Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with kitchen

How much power is enough power? (In a range hood)

instead of three wishes — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:22:24 -0800

We are finally getting a range hood for our oven! This is great! There are new building codes (2009 IRC M1503.4) that strictly govern how many CFMs a range hood can have without a make-up air unit. This is bad, frustrating, bad, confusing, bad and maddening. Everything I read gives me conflicting information. How much power does your average cook who likes to experiment but rarely uses all their burners at once really need in a range hood? (Lots of details inside). So basically, a very long story boils down to the following bullet points:

-We are finally able to renovate the kitchen! I have long yearned for a shiny, wall-mounted chimney style range hood, and designed the floor plans around such a situation, without realizing how complicated the range hood situation was going to be.

-Every site I read assures me you need lots and lots of power in a range hood, the more the better (600 CFM or more)

-Some of the sites I read started to hint that something called make-up air was going to be required for such a powerful range hood if we didn't want to die horribly of carbon monoxide poisoning

-I found the 2009 International Residential Code M1503.4 that indicated that anything over 400 cfm was indeed going to require a makeup air unit.

-My local Building Inspector has confirmed they are enforcing this regulation in my city

-two separate a/c-heating experts have looked my house up and down and told me to forget about installing a make-up air unit. The house is almost 80 years old, and has no forced air heat or central air conditioning. The cost is prohibitive.

So, I am stuck. The maximum I can go up to in a range hood is 400 cfm. And, to be honest, I haven't seen many 400 cfm models that I really like. I have seen quite a few models (Zephyr, Faber) that offer a hood in the 700 cfm range, and the identical model at the 290 level. Of course, 290 is even lower.

So, how much of what I have been reading is, well, hype, a new fad, or aimed at people who will be doing much more fancy cooking then we might? We sometimes do have as many as four burners going at once -- but it is sort of rare, and more likely on holidays, or when schedules overlap. We would like to stop setting the smoke detectors off, however, and be able to do things like roast a chicken on high heat, or stir fry in a wok, without issues.

The oven is a GE Profile, 30" 5 burner gas range/convection oven with a second bottom/electric oven. According to a calculation run by the person at Best, they recommended 550 cfm.

Our fall back is a Best by Broan model that is not that high on my list of favorites, but has 400 cfm. My local appliance store guy was down on Best, however, not happy with the quality. He steered me towards Zephyr, and other brands (and also reiterated that I should go high for cfm).

Should I be spending this much time and effort worrying about this? Are there lots of people out there with 300 cfm models who live happy, contented lives, or will our kitchen be full of smoke and grease?

Also, if you have a range hood of this type that's right around the mark I am looking for (as close to 400 as possible!) please let me know what it is, any why you like it!

(As you might be able to tell from a lot of this question, I am feeling a lot of disappointment and gloom over what was supposed to be a high point of the kitchen for me, and which has just turned into a major headache instead. I had my beautiful Zephyr Savona 685 picked out and was very much looking forward to it.)

Need a small over-the-range microwave that fits a 60's kitchen.

Orb2069 — Sat, 11 May 2013 23:00:44 -0800

I have a kitchen with cabinets colored and shaped like these and a layout like this. - I'm looking for a over-the-stove microwave that will work with the decor. I'm very handy with appliances, and willing to sink some money into getting this right, but I've got no idea how to get there from here. Most of what you can walk into the store and buy is either White, Black or Stainless Steel., and 15"x15"x30" in size, or larger.

The open space in the cabinets where the microwave would sit is 12"h x 12"d x30"w. and 60" off the floor.- The height dimension is not critical, but since the stove has it's controls against the backstop, something that didn't obscure them would be helpful.

Help me buy a new dishwasher!

grak88 — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:45:05 -0800

Which dishwasher should I pick? My old Frigidaire dishwasher is on its last legs. I did a search online and Consumer Reports says Bosch is the way to go? But then I read some not so great reviews either. Can anyone recommend a good brand/model that they use and are happy with?

Any other tips? I read you should avoid the ones with hidden buttons on the top of the door because they're prone to breaking down because they're too close tot the water and heat.

Looking for something in the $600 range. Thanks!

When is the best time to hire a certain kind of contractor?

st starseed — Sun, 05 May 2013 11:40:07 -0800

Is there a financially advantageous way to hire a contractor based on the season? Mrs. Starseed and I have two not-insignificant home improvement projects we'd like to have done by the end of 2013. One is a tearout of our backyard deck and the creation of a paver patio; the other is a kitchen renovation. With spring here and summer around the corner, the paver patio is the obvious choice to go first - woohoo for more time outside! - with the kitchen to follow in the fall as the weather cools and we spend more time indoors.

Presumably, since most people think this way, my hunch is that the contractors who can tear out a deck/build a paver patio are at their absolute busiest right now in May, and thus, can charge higher prices than they would in the (theoretically) less busy months of October and November, while the kitchen renovators are slower in the springtime and thus would charge a bit less than they might as the cold weather starts moving in. Is there any kind of truth or logic to my hunch? Should we get the kitchen done first here in the nice months, and put off the patio until the fall? The goal, of course, is to save money.

Architect versus contractor

chickenmagazine — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:16:44 -0800

We're planning a kitchen renovation for our century-old house this summer and have been working with an architect who has so far given us a kitchen layout and rough design. We're now getting quotes from general contractors. The GC we met with last night, who we've worked with before and trust, said further work by the architect will be a waste of money because the progress of the project will depend on how construction goes. Is he right? We hired the architect in the first place because we need to make structural changes, including shortening windows and minor changes to walls. Since our house is so old, the GC explained that we won't have a good idea of the state of the (probably cast-iron) pipes, (probably ancient) wiring, (probably crumbling) walls, and so on, until we actually start demolition. This makes sense to me.

Also, now that we have a diagram to scale showing where everything will go, I'm not sure why we still need the architect. It was very useful going through the layout process with him, but I think the GC could handle the rest of the decisions. The architect's residential experience is entirely out-of-state and he's not familiar with contractors or zoning laws around here. His rough cost estimate for the project also sounded low to us and the GC said it was extremely low, which makes me think maybe he's not that realistic about how things work in our expensive area.

Is he right? Should we ditch the architect? How will the architect add value to the project now that we have the basic design?

Setting the kitchen on fire: best practices.

griphus — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:47:19 -0800

A while ago I asked a question about stovetop grills. We didn't get one, but now we're considering an electric grill, which is what we had before and are comfortable with. Does anyone have a good recommendation for an countertop electric grill in the $25-75 range, preferably available on Amazon Prime? Are there any reasons why a stovetop would be Objectively Better than an electric (or vice-versa)?

Help me plan a kitchen renovation in Brooklyn.

(Over) Thinking — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 04:41:14 -0800

I just bought a 1 bedroom co-op in Brooklyn. I want to gut the kitchen. I have 30k. Is this possible? Can you recommend an architect? Share your story? The kitchen is in terrible shape, and the only thing worth saving is the stove. I definitely need all new everything. I know what I want, but I don't know if it's plausible with my budget. I know how to research material costs, but I have no idea what to expect to spend on labor, permits, the architect's fee, etc. It is not possible for me to DIY anything, so I can't use that as a cost-saving measure.

I also don't know how long anything should take. I close in June, and I'd like to do everything before I move in. Is it realistic to think construction could start in June if I haven't even hired an architect yet?

Have you renovated an apartment in NYC? Could you share what you did, how much it cost, and how long it took?

Can you recommend an architect? I need someone who can work within a budget and is a good designer. I have lots of ideas, but I need someone can translate them into a real space.

Any advice is welcome.

Mystery Implement, kitchen edition

sandettie light vessel automatic — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:17:56 -0800

Going through our kitchen gadget drawer, we can across what looks like nothing so much as a wand. It has a label on it that says it's from Scotland. What is this thing?

So how do I clean my egg beater?

cellura p — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:21:25 -0800

I just want to know if anybody has a tip about keeping my hand-cranked rotary egg beater clean. I generally rinse it right after use, but it still gets a film of grime on the inside surfaces of the blades. It is very hard to manipulate a sponge or brush in there to get the yuk off. Surely some wiser, more experienced cook can give me a clue about how this useful tool is best kept clean!

Cooking for Passover

jasondigitized — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:06:52 -0800

I am hosting a dinner party and one of the guests is observing passover. I need to stay away from rice, beans, corn, and bread. I am looking for some awesome dishes / dish combinations to serve so everyone is happy. Bring on your tasty dishes.

I need a new toaster oven. And a clever title.

BitterOldPunk — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:30:36 -0800

Toaster oven needed. Requirements: must make toast, have a broiler, be easy to clean, not cost more than a hundred bucks or so, be durable, offer an array of toast settings (she likes hers burnt, I like mine barely warm), not take up the whole counter, won't set kitchen on fire. Preferred but not absolutely required: Amazon Prime eligible, simple controls (no digital doohickeys, just knobs, plz), energy efficient. Not required: convection, infrawave, multi-purpose frippery that detracts from central toast-oriented tasks.

This toaster oven will be used almost exclusively for making toast, reheating pizza, and melting cheese on sammiches. Additional functionality is nice, but I'd rather pay for a durable, high-quality appliance that does less than a whizzy, less-reliable model that does more.

I've nosed around on Amazon and have a couple of models picked out, but I'd like the input of the Big Green Hive (can we make that A Thing? Let's make that A Thing.).

Do You Like Your Pull-Down Kitchen Faucet?

aabbbiee — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:05:28 -0800

New kitchen faucet is needed, and I've been warned away from the pull-down type of faucet. Do you have one of these, and would you recommend it? We're in need of a new kitchen faucet.
Requirements:
- High-arc
- Single handle
- Budget tops out at $350-400, but I prefer (much) cheaper
- The sink has four holes for installation, and is fairly deep
- I prefer a clean, modern style, but the kitchen fixtures have "oil-rubbed bronze" finish, and my fiance kinda wants to stick to that finish color (despite my loathing of it)
- Not interested in that capacitive touch-on technology

I am interested in the popular pull-out or pull-down faucets. However, my sister-in-law has warned me away from this style because she says the recoil action in the pull-down hose will degrade over time and it will not snap back into place after awhile, leaving the hose hanging limply out of the faucet neck. She used to work for one of the big box home improvement stores in the kitchen section (but she left in 2009). Have these faucets improved since then? They generally have good reviews on Amazon, and Delta makes some that snap back with the help of magnets. I am not sure if I should follow my SIL's advice or ignore it (with the peril of I-told-you-so's if she's right)!

If you have one of these faucets, I'd love to hear your comments. I'm especially interested in those who have had one of these installed for a period of months or years. Would you install one of these again? Would you do anything differently?

Model and brand recommendations are welcomed, whether you prefer the pull-down type or a separate side sprayer!

Kitchen island in NYC

John Cohen — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:43:28 -0800

I'm about to move to a new apartment that doesn't have a kitchen counter or much cabinet space, so I need to buy a cart with cabinets and a countertop (like this). I'd like to buy it from a store in Manhattan. Any suggestions? I've found lots of these online, but haven't had any luck finding them in a brick-and-mortar store. (I've asked at Home Depot on 23rd St. and CB2 without any luck.) I'm also open to online suggestions if you've bought one online that you've been satisfied with. Thanks in advance.

Who ya gonna call [to fix an oven]?

JanetLand — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:45:51 -0800

I have an old kitchen with old appliances. The oven has suddenly died, and I realized I have no idea what to do about it. I think the stove/oven are around 30 years old. Everything's electric. Tonight I turned on the oven, and it heated for about 3 minutes, and then there was a fizzing sound, and it stopped heating. The stove burners still work. I don't think it's a heating element problem -- the oven has two, one at the top and one at the bottom, and previously when one has gone out the other still works.

I don't know how to fix, well, pretty much anything, and I have no one to help me, so my [stupid] question is, who do you call for a busted oven? The electrician? Some kind of contractor?

Make my kitchen fan-freakin'-tastic!

msbubbaclees — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 14:05:30 -0800

I am getting ready to do a kitchen remodel. I've been thinking about this since before we bought the house 6 years ago, and am finally ready to take the plunge. Give me your best kitchen ideas! I've perused other kitchen remodel threads, like this one, this one, and this one, but would still appreciate any other thoughts.

The kitchen is a good size and overall good layout. I'm leaning towards refacing the cabinets since the overall amount of storage and layout are fine, we just want to update the look. We are replacing the stove, dishwasher and microwave (we bought the fridge--counter depth, faux stainless, side-by-side--6 years ago and don't need to replace it now). We are replacing the existing L-shaped island with a more space-efficient rectangular one.

Ideas I'm considering that I'd love feedback on from those who've done it:
--soapstone counters (spendy, but I'm drawn to a natural, matte surface with character. alternatives I should consider given those desires?)
--undermount fireclay or cast iron/enameled sink (I have an enameled sink now, and prefer it to stainless)
--garden window (love the idea of an unobstructed view over the sink, but too difficult to keep clean?)
--glass tile backsplash (will this look too dated in a few years?)
--drawers in the island, retro-fit pullouts/rollouts in the existing base cabinets
--microwave in the island, instead of over the stove (easier to reach, but too weird/trendy?)
--replacing a single set of upper cabinets with cabinets that go all the way down to the counter, to hide "landing zone" type stuff (mail, keys, bills, etc.)
--mostly drawers in the new island, for things like my home office stuff, kidbubbaclees' school stuff, etc. (is there any other kind of awesome island storage I should be thinking about?)

Plus, what kitchen thing do you have that you absolutely luuuurve? Thanks!

What is this? A kitchen for ANTS??

no regrets, coyote — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:18:21 -0800

I'm 6'5". It recently dawned on me that the reason I hate doing the dishes isn't due to my fundamental laziness, but because scrubbing dishes while bent over for half an hour really does a number on my back. What have you, fellow tall person, changed around your kitchen (and the rest of your home) to make it more accommodating to the vertically advantaged? I'm a renter and plan to be for the foreseeable future, so re-doing my kitchen with raised counter-tops isn't an option. Any tips and tricks would be greatly appreciated!

New (old) house with the worst possible kitchen floor.

checkitnice — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:44:13 -0800

Help us figure out how to cover up or replace this god awful kitchen floor. We just purchased a farmhouse that was renovated in the mid 50s. The mudroom and kitchen have 9" asphalt tiles that are all coming up (so not level), and on top of that, the prior owner used these rooms as a kennel for his incontinent daschund. Our first thought was a floating floor over this mess, but I'm worried that the smell is going to come through. We've got one coat of Nature's Miracle down now that has seemed to help, but I don't want to find out that it didn't really do the trick after the floor is down. DH really does not want to take up the floor if he can help it.

I'm open to any and all suggestions no matter how funky. We are pretty handy and crafty, and have a great contractor for any tile work. I'm just getting a little overwhelmed with all of the options.

Bonus: We have a five year old, a dog and baby on the way, and are generally outdoorsy gardeners. This WILL get dirty.

Multi-preset kitchen timer recommendation?

kristi — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 10:03:06 -0800

Can you recommend a kitchen timer with adjustable volume, pleasant alarm sounds, multiple simultaneous timers, and multiple presets? My preferred way to time standard tasks in the kitchen (my tea steeping, eggs boiling) has been to use the Widgets on my Mac - I can set multiple timers and use custom tones for each one. (In fact, my favorite widget announces "Your tea is ready" using the built-in speech synthesizer.)

However, my Mac is far away from the kitchen, and sometimes I forget to turn up the volume, so I don't hear the alarm.

Is there a good device that

* can withstand being in the kitchen (so won't be destroyed by a spill)
* can track multiple tasks at once
* has preset times for common tasks
* has a pleasant alarm sound (ideally even different sounds for each timer)
* is loud enough to hear but not loud enough to make me jump?

I've looked at various options, but they all seem to have drawbacks I'd prefer to avoid:

* many digital kitchen timers are ridiculously loud and have annoying-sounding alarms
* these cube timers seem cool but I don't know what their alarms sound like, they aren't flexible (you're limited to the handful of preset times), and you can't set more than one at a time (unless you buy two or three cubes, I suppose)
* wind-'em-up egg timers seem imprecise and potentially too loud

Is there any way I can get multiple widget-like presettable timers in a kitchen-proof device that costs less than buying 4 iPods?

Thanks!

Tile Under Appliances in Kitchen?

Andrea2880 — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 06:42:47 -0800

The cabinets are already installed at floor level. Do we tile under the range and dishwasher or up to them? Also the dishwasher is already installed, but if we have to, we can take it out and tile under it. Opinions?

Which kitchen appliances/gadgets do you keep on the counter?

mudpuppie — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:12:33 -0800

Which kitchen appliances/gadgets do you keep on the counter, and which do you store away in cupboards or a pantry? My partner and I are house hunting for a real, live, grown-up house. One of the results should be vastly increased counter real estate, and it is here that we've had our fist difference of opinion.

One of us wants to designate a countertop spot for ALL THE THINGS (Soda Stream, coffee pot, electric kettle, blender, food processor, soy milk maker, toaster oven, juicer, and more!) so that they are each accessible at all times, while the other is looking forward to having uncluttered counters, even if there IS space for all of the above.

What do you keep out, and what do you store, and what was that decision based on? And since I am obviously the latter person in the description above, how do I make a case for less stuff on display?

So pretty! But do they actually work?

rtha — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:02:00 -0800

Friends are in the beginning process of thinking about a kitchen remodel, and are wondering if anyone has good or bad things to say about the stoves, fridges, or dishwashers from The Big Chill. Consumer Reports doesn't seem to have reviewed these yet, and my friends haven't found a ton of objective-looking reviews online. They love the look of these, but since they really do like to cook would be very sad if they got them only to find they don't really work. They're considering this stove, probably this model fridge, and I don't know which dishwasher. Any advice appreciated.

What is the purpose and name of this object?

eyesontheroad — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:49:59 -0800

My friends have a house-sit. The house's owners possess two of these objects. We don't recognize them. The blades are sharpened, and they were stored beneath the sink. We have some strong theories, but no real answers. The owners are Bangladeshi Americans, if that helps. (with apologies for the ads on the photo page).

Microplane, yay or nay? And (warning: pun ahead) grate uses?

taz — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 00:43:32 -0800

Should I buy a Microplane? I'm hesitating because $$ (looking at this one), and a small kitchen means I try to keep gadgets strictly to a minimum. Is it worth it, and what are the things you use your Microplane for? The situation is: we cook most meals at home from scratch; I'm cutting out salt so trying a lot of other ingredients for adding a bit of extra flavor, and feel like lemon zest (we already use squeezes of lemon on very many things) might be a good addition for many dishes. We use a lot of garlic, which we just usually chop; ditto ginger.

(Also, I spent a very frustrating half-hour the other day zesting a lemon for a particular recipe with my execrable small grater and a toothpick to dig out the 90% of the zest that remained in its teenyweeny holes and channels. ack.)

I would actually like to be convinced that I need one, but it feels a bit extravagant. Is it worth it, and if so, what are some great things you can do with your Microplane? Are they hard to clean? Do toothpicks ever come into play?

Help me find this kitchen item!

jojobobo — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:07:02 -0800

I was in a kitchenware store on holidays a few weeks ago and I saw these great silicon-type glass drainers. Of course I can't remember what they were called, nor can I describe them in ways that google will like. Can anyone help? I'm Australian and I saw them in Beechworth... They were flat sheets with raised nubbin things that would prevent the cups from moving around and facilitate drainage. They were specifically for glassware. In case it's still not clear, you would use them if you didn't have a draining bench for drying your dishes.

I'm not fussed about brands. And actually even if they were for purchase only in the US if I had a name for them I could google adequately. I don't remember the name of the store it is 3 hours away!

Thanks.

Paint my kitchen!

1066 — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:20:46 -0800

Not literally. But I'm stuck on picking a color. Special snowflake details inside. (Possible triggers for mental health issues) Hello beautiful people of AskMefi. Thank you in advance for you help.

TL;DR BACKGROUND:
Due to a very contentious divorce, a beloved relative with a home business and large pets needed a place to live/work with no notice. I moved in with my parents, and let relative have my home for a year. (Not really a hardship, parents and I get along well. And they were very grateful that I was in a position to help.)

My relative fell into a major depression, culminating in a week of involuntary in-patient treatment, and my home turned into a place that could have starred on "Hoarders".

I had to throw out ninety percent of everything in my home and scrub it down ceiling to floor. I had to buy a new fridge and tear out all the kitchen cabinets. This was traumatic for me. I was redoing it step by step and only when I could afford to pay cash for it.

But it's all been worth it because the relative is doing very well now, is very appreciative of the help I gave and has been helping me fix my home back up.

So, the reason for my question. We've installed a new kitchen and I seem to be having a mental block about picking a paint color and backsplash for it. I'm usually pretty decisive, but cannot seem even narrow down ideas. Also budget is limited as I was still paying mortgage/bills for that year and relative's business has (understandably) not brought in recently what it has in past years. The total for paint and backsplash will hopefully be under $1000.

On to the kitchen:
My kitchen is a galley with a tall 34" wide window at one end and a door to a laundry closet at the end. It is just off the entry and has a pass-through to the dining/living over the stainless sink.
(Dining/living is painted a deep, deep gray with large white baseboards and maple laminate floors.)

The kitchen appliances are black.

The ceiling light looks like an old school light. This, but light gray:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95963793/ceiling-light-fixture-industrial-metal

The floor is a black faux-marble tile.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/591657167/natural_black_marble_tile.html

The base cabinets are Ikea Nexxus brown black with white Ikea counter top and stainless sink. (10th from top)

http://www.ikeakitcheninstalation.com/ikeakitchenpictures.asp

The top cabinets are the Ikea horizontal uppers with frosted glass fronts, also in the Nexxus brown black.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jgsearls/223296806

The living room is dark for movie watching. I like things to look neutral, with minimal visual distractions, but not cold. I usually reserve colors for things that can be thrifty to change out, dishes, towels, etc.

Ideas?