Kitchen Appliances… They’ve come a long way, baby!
Ready to remodel your outdated kitchen? This is when hiring a professional interior designer is really going to make a difference between just a pretty kitchen and a stunning yet high functioning kitchen. Kitchens are the heart of the home for many reasons, but one of the main ones is that it is the space we tend to congregate in.
Before our lives were perhaps forever altered by the pandemic, the average adult spent a mere 37 minutes a day in their kitchen! Now that we are all working from home, sheltered in place, that time has shot up by over 46% for most age groups, resulting in a massive surge of people wanting to update their existing kitchens. We are chopping, sautéing, and baking our old, weary kitchens into the ground from breakfast prep to snacks to dinner time.
Here at HCD, we have developed a bit of a love affair with GE Monogram's high-end line of appliances. Not only are they beautiful and well made, but they carry some pretty unique and impressive pieces that have made many of our clients feel extra special once they are back cooking in their newly remodeled kitchens. Here are a few of my favorite specialty appliances that I suggest for many of my clients' kitchen design projects.
Pizza anyone? No, not delivery. HOMEMADE! We all have our favorite pizza spot, and we should continue to support their business, especially in these difficult times. But, since we are all cooking more, why not make a pizza that rivals any gourmet pizza joint in town. Ever wonder how they get their crust so crisp and perfect? How that cheese is just right? It's the heat. Standard ovens rarely get over 500 degrees, and while that is hot, it's not hot enough to make a perfect pizza. Pizza ovens often clock in at 800-900 degrees! The Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven can get to a whopping 1300 degrees allowing you to bake a pizza in 60 seconds. And it's not JUST for pizza; it is handcrafted to capture the performance of a wood-fired brick oven and correctly prepare Neapolitan-style pizzas, soft artisanal bread, or a whole roasted branzino!
Everyone TELLS me they prefer to cook with gas until they cook with induction. There are so many reasons induction is superior, starting with energy waste. A major difference between a gas and induction stovetop is that induction is significantly more efficient than gas – food cooked with induction will receive 90% of the heat generated instead of only 40-55% for gas. This keeps your kitchen much cooler and more comfortable while you prepare meals. It also keeps your energy bills down. Ever stand and watch a pot of water coming to a boil? It takes FOREVER! With induction, that time is less than half. Every client that I have convinced to change from gas to induction has told me how grateful to me they are for introducing them to it.
And now for my secret weapon, the 5 in 1 Advantium Speed oven. It sounds so good it almost feels like it can't be possible, but I assure you, this is the appliance that will have you geeking out and showing off to your friends, big time. What does it do? Almost everything. Ok, maybe it won't help your kids get through yet another day of remote learning, but it will offer flexibility as a 5-in-1-oven. Use it as a convection oven, toaster oven, warming/proofing oven, precision cooking oven, and microwave. When I tested this oven during a class put on by Monogram, we roasted a whole chicken in 15 minutes! Crispy skin, juicy inside… It really is a dream appliance.
With all that extra cooking we are doing these days, many find that their current refrigerator storage is less than adequate. Enter: the column refrigerator. This product allows you to add more fridge storage (who doesn't want that?) or create a more sleek and custom refrigeration/freezer system in your new kitchen. And with concealed hinges, it offers a look of seamless perfection that installs flush with surrounding cabinetry. And get this: it also allows you to wirelessly control freezer settings from your smartphone, using an available app! In fact, almost all of Monogram's appliances have some form of smart tech embedded into them. We are in a new age.
So, that's the inside scoop on our favorite specialty appliances. Now you know what to ask for when you start working with an interior designer to remodel your kitchen. You're welcome.
Until next time,
Heather
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