Kitchen Appliances

Mazzawa

Hey everyone,

We are about to refit our kitchen (quite a major job involving walls being knocked down, pipes replaced etc) and need to get it right first time because we're not doing it again for a very long time! We have found a company we are happy to work with to do the kitchen part of the job (units, worktops etc) but really need some input from the MSE lot about appliances.

At the moment we have a range 'rayburn' cooker which as lovely as it is (and cosy) it isn't suitable for our lifestyle so it is going (anyone want it?!). We are having a traditional style kitchen but with very modern appliances and want to get the best value for money. Our questions are:

1) how many ovens do you really need?
2) anyone have a steam oven and love/hate it?
3) what about these combination microwave/grill/oven things that look like a regular single oven? Would they replace our current worktop microwave? Are they any good? Do they actually work like a normal oven when needed?
4) what is your have to have integrated kitchen gadget?
5) Hot water taps - over hyped/expensive or essential?
6) what brand is best 'bang for buck'? We have been taken in by the top range siemens iq700 items BUT they are pricey. Happy to spend more for the best stuff if it will last.
7) downdraft extractors (vented to outside) - look nice, but do they work?
8) Flexinduction cooktops - anyone got one that can comment about their usability, pros/cons?

Sorry, that is a rather lot of questions. Any input is gratefully received! it is an awful lot of money to spend and to get it wrong.

Look forward to seeing your replies

Mazz

ryder72

I'll try and answer the appliances question.

First of all are you limited by a budget or are you going to spend what it takes to get what you want? If its the latter, see answers below-

1) how many ovens do you really need?
Set the largest event you cater for as your parameter. How many do you cater for? What type of food do you cook. This will give you many answers. We have sold kitchens with as many as 5 ovens. Will they all be used? I doubt it but the client wanted a certain look and it was going to take 5 ovens to achieve it.

2) anyone have a steam oven and love/hate it?
If you are going to cook using the steam oven then its worth its weight in gold. Its a completely different way of cooking so you need to persevere with it to make the most of the benefits of steam cooking.

3) what about these combination microwave/grill/oven things that look like a regular single oven? Would they replace our current worktop microwave? Are they any good? Do they actually work like a normal oven when needed?
Yes. Get a multifunction oven with grill and it will do everything that an oven does plus a microwave and combi-microwave.

4) what is your have to have integrated kitchen gadget?
Boiling water tap.

5) Hot water taps - over hyped/expensive or essential?
Not cheap but if you do more than 5-6 cups of tea a day plus cook fresh means frequently, they are very convenient and energy efficient.

6) what brand is best 'bang for buck'? We have been taken in by the top range siemens iq700 items BUT they are pricey. Happy to spend more for the best stuff if it will last.
Miele is very good but not what I would 'bang for buck'. Neff/Siemens is much better value. Admittedly not as good as Miele but it costs half as much. The Siemens IQ700is great especially with all its cooking functions and ease of use, but IQ500 with give you almost everything the IQ700 does without the automatic cooking functions.

7) downdraft extractors (vented to outside) - look nice, but do they work?
There are better options out there. Downdraft are overhyped.

8) Flexinduction cooktops - anyone got one that can comment about their usability, pros/cons?
Very easy to use and worth the additional cost for the convenience.

katejo

Mazzawa wrote: »

Hey everyone,

We are about to refit our kitchen (quite a major job involving walls being knocked down, pipes replaced etc) and need to get it right first time because we're not doing it again for a very long time! We have found a company we are happy to work with to do the kitchen part of the job (units, worktops etc) but really need some input from the MSE lot about appliances.

At the moment we have a range 'rayburn' cooker which as lovely as it is (and cosy) it isn't suitable for our lifestyle so it is going (anyone want it?!). We are having a traditional style kitchen but with very modern appliances and want to get the best value for money. Our questions are:

1) how many ovens do you really need?
2) anyone have a steam oven and love/hate it?
3) what about these combination microwave/grill/oven things that look like a regular single oven? Would they replace our current worktop microwave? Are they any good? Do they actually work like a normal oven when needed?
4) what is your have to have integrated kitchen gadget?
5) Hot water taps - over hyped/expensive or essential?
6) what brand is best 'bang for buck'? We have been taken in by the top range siemens iq700 items BUT they are pricey. Happy to spend more for the best stuff if it will last.
7) downdraft extractors (vented to outside) - look nice, but do they work?
8) Flexinduction cooktops - anyone got one that can comment about their usability, pros/cons?

Sorry, that is a rather lot of questions. Any input is gratefully received! it is an awful lot of money to spend and to get it wrong.

Look forward to seeing your replies

Mazz

I have just had my kitchen done with integrated appliances for the first time. All appliances are new
I bought:
double oven at eye level (so the grill would be separate from the main oven)
washing machine (Blomberg)
dishwasher (first time) (john Lewis)
extractor (to outside not circulating) (JL)
fridge freezer (Blomberg)
hob

I treated myself to Bosch for the oven and hob. No microwave as I really don't like them or use them. None of the other options which you have listed.

lil.smartie

insinkerator is the best gadget ever!!!

Love it

CKdesigner

Hi Mazz

I think Ryder72 has covered most of the information required, but I thought I would add some extra!

As you are asking about downdraft extraction, are you having the hob on the island? if so and you have a flat ceiling above then we mainly do ceiling extractors these days as they are the least intrusive in the kitchen space and the most effective at the job.

Steam ovens - to be honest these days steam combination ovens are the thing to have! If you cook bread then steam combi is definately the way to go, in fact there isn't much a steam combi can't do. We regularly hold cookery demonstrations showing the amazing abilities of our V-Zug steam combination oven, our next demonstration is at midday on Thursday if you want to come!

Could I ask you though Mazz, hasn't your kitchen designer not gone through all this with you yet?

Good luck

CK

Mazzawa

CKdesigner wrote: »

Hi Mazz

...

As you are asking about downdraft extraction, are you having the hob on the island? if so and you have a flat ceiling above then we mainly do ceiling extractors these days as they are the least intrusive in the kitchen space and the most effective at the job.

...

Could I ask you though Mazz, hasn't your kitchen designer not gone through all this with you yet?

Hob - yes it will be on the island but we have very high ceilings so have been told by a number of people (all separately) that a flush ceiling extractor wont work very well. Figured downdraft would be the solution!

We have only had one meeting with our kitchen designer, which was our initial 'heres what we've come up with, what do you think?' meet. We haven't gone back to them yet to say that we wish to go ahead, as we want to educate ourselves first with things like appliances!

ryder72

I second what CKDesigner has to say about ceiling recessed extractors. Having fitted over 40 of these units including one in my own house (2.6m ceiling), situated over a domino wok and a Teppan grill, don't let anyone tell you it doesn't work. They work a treat and I'd recommend one to everyone with an island hob if their budget allowed it. Be careful with the makes you pick though. Not all ceiling recessed hoods are the same.

biggus_richus

Mazz,

I've just been through the process of a kitchen refit, so can take you through the choices I made if it's of any use.

I replaced my old double oven and microwave with a Neff single oven and separate microwave/combi. I haven't used the oven function of the combi yet, but happy with it so far. Was initially concerned about the lack of turntable, but doesn't seem to be an issue. The worst thing about it is that when it's finished, it beeps until I switch it off, which is just annoying. I'm sure there is a setting on it I can adjust though.

I have a Siemens IQ700 fridge freezer for the simple reason that I wanted a 70cm model and that was the only one I could find that fit the bill. I considered IQ700 ovens but was put off by the controls which seem to be a bit of a faff - fine perhaps if they are at eye level, but my ovens are built under and I didn't want to be bent down in front of them jabbing buttons. I also wanted pyrolytic cleaning on both (not available on the IQ500 combi), so went for the Neff series 5 equivalents.

Also have a flexindution hob. After spending nigh on six years cooking on a ceramic hob, induction is a dream and comparable in operation to gas. Plus it's given me an excuse to buy a nice new set of pans...

Couldn't see the use of a boiling water tap, but I'm not a tea drinker. Far more useful in my eyes to get a three-way tap that provides filtered water as it means I can lose my filtering water jug.

Hope that helps some.

oldskoo1

I answered beneath your questions in the quote below.

I like simple kitchens, not keen on kitchen gadgets. Just need a decent efficient oven, good practical hob and a decent sized sink.

We had an oak worktop in one of our kitchens, had the wow factor, looked superb but totally impractical with kids.

Stone isn't our thing so we had a laminate this time with a top of the range high gloss door finish. In a way we have no choice as our kitchen is so long on one length it limited our choice, even in laminates.

We have had a range of appliances all been fine. My parents always buy miele, bosch etc they have had their fair share of trouble with them yet an old creda cooker we had in our first house years ago was going strong even when we sold it.

Mazzawa wrote: »

Hey everyone,

We are about to refit our kitchen (quite a major job involving walls being knocked down, pipes replaced etc) and need to get it right first time because we're not doing it again for a very long time! We have found a company we are happy to work with to do the kitchen part of the job (units, worktops etc) but really need some input from the MSE lot about appliances.

At the moment we have a range 'rayburn' cooker which as lovely as it is (and cosy) it isn't suitable for our lifestyle so it is going (anyone want it?!). We are having a traditional style kitchen but with very modern appliances and want to get the best value for money. Our questions are:

1) how many ovens do you really need?

Double oven for me

2) anyone have a steam oven and love/hate it?

hate it, never use it over the pans that steam over a water bath or potatoes

3) what about these combination microwave/grill/oven things that look like a regular single oven? Would they replace our current worktop microwave? Are they any good? Do they actually work like a normal oven when needed?

Dont have one myself but parents have one. Starts to make the kitchen look too busy with appliances, i just prefer a microwave in the utility

4) what is your have to have integrated kitchen gadget?

I'm easy, not fussed. Just a decent sized sink and practical space between the hob

5) Hot water taps - over hyped/expensive or essential?

As in boiling water taps? Never considered it necessary .

6) what brand is best 'bang for buck'? We have been taken in by the top range siemens iq700 items BUT they are pricey. Happy to spend more for the best stuff if it will last.

Never had issues with Whirlpool / Hotpoint or Bosch.

7) downdraft extractors (vented to outside) - look nice, but do they work?

Not really, we never use ours, just open the window

8) Flexinduction cooktops - anyone got one that can comment about their usability, pros/cons?

Do they need a whole new set of pots and pans? Gas is better and costs less.

Sorry, that is a rather lot of questions. Any input is gratefully received! it is an awful lot of money to spend and to get it wrong.

Look forward to seeing your replies

Mazz

Mazzawa

Wow thank you for all the responses! So helpful and really appreciated.

Still debating the extractor issue - will mull it over. Can anyone recommend a good make (and particularly model) of extractor (either ceiling flush model or downdraft) that is good for a large room with high ceilings (almost 3m high)?

Sold on flexinduction, will put that on my list! Also sold on the steam combi oven, and maybe just shove the existing microwave in the utility (as in the post above).

One extra question to add - we are thinking of having the hob near the edge of the island unit, say 40cm from the edge which is actually a seating area/bar thing with stools. Is this safe, thinking of kids and small hands? Or should we position it at the other end of the island that is against a wall (its actually a peninsular but functions like an island) and put the sink there instead? This arrangement would mean that I couldn't see through to the sitting area clearly, whereas with the hob besides the seats I'd be in clear view of the whole room, plus have the wall ovens just to my right hand side.

our idea is this...should we swap it?:

Seats

---

oven

---

sink--wall

If that makes sense?

Thanks again

M

jennifernil

lil.smartie wrote: »

insinkerator is the best gadget ever!!!

Love it

I would not be without my Insinkerator either. Get an Evolution 100 or 200 with the "switch in the neck" kit.

Otherwise I would go for a multifunction double oven, a combi microwave, a warming drawer, full height integrated fridge, full height freezer too (or freezer in utility room), dishwasher, assorted domino hobs including a grill, and a ceiling mounted extractor.

Franke sink and taps.