Kitchen appliances?

froggy27_2

Yesterday we ordered an ikea kitchen...still a big financial step for us but we need to buy all the appliances now as most were out if stock due to change of range in ikea.
Any advice on where best to buy integrated appliances? Online? And any advice on brands for middle of range prices?
We need an built in gas oven and most seem to sell electric ones...does anybody know of good retailers? Thanks

clockworks_2

appliances online are great, built in gas oven are rare so will end up costing a lot more. Can you not change oven to electric?

froggy27_2

clockworks wrote: »

appliances online are great, built in gas oven are rare so will end up costing a lot more. Can you not change oven to electric?

We have never had an electric oven, just used to cooking with gas...but you are right there is a big price difference. I wonder why?

teddysmum

My mother always had gas cookers, so I was very reluctant to have all electric, when I married. (My husband worked for a manufacturer, so I had no choice). However, I was converted and would never consider gas again.


Ceramic hobs are lovely; very easy to clean and I'm having all Bosch (induction hob, oven, dishwasher) in my new kitchen.

andrewf75

why not have electric oven and gas hob? lots of people have that. When it comes to the oven I'm not sure its a big deal to get used to the difference.

katejo

My parents had all gas too but in my various places since then I have had mainly electric oven and gas hob. When my new kitchen was done I did not change this. Bought integrated oven and hob from Bosch ( John Lewis gives 2 or 3 year guarantee )

CKdesigner

Hi OP

I think you need to get some proper advice on appliances for your new kitchen, which you are not going to get from online retailers.

Find one or 2 local independent appliance specialist retailers near you, go and visit them and hopefully they should be able to show you the latest things and advise with some in depth knowledge.

They should also be very competitive price wise against internet suppliers, because lets face it if they weren't they wouldn't survive.

Also you would be doing your bit in supporting a local business!

CK

Ben84

Each to their own, but I always want a gas hob and oven. Electric has always disappointed me by being slow to heat up, slow to adjust and with the exception of induction, the hobs generally seem to be lacking power. I trust some people really like their's, but cooking is very personal so I'd say whatever you like, stick with that unless you've had a good chance to test out something else. A hob or cooker should last many years and is an expensive purchase, so better to be sure.

As for appliances, I like new world. Had several over the years, including a built in gas oven, and been very pleased with all of them. Try to avoid slimline gas ovens from any company (unless you can't fit anything else), as in my experience they're a bit cramped inside and the heat doesn't flow around so well, creating hot spots. Also, ovens with the burner in a slot at the back or sides work well, but the ones with the burner below the bottom of the oven are difficult. When I've got the temperature and time just perfect for my recipe, they can give exceptional results, but for everyday cooking this level of precision is completely unrealistic and the old fashioned gas cookers work so much better. Better to be nearly perfect most the time than completely perfect on rare occasions. Also look for adjustable grills if you like grilling, as ones with just one setting never seem to work as well. Seperate top ovens tend to be useless for cooking (too small, terrible heat flow), but they do mean your grill isn't inside the main oven and give you somewhere warm to keep food/plates while the main oven is lit.

I've lived in far too many houses and had far too many ovens...

CKdesigner

Hi Ben84

Please don't take this the wrong way but your post is exactly why people should go and seek proper advice. Your advice on gas ovens is perfectly fine but electric ovens today are vastly superior to gas. We now do ovens that get to temperature within 4 minutes, are accurate in temperature to within 0.5 degrees and will even sense how the food is cooking and determine for themselves whether to adjust the temperature and length of cooking time accordingly!

Purchasing new appliances or a new kitchen needs a great deal of research and I believe should only be undertaken with professional 'best advice'.

CK

Ben84

CKdesigner wrote: »

Hi Ben84

Please don't take this the wrong way but your post is exactly why people should go and seek proper advice. Your advice on gas ovens is perfectly fine but electric ovens today are vastly superior to gas. We now do ovens that get to temperature within 4 minutes, are accurate in temperature to within 0.5 degrees and will even sense how the food is cooking and determine for themselves whether to adjust the temperature and length of cooking time accordingly!

Purchasing new appliances or a new kitchen needs a great deal of research and I believe should only be undertaken with professional 'best advice'.

CK

That's ok, the OP wanted opinions after all

The gas vs. electric debate will probably never end. To be fair, I don't think there is a single answer. I have some experience too, from another angle. I have done a lot of cooking over the years, my mother was a chef and I write cookery books. Well, I'm hardly Delia Smith, but I have spent a lot of time cooking, trying things out and thinking about how I cook, how other people cook, and how recipes work in different situations. I've tried some very well regarded electric cookers and would honestly rate them at the highest as 'ok'. To summarise it all, less costly gas cookers and hobs worked better for me than expensive electric ones. However, I know some people who really much prefer electric cooking, and they too do a lot of cooking.

As for the original question, I'd be giving the same caution to someone who has always cooked with say an electric fan oven - if you're happy with it, perhaps it's the safest bet to keep using it. A lot of cooking skill and ability is I believe is down to personal experience in your own very specific kitchen environment, not so much absolute rules that apply to everyone.

Also, there's something you may be able to help me with? Try as much as I can, I cannot find the actual name for the difference between gas cookers with the burner below the bottom of the oven, and the ones with a burner in a slot at the back? They behave very differently when cooking.

newbutold

OP, I would consider going with a electric fan oven and a gas hob. Best of both worlds in my book! Fan ovens cook slightly quicker, but I like the instantly adjustable hit with a gas hob that you don't get on an electric hob.

Another vote for Appliances Online here too, would recommend them.