Explore the following kitchen appliances to meet your specific needs – from energy-saving refrigerators and range hoods, to smart refrigerators. There’s always something to upgrade in your kitchen, so why not start with something below?
Refrigerators
Refrigerators are household appliances designed to store food and drinks at cool temperatures for extended periods. Refrigerators can also be found in restaurants and hotels to maintain safe food temperatures, making it easy for staff members to stay healthy and safe when feeding customers.
Refrigerators are considered personal property and should be covered under homeowners or condo insurance in the event of damage or theft. Some states offer programs to collect old refrigerators for recycling or reuse in order to reduce energy, gas, and landfill waste. While white fridges were once typical, designs and colors have since evolved over time; manufacturers now even offer models featuring brushed chrome plating which emulates stainless steel’s appearance.
Dishwashers
Dishwashers are one of the most-utilized appliances in any home, saving time, water and energy, and keeping dishes looking their best. The industry continually innovates new features to attract customers such as quiet operation, energy efficiency and cleaning dishes without pre-rinsing.
When you switch on your dishwasher, hot water is heated in its tank before being distributed through rotating spray arms that move back and forth over dirty dishware, according to Lynn Redmile of Good Housekeeping Institute’s Cleaning Lab. As it passes over this soiled area, its force combines with detergent to effectively wash away food particles that will eventually be filtered back out before draining into pipes beneath your sink.
Every load of dishes leaves behind residue that builds up inside your dishwasher, so regular maintenance should include using an effective cleaner to eradicate build-up and make dishes look their best. Specialized cleaners for dishwashers can be purchased at major retailers or online.
Ranges
A range combines the capabilities of both kitchen stovetop and oven into one, offering convenience to cooks who enjoy being able to do everything from boiling water, frying food, baking bread or roasting meat all from one appliance. Commonly referred to as stoves, these classic kitchen appliances come with different styles and fuel types designed to meet individual cooking styles or aesthetic preferences in the kitchen.
Experts speculate that the word “range” originated during the 15th century as a term to refer to ovens with multiple openings designed for frying and sauteing, although today the term is used more generally to refer to any type of cooking appliance featuring both an oven and stove top.
Although freestanding stoves may not fit seamlessly with all kitchen cabinets, slide-in ranges offer an attractive solution that’s easily compatible. Simply install in any standard cutout for an instant update without completely renovating the space.
Microwaves
Microwaves are electromagnetic radiation waves or particles. Like radio waves, visible light, ultraviolet rays, and X-rays, microwaves travel in waves or particles and have one of the most prevalent household uses of this energy form – they drastically cut cooking times! The microwave oven is one such example that has seen huge savings thanks to using this form of power.
Your microwave’s controls allow you to select both power level and cook time settings, and it will automatically turn off when food has cooked or reheated as intended. However, be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions and safety recommendations; overheating can damage some types of glass and plastic containers.
Stovetops
Cooktops (American English), stovetops (Canadian and British English), or hobs (British English) are cooking appliances with multiple burners used for warming pots and pans. This can be anything, such as those featured on ranges or standalone kitchen appliances of the sort. Their power can come from gas, electricity or induction sources; many are installed seamlessly into countertops for a sleek and seamless appearance.
Stoves can be powered either by natural gas sourced from your main gas line in your home, or propane stored in an external tank that must be filled when it becomes depleted. They typically feature two to six burners with some models even offering speciality burners such as griddle burners.
Washing Machines
Washing machines are essential appliances, yet their size makes them unattractive. Many homeowners hide them like this, or behind cabinets or tuck them away into an open floor plan so as not to compromise its aesthetics. Unfortunately, in tight living spaces or kitchens that act as the focus of a home, concealing washer and dryer units becomes more of a challenge than usual.
There are smart solutions available to combat this problem, including stacking the washing machine and dryer on top of each other. Many washer/dryer sets are specifically designed to stack, so this shouldn’t present too much of an engineering challenge.
Install a laundry shutoff valve in your home as an additional solution, making it easier for you to manage and control the water for your washing machine and reduce risk of leaks or flooding of your kitchen sink. Just be sure to remember to turn it off each time!
