Designing a Kitchen

Hey everyone!

I'm currently in the midst of designing and choosing appliances for a new kitchen and I have a ton of questions so I apologize for the long post.

Though wife is not 100% on board with Induction I've managed to get the okay for it, but she has a few requests: She would love matching appliances if possible and we've been looking at the GE Cafe line as they have some slate appliances that would look great together. I would like a built-in 36" cooktop and either 1 or 2 wall ovens (we'll decide once we get a layout from the architect). Another option would be the Samsung 7000 series cooktop as she loves the Black Stainless finish. We have a 7 month old and she's worried about fingerprints on regular stainless.

I know a few of you use and love the GE cooktop, but I'm also really loving the look of the Miele 36” though it’s admittedly a more dated look and interface than the GE or Samsung, but quality and reliability is a huge concern for me and I know Miele surpasses them both. Problem is I definitely can’t afford to get EVERYTHING Miele. It would be just the cooktop.

Any thoughts on GE Cafe vs. Miele regarding power, function, etc?

Have you guys generally stuck with one brand for all appliances or have you been able to mix and match with some aesthetic success?

Also - the wife is a little concerned with the durability of the glass surfaces. How have they held up for you over time? Do you get a ton of micro scratches? Is it somewhat easy to get larger scratches on the surface? I know you can cook on a paper towel or sil-pat, but I don’t know that she’d be on-board with that.

I’ve dug through the CS Forums and have gotten a ton of useful information already such as plenty of GCFI outlets on multiple circuits, cabinet height, kitchen flow, etc. which I will be applying towards our design. This is going to be fun and exciting, but also very stressful. I certainly have a lot more questions and will relay them in the comments as this project moves along. We begin demo beginning of August and hope to be ready to move in end of September so this will move relatively quickly.

Oh - one more bit of background: I love a more industrial or commercial look but wife likes a traditional home look. In other words, we currently have metro racks with equipment, some pantry items, etc. and I love that, but for this new kitchen she does not want to see ANYTHING. So everything will be hidden. I’m working around that with dedicated cabinets for the chamber-vac, and a space near outlets for cambros, dedicated drawers for Joule and Anova, and probably make sure we have a GCFI outlet in the pantry for my Polyscience and large cambro that I still use for long cooks (currently in our basement). Any other thoughts on this matter would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance for any and all feedback!

Find more posts tagged with

What About Tools?

Comments

Jack_Mayer_85396

Hi Ashe, this sounds so exciting! I'm envious ... I'll be following this thread to see ow things develop!

lfmichaud

Cleaning the induction cooktop once will convince her that it was the good choice. Never crusted or coked in. You can remove the spillover with a wet towel when you're cooking. This, the speed and the cool kitchen, you'll never want to go back!

JasonWirth_68226

Don't worry about matching everything. Its like knives. Many people buy the block of the same knives simply for aesthetic reasons. Performance is better on individual knives. For me the individuality creates character. Since you like the industrial design I think anything black or steel would look fine.

ashecorvin

Thanks for the replies everyone. Keep 'em coming!

We went to a showroom and got to see a bunch of induction cooktops and she's liking the idea more and more as time goes by.

Also after looking at different appliances she no longer is hell bent on having them all match. I think it'll depend on proximity to each other.

We both really liked the Samsung dual wall ovens, by the way. Is anyone here using them? It's the dual convection / steam / one.

What's the practicality of having a grilltop in your kitchen? I saw a Wolf 15" display unit on sale for about $1000 (dual 1400 watt elements) and thought it might be useful. Wife was worried about it making a massive mess on the countertops.

fitzek2000

My advice is going for Gaggenau Oven and Induktion plate. But when it comes to Steam and dayly use of automatic Programms for the the day through u should aim for miele. Gaggenau BO 471 Oven//gaggenau CX 480 induktion Field with frame, Miele DGC 6865 XXL steam Oven with water pipe, I give u one advice: don t care too much on design. It s about high end technique and dayly use. With those three tools plus sousvide u are for years more forward then most around u. I am using those instruments for my catering business. Go for those tools and thank me a year from now with a postcard. All the best hubert

ashecorvin

Another questions just popped up. Given the lack of excess heat from an induction cooktop, do you feel a downdraft exhaust would work well or should I go with an overhead as originally planned?

ashecorvin

We'll finally be starting work on our new place! Pictured is the final plan for the kitchen. Comfortable compromise between flow and what the wife wanted. I've decided on the Bosch 36" Flex Induction cooktop for both power, dual flex zones, and design, and the Samsung dual ovens which we both liked a lot.

I think my favorite find, however, is this beast of a sink. It fits the window perfectly. Really similar to the Galley sinks, but at 1/3 the cost. This video, while a little corny, shows it off pretty nicely.

As usual, we're behind on starting the work yet, but I hope to have demo started first week in October. Lots of pictures (and WORK) to come.

Thanks again for all the advice and words of wisdom!

Jack_Mayer_85396

Damn, that sink set-up looks fantastic! Congrats!

pd3ski_278514

No kidding! @Ashe_Corvin_13891 Nice set up!

MrStuden_1058224

As I noticed, the most concerns have the women. You, guys, have to hire a professional team who can help you with everything. That's what we had done, and no worries.

Christa_1368344

So, your wife wants a kind of minimalist style. I agree with her. This is the most beautiful interior design but the hardest one to reproduce. Why don't you talk with an interior designer, he can help you with everything. So, my wife was the same. She wanted to control everything, know everything when she didn't have any knowledge. She just knew how it would look like. I highly recommended she talk with a team that can do this work more effectively. She just wanted to install the Quartz Kitchen Worktops Leeds, so the team installed them. Everything was at the professional level. Minimalist style, as she wanted.

rentersi_1623229

Hello everyone! Designing a kitchen is such an exciting endeavor, as it's not just about functionality but also about creating a space that inspires creativity and joy. If you're currently in the process of designing your dream kitchen or considering a kitchen remodel, I highly recommend exploring HOMERY design for expert guidance and inspiration. It's specializes in interior design services, including kitchen design, that are tailored to individual preferences and lifestyle needs.