Kitchen remodel - all opinions welcome!

[Momling]

We're thinking of doing a bit of a kitchen remodel... nothing too extensive. We'd like to change our countertops, sink, faucet, and appliances. But we'll keep the layout, floors and cabinets.

 

My questions:

Fridge -- double door or single door? Freezer on top or bottom? We only have space for a 31" fridge, so our options are limited.

 

Stove -- It'll be a gas range... but Double oven or single? Is it worthwhile to have a center griddle? Convection?

 

Counters -- will be granite

 

Sink -- We're thinking we'd like an undermounted kind. But no idea on the materials. We saw a cool copper sink -- do these go green? Do they stain? Are they sturdy? I can find very few reviews online. If not, enamel? stainless steel? acrylic? some kind of composite material?

[LaxMom]

I love our french door fridge with freezer on the bottom (LG). Nothing gets wedged in at an awkward angle, anything fits, I can find everything.

 

Double/single ovens and center griddle are all personal preference for how you cook. It's rare that I would use a double oven, others would use the space constantly. Convection... I'm not fond of. Others are. Do go electric, though.

 

I love my double apron sink. It's deep and huge. I could probably still bathe boy boys in it.

[kalanamak]

Convection, yes, but I've not heard of gas convection.

I was a die-hard gas person until I got an induction because to plumb for gas was too much hassle. After 30 years of either having gas or wanting gas, I've given it up.

 

Try the smartdivide sinks:

http://www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/smartdivide.jsp

I loooooooooooove them. So handy, less splashes, etc. etc.

 

I've had many fridges in my life, but I am now a French door, bottom freezer fan.

[LaxMom]

Do you like your induction? I'm a gas girl for cooktops, too (not ovens, except commercial ones) but we would have to get propane so I'm stuck with a series of electric (the one that came with the house was a General Motors, no lie) and currently have a radiant ceramic... When I have the opportunity to upgrade, I want to go with induction.

[kalanamak]

Do you like your induction? I

 

My word, yes. It heats water faster than anything I've had, the surface gets warm from the hot pan radiating back, but not HOT like a usual glass top, so no burnt on food, no scrubbing, etc. and the surface looks like new. I like the one HUGE "burner" I have with a "fast boil option". I like how you can put a BIG pot over a small burner on low and it gets **really** low, rather that hot in the middle and cold at the sides. Just as fast and responsive as gas, with a wide range of temps, easy to clean, no flame or fume. I do like it!

I got the GE.

[gardenmom5]

I originally did a silgranite sink from blanco. I've noticed they no longer offer the lifetime warranty. there's a reason for that - they crack under high heat (e.g. draining spaghetti) and are a royal pain to clean. they replaced mine, but I had to pay to have the new one installed. I just did a high quality stainless this time.

 

I love the dutch-door refridgerator with the freezer drawer on the bottom. They do come in a 30".

 

If you have room for a double oven, go for it. get the wider one if you can. It also depends upon how much you bake.

[Ellie]

My questions:

Fridge -- double door or single door? Freezer on top or bottom? We only have space for a 31" fridge, so our options are limited.

Freezer on the bottom. I have no opinion about whether the top doors should be double or single. The important thing is the freezer on the bottom.

 

Stove -- It'll be a gas range... but Double oven or single? Is it worthwhile to have a center griddle? Convection?

Double oven. Even if you only use both ovens once or twice a year, it's still worth having two. You can live without a griddle. Convection is probably good, if you learn how to use it.

 

Counters -- will be granite

 

Sink -- We're thinking we'd like an undermounted kind. But no idea on the materials. We saw a cool copper sink -- do these go green? Do they stain? Are they sturdy? I can find very few reviews online. If not, enamel? stainless steel? acrylic? some kind of composite material?

Copper would be beautimous. I cannot remember about turning green...I saw one used in a remodel on TV and remember that it was discussed, but not what the contractor recommended. Alternatively, I think a composite material would be nice, especially if your granite is dark and the sink is also dark. I like stainless steel generally, but *I* wouldn't use it with dark counters because it seems to me that the sink should blend in rather than stick out, KWIM?

[cjzimmer1]

Do you like your induction? I'm a gas girl for cooktops, too (not ovens, except commercial ones) but we would have to get propane so I'm stuck with a series of electric (the one that came with the house was a General Motors, no lie) and currently have a radiant ceramic... When I have the opportunity to upgrade, I want to go with induction.

 

My word, yes. It heats water faster than anything I've had, the surface gets warm from the hot pan radiating back, but not HOT like a usual glass top, so no burnt on food, no scrubbing, etc. and the surface looks like new. I like the one HUGE "burner" I have with a "fast boil option". I like how you can put a BIG pot over a small burner on low and it gets **really** low, rather that hot in the middle and cold at the sides. Just as fast and responsive as gas, with a wide range of temps, easy to clean, no flame or fume. I do like it!

I got the GE.

 

 

Not to hijack but I just wanted to say that I LOVE my induction. After about a week I told my husband I never wanted anything else. I have the Electrolux and I can boil a canning pot of water in 18 minutes. My old stove took nearly an hour. And I can't tell you how much I adore not having to scrub. Even stuff that "looks" like it should be burned on comes off with the swipe of the rag.