Today’s post is all about the appliances we chose for our kitchen. I’ll give you a tour inside each so you can get a sense of their capacity and how functional they are so you can gauge whether or not they are right for you. Or if you aren’t in the market for appliances you’ll get to snoop inside my fridge:) I approached Build with Ferguson for this partnership because I loved working with them in the past, I knew that they carried most of the appliances for the whole house that we wanted, and y’all, their showrooms are absolutely spectacular. They are a one-stop shop for everything you need (and they have way more than just appliances – faucets, lighting, flooring – anything to renovate, remodel, and even a lot of decorative elements). For me, I like my appliances like I like my men – intuitive, easy, nice looking, and high quality enough so they don’t break down. Unlike my men, I like them integrated or panel-ready if possible, or if we are going to see it – then ideally it’s a beautiful feature. We actually prefer less bells and whistles than maybe some other families as our needs are relatively simple. Plus it’s a farmhouse, not an episode of The Bear and so we skipped some of the more techy options there intentionally (which I get into later). I wanted the range to be the star (and it is) and the rest to be hidden but this is all just a personal preference and only you know what is best for your family. We are EXTREMELY happy with all of them thus far, so let’s get into it.
The 48″ Aga Elise Induction Range
Now we shot a whole story for you about how cooking with induction and convection works, along with some learnings so stay tuned on that. More and more research is coming out FAST and hard about gas ranges, with different states enacting more regulations (including Oregon now), so if you are shopping for a range or are going to remodel soon, then induction is great to think about. The long and the short of it is that we love this range very much and are extremely happy with our choice. THANK GOODNESS. I was nervous, not going to lie, and yes, there was a short learning curve on temperature and speed – as was assumed, just like switching to an electric car. But we are so happy with it. Not only is extremely stunning (which is very important to me) but cooking on it has been GREAT and way less of a challenge to learn than I predicted. The quick concerns we had were about capacity and cookware, and neither has proven to be a problem at all. Sure, we had to buy some induction non-stick pans, but all of my former soup pots work on this. Additionally, we had to buy smaller cookie sheets and often use two instead of one for large batches, but we knew that going into it and it’s not annoying at all.
There are three ovens – a convection, a multi-functional (that has a traditional oven as well as convection, defrost, and more), and a broiler drawer. It’s all easy and GREAT. The only thing to call out is that you can’t put a massive turkey in the oven – To test this we fit a 13lb turkey on a 9×13 roasting pan but we haven’t been able to find a larger roasting pan that fits due to the handles that stick out (I’m still on the hunt, btw). So even though you have 16″ of horizontal width, the handles make them too big. More on this later, but essentially for us, this is totally fine as we don’t host Thanksgiving and if we ever decide to (with a ton of people to warrant a massive turkey) we’ll likely buy a countertop electric turkey roaster. You can fit everything else:) We love that this has multiple ovens and we use two at a time very frequently (double ovens FTW). It’s just so gorgeous, the top is so easy to clean and after a day of trying out every single feature (and even testing the speed of water boiling) we are so excited that they all work really easily. We bought the brass knobs separately, FYI. After doing so much research I’m happy to report that this 48″ induction range is the most beautiful on the American market right now and it works wonderfully. I will say that it can use a better “guide to cooking” rather than just a user’s manual, which is what my next post will hopefully help serve as…
Faber Inca Pro Plus 42 Inch Wide Insert Range Hood
This was a last-minute purchase because we kinda forgot about the hood. Induction will do that to you:) Technically you still need one by code, but there are no gas fumes which is nice. I burn things a lot (not more on induction – I just historically burn things and need to use a hood to stop the fire alarm). This one is good – we opted against anything splurgy honestly because you can’t see it and it’s not something we felt was super important to us, therefore a place to save. FYI you can go slightly smaller than your range when it comes to your hood (our range is 48″, the hood is 42″ insert and the build-out of the hood looks the same as the range).
30″ Refrigerator and 24″ Freezer Bluestar Panel-Ready Columns
This is our first foray into the columns versus the fridge on top and freezer on the bottom and we are very happy. Stylistically the side-by-side is simple and pretty, with less lines (almost looks like a piece of furniture). We wanted more capacity than we had before because we, like everyone, leaned into staying home more (even post covid) and we cook every meal with a ton of fresh produce. Both have ample capacity for our family of four. The fridge has almost 17 square feet of capacity, btw if that’s helpful to you.
We talked through it a lot and decided that for us, any bigger of a fridge would mean that things just get lost and then mold/go bad unless we are very, very on top of it – which we aren’t. We live very close to many grocery stores and really thought about how often we’d shop (one big shop on Sunday mornings – and a second shop for randoms mid-week). So we don’t need to hoard for two weeks and if we did it would just go bad (because of the size of our family). The natural reaction after covid is to go bigger and hoard more, but I’m telling you that for us we ended up buying more food at once, then it go bad or we couldn’t find it, so we’d buy more, waste what we had and then feel so bad about it. So the 30″ column is perfect for us. Whereas a larger capacity freezer means you can freezer hoard – and freezer goods obviously have a much longer shelf-life. Our 24″ freezer column has so much capacity which is such a good thing (cut to many a night where I make a big soup that no kid in the world would eat and the kids get some sort of chicken strips, pizza, fish sticks). We love a big freezer 🙂
In the fridge, you can adjust the shelves to fit your needs – we made the top one lower to make room for bottles of white wine. We obviously styled it out (you know, the “orange drawer”) trying to show you scale with products in a neat way that gave you a sense of its space. But they are all around 8″ deep which allows for one thick layer of produce or dairy – a block of cheese for scale.
The freezer has so much space – we can’t seem to fill it, or maybe we go through it so quickly with our fish stick/carrot stick menu…
I actually wish I had put in a 2-gallon jug of milk so you get a better sense of scale – it’s a LOT of space.
That berry basket of tomatoes is actually really large:) All in all, we are very happy with them and of course, you know they come panel ready like ours (which look like cabinets), but also BlueStar has over 1000+ different colors as well as stainless steel. I’m currently convincing my brother to buy BlueStar and he’s into it. We got these straight from BlueStar in exchange for services because the columns were new to the market, but Build also carries a ton of BlueStar appliances that you can check out here. I’m truly such a fan now.
Our 24″ Marvel Fridge Drawers
The emergence of the drawer fridges is one that I fully support – gone are the days of the garage fridges. Is this a necessity? Nope. Does it get used all day every day – YES. And “amount of usage” is what I am placing value on these days to help me make decisions. Technically you don’t NEED hardly anything to live, and there is a level of convenience that for better or worse we love in this country and this convenience can enhance our day-to-day experience in our home. So we really tried to be as responsible as possible (not perfect, y’all we are not perfect) and gauge how much we will actually USE something before committing to it.
On that note, we use these drawer fridges a lot. These are for drinks, mixers, and kids’ fruit/snacks. We forewent the wine fridge because they usually don’t get as cold as we like them (because white wine isn’t supposed to be ice cold, we know, we know but I’d like a word with the wine fridge industry) so we have some white wine in here, too (lying down). But between beer, sparkling waters, and even some weeknight non-alcoholic “cocktails” these drawers are full.
These are solid additions if you are remodeling and you entertain a lot (or like us, work from home).
Our 15″ Pebble Ice Machine
The VIP of drink appliances IMHO. It’s a very old joke amongst my team (and family) that I love very, very, very cold water. Another appliance that gets so much use and makes every drink feel more fun. We have this exact model at the mountain house and love it so much, so we repeated it in this kitchen, too.
Our 24″ Integrated Viking Dishwasher
To the left of the sink (a much-heated debate on location), we have our integrated panel-ready dishwasher that cleans like a dream.
As you can see we have a pull-out flatware drawer which we haven’t had before and really love it. They all stack so nicely and neatly (see below). We usually don’t have that much flatware so the left side is for cooking utensils.
As you can see it has a row for wine glasses (which we don’t really use because I’m the only one that has wine, so just one glass) and but I wanted to show you the function. Without the wine glass leaning you have an additional row for glasses.
All in all, we have ZERO negative things to say about this dishwasher. We use the “normal wash” every day which does the trick and the kids can easily load and unload. It has a lot of other features, but we usually hand wash our pots and pans so we don’t need it.
Every. Single. One. of these appliances is GREAT and while it’s not like I’ve tested every dishwasher on the market, we are genuinely happy with all of them. The ones that you can see shine (the range) the ones that just need to function do so perfectly for our needs.
A huge thanks to Build with Ferguson for partnering on this kitchen. We have loved working with them over the years and pitched them this partnership specifically with these appliances in mind. We did a trade for PR, photography, and social media services but I’ve done this a long time and know what brands and products I want to put my name behind. These are them. xx
Thanks for supporting the partnerships that allow us to document our projects so thoroughly. I hope you gleaned some valuable information. Head to stories to see more!
Kitchen Resources:
Cabinetry: Unique Kitchens & Baths
Countertops: Bedrosians Tile & Stone
White Oak Windows and Doors: Sierra Pacific Windows
Skylights: Velux
Tile: Pratt + Larson
Appliances (sans Fridge and Freezer): Build with Ferguson
Fridge and Freezer: BlueStar
Flooring: Zena Forest Products(Oregon grown and milled)
Lighting, Switches, Outlets, and Sink: Rejuvenation
Wall Color: Sherwin Williams, “Extra White”
Faucets: deVOL Kitchens
Vintage Island: Aurora Mills
Counter Stools: Fernweh Woodworking
Rug: District Loom
Brass Gallery Rods: Pepe and Carols
*Design by Emily Henderson and ARCIFORM
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
so lovely
……but best not to keep tomatoes in the fridge as so much more delicious when eaten at room temp 🙂
Haha I came here to say the same thing! I love all the appliances and was so freaked by tomatoes in the fridge!
Love it. Where did you source the brass knobs for the range?
The AGA site says to call contact your dealer: https://agarangeusa.com/elise/ranges/product/aga-elise-48
Turkey tip, if you ever do host thanksgiving… Skip the turkey roaster and get yourself a SMOKER. Best turkey of your life AND you get to use the leftover carcass to make endless amounts of smokey turkey broth which will take your souping to the next level 🤗
I had that thought too! I haven’t had a roasted Turkey in years. Plus smoked Turkey (or chicken!) stock is such a game changer for soup
We just use our Webber grill. Works great!
And just to suggest an option that doesn’t require a separate appliance, Greenberg makes delicious smoked turkeys and ships year round. Not the cheapest, but tasty and easy (and the best website name): https://gobblegobble.com/view/home
Every Southern household worth their salt has a smoker. Smoked anything is delicious! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Hi Emily! Thought you’d appreciate knowing that we are switching to induction because of your post on it last year. We are several months behind you in our whole-house renovation and your blog post came at exactly the right time for us. You hadn’t decided on an exact range at the time, but funnily enough we also went with the 48” Aga Elise (though all stainless). Looking forward to your post on how to cook on it — hopefully it comes within the next four weeks before we move into our new house 😉 Hope others here who are looking into a new range also make the switch over — once you look at the research you learn how truly bad they are for our health and our planet. Thanks Emily!
I had just purchased an induction stove to replace my broken but fixable gas stove when I really looked into the radiation they emit. I cancelled the purchase and am in a state of limbo, not quite knowing the right thing to do. I have an air quality monitor which tracks the emissions from the gas stove and it’s not too bad but I still worry about it. Worrying even more about the radiation and EMFs the induction emits is enough to send me over the edge. What’s your stance on that? I read kids shouldn’t be near the induction at all and I love to cook with my kids. Wah Wah. Can’t win!
I hadn’t heard this. We are a month into using our new induction stove. I’m off to do some reading. Thanks!
For Emily and team: never encountered this on your blog before as it’s hardly the place, but this reply above is dangerous conspiracy pseudoscience (akin to vaccine skepticism) and should be taken down
Julia, the things you’re saying about EMF are false. No reputable source agrees with this. Media literacy is critical! You can absolutely win – fossil fuels are responsible for the climate emergency staring us and our kids square in the eye, and electricity can be made by sun and wind. We have been cooking with our kids, using an induction stove, for 8 years. Europeans have used induction technology for a long time. I am begging anyone else worried about what you posted to rely on internet sources with a critical eye and consider the source of what you’re reading! Total, utter hogwash.
Karen, if what Julia posted was remotely accurate, you would have heard about it. It is not. You can go down a rabbit hole on this but it’s the same type of folks who embrace all kinds of nonsense conspiracy stuff and style it as wellness or safety concerns.
I am definitely not saying it’s true that the EMFs the induction stoves emit are or aren’t dangerous, just that I don’t know. Nobody has more vaccines than me. I would just hate to replace a $5000 stove with another $5000 stove that isn’t much safer for my kids. I have no passion about it either way, I just didn’t want to make the switch and find out the radiation they emit is dangerous after all. Of course I know the fossil fuels are dangerous. You’re taking what I wrote way out there. We do a lot of testing of EMF emissions near high tension power lines and those are absolutely dangerous. I just don’t want to make a big switch like that unless I’m sure and I can’t find any good information about it, as there haven’t been many studies about this particular kind of cooking method. You need to chill.
I keep reading they are non ionizing and not harmful to bodies but just to be safe you should stand 12” away. Why would that be? I am just confused. It’s not like I’m a stupid person who can’t discern media, I have every booster that has ever been offered and my kids are fully vaccinated against everything. Don’t make me out to be crazy because the internet is full of contradictory information that makes me not want to spend $5000 when I’m not sure. You could instead post a link to what you consider a reputable source and help me instead of being cruel. Makes me see how the unvaccinated nuts must feel a little bit— maybe we really are mean. You definitely are.
Julia,
I found this article to be comprehensive, well-cited, and very helpful:
https://therationalkitchen.com/induction-cooking-safe/
Yes!! Thank you. I have read that one and agree it is well written and well done. I wish someone I trusted would just come out and say “yes, this is safe” or “no it is not safe.” For all I know, the anti induction articles are just the fossil fuel industry telling us to keep our gas stoves. The fact that I was not sure and asked a question and then was painted as ann Alex Jones-listening, Tucker Carlson-watching idiot was upsetting, but hey. The internet is a cruel place. Thanks, again, for the article. 🙂
Julia,
What I liked about that article was that the author included lots of links to studies that you can go read thoroughly. So you can decide for yourself whether the study proves what the author says it proves.
If induction stoves still give you anxiety, just don’t get one. You can always get a regular electric stove for a few years and wait for more studies.
Do you own a microwave??
ELECTRIC EVERYTHING FROM SUSTAINABLE POWER PRODUCTION.
This backs Emily’s choice:
THE GLOBAL COOKSAFE COALITION
“A coalition of chefs, doctors, climate scientists and real estate developers have joined forces to push back against the gas industry’s marketing, with the aim of removing gas from kitchens worldwide.
Campaigners say in addition to heating the climate, gas stoves contribute to asthma and other health conditions.
And that coalition thinks that if they can rid kitchens of gas, they’ll rid homes of the fossil fuel altogether.
The Global Cooksafe Coalition is being launched in Sydney today and announcing partnerships with developers Lendlease and GPT, who have agreed to stop putting any gas in new buildings by 2030 and to retrofit existing buildings by 2040.
“Our view is that the future is all electric, whether it’s electric vehicles, whether it’s cooking, whether it’s space heating,” said Davina Rooney, chief executive of the Green Building Council, and one of the founders of the GLOBAL COOKSAFE COALITION.”
I 100% do not want to sound like a bitch and, Emily, please know that is NOT my intention, but didn’t she put in a gas fireplace? And if she has forced air heat I would bet her furnace is gas. Of course getting rid of gas is good but the stove is just one piece of the puzzle which is another thing keeping me from switching. It’s complicated, and to act like it isn’t is strange to me. But you do you and if painting me as a lunatic helps you sleep at night, so be it. 👍🏼
She got heat pumps. She’s already written about it.
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/what-the-actual-heck-is-happening-at-the-farm
You are starting to come across as a troll…
Beautiful! I’m excited to learn more about induction in general!
Do you happen to know where your floral black/white shirt is from in the picture of you reaching into the freezer? (Sorry to be that person but it’s so pretty 🙂
Seconding!
It is the Song Top in Navy Shadow from The Great. https://www.garmentory.com/sale/3102-the-great/tops-blouses/716013-song-top. Found one here for resale: https://poshmark.com/listing/THE-GREAT-Blue-Pink-Micro-Floral-Print-Puff-Sleeve-Swing-Top-Blouse-Size-1-636878a1fed51fe860630e9c.
A 2-gallon jug of milk ? Where does one buy one that big? When my boy (now 23 and 19) were home full time I used to go through 3 gallons a week (lots and lots and lots of cereal (1-2 regular size does a day) along with 16 oz glasses at meals), and I would have loved to have a 2 gallon container!
That would be way too heavy for me to deal with.
How does that even fit in a fridge! Milk is sold in 0.5 gallon cartons in Ireland (2ltrs to us). I’m both flabbergasted and intrigued at how big a 2 gallon jug must be. I’d love to see a photo if any reader has one?
In Australia, we have 1, 2 and 4 litre containers of milk.
Similar to the US sizes of quart, 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon sizes
So out of touch. Easy to sing the praises of premium equipment when it’s all for free, isn’t it? At this point I think you’re just building up jealousy or envy at best within a lot of readers.
We all have to remember our words can hurt. Emily shares a lot of helpful information at no cost to us. She’s earned her money with hard work. And she’s kind. We should return the favor and be kind too. If this content is something you don’t want to read then go somewhere else on the internet.
At their income level, this would likely be similar to what they would buy even if full price. So, you’re just bitter because they’re wealthier than you are? Someone else having nice things is not your problem, don’t make it your problem by being bitter about it.
Nah I’m bitter because she’s got a gigantic carbon footprint, she’s trying to engage her readers into having one too to fuel her shopping addiction, and then acts as if she wereconcerned about the earth.
That’s interesting that you claim your concern is carbon footprint, yet your initial comment said ZERO about carbon or environment. It’s only once you get pushback on what you actually said that you manufacture the carbon footprint concern…
Your post screams you are green with envy, Lauraline. Pretty sure it wasn’t all “free”. Not even close. If she can use her work, to help offset some of the cost, the so be it. I’m sure you would do the same thing if in her shoes. Probably time for you to move on from this blog.
I live in a tiny 850 sq. ft. home. I’m starting on my first ever, big home renovation. Scared to death as a single gal, but giddy with anticipation. A complete gut job to my tiny kitchen. I’m not jealous at all of her expensive, fancy appliances, or house. And fancy doesn’t make any sense for my neighborhood of “starter” homes. But I can take ideas from her renovation, that might make sense for my home. But in a less expensive way. My renovation will look more like the blog Yellow Brick Home’s kitchen. Down to moving the water heater, and furnace, to gain about 18 square feet. But I have also gained a lot of insight into renovations in general from this blog. It’s all about perspective.
Good for you if her posts help you! I used to really like her first blog, Brass Petal, which is probably why I keep returning here, only to slap my forehead. I do believe she really needs to step back big time and have a look on how much she is over-consuming and how much she tries to have other people over-consume too (yes we have a choice etc, only that’s how she earns money so it seems to work pretty well). The hypocrisy is what annoys me the most. We need to reach a carbon footprint of 2 tons by 2030, mine is 6 or 7 tons (average french person is 10) and judging by her lifestyle (plane several times a month, endless shopping, endless replacing, electronic everything, large car) she must be 30 tons at least. Actively contributing to harming the planet she wants us to believe she cares about.
If climate limits are your main source of frustration, it might make more sense to address these directly instead of your previous “it must be nice”/ jealousy type post? It seems likely that noone at EHD really understands climate change projections, and that might contribute to environmentalism being an occasional nod than an actual perspective. (A more cynical take would be that the team understands but can’t wean themselves. The optimist in me wants to believe the former…)
Her concern about the environmental impact of a gas range seems awfully hypocritical considering she put in a gas fireplace.
Also, pretty sure that whatever we do on an individual level will never be enough. Huge corporations that run this world need to step up to truly impact the climate crisis. As well as legislation, meaningful systemic change etc. People will drive themselves crazy over this stuff when in the grand scheme of things, it’s honestly a blip in comparison to the impact these ginormous conglomerates could make if they gave a crap. I think she’s being a conscious consumer while also living in a capitalist society that requires us to work to make money (in Emily’s case, to keep her company going and provide her employees with an income.) I see so many fashion influencers shilling thing after thing after thing, and yes, it hurts my soul, but I also get why they do it. Also, I just choose not to participate i.e. just because Emily recommends things doesn’t mean we all automatically have to go out and buy/do it. I think Emily and her team have done a good job of trying to work with companies that do care about the environment and offering those perspectives.
I hear what you say, but I beg to disagree. Emily is first and foremost an influencer and of course she tries to influence her readers into purchasing stuff. Otherwise she wouldn’t be getting those maxi deals with companies! And what we can do on our own level is not a blip (though I do agree companies and governments absolutely bear a large responsability). We vote with our credit cards! I suggest you read from French blogger Bon Pote – he’s a former banker who now is dedicated to raising awareness about the climate crisis, with lots of scientific articles.
Yes, influence is so important! What one person does can’t turn around the climate, but no change will happen until individuals start to coalesce into movements and make the change happen at societal levels.
Kasia, to add a little note: your argument is what Bon Pote calls “whataboutism” : why should I do something, this person or that company having a much larger footprint than me? A typical example in France is “but look at Americans (or China as a whole), they pollute a lot more than us reasonable French people, so why should we do anything to curb our polluting when they don’t ?”
Agreed! And re-reading my response, yes it did come off that way my apologies! I guess I’m in a defeatist mindset lately when I read that though I consciously recycle, I recently read how basically only a tiny percentage of the things we recycle actually get recycled. Just seems pointless in a way (I know it’s not, and every little bit does help) but the large-scale solutions we need just aren’t happening. Agree we vote with our credit cards and I’m privileged enough to make those decisions about being selective about where and what I buy, doing things like composting and buying secondhand as often as possible (currently refinishing a dresser because I couldn’t bring myself to buy one net new when I knew that I can find an old one and fix it up.) But back to this blog, maybe as a suggestion of additional positive steps, a partnership with some sort of climate initiative/non-profit? I personally have noticed a shift in the blog’s narrative when it comes to sustainability/environment etc. Years ago, this wasn’t even mentioned, and now it’s def something that is considered and discussed. We can take issue with the influencer industry as a whole but… Read more »
Emily has been doing this a long time. She used all Maytag appliances in her first kitchen. Here’s a link: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/our-new-kitchen-reveal-plus-we-cook-now
She pays all of her staff salaries and has insurance, liability, operational costs, etc. – not free. And partnerships do not always mean free goods, sometimes just discounted in exchange for promo.
If it’s not for you, move on. There is a whole internet to explore.
And yet, in the context of voicing jealousy and envy, you’re one of one.
Out of touch in what way? Are you suggesting that none of Emily’s readers purchase or aspire to purchase preimium appliances? Would you have her endorse less expensive products that she neither uses nor perhaps can speak honestly about? Premium appliances often are on sale and many of them long outlast more cheaply made alternatives, so the financial difference is a bit of a wash.
Question about your beautiful paneled fridge coming from someone who has a regular Samsung stainless steel one: are the evaporative coils in the front? I’m curious because when we vacuum ours (we got much better about keeping up with maintenance for our appliances during the pandemic when our fridge and oven both died), we have to roll it forward away from the wall since the coils are in the back. We also then vacuum dust and crumbs that somehow have accumulated on the floor beneath the fridge and in the corners. One day I would love to splurge and redo the space and have always wondered about the “fancier” custom-paneled refrigerators. Your kitchen is gorgeous, btw!
Great question, Jennifer. You are smart to clean your coils regularly to extend the life of your refrigerator. The installation manual states that any custom toe kick installed must be removable for service and condenser cleaning.
You are amazinggggg!
Great post, Emily! We put a GE induction in our last remodel and I loved it so much we are using induction again (except also going for a *star* of the kitchen in a CornuFe). Induction is actually really fun to cooke on!
What I wanted to comment on was your fridge – I couldn’t do columns because the OCD in me couldn’t stand the asymmetry in the width difference of the freezer/fridge. We opted for a French door SubZero and I am so sad we didn’t go with BlueStar because the wait times are ridiculous. I ordered (and paid for) it in April knowing it would be 7-8 months, but now it’s backordered until 2023 (they didn’t say January or December 2023, which is a big difference). We’re going to have this beautiful kitchen with an old fridge for months and, for the price, I think that’s ridiculous. And I love fridge drawers but was worried we’d forget what foods were in the drawers vs the fridge and the stuff would go bad. Kitchens truly are “what works for your family.”
So true! You don’t sell a house with a car already in the garage, so I always wonder why builders think they can decide on the kitchen appliances. They’re equally personal.
In Australia, you have to sell a home with s stove. Even a crappy one.
Because builders know that some people are happy with something that is “good enough” and ready-to-use the minute they open the door fir the first time.
This is a gentle encouragement to avoid using medical terminology to describe normal preferences for symmetry, organization, etc. OCD is, by definition, a condition that significantly disrupts one’s life, and it can be hurtful to trivialize OCD by using the term to describe non-disordered behavior and thoughts.
I agree.👍
It’s like people saying they have PTSD from trying to fold a fitted sheet.
Disrespectful of those who actually suffer whatever the medically diagnosed condition is.
My apologies, L. You are right. I should’ve worded that differently. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the in-depth review. As far as Blue Star, we bought a beautiful (and very expensive) range from them because we were assured of it’s reliability. Supposedly the lack of electronics made it less likely to break. Well, we had igniter issues three times that their certified repair person charged $600 to repair each time. The third time I gave up. I jettisoned the $$$ 4-year-old range.
I’m really sorry to hear that happened to you, Kara! We bought the top of the line Samsung induction range and it has broken completely four times in three years. If it weren’t for the extended warranty I bought on a whim we would be in dire straights. That sounds terrible and I sympathize. My lesson was expensive doesn’t mean less prone to malfunction.
Three big questions: would you consider doing a post on the best induction cookware? I have an induction range and am thoroughly disappointed by the conductivity/quality of the All Clad set I bought, which was shocking. How is the distance from the fridge to the range working: Do you mind it? Last, do you ever use or have a microwave and if so which kind? Thanks for this informative and interesting post. Your appliance choices are all as stylish as they are functional and inspiring (we went for a traditional fridge over a panel front during our recent remodel bc hubby insisted on the extra cu ft and boy do I regret it, sigh).
I would also love a post on induction cookware! Cast iron and carbon steel are obvious winners, but it can be tricky to know whether a stainless steel or other “induction ready” pan will work well. I’d also be interested in information about the best way to select plans based on the size of induction burners. I recently replaced my gas range with a GE Profile induction range – loving it so far!
That is shocking that the all clad pans didn’t live up to your expectations! Curious what exactly you didn’t like about them?
Would also love to see a pan review and am really interested in the ‘cooking guide’!
Hi Stacey!
The All Clad set has bottoms that seem not to contain enough conductive metal to heat properly on my induction range. When the repair technician came the first time, he said the pans could be partly to blame for my malfunction because his magnet tester would not stick to them, meaning they were bad for the stove top (though I’m not entirely clear why). They were marketed for induction, and were meant to be the right diameter for my elements. I have cast iron pots and other pans that heat much much better. Other than that, I’m at a loss.
I’ve had induction for 4 years and our favorite cooking pans are all cast iron. I’m a Smithey devotee (made in the USA and DREAMY quality). The french brands like Le Creuset also work well. Our new All Clad is fine on the induction, but the older pieces struggle. Also, your pans should be close to the size of the burner to work well. A tiny pan on a giant burner won’t work very well. Same for giant pan on a tiny burner. We adore our induction!
My appliance salesman told me all mcrowaves are built by Sharp but maybe he meant the technology as they seem to vary in build quality. I over-bought on a Wolf as I really wanted a drawer integrated into my island. I love it but microwaves fail sooner than other appliances so it’s probably savvier to not spend a lot of money or build it in!
I’m a big fan of my Anolon Accolade pans. I have a gas range so that’s what I usually use them on, but I used them for several months on an induction cooktop while my kitchen was renovated and they worked like a champ on that as well.
Interesting. My All-Clad works great. Wonder if it’s a style difference?
Emily, you say the fridge is “17 sq ft” — should that be 17 _cubic_ ft.? Usually fridge sizes are in cubic feet, and sqtfeet would refer to the size of the footprint. Beautiful, beautiful kitchen!
Awesome appliance overview… But I can tell you only cook Western-style food from the range hood recommendations 😉 For max suction power you actually want to size up, ie have the hood build-out 6″ wider than the range in size. And at least 800 cfm if you do serious stir-frying or curries and don’t want the entire house to smell like spices/oil forever. I have a small kitchen with a 30” range, so my architects only designed for a 30” range hood but I wish I had caught it in time to properly upsize.
I am quite curious about how well induction works for flat-bottomed woks though, if you happen to have one to test out for the next post! Does the heat manage to make it somewhat up the sides still? My range is dual-fuel with the classic gas cooktop but even setting aside environmental considerations, man I would love a flat cleaning surface for all the splattered grease.
Kenji Lopez Alt has written about this for his wok book. He says induction is not great for heating the sides. You could get an outdoor wok burner, but the practicality of that really depends on your climate. Here are the ones he recommends.
https://www.seriouseats.com/outdoor-wok-burner-review
You can get really good electric, plug-in woks.
we got an induction stove a few years ago. One of the reasons I wanted induction is because I have a kid with a cognitive disability who likes to cook occasionally. I think an induction is much safer for him to use independently because you can’t accidentally turn on the wrong burner etc. We are currently renovating an old (1905) house with a gas line to the kitchen and I will still choose induction.
Hi Judy – my special needs child is 16 (going on about 6-8 really) but this is a great think ahead idea. While he doesn’t display any interest in cooking now, in the future that might change and I’ll keep this in mind.
We first switched to induction 8 years ago when our twins were 4 to make everything about the kitchen safer – no need to worry about long hair or sleeves in flames, accidentally leaving a burner on or worse just gas, etc. Not to mention the indoor air quality is much improved which is better for all of us. Moved a few years ago and capped the gas line and got another induction. We love it. Love that you can feel safer about it for your kiddo too.
And I picked induction for my 80yo mom who lives alone and has a family history of dementia for the same reason. So much safer than gas.
Emily, this is gorgeous! I love the slate blue backsplash tile and the oak cabinets with gold hardware.
So thrilled to read this post. We too are in the induction range dilemma and your earlier post has helped a lot. Curious what were the final factors in going w the Aga. We’re also looking at 48” in this aesthetic and it’s down to the Ilve and the aga. I’m leaning Ilve simply bc there are windows in the ovens. Do you miss not being able to check in on what you’re baking/cooking?
I’ll confess that I scrolled right down to the nugget ice maker, haha! That is a dream of mine I would love to find the electrical capability to install that baby. I can’t wait to read about the induction range. I’m so curious about it. Random fridge vent addressed at no one except manufacturers: Why do they not put a small ridge around *all* sides of the glass shelves? Have they never had someone (looking at my kids) spill something colored & sticky and have it run off the shelf and down the whole fridge? Or even raw meat liquids. Such a pain! I was about to buy a Thermador because I was taken by the pretty interior but went with a SubZero for this reason.
You can buy the nugget ice maker as a countertop version. That’s what we did, partly because we were comparing with the built in, my husband preferred being able to pull out the ice bin, which is possible with the countertop version but not the built in. We bought the GE, but I think they’ve updated the model since we got it a couple years ago.
and the cost of the countertop versions seems like a bargain compared to this one!
Katie, built in appliances are so much more expensive! We also opted for a countertop multi-oven (microwave, convection, and air fryer in one) as opposed to a built in. The difference is thousands of dollars! For us it works, because we created a cabinet to hide it. Likewise, the ice maker is just inside a small pantry, which works for us. However, we did up splurging on the panel ready refrigerator and dishwasher. The smaller appliances were just not worth the extra money when they fit easily in well designed cabinets that go down to the counter to hide them.
Suzanne: I love that idea! If you see this, can you give me your thoughts on the pros and cons of your GE? Reliable, loud, easy to clean etc… Thank you!
Jeanne, Everyone loves the ice! My nephew just fills a glass of it to eat all the time. The way ours works is we have the extra water reserve tank (I think there are models without this), which we fill with filtered water and that is used to make ice, then the ice is stored in the bin. The new ice is always at the top of the bin, but it’s designed to slowly melt from the bottom, and the water is returned to the reserve to make fresh ice. This happens slowly over time, so the ice doesn’t run out, but we haven’t used it during a party ever. I hope that process makes sense. It cycles on and off, and I think we were able to program it to cycle on at times we’re less likely to be in the kitchen. It does get loud, but we can turn off a cycle if we don’t need fresh ice made right then. We resume the cycle when we are okay with the noise level. In most cases, this coincides with watching TV in an space open to the kitchen. I don’t actually use the ice, so it’s mostly my… Read more »
Oh that fridge! I love how big it is with lots of produce drawers. My small apartment refrigerator is the worst and spoils produce so fast with one small drawer.
I hate to post a negative comment, but can’t help it: “(even post covid)” – why does everyone think the pandemic is over? It isn’t. I’ll leave it at that, but it really bugs me when people say it’s over. Please wear a mask, if only for the immunocompromised (my husband) around you.
Anyway, love your kitchen, and that tile is so beautiful.
Hey!
Might want to read all of the released documents about the origins of this illness as well as the people who made the Fizer medicine and all their thousands of documents to get a full picture of what went on.
Oh, while you’re at it, go and compare excess deaths from the past few years and contrast them against long term averages.
No, you won’t do that will you, you’ll merely appeal to emotions and feelings and use virtue to gain power over others.
Stop telling people how to live their lives.
*Pfizer
@$$hole
What utter rubbish and lies, Alex Jones, sorry I mean “anna”.
Do you have a partnership with Tillamook? So much Tillamook dairy in that fridge! 🙂
I did appreciate the pics of the interior of the fridge … when we had a side-by-side (ages ago), we had to put the pizza boxes in at an angle to make them fit–nice to see that’s not an issue anymore!
Our stove is fairly new, but will definitely be getting an induction next time. I’m curious to see what more standard-size options are. We would definitely need one that could hold a big turkey and regular cookie sheets, but I love the multiple cooking options.
I have Wolf’s 36” induction range and love it (and it fits a standard size cookie sheet)
Hi Pam, would you have a second to say a bit more about the Wolf and how long you’ve had it? I’m torn between Wolf and Bosch for my next one and would love any real life feedback. Thanks!
Hi Allison! I’ve been very happy with Subzero/Wolf appliances and the only reason I have new ones is that I built a home 2 years ago – my old ones are still going strong in my previous home. The company really supports its products. The range has been terrific – no issues whatsoever and I think it’s nice looking too – the classic blue enamel interior of the oven and hidden control panel on front. It is a little difficult to actually see the burners and it can beep annoyingly when a pan is set down randomly, or whine sometimes at low settings. But so far so good!
Allison, I had a Bosch oven in my previous home and moved to a house with a Wolf range, so I have baked with both. I miss the Bosch for baking! (Both ovens are electric). It baked so evenly and I’ve been surprised that Wolf does not. I often find myself turning down the temp of the oven and/or adjusting the height of the baking racks to compensate. Two years in and I still don’t have it quite right. I like the look of the Wolf more, but functionality of Bosch :/
Sarah and Pam, these comments sincerely help. Thanks! I’ve gotta replace my Samsung before the extended warranty expires. After four repair jobs it’s on borrowed time. Personal feedback is the best.
Had to laugh at the Tillamook comment! Tillamook is based in Tillamook, OR, less than 1.5 hours from Portland, so doesn’t seem surprising it would be used in the Henderson house.
It’s very popular here in the Pacific Northwest.
As ubiquitous as other regional brands would be in other places. I actually love seeing it all over Emily’s fridge as it shows her supporting a regional food brand.
Do you even qualify as an Oregonian if you don’t have at least one Tillamook product in your fridge? Thanks for representing local Emily! Love seeing all the local products and businesses you support.
I live in Tennessee and we have Tillamook here…I fell in love with their ice cream and can’t go back to any other now!
Looks great! The IKEA Koncis roaster should fit sideways into the ovens – https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/koncis-roasting-tin-with-grill-rack-stainless-steel-10099053/ (UK link, hopefully it will convert automatically into the US one).
I have this roaster and it’s great!
Question – is the pebble ice maker noisy?
It costs $6,000. I hope for that much money it’s completely silent and shoots out cubes that are basically diamonds.
The countertop one is around $500, I think, which is one of the reasons we opted for it. And to answer A.B.’s question, it is loud when it is running. The countertop one cycles on and off. We sometimes turn off a cycle if we don’t want to hear it.
And this is why I’m buying the GE Profile Opal instead of a built in ice maker. I could NOT justify the cost for built in at my house…but my house is not a $1M house unlike Emily’s. Totally understand why Emily has it, but she should acknowledge that a $6K pebble ice maker might be a little fancy and a bit of a “bells and whistles” purchase.
I can’t imagine spending that much on a range that’s too small for standard cookie sheets or a roasting pan. Wow!
I’m hoping to learn if the heat on the induction cooktops you have been working with is steady? When home last month at my mom’s the induction cooktop would heat up then turn off then heat up, etc. in order to modulate the temperature. It drove me nuts that it wasn’t steady in any way. Is that because she has a cheap one, or because they are all like that?
Hi Cris,
I can’t be completely sure, but I’ve cooked on a Samsung induction and an Electrolux and both gave constant heat without cycling off. Hope this helps!
Allison – thank you! And the comment after your reply, may have held the answer. Charisse mentions a smooth top electric range and perhaps that is what my mother has. I’ll investigate further!
Is the burner hot to the touch when it’s on? If so, it’s not induction. My old induction range, which was a budget model, had very very even heating.
As I understand it Aga ranges are not self cleaning……ugh! The Aga induction ranges stay on all the time. Great in winter but in the south no can do. I hope that we will continue to be given a choice between smooth top electric ranges and induction. Induction costs a whole lot more, and I like certain pots and pans that I do not want to replace in order to use induction. I have a 42 inch wide smooth top electric range, double ovens and I love, love it. The small oven is continuous clean and the larger self cleaning. Super easy to adjust temp, and so easy to clean the top. There is no way I will ever opt to clean an oven with chemicals, or even think about having to clean it by hand. Don’t want to do it, and getting too old to do it.
Swapping out the knobs on your stove 🤯🤯🤯. These are the ideas I come here for, never would have thought of this and could fit in any stove budget! Choosing knob style appropriate to stove of course. Filing this one in my inspiration board.
I must disagree about the hood size. If you are doing a fully integrated one like you have yes, maybe you can go smaller. But if you are doing a standard hood, one size up actually looks best IMO 🙂
All so wonderful! Check out Ikea for a turkey roaster with fold-down handles. I’ve had one for years and it’s held up nicely, even using on the grill. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/koncis-roasting-pan-with-grill-rack-stainless-steel-10099053/
This was such a helpful post. Exactly the kind of content a regular homeowner needs. I so appreciate it.
One thing that caught my eye is the height difference in the stainless trim pieces on the right and left of the range. Notice how the left is like 2 inches off the floor and the right is almost flush with floor? I’m not asking to be mean, I am just genuinely wondering how much “perfection” we can hope for in construction projects. It is actually comforting to see this. Is the floor uneven or the counter or the oven? Or maybe it is due to the trim pieces being different lengths, which would be odd. Why such a discrepancy on each side?
In any case, super helpful and comforting all around.
You have a good eye! It’s really important cooking-wise to get a smoothtop perfectly level. And important visually that the adjacent countertops line up exactly too. It can be tricky even with good trades people.
And you can see in that first photo that the range is higher in the back – at least on the closest (right) side. You’ll really notice it once you start frying an egg!
Kris J, I had to go back and examine the photo, but I see it, but it only looks like about a half inch difference to me. It looks like the top is slightly higher on the left, too. I’m guessing they need to adjust the self-leveling feet a bit. My other guess would be that there could be a slight slant, since it wasn’t a new build. While I think they improved the foundation and worked to get it as level as possible, I think they were still starting with either the 100 year old foundation or the one from the 1960s. Either way, it’s not actually always perfect. But I still think it’s the first, and they need to adjust the feet. It’s something often overlooked.
They call this a lasagna pan. Maybe it could work for roasting?
https://www.all-clad.com/gourmet-accessories-stainless-steel-lasagna-pan-with-lid-12-x-15-x-2-75-inch.html
Can anyone comment on whether there induction stove can be easily scratched or cracked?
I have never had issues with it doing either – when I first got mine, I kept thinking like it was a flat electric range but it *seems* more sturdy than those. I only lived in that house for 3 years after we put in the induction stove but it never scratched or cracked that I remember. I’m getting another one for the current reno I’m doing!
Induction tops usually don’t scratch easily, but they definitely CAN scratch, and I have one or two spots where the bottom of the pan wasn’t exactly smooth and it was dragged. Unless you stand directly over it you can’t see that though. They can definitely crack but I’ve dropped a le Creuset Dutch oven from about three inches up and it was fine.
We had an Electrolux induction range for 7 years with no chipping/scratching issues and now have had a GE Cafe induction range for 4 years with no problems. The cooktops are very durable and easy to keep clean.
Hey Emily (and team!), I’m curious if the source for your plates and bowls is linked somewhere I’m missing! I’m in the market and these look like just what I’m looking for 🙂
They are from Target and are linked in this post: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-essentials-we-needed-at-the-farmhouse-all-from-target
Those are from Target – I think they are linked in another kitchen post.
https://rstyle.me/+fDeTvxrKvvs5HYSIAjPCtA
https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-essentials-we-needed-at-the-farmhouse-all-from-target
I have this set and it’s very cute, but the plates stack weirdly in the cabinet and dishwasher. A small annoyance but would make me rethink this set
I’m not done reading
I’m late to comment
no one will likely see it
BUT
my goodness the fridge/freezer appliances are like -practically SEXY.!?
(okay, maybe just as well no one will likely read this comment ; )
ps. I found myself peeking thru those beautiful & charming vintage windows and I think you might have gone for it and painted the ceiling..? super excited about the pantry reveal : )
pps. I thought of you Em Henderson when I woke up this morning and realized in fact all the curtains and blinds were NOT shut, it was just this darn dark -ggrrrrr… I hope you’ve got as many anti-SAD ‘happy light’ bulbs as possible throughout your home!
PPS. I just got my desktop ‘happy light’ out and on -thanks for the reminder : )