Learn about the Evolution of the Induction Cook top

Yale Appliance + Lighting is a blog I read frequently. May 12, 2010 they presented a photo timeline of Induction Cook Tops. Great read. If you are in the market for a new cook top, check it out to see which Induction Cook Tops give you more bang for the buck.   The Evolution of Induction.

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Appliance Recall

Samsung™ Over-the-Range Microwaves Recalled Due to Shock Hazard 

Click here for the report.

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Latest in Stimulus: 'Cash for Refrigerators'

Over at Business Week, Mathew Boyle's article discusses the latest stimulus package to boost sluggish sales in home appliances. You can read the article over there by clicking the link here.

Highlights:

• A $300 million cash-for-clunkers-type federal program to boost sales of energy-efficient home appliances
• When: late this fall 2009.
  
• The program authorizes rebates of $50 to $200 for purchases of high-efficiency household appliances.
• Only appliances covered by the Energy Star seal will qualify.
• There is no trade in value for old appliances.
  

Will a $50 to $200 rebate be enough of an incentive for cash strapped consumers to buy new appliances? Perhaps but it is not enough to stimulate a stagnant remodeling industry. Appliance manufacturers have always offered rebates and discounts to consumers without stirring up sales based on a rebate alone. People buy based on features and looks. The rebate is a bonus, but it does not drive the sale. $300 million dollar program for appliances? What would really sweeten the deal for consumers? Why not take advantage of the tax credits offered for installing energy efficient products? There are tax credits available for some home improvement projects. For more information on products that qualify for a tax credit see the link below.
Stimulus Products

$1,500 Tax Credit? Not So Small A Credit.

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#1 Cause of Fire in the Home

Stove top fires are the #1 cause of fire in the home. In just minutes a house can go up in flames. We have all been guilty of leaving the stove top, coffee pot or other electric appliance unattended. Prevention seems so simple, but with so many distractions in our daily lives we probably have all been guilty in one way or another.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. My Mum is an active senior citizen who loves to multi-task. More than once I have come into her house and smelled a horrific melt down on the cook top. While it's good for her to want to stay busy, it is another thing when she gets busy and leaves the stove unattended with a pan becoming a fire hazard on the stove. While she thinks I have become overly neurotic about fire prevention and waives me away, I would rather error on the side of caution rather than see her life become part of the statistics. Having a fire extinguisher (dry chemical type) handy is essential for putting out the fire and while a smoke alarm blares the warning when smoke has finally reached it, I needed a product that would provide first hand fire protection before a fire starts!

The stove top is the number one cause of household fires in North America.

According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA):

• A kitchen fire occurs every 8 minutes in the United States
• Unattended cooking is responsible for 70% of these fires
• Over 53% of Americans admit to walking away from the kitchen while cooking.
• Seniors are the highest risk group in North America
  
  • More than 1,200 Americans over the age of 65 die as a result of fire and more than 3,000 are injured due to residential fires
  • Seniors between the age of 65 and 75 have a fire death rate twice that of the national average
  • And adults between 75 and 85 are four times as likely to die from fire
  
  
• 43% of people who have died in cooking fires were asleep at the time
• Cooking accounts for 42% of all apartment fires
• Cooking is the leading cause of fire on college campuses
• Approximately 12.3 million cooking fires each year are unreported

Source: NFPA.

Statistics show we need more safety features built right into cooking appliances.

Appliance Manufacturers: If consumers are looking for more safety features, why not just include them in the new appliances? We need these sensor features, provide the options and people will buy them.

Kind of reminds us when the auto industry was slow to act in including seat belts as a standard feature in cars. It seams obvious to us now, I don't know why it should be so hard for appliance manufacturers to give us what we need to prevent the most common cause of residential fire starting at the cook top.

To convince industry that a technological solution could be developed that would significantly reduce unattended stove top fires, Consumer Reports reported the CPSC developed an experimental range that would throttle back the heat before ignition of food cooking in a pan could occur. But stiff opposition from appliance manufacturers killed the effort. Source: Consumer Reports.

Safety features are not just for the elderly.
Forgetfulness and carelessness has no age limit.

Anecdotal stories of caution from my kitchen clients.

1. Beware the power of the pro series burners: one client was so excited to test out the new pro-series cook top, the client ignored common sense and my warning and the appliance installer's warning not to use their new cook top till the vent hood was installed. The hood was back ordered, nonetheless they threw caution to the wind and had a cook top fire the very first time they used it. Quickly the lesson was learned about the roaring power of 18,000 BTU's that boils water in a minute. Before they knew it, Burnt Food! Smoke! Flames! Fire! The powerful BTU output was a far cry from the 30 year old stove. Fortunately, they reacted quickly to put out the fire and prevent it from traveling up the walls or worse. Sheepish explanations were offered "we had a little problem with the new cook top and we need a paint touch up" when the painter was called back.

But don't let a smaller BTU output of 400 mislead the seriousness of a fire igniting in a forgotten pan on the stove.

2. An unusual habit of re-heating pizza in the pizza box...in the oven. In her 25 year old oven, one client found old habits die hard. She would place the pizza box in the old oven and turn it on low heat to keep the pizza warm. We had just completed the remodel, had our final sign off from the building inspector, and she used her oven for the very first time. Lo and behold she quickly realized the power of the new electric oven when the pizza box caught on fire and she came running back into the kitchen after dosing off in the living room. There were flames inside the oven! Fortunately only the oven interior was scorched. The pizza was history.

3. Your home is a construction zone and be mindful of your habits till the work is done.
Living through a remodel people tend to forget the dangers involved. Your home is a construction zone and safety has to be considered. Larger remodel projects may mean your smoke alarms are temporarily disconnected. Before cooking in your new kitchen, make sure your smoke detectors are hooked up again and tested. Your kitchen may be fully functional but keep in mind that your local building inspector will not sign off or provide your Certificate of Occupancy until your smoke alarms are installed. And during construction be sure to keep a chemical based fire extinguisher handy in your temporary kitchen. Most people keep a hot plate and a toaster oven in the temporary kitchen during a remodel and there is just as much of a chance of having a fire on your hot plate or toaster oven as there is on your kitchen.

These homeowners were lucky they were not burned and that their homes did not burn. The NFPA statistics collected between 2002-2005 show that 90% of fire injuries and emergency room treated burns involving cooking equipment emanated from the range or oven. Cooking fact sheet.

So besides smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, what else can the public do to add additional safety features right at the source? I found a new product that has a safety feature that will work with both gas and electric cook tops.

Stove Alarm SA100. Attached to the range hood with magnets, the Stove Alarm emits a warning signal if the stove becomes too hot, or if an empty hotplate is left on. The Stove Alarm emits a warning signal long before any damage occurs. Battery life around 10 years. Click here for the brochure.
Suits all kinds of stoves, electric or gas, everywhere in the world. (not available for purchase in the United States as of this date). For ordering information and additional products,go to Paras Scandic International










I became aware of another new product last year reported through Peggy Deras's blog, Appliance Notes, where she reported on an article, Lower the Risk of Appliance Fires, from ConsumerReports.Org. Stove Guard is a devise that shuts off power to electric elements, minimizing accidental fires. Stove Guard retails in the US for $359.95.

New on the market from Stove Guard is the Pro-09-Gas for Gas Cook tops. The PRO-09-GAS model is a safety device for use with gas cooktops. It turns the gas cooktop OFF when you forget by using the advanced technology found in security monitoring devices and a specially programmed micro-controller.

The PRO-09-GAS model controls the stove’s gas supply system to help prevent food and pots from burning, as well as reducing the risk of fire caused by unattended cooking.

It has an additional feature that got my attention at my mother's house where I have come over to notice she has left a gas burner on all day and she does not smell the gas in the house. The added gas sensor will turn off the main gas valve if it senses an unsafe level of gas in the kitchen. This could be caused by a gas leak or an element flame that has gone out allowing the gas to continue to escape into the room causing the potential of a serious explosion or fire.
It retails for about $429.95 and in my opinion worth every penny!


Another product that offers safety features right at the source of fire is the Safe-T-element™. (STE), a new cooking system that can be installed on the average electric stove for under $200. The new cooking system allows the user of the stove to cook or fry as usual, but with one difference: burners cycle on and off so that food in pots and pans never becomes hot enough to catch fire. For more information about the Safe-T-element fire prevention cooking system, visit www.safetelement.com.

Are you looking at these products and thinking, well these all look clunky and will detract from the pretty new appliances? Burns look worse. Forget looks and go with safety features, especially if you have an elderly parent who may be getting more forgetful or a college student out on their own and looking after themselves for the first time.

If you have an old vent hood, consider buying a newer model that has a heat sentry for automatic heat detection and speed adjustment. Also called Auto-Start Heat Sensor. It is not to be used in place of a smoke alarm, but in conjunction with other fire prevention measure.

Basics DO's and DONT's for kitchen fire prevention in every kitchen as reported from the Consumer's Report Article, Deaths in Charlotte A Reminder of the Dangers of Kitchen Fires:

• Keep a UL-listed all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby and be familiar with how to use it.
• If you can't quickly extinguish the fire, evacuate the house and either call the fire department from your cell phone or ask a neighbor to call.
• Never douse a grease fire with water, which makes flames spread. Instead, smother it with a lid or baking soda.
• Stop an oven fire by closing the door and turning off the power.

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Maytag Recall Notice

Back in the day before email took over, when ever there was an important notice, the retail store I worked for many years ago use to send out "round robin" phone calls notifying the chain stores of important information.

Today, email gets the message out far faster to our clients and readers of our design blogs, so what has been said at other kitchen design blogs bears repeating again in the interest of consumer safety. Send the link for this page to a friend!

MAYTAG RECALLS 1.6 MILLION REFRIGERATORS.

News from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Office of Information and Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20207

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 10, 2009 Release # 09-145

Firm’s Recall Hotline: (866) 533-9817 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Maytag Recalls Refrigerators Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product.

Name of product: Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand refrigerators

Units: About 1.6 million

Manufacturer: Maytag Corp., of Newton, Iowa

Hazard: An electrical failure in the relay, the component that turns on the refrigerator’s compressor, can cause overheating and pose a serious fire hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: Maytag has received 41 reports of refrigerator relay ignition, including 16 reports of property damage ranging from smoke damage to extensive kitchen damage.

Description: The recall includes certain Maytag®, Jenn-Air®, Amana®, Admiral®, Magic Chef®, Performa by Maytag® and Crosley® brand side by side and top freezer refrigerators. The affected refrigerators were manufactured in black, bisque, white and stainless steel. They have model and serial numbers printed on a label located on the top middle or left upper side of the refrigerator liner and have the following model and serial number combinations:

	Serial Numbers ENDING with	AND Model Numbers BEGINNING with
Side by Side Refrigerators	AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, CA, CC, CE, CG, CJ, CL, ZB, ZD, ZF, ZH, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ	ARS, CS, JC, JS, MS, MZ, PS
Top Freezer Refrigerators	AA, AC, AE, AG, AJ, AL, AN, AP, AR, AT, AV, AX, ZK, ZM, ZQ, ZS, ZU, ZW, ZY, ZZ	AT, CT, MT, PT

Refrigerators with freezers on the bottom are not included in this recall.

Sold at: Department and appliance stores and by homebuilders nationwide from January 2001 through January 2004 for between about $350 and $1600.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately contact Maytag to determine if their refrigerator is included in the recall and to schedule a free in-home repair. Consumers should not return the refrigerator to the retailer where it was purchased.

Consumer Contact: For more information, contact Maytag toll-free at (866) 533-9817 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.repair.maytag.com

Representative Models:

Figure 1: Side by Side model

Figure 2: Top Freezer model

Figure 3: Model/Serial Label

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Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

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Microwaves: Where do you put them?

Over at Apartment Therapy , they ran a survey: Where do you hide your microwave?
One homeowner submitted this photograph as their solution as to where to hide the microwave. From observing the pictures of this kitchen and reading the article, this was a new and fairly large kitchen remodel designed with new and expensive inset door cabinetry. Surely there was a better alternative they could have allowed for this new kitchen. Poor planning in my opinion, really.

Unless you are extremely tall, this is the worst place ever to house a microwave. Or perhaps you are merging households and need a place to store the spare, placing your microwave over the refrigerator is the most dangerous place for it and an accident waiting to happen. With refrigerators that are 66" or 72" tall, this poses a danger in the worst way pulling a hot dish or boiling hot mug out of a microwave and above the user's head. This is not to say you can't get hurt with a microwave on a counter, you can. But why add to the danger by adding height as a factor?

I have a different question: Why hide the microwave? After all, this is a kitchen. And the bottom line in a kitchen should be about convenience and efficiency. Ease of use and safety should be driving factors behind a design. If you have to conceal it because you need the kitchen to blend in as part of the living space, that's fine too, just pay attention to safety. Watch the video below to see how dangerous a microwave can be to the unknowing user. Make sure everyone in your family that uses a microwave knows how to use it properly.

Dangers of microwaves

No matter what you use your microwave for, it's important you exercise caution to avoid burns and the risk of fire. Click the link below this photo for the true dangers of a microwave.

More to microwaves


It is true many of us have small kitchens and need a solution to free up valuable counter space. Here are some alternatives for microwave placement:

Consider a microwave below the counter top.

Or place it right out there on the counter top. Make your appliances the theme of the kitchen as shown here. This busy kitchen has microwaves doubled up. One on the counter with another on a shelf right above, both at convenient heights.

Build it into the cabinetry. This microwave is a drawer. Very good height for children or people with mobility challenges.

Or in this family friendly kitchen, the microwave is built into the middle of a tall pantry cabinet with a pull out shelf below it for a landing space for hot food. It is at a height that most everyone can reach.

Can't spare base cabinet or counter space? Consider lower wall placement of your microwave as shown here.
Appliance garages can tuck away small counter top microwaves. Although doors must remain open while in use. I prefer pocket doors for this reason. The depth of the microwave should be planned carefully first to make sure it will work with the depth of the cabinet. Most wall cabinets are 12" deep and can be special ordered at 14" deep.

This is a creative use for hiding away your appliances if you must. Notice the door is pocket style, concealing the toaster oven and microwave. Although I think this microwave is still a little too high up. It could have been built lower and yet still room for the toaster.

Here is another creative way of placing a microwave within reach. When in use the pocket doors are open. See picture below for pocket doors in closed position.

Here it is, concealed behind pocket doors. The drawback of pocket doors is they take away usable storage width. Plan in advance that your microwave or small appliance will fit within the usable space.

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Take a Trip to KitchAnn Style

Today I just posted an article on manufacturer responsibility and buyer awareness with respect to selecting environmentally responsible products. Speaking of manufacturer responsibility, Ann Porter, of KitchAnn Style, has posted a commentary, LG Caught Under reporting Energy Consumption. The article reveals in September LG’s French Door fridges were tested and showed an energy usage 100% higher than the energy use promised on the fridge’s DOE Yellow Card.

The “DOE believes that the actions LG plans to take will benefit consumers and help ensure that the Nation's energy conservation goals are met,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy John Mizroch said. “It is critical that we work together with our industry partners to maintain the integrity of the ENERGY STAR® brand to make sure that consumers are able to make the most efficient purchasing decision - we appreciate LG’s cooperation in settling this issue.”

Without government regulation and independent verification, it is impossible to compare products and make informed decisions. LG voluntarily suspended these products from the ENERGY STAR® program. DOE's ENERGY STAR® criteria for refrigerator-freezers require all qualified refrigerator-freezers to use at least 20 percent less energy than the Federal government energy consumption standard.

The related links to DOE's official report, consumer hotline and links to LG's website are all there at KitchAnnStyle. Very well done posting. Thank you Ann Porter.

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Largest Storage Capacity in a French Door Refrigerator – 29 c. ft.

NEW SAMSUNG FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR

SAMSUNG’S NEW FRENCH DOOR REFRIGERATOR TRANSFORMS A KITCHEN STAPLE INTO AN INTERACTIVE, DIGITAL LIFESTYLE CENTERPIECE

7” LCD Touch Screen Paired with 28.5 cu. ft. of Internal Space
Offers Consumers Easy Organization Inside and Out

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J., Nov. 3, 2008 – Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, announces the latest addition to its rapidly expanding kitchen suite of appliances with the RFG299 French Door Refrigerator. The new RFG299 French Door Refrigerator includes a convenient 7” LCD touch screen above the ice and water dispenser and delivers the industry’s largest internal storage at 28.5 cu. ft. in a standard footprint.

In recognizing the kitchen as the heart of the home, and reinforcing its commitment to develop innovative products that enhance consumer lifestyles, Samsung developed the LCD touch screen to give consumers easy access to calendars, schedules, showcase photos, nutrition facts, and unit conversions. A simple touch of the screen can control the refrigerator’s temperature or monitor the water filter status.

“Whether entertaining friends or preparing dinner with the family, Samsung understands the kitchen is the focal point in today’s modern home,” said James Politeski, vice president of Home Appliance Sales & Marketing. “The 7” LCD Touch Screen takes our already highly-regarded 28.5 cu. ft. French Door Refrigerator to a new level of innovation all to make life a little easier for our customers.”

Samsung is able to achieve the RFG299 French Door Refrigerator’s larger interior capacity thanks to high-rate urethane insulation technology, which reduces the refrigerator walls from 2.04 inches to 1.38 inches, resulting in an extra 3.5 cubic feet, or 14%, more storage space for consumers. Amazingly, despite the extra space inside, the RFG299’s size on the outside remains the same for quality cooling without the need for a new kitchen layout.

Along with the breakthrough technical advancements, the RFG299 French Door Refrigerator features many sleek details that combine for an ideal refrigerator solution. The interior LED lighting is considerably brighter than lamp-based illumination. Samsung’s EZ-Open™ Handle effortlessly breaks the freezer seal, eliminating the need to strain when opening. And the exterior door handles, hidden hinges, and stainless finish add tasteful elegance to any kitchen.

The innovative Twin Cooling Plus™ System allows the main body of the refrigerator and freezer section to be cooled separately, ensuring odors from compartments do not mix and create ice cubes that taste like last night’s leftovers. The Twin Cooling Plus™ System offers professional-grade cooling to maximize and prolong freshness.

Samsung has recently been named by J.D. Power in the 2008 Home Appliance Study as the brand ranked highest in customer satisfaction for Side-by-Side/French Door Refrigerators. Samsung excelled in the areas of performance, ease of use, styling and feel, and operational features. This marked the fourth year in a row that Samsung has received a customer satisfaction award from J.D. Power for refrigerators.

The new Samsung RFG299 French Door Refrigerator is available in stainless steel at select Best Buy locations now. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com/homeappliances.

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Electrolux Kelly Bags

Calling all handbag lovers: The hunt for “Kelly’s Bags,” a new on-line game inspired by TV personality Kelly Ripa, starts April 14 at electroluxappliances.com. The new game designed by Electrolux, Europe’s leading premium appliance brand, is designed to attract those who covet the latest clutch, hobo or satchel, as well as anyone who wants to win one of 10 new suites of designer kitchen appliances from Electrolux. Anyone who registers to play will be supporting The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, a cause important to Kelly and women everywhere. Visit electroluxappliances.com for game rules and how to play.

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Commercial Kitchen Zone Arrives Homes

I was raised around a commercial kitchen and so I have a fondness for cooking and planning for cooking. My favorite place, as a kid, was the cold zone where the tubs of ice cream were kept, and the fountain/beverage service area, where I was so thrilled at "organizing" the mise en place objects . I loved the elegant dishes reserved for serving ice cream, the tall and amusing shape of the ice tea spoons, the white coffee cups with the apple red rims laid out with matching saucers stacked next to them, the glasses in pull out plastic trays below the counter for ease of serving glasses of water and iced tea. (I probably drove the servers crazy when I "re-organized" things for them before service). At the tender age of eight I knew the difference between a steam table and a deep fryer, was enthralled with the glow from the salamander, watching cheese bubble on the hot plates, I loved stirring the sauces in the steam table when the cooks would permit me in the kitchen during prep hours. Kitchens are in my blood. I was a kitchen designer in the making before I even knew it!

As I witness a trend developing into an accepted theory in residential kitchen design, I am delighted to show clients how to embrace zoning in their kitchen too. There is a growing acceptance by kitchen designers and homeowners alike to move away from the notion of a kitchen triangle. There was a time when that worked perfectly when the homemaker was the chief cook and bottle washer.
However, as the kitchen has evolved as a gathering space with more than one cook, so to has the options in appliances we want for our home and how we organize them in our kitchens. As walls come down between kitchen and adjoining family room, and as the kitchen melds into the family room, the opportunity to co-op a commercial kitchen's work zone is coming into play more often.
Thus a kitchen triangle is out of sync in a larger kitchen and "zoning" is the new key feature to a residential gourmet kitchen. Searching the topic, I typed "commercial kitchen" in Google, and was not surprised to see how kitchen design has evolved with terms reserved for commercial design.

For example, Dornbracht shows off zoning for the kitchen sink: two bowls, each with its own faucet.

Dornbracht Kitchen Zones - new concept of space from Dornbracht ...

Two sinks, two faucets are desired in the zoned kitchen. It is an idea from commercial design that makes logical sense. A clean up zone and a preparation zone perform better when they do not share a single source of water. A residential kitchen may not have the space a commercial kitchen does for a seperate clean up zone but even a small kitchen can benefit from two faucets to keep wash up chores separate from salad and vegetable prep work. Dornbracht sees the value and is offering it to consumers now.

Kraftmaid, one of the largest cabinet manufacturers in the United States has introduced Harmony Kitchen Zones. Kraftmaid breaks it down to great visual marketing material with interactive point and click photos and PDF printable handouts for homeowners to see the benefit with cabinets designed with zoning in mind. Kraftmaid states in their ads, "The best kitchen designs are laid out with work zones ... Harmony® Storage Solutions for your kitchen are organized by zones as well."

Viking Range Corporation has published an article in their newsletter, The Edge, "Breaking out of the Work Triangle". The basis for zoning your kitchen is replacing the triangle with a series of zones: The Preparation Zone, The Baking and Cooking Zone, The Beverage Center, and the Clean Up Zone.
No longer relegated to the back of the house, residential kitchens are now taking their cue from commercial kitchen design, using the theory of zoning to provide a well organized cooking and gathering space for all to come into the kitchen. True, residential kitchen, (with the exception of a kosher kitchen), will never need to have the commercial requirements for a separate fish, vegetable, meat and sauce sections. Although it would be great to have your own personal soux chef once in a while, residential kitchen design can benefit when planned with prep centers, baking & cooking zones, beverage centers and clean up zones. Zoning, a must for restaurants and hotel kitchens that require organization and order to perform with speed and efficiency, with a chef, soux chefs, line cooks and pastry chefs, servers and cleanup crew all working simultaneously to prepare, serve and clean up for hundreds of guests a day. No doubt a residential kitchen can benefit from similar types of zoning, regardless of large or small kitchens. Although a homeowner may not be preparing food at the same capacity as a commercial kitchen, the residential kitchen needs to serve the demands of the household. The kitchen, a daily family gathering space, when well planned with zones, will allow for multiple family cooks to lend a hand or just simply hang out in the kitchen in a inviting, welcoming way.

Suffice it to say, the kitchen has evolved. There are architectural books that detail the entire history of homes throughout the ages, so I will not comment on the social history here. It really is fascinating to read and discover how the home has evolved. If interested in further reading, I highly recommend Witold Rybczynski book, Home: A Short History of an Idea for further reading.

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Learning From Others Mistakes

I must give a nod to The Kitchen Designer, Susan Serra, for her masterful opinion in her blog dated 04/06/08, Lessons Learned from New York Times "Dream House Diaries". Susan Serra's 14 points are a primer for anyone planning a home renovation project.

A builder who assumes the cabinets are to be built around a predetermined plumbing and mechanical plan means someone put some thought in planning the kitchen, you would think so. But to read in the "Dream House Diaries" that the builder suggested to leave the kitchen planning till the point where the floors are down is nothing but a** backwards. It indicates the builder is interested in a cabinet order taker to come in later to get it in and get it done. This causes a huge disservice to the homeowner who is intent on a "Dream Kitchen for their Dream Home".

Whether building from the ground up or renovating an existing home, the mechanical locations for plumbing & gas lines, go hand in hand with planning the kitchen. Also, the placement or relocation of windows and doors is a critical stage in planning the kitchen. The design of the cabinetry, the doors and windows and the appliances must all be factored in at the beginning of the project, not the middle and not after drywall is up. For the do-it yourself crowd, I admire your fortitude to handle the project yourself, but it would not hurt to get a second opinion from a kitchen designer before ordering your cabinets. See the article link by one homeowner, "Did I get it right".

You can't leave planning the kitchen foot print to chance, thinking or hoping that the architect or builder is intent on the specifics, making sure the appliances and cabinets will fit. As much as we hope to see standards in the appliance industry, there are no "standards" when it comes to appliances. See an analytical point by point appliance comparison at the Kitchen-Exchange by Peggy Deras, Comment on Arrol Gellner's Appliance Advice. A builder that allows a variance of (+ or -) 6" can cheat the space with over sized cabinets and therefore cheat you by not allowing for the trash base or a proper bank of drawers or a lazy susan or a larger refrigerator. Kitchen Designers are not order takers. Planning the flow of space around appliances, cooking and clean up zones requires specialized training. A kitchen or bath designer will factor the dimensions of a space down the to the 1/8" inch and provide the builder a detailed plan ready for installation.

As Susan Serra stated in her article, the other problem by not planning the kitchen in the beginning creates a problem of cabinet size continuity. Wall cabinets with different door widths creates disharmony. Anybody with a tape measure can fill a wall with stock cabinets and fillers. To me, this is a waste of space and a waste of money when the design is washed down to nothing more than a bunch of boxes on the wall when the home owner's intent was a dream kitchen. Please refer to Peggy Deras excellent commentary Choosing a Residential Remodeling Architect.

The next factor the client has to be ready for is patience in planning. Don't rush into signing a contract until you have thoroughly interviewed the candidates. Take time to interview the architect, the builder, and the designer. If you fail to plan, plan to fail. Signing a contract with a professional who starts promising he or she will throw in free enticements or prices "good today only" are red flags. See NKBA for more advice on hiring a Kitchen and Bath designer. Go to NARI and AIA to find professional Contractors and Architects in your area. Check the BBB Reports to see if the business is in good standing. As a professional, I am so frustrated when I see a client taken in by the lowest bid, and outright lies about materials. To have a client compare my all plywood cabinet construction backed by a lifetime warranty against a 45# particle board box with a 5 year warranty and be taken in by lies by the "cabinet order taker" who says they are the same quality really frustrates me. My recommendation for homeowners is to be patient in the process of finding selections. As one homeowner said, she hoped she could just breeze right through this. This is not the same as ordering take out food. Patience is required.

No one can discount the value of the Builder, an Architect and Designer; each professional has the task at hand to provide the client a beautiful project. While a builders' interest is to get the project built on time and on budget, there is no fault in that. But, a quality builder will recommend you start working with a Kitchen and Bath specialist from the beginning so that the client can achieve their Dream Home.

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