washing settings. Very, very
> quiet. Very, very cool.

I saw one of these on display at a home store. I was impressed,
but kind of taken aback by the radically unusual design. I'll
give this some more thought.

I see that the latest issue of Consumer Reports has an article
on dishwashers yet again.

> Thermidor dual fuel stove. Gas cooktop with star burners that spread
> the heat very well. Also has super-slow and super, super-slow settings
> on 2 or more burners that turn themselves on and off for slow cooking.
> Can also buy a hood that includes warmer lights and a warmer shelf
> accessory. Tried the Dacor in kitchen #1 - hated the digital buttons.
> The Thermador has *knobs*.

Yeah, I'm still going around and around on ranges. There are a
lot of nice designs out there.

> SubZero's bottom-drawer freezer/refrigerator. In 35 years of cookery,
> this was the most efficient, easy-to-use refrigerator I've ever had.
> Would buy it again in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the input.

--
Mark Shaw moc TOD liamg TA wahsnm
================================================== ======================
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new
discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny....'" - Isaac Asimov

Mark Shaw wrote:
> Pete Romfh > wrote:
>
>> SINK: Three bowls. one deep on either side with a
>> shallow on in the middle. Disposer is in the middle (we
>> used a 1HP commercial disposer). The switch for the
>> disposer is pneumatic so the button is right on the sink
>> back, handy when you have wet or messy hands. A high
>> rise faucet with pull-out spray is nice for rincing
>> large pots etc.
>
> Sounds good. Is this an integral or under-the counter
> sink, or conventional mounting? Any opinions on those
> options?
>
>> I also added a small bar sink right next to the stove.
>> Handy for filling and draining large pots.
>
> I'd like to do that but we're not plumbed on that side.
> And with a slab foundation it's unlikely we'll ever be
> plumbed on that side.
>
>> At each sink there is a separate tap for filtered water.
>> The filters are under the cabinets of course. On one of
>> the units I came from the filtered cold water to a "hot
>> shot" heater that keeps 1/2 gallon of filtered water at
>> 190 degrees. We found a nice tap for the filtered water
>> that dispenses hot & cold from the same tap. Instant
>> coffee, soup, and tea are a snap to do with this
>> arrangement.
>
> I'm thinking of whole-house filtration for water, but then
> again our water is not particularly hard to begin with. I
> think a small system like that might be a better buy,
> parti- cularly with the cold/hot option.
>
>> BUILT-INs: Don't forget the microwave, it still has
>> uses, as does a toaster oven / broiler / rotisserie.
>> Mount them under cabinets to save counter space.
>
> I think I may actually put the microwave on a cart in the
> corner. As I said in another post I'm kind of space-
> limited.
>
> The one thing I think I do NOT want to do is install an
> integrated microwave / range hood system. Low CFM, and if
> it breaks down you've got a lot of replacement cost to
> boot.
>
>> While you're at it consider other under cabinet items
>> i.e. blender, radio/CD/TV, knife block. Consider built-
>> in under counter trash compactor, ice maker, wine cooler.
>
> Woah! First of all: space. Second: budget. Third: utility.
> I have an icemaker in my freezer, a blender (which I
> never use) in a cabinet, and wine storage in a closet at
> the other end of the house. And I keep my knives shoved
> into an old phone book.
>
>> A small PC with access to your recipe database might
>> be "over the top" but could be handy if you're as geeky
>> as I am.
>
> Less "over the top" than a trash compactor.
>
> I've been thinking of that, actually. I have an old
> laptop I could use for that, along with a wireless card
> to get to the recipe program on the desktop.
>
>> SEPARATE FREEZER: We selected equal size (27CF)
>> refrigerator and freezer. Didn't put them side-by-side
>> but probably should have.
>
> There's a full-size freezer in my garage. Again: space.
>
>> RANGE HOOD: We topped a 30 inch dual-fuel range with a
>> 36 inch Broan Rangemaster hood. We selected the extra
>> capacity 900 CFM blower which can quickly deal with
>> life's little "oopsies". It also has halogen lighting,
>> infra-red warming lights, and easy clean filters. We
>> follwed the hood with a matching stainless steel
>> backsplash down to the stovetop. Looks great and is very
>> functional.
>
> That sounds like something that would work very well for
> us. We frequently make a chinese dish that involves
> blackening dry hot peppers, and have been pining for a
> way to efficiently vent to the outside for some time. [1]
> I think we may go a bit overboard on this item and the
> range....
>
>> MAGNETS: are your friend. I added strip magnets along
>> the bottom of the hood on both sides and across the
>> backsplash. Many of the frequently used implements are
>> held up on the magnets ready for a quick grab when
>> needed. Similarly magnetic clips keep other items on the
>> backsplash. A pair of Polder thermometers and large
>> timer came with magnets on the back and are stuck in
>> convenient spots.
>
> Good idea. Thanks.
>
>> DEEP DRAWERS: Our kitchen designer suggested these and
>> they are great. All the pots/ pans, etc. go in them and
>> they are easy to access. We also added a lazy susan
>> (rotating shelves) for the cornor cabinet. It eliminates
>> those deep - dark spaces that things get lost in.
>
> Another great idea, but I don't have a corner hence won't
> really need a lazy susan, I think.
>
>> DOUBLE DEPTH PANTRY: We added two floor-to-ceiling
>> pantry cupboards. One is double depth and has swing-out
>> front shelves to the back us easy to reach. I almost
>> wish we had gone even deeper (we had the space) as we
>> manage to fill the unit all too often.
>
> I've seen these on display in the home centers.
> Definitely something I'm considering.
>
> Thanks for the suggestions.
>
> Question about initial design and such: did you use a
> profes- sional designer, with plans to sign off on? Or
> did you just pick out cabinetry and appliances, and let
> the contractor go to work? Home Depot Expo seems to have
> a good deal on profes- sional design, but you're limited
> to their contractors....
>
> [1] If you've never been exposed to hot-pepper smoke,
> well, it's pretty much the same stuff some law-
> enforcement depart- ments use to dispell riots.


Mark,
send me your email addy and I'll send you some pictures and more info
directly.
I tried the one you've posted but it returns host unknown (about which I'm
TOTALLY surprised).

--
Pete Romfh, Telecom Geek & Amateur Gourmet.
promfh at hal dash pc dot org

Mark Shaw wrote:
> We're pulling the trigger on basically a gutting-and-rebuilding
> of our kitchen. New cabinets, new countertops, new appliances,
> the whole thing. The only bit of the old kitchen to be left is
> going to be the fridge, and that only because it's still got a
> lot of life left in it (the wall oven, cooktop and dishwasher
> date, I kid you not, from about 1972).
>
> We've more or less settled on granite for the countertops and
> some sort of middle-range cabinetry to be named later, but are
> considering appliances first. We're leaning towards the GE
> Monogram series of range and range hood - dual-fuel convection,
> and lots of both BTUs and CFMs. High-end Kitchenaid dishwasher,
> and forget the microwave for now.
>
> That's about as far as we've gotten, though. Any advice?
>
> (Do NOT NOT NOT suggest electric burners.)
>
> Thanks!
>
Our kitchen design wouldn't accommodate a second "prep" sink so we opted
for one extra large double-tub SS sink (Franke) and installed two
faucets - one for each tub.