Saying we “need” anything these days beyond our health, food, water, money, shelter, love, and Netflix isn’t really accurate. We could all survive on those things alone. So instead of placing value on what we “need”, I want to propose we should consume more by how much we USE something. For example, I have four raincoats and they all get so much use for different weather and walking occasions. Could I own just one and survive? Sure, but I’d have to either layer a lot under or leave unzipped based on the level of precipitation, the temperature outside, and how fast I feel like walking those dogs. So as I design and purchase I’m thinking far more about USE than need or want. This does not negate any desire to be less consumptive, it’s finding that middle ground between practicality (use) and luxury (love) – and by positioning “how often we use something” as the most valuable part of the equation, we are buying more for long term. And I’m not alone…
Lockdown changed how we cook, clean, and generally use our kitchen – with the quick conclusion being “A LOT MORE”. If the kitchen was the “heart of the home” before, then it became that PLUS all the guts. Thus the explosion of kitchen remodels with the goal of better cooking function, easier maintenance, more storage, and yes, while we are at it, more amenities to varying degrees of luxury and waste. While designing our kitchen I once again dove into what appliances are “new”, “smart” or simply just universally opted for these days – both for day-to-day function and maybe for those who entertain grandly. These “trends” are not just style or even color, but more function, operation, and layout. How many dishwashers do we really need? What exactly IS a speed oven? Are people still using a microwave? Let’s explore…
Induction Ranges
Turns out we aren’t alone on the induction range train (nor were we first on it). The movement towards non-fossil fuel ranges is coming at us fast with now New York and California proposing laws to ban gas ranges in new construction. Yes, you can boil water in a minute and it’s a very accurate, fast, and consistent heating but it is a learning curve for cooking (and we’ll need new pots and pans). For instance, Brian likely won’t be able to butter baste our steaks like Matty taught him to (which is a magically delicious way to cook steak). You see the heat disappears when the pan is not on the surface – it’s electromagnetic. For those occasions, we are getting a hot plate or will go out on the grill.
They are easy to clean, fast to cook, and better for the environment. Again, don’t throw out your perfectly good gas range, but if you are remodeling consider an induction range. You are not alone and the planet will hopefully someday thank you – if we are still here by then 🙂 We are getting this one. If you want to reduce your use of gas (if you already have a gas line) and still have induction there are many that do 1/2 gas and 1/2 induction. If your electricity goes out frequently and you don’t have a generator then having one gas source to cook isn’t a bad idea.
You also have the option of the induction cooktop and a wall oven – giving you flexibility on where you put them (the oven can be on an island with the cooktop on the perimeter if you like). It’s like moving to an electric car – don’t throw away your Toyota to buy a Tesla, but I’ve learned and want to share that we are all moving toward electrifying everything with clean energy quickly, so if you are renovating and replacing your range anyway, opting for induction (electromagnetic) puts you ahead of the curve and is better long term.
TWO Dishwashers In One kitchen
This came up over and over – with salespeople and other designers – two separate dishwashers in one kitchen. At first I was baffled, then did what I should always do – consider the other side, weigh the pros and cons, don’t judge! Part of my job, not to mention being a human being, is not dismissing something simply because it sounds wild. This obviously excludes having double appliances for religious reasons.
So after monitoring our lifestyle, our true “dirty dishes needs” I realized that no, indeed we do not need two dishwashers. For me, it falls in the “if you have it you like it and might use it, but if you don’t you won’t miss it” category.
For us, we have two kids, cook most meals at home daily, and run the dishwasher once a day at night, so we are covered. Now if we had 6 kids or entertained ALL THE TIME I could see the need, or desire I should say, for two dishwashers. I frankly don’t like it becoming a “trend” because it feels a bit excessive and once the wealthy decide that they/we “need” something it trickles down and then becomes a mass mainstream consumer problem. We all have versions of this – I just bought a fancy pair of tall dark brown boots that I don’t need as I have a shorter pair that works just fine, but I wanted a taller pair that I feel like will also get a lot of wear/use.
Just think about if it’s right for your lifestyle and monitor your current dishwasher patterns to see how often you’d actually use two dishwashers. Ask yourself honestly “will I use this often?” because you can convince yourself that you “need” or “want” anything. I personally think that one is enough for most families’ daily usage. At the same time, I think it’s relevant to point out that we are putting a small stacking washer/dryer on the bedroom floor of our home. So again, we aren’t innocent of these “convenience splurges”. I do feel that it will get a ton of use though as the bedrooms are far away from the laundry/mud room so this is what we have chosen to do. Nobody is impenetrable to the seduction of convenience – just make sure that it’s something you will USE, not just show off as something you “have”.
Dishwasher “Drawers”
On the other hand dishwasher drawers (especially double, stacking) seem awesome to me and highly useful. They aren’t as popular yet here but are big in Europe. They are great for smaller households so you don’t have to wait until the whole load is filled to do a wash. But also good for bigger households where you want to stay more on top of it throughout the day. A good friend of mine with 3 small kids has double stacking dishwasher drawers and loves it because she has so many sippy cups and kid plates to wash from breakfast and lunch before dinner. So she doesn’t have to waste the water and energy to do only a half load, and instead just does one drawer quick wash per meal.
There aren’t that many brands in the states that make these, but I hope more and more will make them. Shavonda put them in her kitchen and LOVES them.
The Pebble Ice Machine
Ah, the pebble ice machine – likely my favorite unnecessary “luxury” appliance out there and one that is hard to go without once you’ve experienced the ease and beauty of these tiny little cubes in your kitchen and in your mouth. Again, if I didn’t use this appliance so much I wouldn’t be able to stand so thoroughly behind it. But I love it so very, very, very much and we use it all day every day (not just for parties). This could also be because my family believes in ICE COLD water, a trait that my siblings share – it must have been handed down from my parents. It’s also excellent for a home bar if you entertain a lot. But common sense tells me that it’s like having another refrigerator that runs constantly – i.e. more energy. So again ask yourself if you really would use it. Good friends of ours got one for their outdoor kitchen/bar and realized that they only used it one night a week when they were outside. Having the energy running was so wasteful so it sits empty and off and they wish they hadn’t gotten it. So make sure you are going to use it or it’s a waste of energy and space. Of course, if you have a lot of parties you never have to ask someone to “grab a bag of ice” again…
Double Ovens – In Wall or Range
This might seem obvious but after talking to salespeople about this it seems that due to lockdown double ovens – whether in-wall or under a range are skyrocketing in popularity. Essentially having the ability to cook two things at once, different temps and different times is highly useful to a lot of people. We used ours A LOT last year and still would if we had two (we don’t right now, which is a bummer) – and not just for special occasions. That’s why we chose an induction range that had a double oven beneath it – both smaller than normal wall ovens, but it gives us the ability to cook two different things on different temps/times. I think this is a sound purchase if you cook or entertain a decent amount.
Speed Ovens
Ah, the Appliance du jour. The kitchen’s golden boy. I have zero experience with this new-ish appliance and have heard varying reviews. Essentially a speed oven is both a microwave for reheating and a convection oven that heats up much faster than a normal oven and bakes things in 1/2 the time (fact check me on that – different sites said different things). It sounds smart, if not a bit intimidating (and yes people do complain that it’s not easy to figure out initially). It seems to me that if you have a double oven and a microwave you don’t need a speed oven, but if you are opting for a single oven (on a range for instance) then a speed oven could be great for cooking many dishes or baking desert and cooking dinner at the same time. We opted not to have one because having not had one we know that we can get along without one. Since we work from home, pre-heating isn’t a problem anymore, although I don’t love the waste that pre-heating can make. I suppose that “speed” isn’t really a problem for us since we’ve slowed our life down. We also know that if/when we redo the other Victorian house on the property we might put one in there instead of an oven. It’s nice it’s also a microwave and we could just use a hot plate for a stove when needed. Also, only 3 major brands currently make them so they are still pretty expensive. Secretly I want to try one and hope that when I do I don’t regret not putting one in at the farm (I would love to hear your experience with speed ovens).
On the other hand, Velinda used a speed oven in her ADU kitchen and it’s GENIUS for small spaces when it can be both microwave AND oven. I just think if you have both of those things already you might not also need a speed oven. But again I’m speaking as someone who hasn’t had one therefore I don’t think I’d “use” it often. You also don’t need a pebble ice machine (see above) and yet I have one, use it love it, so there’s that.
“Column Fridge” And Freezers
Since the pandemic many people are opting for more cold storage space in their kitchen than ever before – us included. Thus the popularity of the fridge and freezer “columns”. These are two separate vertical appliances with their own doors – one fridge, one freezer. You can buy them separately and yes even install one in the kitchen (fridge) and one in the pantry (freezer). They can be “normal” stainless/white, and panel-ready for the integrated look. For the farm, we are getting a 30″ fridge column and a 24″ freezer column, both panel ready (from BlueStar) to integrate into the cabinetry. After really looking at the food space, we now know that more freezer space was important as you can only hoard so much perishable fridge food. You can always freeze more leftovers or make/freeze batch food. We’ve always needed more freezer space so I’m excited to have this (and negates the need for the “garage freezer” that most of us had in the ’80s and ’90s).
I suppose another reason for the current popularity is how clean they look – no drawers or water/ice cavities to stop your eye. Many of these columns have water and ice capabilities inside the fridge, but they are up higher so kids can’t reach them easily, FYI.
Fast Beverage Or Speed Catering Commercial Dishwashers (In Your Pantry)
I’ve seen the uptick in this lately and I get it. If your “bar” is far away from your kitchen where the normal dishwasher lives and IF you use a ton of glassware or dishes frequently, then I could see this being a useful luxury. We put one in on the Portland Project at the wet bar that was in the basement and boy did we love the idea of it. I’m curious if the family really used it. I also know that because it was commercial it required more water volume which meant we had to upgrade some of the pipes on install. A few readers have DM’d about these speed dishwashers and how a 6-minute cycle (that’s right) can obviously benefit your life a lot if you entertain many people frequently. So far the ones I’ve found are very expensive and aren’t panel ready (you can’t hide them) which is probably why people put them in their pantries or likely “butlers pantry”. While I’ll likely never use this enough to “need” it, a 6-minute dishwasher cycle does sound DREAMY.
Appliance Garage FTW
While not a new appliance per se, the recent uptick in the “appliance garage” is revolutionary to visually unclutter our counters. This is an easy to access, yet closed-off cabinet that can house all your daily countertop appliances – microwave, toaster, ninja, blender, electric teapot, etc. I can’t tell you how grateful I was/am for our appliance cabinet at the mountain house that housed our coffee maker, microwave, and toaster. It not only eliminates the visual chaos of those necessary appliances but it keeps the mess (coffee grounds, bread bits) to one location – easy to clean. HUGE FAN over here.
Colorful Ranges
It’s about time. Now many serious chefs love the stainless look of appliances – both fridges and ovens assuming they are a luxury brand (Wolf, Subzero, etc) that they want to show off. For the rest of us, we either want them to disappear or look less, clinical or something. Some colorful ranges have been available for a while, but there are more and more on the market in so many colors. BlueStar specifically (made in America) makes what feels like hundreds of colors and they are SO PRETTY. Cafe Appliances also has a few that are pretty. We opted for black because we have blue tile going on and the induction range that we wanted didn’t have the right color of blue for us, but I personally think this is a GREAT place to bring in color, whether its safer like white/black/green/blue/red or going more bold like pink, teal, yellow. This is such a personal choice, but it is a forever one so be sure you really love the color long-term.
On Counter Gas Burners
One of my best friends put these burners straight onto her marble and it blew me away. These are from Pitt and they are stunning. You must do your due diligence and research your stone to ensure it’s the right fit. Also, in case you think that cooktops allow for more cabinet space you should know that between the mechanics of the cooktop/gas and the mechanics of the downdraft that most of the cabinet space underneath is already taken. I love this look and if I were to opt for a gas cooktop I would seriously think about using these instead.
Drawer Fridges
Now extra drawer fridges might seem like a luxury (and they are) but if you don’t have a “garage fridge” and you have people over frequently then you might need more space – I know that we did and do. So if you are renovating this is a good thing to think about. We used one of ours for adult beverages – beer, mixers, La Croix, and lemons/limes, then the lower for kids snacks, fruit, yogurt, juice, etc. Granted we didn’t have a huge fridge at the mountain house so I can honestly say that we needed this space (we didn’t have that coveted garage fridge). So yes, this is something we used a lot of and will opt for it in the future. Big fan over here.
Beverage And Wine Fridges
I love the idea of both of these for houses with A. a lot of entertaining or B. if where you entertain is far from the kitchen/fridge. We’ve had a wine fridge at the mountain house, but didn’t realize that they don’t get crazy cold because white wine is best drank at 45 degrees or higher. Well Brian and I enjoy extremely cold white wine, like we put ice in it, so we found that we use our wine fridge at the mountain house more like a “pre-chilling” place then transfer it into the fridge before drinking to get it super cold. This actually works when we have parties and go through multiple bottles a night, but if it’s just us then we could easily just keep a bottle or two in our actual fridge. Now in the Portland house we installed a beverage fridge and wine fridge in the basement because it’s far away from the fridge so this makes sense to me, too. But at the farm we don’t need one since our living room and family room are both close to our kitchen/fridge. If we get super into wine later we have lots of space in the basement which you enter through the pantry so we could set something up down there.
So there you have it. “Trends” are really just about giving us ideas and what could really work in our homes. But again, if we shift our mindset to “what will we actually use” versus “what do I think I want because it seems fun and convenient” we are going to all be happier. And by “we” I am us and mother earth:)
So now let’s talk about appliances? Any advice from first hand users??
Opening Image Credits: Design by Amber Interiors and Platt Architecture | Photo by Shade Degges
Really interesting read. As for a dishwasher, when I did my tiny kitchen remodel I decided to omit it completely as the smaller dishwasher was twice the price and I felt that by the time I had stacked it there would be no space left for greasy pans which would have to be done by hand – so I might as well have just washed everything by hand. Therefore I went for a larger, deeper double sink and instead used the space gained for extra storage for pots and pans (which I needed). It helps that there are only two of us. I would feel very differently if we were a family of five or six.
Also, my sister has an induction hob (on her island) which she loves. They don’t have access to gas and the old electric stove was a slow thing to cook on. However, she did have to fork out a fortune on new pots and pans as not every kind of metals works with the magnetic field required for induction cooking.
I did the same Bea. No dishwasher for me. My tiny kitchen storage thanks me.
I find that dishwashers damage plates and glass.The vibrations cause glass to break faster. I also find that it scratches plates and stoneware wears off faster too. It’s better not to place nicer items in a dishwasher. I’m also someone who rinses plates first. I think that a bigger sink and a great drying rack might actually be better, especially for families with bigger kids. With little ones it’s a bit too time consuming and there are lots of plates, bowls to wash. Having more storage space would be great. But what do you do about a drying rack? I hate the look of a big one.
I really like this post — especially the way you’re framing/reframing the concept of “need.” My parents (boomers) had three ovens, an icemaker, two dishwashers, and a beverage cooler, PLUS a chest freezer in the garage. My mom even bought one of those big commercial soda fridges (like used to be in gas stations) used and put it in the garage. I’m sure that was energy efficient!
I’m wondering if this is why we’re seeing them as “trends” now! I’m starting to see other home trends that were considered popular in the 90s/early 2000s (hello MacKenzie-Childs teapots and platters) and while it’s not unusual for design to be cyclical, the timing makes me think that millenials can finally afford these luxury items and more and more of them are framing their ideas of luxury based on what their parents had. It’s totally interesting because the idea runs counter to what was being said about millenials for so long–that we were going to reject all our parents’ ideals.
My parents have always had an extra fridge and full size freezer in the garage. That made sense when they were stocking up on everything on sale for a family of 7 but makes significantly less sense now that it’s just the two of them.
We put in a regular dishwasher and a double-drawer dishwasher in our new build a few years ago. We rarely used the drawers as they were a pain to load – we really only ever filled the regular dishwasher once a day and it went on overnight. We did use the second one when we had parties etc, but it wouldn’t have been the end of the world to not have it. If I were doing it again and felt the need for two, I’d choose two regular dishwashers rather than the drawers – useful for parties, but also useful to fill the empty one in the morning with breakfast dishes if you are not the sort to empty the dishwasher first thing every morning and yet hate all the breakfast things hanging around waiting for the dishwasher to be empty! The one luxury item that I’ve never had before and would love is the ice maker – for making smoothies as much as chilling drinks – Vitamix frozen margaritas in particular!!
I have induction and will never look back — I love it. Buying new pans was not a big deal for us because we didn’t have a great set to begin with. It’s also SO much easier to clean! Looking forward to your eventual review of the AGA induction range. We almost went with it in our remodel — it’s so pretty! — but I was unsure about the smaller oven sizes, and the lack of window on the oven doors and lights inside. There was also not a floor model anywhere near me, so I couldn’t check it out properly. I will say, however, that we have a double wall oven from Monogram that connects to wifi, and I love that I can set it to turn on/preheat before we are even home.
If you have stainless steel already, they work on infuction don’t they???
Rusty – most probably stainless steel pots will work on induction. Best thing is to test them with a magnet. I have a single-burner induction hob and only have one pan that doesn’t work with induction.
Thanks 🙂
Yes – if a magnet sticks to your pan it will work on induction! Cast iron works as do enamel coated pans.
My stainless steel pans with copper bottoms didn’t work on my new induction top. Nor did my ss pressure cooker, so it depends unfortunately…
Fun fact – stainless Steel can be either austenitic (not magnetic) or ferritic (magnetic) – largely depending on the percentage of chromium in the specific alloy. Both of these have different crystal structures and slightly different properties. As Sheila says – test with a magnet!
My cookware is All Clad Ltd and cast iron. Both work for induction so no worries, I’m about to jump on the induction train!
I am currently in a major home remodel. My kitchen isn’t large but has been designed to be more efficient. I am putting in an induction cooktop with double wall ovens. I will have a speed oven with vent over the induction cooktop. We have family gatherings bi-weekly at our house with Sunday dinner. I am looking forward to being able to coordinate having dinner ready at the same time to serve and not having to use umpteen crock pots. If I had the space, my wish list would’ve included column fridge and freezer units. I also wish I would’ve pursued the dishwasher drawers because on most days, it’s just two of us living in this house.
Loved how you parsed out need from want! And love how you keep evolving with the feedback while still staying true to you! We just finished picking out our appliances for our retirement home (new build). It took so long and so many meetings with the kitchen designer to get what we needed given the options made available to us by the builder. After years of cooking on a gas stove, I chose an induction range. I’m eager to learn and hope my 40+ years of cooking skills will translate to this new heat source. The builder initially offered a wall oven/microwave combo, but since we have a large oven in the range, we opted for a convection microwave, which is, I think, the speed oven you were discussing. It can be used as either a microwave or an extra oven when needed. One other “smart” choice I insisted on was a touchless faucet. Not as pretty as the brass beauties you often show, but for a dedicated cook, so much more practical. I regret we couldn’t fit an appliance garage or cabinet in the plan and am on the lookout for other options I might use to solve the… Read more »
We are longtime induction users, and they cook like gas – turn down the heat and the heat goes goes down right away! Not like those coil electric stoves. I suspect you’ll find almost no learning curve but you will LOVE how fast water boils and how sensitive it is. Electrify everything!!! And enjoy your new home!
Thanks for the encouraging feedback! I appreciate it!
I put an induction range in my last kitchen and it functions very similarly to gas. Not at all like an electric stovetop, which is much harder to cook with. The main part o had to relearn was not to take the pan off the burner too much, since that shuts the heat off.
We are in the middle of a gut renovation and doing so many of these for our family of six who likes to entertain: induction range, double dishwashers, column fridge/freezer, double ovens, beverage fridge drawers, and appliance garage (modeled on the Mountain House!). We opted for a steam oven over a speed oven and plan to use that in lieu of a microwave for better reheating (but still doing a drawer microwave because #children).
Just want to add many people WON’T need new pans for induction! We have always used cast iron (either plain or enameled both work beautifully on induction). Many of the stainless options now also have a magnetic ring on the bottom, just flip it over and see! Otherwise, if a magnet will stick to the bottom of your pans, you are good to go! We do love our induction- my only qualm is that your pans do have to fit the eye! It can turn into a bit of a shuffle when you are making multiple dishes. I have found the smaller pots/pans are the problem- I only have 1 “small” eye, and when you put a small pot on a larger eye, it will not work! Larger pots/pans will work on any of them.
That answers my question, thanks.👍
Agree! We switched to induction when we renovated our kitchen a couple years ago, and the only pan we needed to replace was our aluminum popcorn popper lol
We are planning on going with induction for our upcoming reno. Thanks for all the tips above @Hannah. I was also curious what current inductioners are doing to prevent surface scratching (which I’ve heard can be an issue). I’ve always had gas ranges and most of our pots/pans are magnetic, but we have a lot of vintage cast iron which seems like a problem in the making. Thoughts?
I honestly hadn’t heard that and I did so much research when we got ours! I use the old style classic cast iron 90% of the time on ours and have yet to have a scratch after several months. I’m not careful either- lol! Truly if anyone could beat up a stove top it would be me and I haven’t had the slightest problem! I’m coming from a glass electric cook top previously that got scratched and (even worse) the dreaded baked on messes that I COULD NOT get off. What a world of improvement!!
This is great to hear! I have noticed scratches on electric cooktops of various friends/family and it seemed inevitable and most likey similar situation with induction. I wonder what the difference is?? Thanks for the reply!
we have an older viking induction (8 years old now?) and there isn’t a scratch on it. I use a mix of cast iron, demeyere stainless steel and enameled cast iron. I am careful but not obsessive and frequently doing more than one thing at a time. The formulated cleaners for old glass top electric ovens work PERFECTLY to clean up anything on our induction.
I wonder if it’s because of the surface heat making the glass more sensitive?
I have an induction stovetop, convection microwave, and convection wall oven in my small condo kitchen. Best investments ever! They don’t take up much space and provide flexibility in preparing meals.
I will say it again because I don’t understand how this isn’t a trend in the US: the Thermomix. It’s THE main appliance in my home, where I cook all meals. It basically blends, chops, and heats, so it is a substitute for the range (although I still use it sometimes). You just put the ingredients and let it do its thing. I don’t particularly enjoy cooking, so this is a life-saver. It is pricey, but IMO completely worth it. One of the upsides is that anyone can cook with it, which makes shared housework go much smoother.
Anyway, I don’t know how the affluent and convenience-loving US market hasn’t embraced the Thermomix. Granted, its prevalence in my home country is kind of an outlier (I think it has to do with our love of soup), but still.
Couldn’t agree more! I live in Germany and so many of my friends and family have it. I just love that my husband feels confident cooking dinner with it, it is such big load of my shoulders.
I think we may have small appliance fatigue, the instant pot and air fryer have been popularized recently and a lot of people use and have adapted those, so “learning” another appliance may be a bit further off.
I mean also we are still in a pandemic here and not as many households here have the disposable income to spend on a new very expensive appliance. The population of the US isn’t as affluent as you think, and fast food/takeout is still more convenient than a new appliance.
Sure, I don’t mean that every American could have it, my point is more that it’s strange that it never caught on with upper middle class people or with lifestyle influencers. If we’re discussing double dishwashers and refrigerator drawers and wine fridges, I think the Thermomix fits the conversation.
As for small appliance fatigue, I agree that it could be a factor, although I don’t consider the Thermomix a small appliance, not only for what it can do but also for the price. For me, it has become an essential appliance, like the fridge, the oven or the microwave.
I think the fast food/takeout factor may be the most important. Where I live takeout only took off with the introduction of Uber Eats in 2017 (the same year the Thermomix was introduced in the US), whereas the Thermomix (we call it Bimby here) was introduced in 2000.
The Thermomix is $1500! It seems crazily overpriced and small appliances can be questionably made. I could get my meals catered for a while for less.
Key point being “for a while”. The Thermomix is an investment for sure, but it is a cost-effective one. It’s also absolutely well-made, durable and has a very strong engine. As for the price, it’s comparable to a MacBook, which isn’t exactly a niche product!
It’s an interesting appliance – I went and watch an intro video on them. Thank you for pointing it out! I think the lack of adoption in the US may have something to do with quantities? I don’t think it would handle the amount I tend to cook for the family. And having lived in several countries in Europe and thinking of my kitchen now vs the kitchens there, for the most part I would say we have a lot more space and appliances built in (and newer kitchens too). If I already have everything to do what that small thing does, and I am producing more food than it seems to, then it’s not something I would add on top of all else. And if I want to make a soup, the Vitamix both chops and heats. But I can see it’s appeal if you are dealing with a small kitchen where just trying to fit an all in one clothes washer/dryer is a challenge.
You can make a generous amount for a family of 4 to 6 for many of the meals in Thermomix! It’s all your smaller appliances in one plus it cooks. Definitely not a throwaway item and the cookidoo app gives so much inspiration as well. Highly recommend
I have never seen anything like this in my life, it’s amazing!! I hate cooking, especially chopping and washing dishes so I may have to put this on my Dream List. Thanks for sharing.
I love my Thermomix—called a Bimby here in Italy! It hasn’t yet caught on with the influencer group in the US, maybe because the marketing and sales structure is a bit of a turnoff as it is too reminiscent of housewife-y Tupperware schemes. But it is a fantastic appliance!
Just a thought on the electric induction cooker etc – I was told by a plumber that gas boilers will begin being phased out at some point, and at that stage, we will need much better electrical supply than we have now. So if you are considering a gut job in a kitchen or in your whole house, you should consider upgrading the electricity supply cable to a thicker one that can carry the power needed for a boiler years down the line, even if you’re not ready for an electric boiler yet. (UK-based, so not sure how much this will be true in the US, but I had never heard that before.) It depends exactly where your boiler is compared to where your electrical supply enters the house, but it might be worth adding this to the planning stages while you’re renovating.
Definitely true in the US, too. Especially with car manufacturers switching over to EVs and our country being so car-dependent, installing a charger at your house will be another big consideration for electricity usage in the coming years.
Exactly. We need a heavy up (that’s the new, bigger electrical cable for those that don’t know) if we’re going to switch anything from gas to electric or charge an electric car at home. The car will probably be the precipitating factor as our hybrid is almost 13 years old so I don’t expect it to last many more years.
I feel like I’m from the future now LOL! I have an electric car and am installing induction. Upgraded the panel and wiring, and installing Solar. This is definitely the direction we are headed so good point about setting up for future needs.
Emily, what a great post!!! Reallllly good! 🤗
Super-informative and so balanced in the way you discussed pros and cons, plus needs vs wants in relation to use.
The little details gad e scrolling up anc down and bavk and forth anc I’m suee I’ll be cominbback yo ghis post jn the future.💗
🥄The first kitchen’s floor! So interesting. Not sure I’d like to live eith it, but so, so interesting!
🥄Induction is a grrreat choice. Pricier, but a win-win for the user and the environment. 🌏
🥄2 drawer dishwashers arereslly common in Australia, but all white goods like ftudfes, washers, dryers, heaters, must have an energy efficiency sticker with a star rating, maybe people are more aware of it? If I had a dishwasher, other than my hands, I’d buy a Fisher & Paykel 2 drawer dishwasher.
🥄The painting of the woman in water! Wow! Mesmerising!
For me…. it’s ALL about the drtail and personalization!!!🥣
I have a question, with respect snd from a placd if ignorance:
The photo of the Cheshire Architects kitchen looks like a Rembrandt stilllife!! Wot the???
Great, great eye candy, thank you!!! 🥰
I meant to delete my question completely, oops. I re-read it and hot it.☺
Thanks, Emily! We recently switched to induction for indoor air quality reasons. My guess is that gas ranges will soon be a thing of the past for health reasons, as well as environmental. Also, you know I have to tease you a little about ice in your white wine, hehe!
We are building a new home and our current plan is that the countertop appliances (toaster, coffee maker, blender) will stay on the counter in the pantry (which is right next to the kitchen). Any thoughts? Will this be inconvenient? Should I have an appliance garage as well?
We have this in our kitchen and love the set up. One thing to consider, especially with the toaster, is that you may want to install a fan in your pantry. We have a toaster oven in ours where we cook everything from bagels to pizza to frozen chicken nuggets, and it can get a little warm and smelly in there with all that going on. Problem solved when we added a (very quiet) fan.
Thanks so much for that feedback! I appreciate it!
I sort of get the idea for an appliance garage, however the first one pictured above seems like it would function better if there were two separate doors, give how many appliances they seem to have! Also, seems weird that they would put “decor” in front of the “garage” door – when they show the door open, the decor and even the soap container are removed form the picture, so I am not sure how functional this particular one will be in real life!
I loved this post! not only did i learn abuout new things i didn’t know about (like dishwasher drawers!), but it was just good eye candy all around. i could stare at these kitchens for days. but i am OB.SESSED. with the Nord Room kitchen! i had to go look at the whole house and that house tour is so goood. aaaaagggghhhh. my eyeballs thank you!
We had an induction cooktop in our previous home and can’t wait until we get to swap out the gas cooktop in our current house with induction when we electrify the kitchen later this year. We didn’t have to replace any of our pans, but we had all steel and cast iron to begin with.
Emily, please get Brian a cast iron pan! We made Matty’s steak recipe on our old induction cooktop after seeing your post about it, and cast iron is the trick to not lose heat! My husband complains that he can’t do steak as well on the old gas cooktop that we have now, he can’t get the cast iron hot enough to sear and hold the heat.
I thought the same! My husband has no problem butter basting in cast iron on an induction. The sear is actually so much easier to get. He also has a carbon steel pan that he loves. It’s so cute how much he cares for his pans and making sure they are seasoned properly.
I agree! I have gas in my apartment and induction in my house. Anything that I need a really good sear on or need to simmer I only do at my house. I hate not having any control on my gas stove and it feels unnecessary dangerous to do either thing on a gas range!
The home I grew up in had two dishwashers (remodeled in the 90s). Ahhh I loved it so much and miss it all the time. Even with just two of us, the dishes often pile up while we’re procrastinating on emptying it. Do I NEED it? NO. But it is sooooo nice.
Meanwhile, my in-laws now have dishwasher drawers and they drive us all nuts. The bottom drawer is too small for their plates, so there aren’t many benefits. It feels like they have way less dishwasher space overall. I’d much rather have just one dishwasher than have dishwasher drawers.
Super jealous of your new induction stove!
We have an induction stove and drawer dishwasher and they are both amazing. I did have to upgrade a lot of my cookware with induction (lots of cast iron or non sticks specifically designed for induction). The stovetop can be a bit loud otherwise. But it was worth it. The temperature control on in is as good or better than a gas range, way more efficient and better for the environment. We got the fisher Paykal dishwasher and since there are just two of us, we typically only run the top drawer. It is so quiet and we love the functionality of it.
I’ve wanted an induction cooktop for years. Next time I have to get one, that’s it. Also have been intrigued by “drawer” appliances- fridge, dishwasher and microwave. Love the idea of a cupboard that opens to reveal all the coffee stuff and/or appliances. But I also don’t want to reduce the countertop space, which seems useful especially when several people are trying to cook at the same time (holidays). I’ve switched to plant-based eating and those people use an entirely different set of stuff. Like insta-pots for cooking beans, and air fryers for crisping up without fat, and blenders and food processors for much of what they eat- smoothies, hummus, plant milk, etc. I use the blender and food processor a lot, but have avoided the air fryer and insta-pot so far, not wanting more stuff on my counter. A lot of what I eat doesn’t even need to be cooked. But I need a lot of room in the fridge for produce, and also in the freezer for extra portions when I make soups, etc. I’m still cooking the SAD (Standard American Diet) food for my husband, too, so I make a lot of things that I can freeze… Read more »
I put dish drawers in a kitchen I remodeled in 2009. So, okay, a long time ago. But they were HORRIBLE. Super duper loud and didn’t clean very well. I replaced them within a year. Never again. My current kitchen came with an induction cooktop and I hate it. After 4 years I still hate cooking on it. Less enjoyable cooking => doing a lot less of it. And although in theory you can use cast iron on it, I’m so terrified I will damage it my beloved cast iron sits in a cabinet until the rare times I use it in the oven. Fingers-crossed this crazy real estate market cooperates with me this year so I can move someplace new.
I like a lot of these. I put in a Fisher-Paykel 2-drawer dishwasher when I moved into this house 1 1 years ago and I still love them. It is true that very large plates may not fit (I have one that doesn’t) but that’s a good reminder for any dishwasher purchase – check how your dishes and glassware load in it.
This kitchen had double wall ovens, which I replaced with similar but larger ones when I moved in. Liked the idea but I rarely need 2 full-size ovens. I actually use my countertop combi-steam oven a ton and would love to swap out my double oven for a single convection oven, a combi-steam oven and a warming drawer. The combi-oven is brilliant for re-heating and I wouldn’t be without one!
I have a portable induction hob, love it and will go that route when I can afford to upgrade the electrical service. I’d love to have room for separate fridge and freezer units, a wine cooler and ice maker but I can’t imagine that happening.
Great read, as I embark on my first kitchen remodel later this year. I’m equally excited, and terrified. This is a great read. I would love to see a post on renovating for the area you live. On not over improving your home, for the area you live. My heart, and head, are pulling me in all sorts of directions. I’m in a distinctly starter home area. While I would love a fancy stove, beautiful marble, and all the bells and whistles, I know this doesn” make sense for my area. Even though, I could afford them all. A buyer for my home, would most likely not be blown away by any of these things, enough to pay more for my home. But I do plan on staying for the long haul, so is it worth a splurge, or two? I mean, I’ve been perfectly OK with my black Formica countertops that were here when I moved in. I haven’t ruined them, and they have actually worn really well with my abuse. So maybe the new versions of Fenix, or Everform Formica make more sense in my home? I think this is a discussion that many would love to see… Read more »
This is exactly where I’m at. Most of us don’t need so much stuff to cook. If we really want to talk about sustainability, we need to simplify what we think we have to have. Formica is actually pretty awesome for lots of people. If you like it, get it. If you plan to sell your home, you might want to get quartz as it is a good investment for resale. But for yourself? Do what you like!
I’m a renter so I have no choice but my Formica knockoff cheap laminate countertops look like new and they are over 17 years old.
Sara at Room for Tuesday has some great posts about stuff like this!
http://www.roomfortuesday.com
My husband and I had exactly that conversation before our remodel 2 years ago. We had lived in our “starter” home for 20 years. Like you, we had lived perfectly well with the original Formica and basic cabinets. We didn’t want to move because we loved the bones of the house and location. We could afford to do anything we wanted on the remodel, but because of the location and square footage of our home, we knew wouldn’t realize the value on resale.
After careful consideration of how we lived and what was important to us, we worked with a designer / architect to customize our kitchen to create the perfect space for us. We decided not to worry about resale and picked materials and appliances we loved. The biggest expense for us was fully custom cabinetry, and it was worth it every penny. If you can afford it, go with what makes you happy. You won’t regret it.
We had a pretty small kitchen in our LA home, so opted for 1 dishdrawer, leaving space for another storage drawer underneath. It was only the two of us, and the dishdrawer could handle a dinner party (it only got dicey when we had 30 plus for our annual Easter bash) so it was the perfect solution. Highly recommended!
I have a speed oven and I only used it as a microwave at first, but once I learned how to do the easy convect feature I was pretty impressed. It really does cook faster and uses less energy. It also doubles as an air fryer, which is really just a mini convection oven.
My dream kitchen has two dishwashers. After running the dishwasher, don’t bother unloading the clean dishes into a cabinet. Just keep them in the dishwasher and pull them out when you want to use them. Once used, put the dirty dishes into the second dishwasher until full. Then reverse the process. Eliminates the need for storing some of your everyday dishes, greatly reduces the chore of unloading dishes, and keeps the sink empty of dishes all the time.
I am currently doing a remodel and my designer recommended almost everything in this post. I am doing the induction range, column/panel fridge and freezer, and wine fridge/wet bar in the butler’s pantry. I also said no to the second dishwasher as I don’t think it will get used enough. One thing about the pebble ice makers, is they constantly flush out the old ice and make new ice, 24/7 365. This means the ice is always nice and fresh, but I found it to be massively wasteful of water, so I didn’t get one despite loving the ice they make. I am curious what brand of dishwasher you recommend. My designer wanted me to do Cove, since I am doing Wolf/Sub-Zero for the other appliances, but I am a Bosch lover so I stuck with them.
We have the countertop pebble ice maker from GE. It has a water reservoir that we fill. As the ice melts, the water goes back into the reservoir, so no water waste. We thought about doing the built in one like Emily had at the Mountain House, but my husband didn’t like that it was low down and the ice drawer doesn’t pull out like the counter top model. We are redoing our kitchen, and will put it in our small pantry.
LOVE this topic and post! But, Emily, what are you doing for filtered water? (I was hoping you’d mention it.) I don’t want it on or in my next fridge but clean, cool water is to my family what pebble ice is to yours.
Inquiring minds want to know — The Big Berkey? Elkay built-in? Reverse osmosis? Under-sink filtration system? Brita?
Much obliged!
That’s funny–my spouse & I are planning a kitchen remodel and were just talking last night about getting two dishwashers! My kid and I eat all three meals at home most days and I cook from scratch, so it’s a never-ending dish parade in my kitchen. I’m also “allergic” (achoo) to washing dishes by hand. So typically while waiting for our dishes to wash and dry in the dishwasher, there’s a full counter full of dirties piling up! I think the only way to keep a clear counter in our kitchen is to get a second dishwasher….
I’m about to replace my dishwasher and electric cooktop. Just getting another electric cooktop… not up for the challenge of learning to cook again on induction. Simple and inexpensive, plus I don’t have to buy any new pans. Is there a reason a regular electric cooktop is not even mentioned as an option?
I think the two main differences are induction stoves are more energy efficient because it’s just the pot that heats up, not the stove so you lose less heat/use less energy and they’re just a lot more responsive to turning up / down the heat compared to traditional electric stoves. That said I cooked on a new electric stovetop recently and it was SO much better than the old ones. As for cooking on induction the only thing that I’ve had to re-learn is poached eggs (was great at them on a terribly slow old electric stove).
So funny the differences around the world. I live in Australia and appliance garages have been a thing for ever. I actually just removed the door/roller from mine as we never closed it and the door just felt like clutter to me. I’m installing a speed oven in a short term rental, yes, it was expensive (!!!) and I look forward to seeing how it works out – well I hope.
This is timely for me, I’m installing a new kitchen next month in a small house for 2 people, dogs and lots of visitors, on a small island. Speed ovens are awesome, I’ve had them before and they are super convenient. Plus you can combo cook, which means you can make a perfect roasted chicken with crisp skin in about 35 minutes. I’m getting a 36 inch induction cooktop, a 30 inch speed oven, a 30 inch wall oven, standard dishwasher, counter depth fridge with filtered water/ice through the door. And a built in exhaust hood, so very minimal. There’s a door off the kitchen to the yard and gas grill and built in counters. No need to put more appliances outside. I’m here for keeping it simple. Island living is hard on appliances — they rust, then are subject to power surges, and they don’t last as long as usual. Plus there’s only a couple guys on the island who can repair them. Stainless steel KitchenAid for me (their stainless seems to last the best here). I’ve had terrible luck with very expensive, panel appliances, where I had to replace the appliances, and then have new custom panels built… Read more »
First, I acknowledge my privilege and know I’m spoiled. I just built a new house and I work in accounting at a place that sells appliance. So I got my appliances at cost and therefore made it point to splurge. One month in, I’ll tell you what I love. I got a 48” “cute” gas range. It’s beautiful. The small oven is nearly useless. My smaller Pyrex casserole dish does not fit. And I love cooking on gas, but hate cleaning it. Columnar fridge and freezer -love. No extra garage freezer anymore. These are counter depth and the fridge space really isn’t that much bigger than my old standard side by side fridge. Two dishwashers- have yet to open the second dishwasher. It was actually cheaper (for me) to get the dishwasher than to have cabinet drawers. The one I haven’t used is in my butlers pantry. Pebble ice and under counter beverage fridge- love!!! Who knew I would need a tall glass of pebble ice water in the shower every morning? These are in my butlers pantry. They are such a luxury. Two washers and dryers. One on main floor (primary bedroom on main) and one set up by… Read more »
uh… the “on counter” gas burners look frankly horrifying, from a safety perspective. At least cooktops have a defined “this area can spout fire so do not let stuff/little hands” near here. I would feel like I could never relax at that counter- would constantly have to be on alert to make sure people/kids/clutter didn’t get near it. And not sure why having 5 metal burners poking through a countertop is “cleaner” than having those 5 burners enclosed by a metal rectangle of a cooktop- the cooktop base unifies it somewhat more, I feel. Maybe I’m being paranoid but no way would those work for me.
Do you have any suggestions for a 60″ electric range? That’s pretty!? All the knobs and character of a gas range, but electric.
I grew up in a house with 2 kitchens and an appliance garage and really miss those things in my small, current house. I often want to cook a couple of things at different temps and can’t. We did get an air fryer recently and it’s been quicker to roast smaller amounts of veg in there, and less energy is used.
We have an open shelving unit in our kitchen for our appliances. I like having them off the counter but would prefer something closed – maybe next year. We run our dishwasher almost twice a day – all of us home every day and the kids use so many bowls and cups every day. I try to get everyone in the family to re-use their water glasses and toast plates to save on energy but that’s a losing battle. 10 glasses for 4 people daily is the norm – so frustrating! We have a full column fridge (no freezer) in our kitchen and it’s so wonderful. freezer is in an adjacent space.
What a fab post! I just finished the kitchen in our new 2500 foot condo. I have a large walk-in pantry where I installed a small built in extra fridge off to the side where it can’t be seen from the kitchen. Only my husband and I are in residence but we entertain a great deal and enjoy having room for beer, sparkling waters, food platters…. I put a wine fridge in the kitchen as well as my large Miele fridge and we use both to capacity. I have a cooktop with 3 gas burners and 2 induction burners. Being an avid cook and having used gas my whole life, I like the control it gives me. Induction is handy in a pinch but I still prefer gas. I have a wall oven/microwave combo and a wall oven beneath that. I like to cook a casserole/pie and a roast at the same time which is why I have both. Only 1 dishwasher. So far no regrets but I rather wish I had gone for a vertical wine tower instead of the dinky wine fridge. And I would love a dishwasher drawer just for wine glasses!
We have had electric, gas and induction hobs and induction wins hands-down. So fast (unlike electric), easy to clean, doesn’t use gas and – other than one old pan all of ours worked, including Le Creuset cast iron ones. We have 2 wall-mounted ovens. I live in the UK and combination microwave/ovens are really common – one of the ovens is a combi. You can use it on either function and it works brilliantly. I find the eyeline oven gets loads of use, but the one slightly higher up is used a bit less because it’s harder to reach. I much prefer the eyeline placement to under the stove as you don’t have to get down on your knees to pull pans out of the oven. We also have a wine fridge in our kitchen (all the appliances were there when we moved in) and we use it a lot as we have a smaller main fridge. It has our juices, extra milk etc… as well as wine! I would love to try a dishwasher drawer. In our old house we had a slimline dishwasher and I actually found it more useful than the full-size one we have now as… Read more »
We recently moved to Singapore and EVERY apartment we looked at came with a small oven (can’t use a full sized baking sheet) and a steam oven (for steaming fish, chicken, veggies). This is considered the norm here. I had never heard of a steam oven. Our realtor thought it was hilarious having to explain what a steam oven was and how to use it. Also-induction cooktops and no microwaves. It’s been an adjustment learning how to cook and bake.
HI. I saw an invisible induction cooktop on a renovation show last week. The “burners” are indicated by tiny metal studs in the COUNTERTOP! Talk about invisible!
I recently remodeled my kitchen in my 1927 Spanish Bungalow. I went with the 2 drawer dishwasher (LOVE) but a 1952 O’Keef and Merrit 6 burner stove that I found for a song and had refurbished.
I’m getting the same range as you but in ivory. I’m also getting a 30” column refrigerator and 24” column freezer. We thought about the built in pebble ice maker, but opted for a counter top one that will live in our small pantry. My husband didn’t like how the built in one didn’t have a pull out drawer, nor that he’d have to squat down to use it. We’ll also do an appliance garage similar to the mountain house for our espresso machine. It doesn’t feel like a loss of counter space since the espresso maker sits on the counter now. I’m looking forward to being able to close it off the rest of the day. We decided we didn’t need a beverage fridge, partly because my daughter and I only drink water. The drink space is mostly needed for parties, and we’ll use the fridge or an outdoor cooler for outdoor parties. Also, no wine fridge. I stopped drinking it, because I always had bad reactions. It’s nice to not think about another appliance. We don’t have room for a second dishwasher or it’s not a priority with only three of us in the house. We’re planning on… Read more »
Around 2015 we redid the kitchen in our ~2,000 sf house to include 2 dishwashers (IKEA panel front ones so they are hidden). We entertained bigger groups a lot pre-pandemic (10-40 people), and I found that after whatever meal we were having, the women would always gather and do the dishes by hand while everyone else hung out. It drove me bonkers. (I’d say to everyone to just leave them, but Midwest guilt is real lol.) Now, I throw things in the dishwashers, and it takes 5 mins or less instead of an hour & lets EVERYONE enjoy themselves. I have no other luxuries listed here, but do really love the dishwashers ha.
I have experience with two speed-ovens. We bought a house in the fall of 2017 and shortly after moving in the rather old microwave died. It was built in right above the wall oven and there was room to replace it with a speed oven, so when we found a good deal on a Bosch speed oven (less than half what they’re currently going for!) we pounced. It was great both as a microwave and a smaller convection oven. It wasn’t big enough for the widest of our sheet pans or baking dishes but definitely heated up faster. We’ve always opted for convection ovens so I didn’t notice a drastic difference in baking times beyond the usual speed up you get from convection, but the faster preheat cuts the total time down. Our second speed oven was already in place in the house we bought this fall. It’s a Jenn-Air and was one of the appliances the previous owners picked when they redid the kitchen (beautifully, it’s amazing to move into a house that needs no work in the kitchens or bathrooms!) in 2015. My only complaint is that the controls are all touch screen and the panel developed a… Read more »
I LOVE that you mentioned power outages in your discussions of gas vs. induction stoves! I grew up in rural VT, so it wasn’t uncommon that a snowstorm would take out power for days, and we didn’t have a generator when we were younger (and a lot of generators run off gas anyways, so it’s not the best option regardless). The gas stove meant we could eat! So in that way, they’re a bit more of a need in certain places, and I appreciate the acknowledgement. I’ve lived gas, induction and normal electric stoves, and while 100% I prefer cooking on gas, when we get to the replacement point on our stove, we’ll go back to induction. It was always a close second. You can boil a pot of water SO FAST it’s unreal, and I love that it cools down so quickly. Like, I love gas, but I love Earth more, and that’s a big consideration in the need vs. want argument too. The one thing I found with the pandemic, was we never had enough food storage, so we are saving to get a garage freezer/fridge to allow us to better bulk buy/prep/etc. Less a return of a… Read more »
I’ve only recently been blessed with an induction range, and it’s absolutely life changing. It is the best stove I have ever used. The only downside was that my stovetop waffle maker was retired 🙁 We are on an island in the pacific, so we have a gas grill outside, which I think should cover us for power outages too.
Great overview- 2 of the ”drawbacks” about induction are not true though!
You can likely reuse your pans. If the bottoms of your current pans are still smooth and flat, and if a magnet sticks to it- they will work.
And switching off the gas or the induction hob has the same effect: the source of the heat disappears, but your pan retains heat.
Only thing you need to learn is not to look at / listen to the flame to judge the heat level, but rely on the setting you choose.
What a bunch of weird rich person garbage. You realize most people cannot afford these things therefore they will not be “trends” for hardly anyone. White people are ignorant.
Harsh but I must admit I felt a kind of horror as I read this article. It is so informative, great writing, but seems to frame the possession of luxury goods in a casual, implied-ownership way. Let’s be real: to 90% of the world, including most other high-GDP countries, these are luxuries. Two dishwashers?? gigantic ranges with double ovens?? We cannot continue to live like this. For reference, my home is above the median price range for my city ($1.1 M) and we have 1360 sqft of space, walking distance to a great park and within speaking distance to four neighbor’s houses. I love our house, which is the nicest house I have lived in as an adult (it has TWO bathrooms!). But more than that, I love our neighbors, and our parks, and our ocean, and I love that our community (walkable and lots of parks) allows us to raise our children within a network of friends. I get that this is a design blog, and I love it. But normalizing this level of consumption and greed reads, to me, as kind of icky.
Jasmine-they are definitely luxuries. I am fortunate enough to have many of the appliances mentioned in the post. New build, also 1.1 mil. I don’t have the ocean, but beautiful mountains and lovely neighbors and friends as well. So ick for some is just making different choices with the same amount of money. Our house is about double what a starter home is in our area. I know it’s luxurious. We love our home. I cook dinner from scratch 5 nights a week, take pride in cleaning and gardening, we don’t travel much, we own old cars and no toys. This is how we choose to spend our money. We entertain and cook for friends and invite people to our home. The appliances are well used except for one. I was more surprised by the $150 gel x manicure post. I paint my own nails, my husband trims my hair, I cut my boys hair myself. It’s all choices, and I choose a luxurious home over other luxuries and I recognize my privilege allows me to do so.
An alternative to a 2nd oven is a convection oven/microwave. We have a GE model and use it ALL the time for smaller batch baking, like just a few cookies, or chicken nuggets. And also to be able to bake items simultaneously at different temps. We use it ALL the time. But then it can be a regular microwave when you need it! It’s really been a godsend.
We are remodeling out kitchen now in our smaller home. We dont have a ton of space so we are just doing a gas Range, single full sized dishwasher, and the fridge/ freezer. But we plan to move from this home when we have kids and in my next house I’m thinking of doing gas range, (1) wall over with the speedoven/microwave combo, and an ice machine. maybe a drink fridge depending on the layout. standalone fridge/ freezer seems like a nice luxury, but that would depend on the house/ and how many we have in the house. My MIL had a speed oven and it was great.. But im not a huge fan of double wall ovens- i alsways feel like the top oven i’d never use because I’ll burn my arm on the door when it’s opened. My mom has a double wall oven and it’s clear from use that she uses the bottom the most. I think if i wanted the double oven I would get a range and the one wall over on the lower-side with the speed oven above it or microwave.
a word on the speed oven..we just gutted our kitchen, the old kitchen had double wall ovens and a microwave over the cooktop. With the new kitchen we went with a single wall oven with a speed oven over it. So, it kinda looks like a double oven. Initially we used it mostly as a microwave, but have just experienced it as an oven, and so far, I love it! Needed to thaw some hamburger meat, when I did that in the microwave it always ended up partially cooked as well. With the speed oven, it was thawed perfectly! Next I wanted to reheat leftover chicken casserole….there’s a setting for that too, so it warmed up perfectly. Love it!