Dishwashers Explained
Many homes have a dishwasher, but when it comes to buying one which kind should you consider? There are a few different options when it comes to the size and configuration of a dishwasher. Firstly, the width should be chosen. They are available as slimline (which is 45cm / 450mm wide), and as 'full size' which is 60cm / 600mm. Quite often the descriptions will say 595mm and this is normal. If the space you have available is 60cm exactly then this means that a full size dishwasher will squeeze in the space nice and tight. The next thing to think about is whether or not you want an integrated (often known as built-in) or a freestanding dishwasher. If you opt for a stand alone model then you can choose from literally hundreds, with many manufacturers offering various colours from the obvious white through to black, stainless steel and some red and yellow options from Baumatic! Integrated dishwashers can be semi integrated, meaning they have a panel showing across the top which shows the controls for the unit.
These are less common now but if you already have one then if you replace it you need to go for the same type due to the size of the furniture door you will have. The inside of the dishwasher is normally a stainless steel shell, meaning cleaning is easy and they won't rust. There are an average of 12 place settings in a 60cm dishwasher, and the options include adjustable basket height in the top level, time delay, turbo drying and different numbers of automatic programmes and temperatures.
Integrated Refrigeration
Sometimes known as built in refrigeration, integrated fridges and freezers make a kitchen look more sleek, blending the cabinets together and keeping the style in-tune throughout the room. There are quite a few different variations of built in cooloing products, starting with the size requirements. In smaller space limited kitchens, you may opt for built under fridge and freezer appliances. These slot underneath the work-top and screw into the adjoing carcasses. They stand on adjustable feet which means you can make them fit perfectly to the worktop and highten the strenth of the structure around. In-coloum fridges and freezers don't stand on feet- they slide into a column in the kitchen design. They are available at sizes of appoximately 880mm height, 1040mm, 1200mm and 1780mm for the larger larder and tall freezer combinations. Some of the fridges come complete with an ice-box inside. There are not as many appliances that are frost free when you choose an integrated freezer, with freestanding refrigeration you get many more options, and the integrated frost free appliances are quite expensive. Built In Microwaves
Some kitchens are designed around the style and feel of the cabinet furniture and the sleek built in appliances. As kitchen appliances microwaves are not particularly attractive- they are bulky and take up valuable preperation space on the worktop. This is why built in microwaves are much more popular now, and they are getting more affordable. Manufacturers like Baumatic, Hotpoint and CDA have options that are excellent value for money. Things to consider are the trim kit, the colour and the type of microwave. Trim kits are not always included in the price of the appliance, and can be quite expensive. Some don't require this accessory, so be sure to read the full description to check if it is needed. There are limited options for the colour and finish, mainly being stainless steel, white and black. The price will vary massively on the features and functions you need. Standard microwaves without a grill are pretty cheap, but the full compact microwave oven combination appliances from Miele and AEG can be upwards of £1000.
Gas Hobs available
With such a basic and hands on way cooking, gas hobs are a great choice for the serious home cook who enjoys the chance to use every kind pan, from a large pasta pan to a wok, gas hobs give you the flexibility. The pan stands on gas hobs are either enamel or cast iron, and sometimes have a wok support if the hob includes a more powerful wok burner. The common choice when you have a wok burner would be a 5 burner gas hob, which is almost always 70cm wide and has room for other pans at the same time as the wok. There are options on the size from 30cm (domino hobs) all the way up to 80cm, 90cm and even 100cm professional style gas hobs. A new kind of appliance to be recently released is the gas on glass varient, which has a black glass glass surface on which the pan stands sit. They look amazing and are available with a stainless steel trim or without.
Island Cooker Hoods
If you are lucky enough to have a large kitchen with enough room for an island centre peice, then most likely you will have an Island Cooker Hood extractor unit to match. This not so common appliance is designed specifically to be installed to the ceiling, and hang above the cooking facilities in the island. This could be a hob or range cooker, and there needs to be an extractor to take away the grease and smells that would otherwise stain the walls and ceiling. Island hoods are normall finished in steel which won't stain, and they can be a plain chimney style design in look or have a glass canopy that surrounds the bottom of the cooker hood. Top of the range models have asc, which means the kitchen appliance starts automatically when it detects that something is being cooked (by way of heat and moisture). Popular appliances from this category include Baumatic, Bosch, Elica and Whirlpool.
Condenser Tumble Dryers
If you live in a terraced house or a town style house then there is a good chance that the location of your tumble dryer will not allow an external venting of the steam created during the drying process. In this case your only option is to take a condenser dryer. This kind of tumble dryer takes the steam and cools it slightly on it's way through to a small container usually located at the bottom or top left hand corner of the appliance. Here is is turned to water and collects ready for disposal at your convenience- usually after a complete cycle. This kind of dryer is obviously the only choice available to the increasing number of apartments that are being built, and quite often this will be combined with a washing machine too (a washer dryer).
Article Source: http://www.internetkitchenappliances.co.uk