Kitchen Refit - Oven & Fridge Positions

[cheezemonkhai]

30 minutes ago, john999boy said:

At least with a ceramic hob you won't need new pans.

 

Having had to use a mix of electric rings, ceramic, halogen gas and induction through rentals and others I would have gas and I'd have induction but not the others.

Rings are just a bit uneven, ceramic are too slow to heat up and too slow to cold down but better. Halogen seems ok until that time you get a bit of water on the bottom of the pan which ends up trapped whilst heating and the hob glas splits.

 

Gas is lovely for controlability, although ventilation requirements come in. Induction is just as good for control, much faster to boil a pan of water, a pain if you don't have suitable ans, but otherwise great. If we didn't need an open flame to toast breads etc, then I would definately just drop gas.

[KenONeill]

5 hours ago, sneal said:

a built in sensor to detect when a pan is boiling, and reduce the heat accordingly.

And if you want to cook on a rolling boil, say cooking pasta for example?

[@Lee]

6 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

And if you want to cook on a rolling boil, say cooking pasta for example?

I turn ours down to level 8. 

[J.R.]

You can cook tinned food in the tin on an induction hob as long as its not a tiny tin on a large ring although I did exactly that this week with a €10 Aldi clearout single ring induction hob which was intended for use in the garage and as a spare but with the temperature over 40°c in my on site caravan I used it in the cooler sous-sol.

 

In the garage they are great for heating tins of paint and especially furniture restoration wax.

[KenONeill]

9 hours ago, @Lee said:

I turn ours down to level 8. 

And? I said a "rolling boil" partly because I read @sneal description as at least suggesting the auto function enforcing a simmer on you.

[SteveTheElder]

9 hours ago, KenONeill said:

And if you want to cook on a rolling boil, say cooking pasta for example?

Yes, good point. After I posted that comment I started thinking about cooking pasta and similar. Yet more research to do.

 

It’ll probably be a bit like ACC, brilliant most of the time but occasionally I wish I could turn off the ‘A’ bit of it!

[@Lee]

14 hours ago, KenONeill said:

And? I said a "rolling boil" partly because I read @sneal description as at least suggesting the auto function enforcing a simmer on you.

Level 8 of 9 is a rolling boil on hours, Ken.

As someone already mentioned, a lot of induction hobs have sensors built in which detect if the boil is becoming too much or if water flows onto the hob and cutting the power. This is accompanied with a warning beep on ours. (NEFF)

[PetrolDave]

I spec'd an induction hob in my new house after having seen how much more controllable it is compared to a radiant hob - didn't consider gas with all the lobbying going on to stop domestic gas usage in the medium to long term.

 

Yes I've had to donate a few pans to the local charity shop, but a New Year sale deal on a complete set of induction friendly saucepans and frying pans eased the cost considerably (60% off at Clarks Outlet vollage).

[KenONeill]

16 hours ago, @Lee said:

Level 8 of 9 is a rolling boil on hours

And? A rolling boil is rather hotter than a simmer.

[VWD]

On 03/08/2022 at 17:45, cheezemonkhai said:

 

Having had to use a mix of electric rings, ceramic, halogen gas and induction through rentals and others I would have gas and I'd have induction but not the others.

Rings are just a bit uneven, ceramic are too slow to heat up and too slow to cold down but better. Halogen seems ok until that time you get a bit of water on the bottom of the pan which ends up trapped whilst heating and the hob glas splits.

 

Gas is lovely for controlability, although ventilation requirements come in. Induction is just as good for control, much faster to boil a pan of water, a pain if you don't have suitable ans, but otherwise great. If we didn't need an open flame to toast breads etc, then I would definately just drop gas.

looking at cooking from all sides. I'd look at ovens as a heater that needs energy. Electric, once heated, it only needs a short power boost to stay at temperature. Gas on the other hand needs venting . So IMHO electric oven. On the other hand ( and I'm biased on this- Swmbo is a control freak ( in the cooking area)and loves a gas hob where she has  total control of heat on the ring). So for me, the ideal kitchen is Electric oven and gas hob. Which is what we have.

[gumdrop]

My petit wife (the Lioness) said NO wall cupboards, stuff only gets put into them for long term storage because no one can reach them

Kettle and teapot/Coffee are to the left of the sink which is infront of the window so whoever is washing up can watch the flowers, birds

and butterflies Next to that is the worksurface agin' the sink for prep. then the range cooker (dual fuel) more workspace with pan drawers

and a tall cupboard and pullout larder. Huge fridge behind you opposite the cooker.

[SteveTheElder]

On 09/08/2022 at 21:56, gumdrop said:

My petit wife (the Lioness) said NO wall cupboards, stuff only gets put into them for long term storage because no one can reach them

Kettle and teapot/Coffee are to the left of the sink which is infront of the window so whoever is washing up can watch the flowers, birds

and butterflies Next to that is the worksurface agin' the sink for prep. then the range cooker (dual fuel) more workspace with pan drawers

and a tall cupboard and pullout larder. Huge fridge behind you opposite the cooker.

Sounds good.

Snag is, it also sounds like your kitchen is about three times the size of ours! You may have seen in an earlier post I mentioned I'm well over 6' tall; every day my [ageing] back screams - "MORE wall cupboards please" 😂

[gumdrop]

1 hour ago, sneal said:

Sounds good.

Snag is, it also sounds like your kitchen is about three times the size of ours! You may have seen in an earlier post I mentioned I'm well over 6' tall; every day my [ageing] back screams - "MORE wall cupboards please" 😂

I'm over 6' and don't miss  wall cupboards in the slightest the kitchen is not particularly big at 424 CM long and 231 CM wide.

What I really like is the lack of wall clutter makes the kitchen look bigger and very light and airy. Try the kitchen without first, you can always add some later!!

 

[SteveTheElder]

7 hours ago, gumdrop said:

What I really like is the lack of wall clutter makes the kitchen look bigger and very light and airy. Try the kitchen without first, you can always add some later!!

That’s an interesting thought, I’ll create a design-visualisation to get a feel for it. 
Though I fear that my painful back won’t be any better in 10 years time, and my knees will join in the ‘fun’ ☹️ Which, I guess is where the “add some later” bit comes in.
 

I don’t like this getting old malarkey, but I like the alternative even less! 😉

[VWD]

On 09/08/2022 at 21:56, gumdrop said:

My petit wife (the Lioness) said NO wall cupboards, stuff only gets put into them for long term storage because no one can reach them

Kettle and teapot/Coffee are to the left of the sink which is infront of the window so whoever is washing up can watch the flowers, birds

and butterflies Next to that is the worksurface agin' the sink for prep. then the range cooker (dual fuel) more workspace with pan drawers

and a tall cupboard and pullout larder. Huge fridge behind you opposite the cooker.

My petite wife ( an imperial 5ft version) suggests that kitchens should be offered in sizes to suit the common user. e.g. Worktop heights. And lower cupboards used for common storage should be sited so that they can use them without the need for steps etc. Upper cupboards can be higher for seldom used stuff, as steps are available. She suggests that perhaps we need more female kitchen designers who know what a woman wants.

[cheezemonkhai]

16 hours ago, VWD said:

My petite wife ( an imperial 5ft version) suggests that kitchens should be offered in sizes to suit the common user. e.g. Worktop heights. And lower cupboards used for common storage should be sited so that they can use them without the need for steps etc. Upper cupboards can be higher for seldom used stuff, as steps are available. She suggests that perhaps we need more female kitchen designers who know what a woman wants.

So the kitchen is a woman’s domain? 

That’s just not the case and hasn’t been for decades.

I’d like our kitchen better designed for taller people so I’m not bent over to chop. Ideally you’d have a height adjustable island/work surface area so it has about 1ft from low to high so both can use it comfortably.

Edited 25 August, 2022 by cheezemonkhai

[SteveTheElder]

10 hours ago, cheezemonkhai said:

So the kitchen is a woman’s domain? 

That’s just not the case and hasn’t been for decades.

I’d like our kitchen better designed for taller people so I’m not bent over to chop. Ideally you’d have a height adjustable island/work surface area so it has about 1ft from low to high so both can use it comfortably.

Couldn’t agree more!

And why are sinks always set into an already too low worktop? If I have a lot of washing up to do I put a bowl and the draining board to save my back.

[VWD]

Two arguments on that one. If we males ( of larger stature ) insist on having a kitchen of a height to suit us, and expect wive to use kitchen as normal. then todays woman could be well expected to walk into our den/workshop /etc and demand that we let them design our dens? From over 50 years of experience I know it's better to get a kitchen that keeps her happy. I cook, occasionally, but I'm a guest in her domain, as she would be in my den. I have my den to retreat to , as she has her kitchen. Then again if the kitchen sink is a height that suits us males better, then she'd in her right to demand that we males clean up to her standards, and even after 50 years, I struggle to meet hers. So think on, before you look for the ideal. I'm quite happy ( and I talk from 50+ wonderful years of mixed marriage- she's English, I'm Scots) to leave the kitchen to her and enjoy what she cooks.

[cheezemonkhai]

Personal post….

 

The 1970s calls and would like their stereotypes back!

 

Man space, woman space it just isn’t a thing any more. Whilst your wife might think it’s her kitchen, if companies put lots of women in kitchen showrooms because “it’s a woman’s space”, you’d have many women (and men) quite rightly kicking off. 

Edited 26 August, 2022 by cheezemonkhai

[PetrolDave]

The simple truth is that the average man is taller than the average woman, so there is no one worktop height that avoids back pain or stretching for both genders.

 

To illustrate both cases:

- my brother fitted his kitchen with the worktops higher than average which avoids him getting back pain, but means my sister-in-law (who still uses the kitchen most) can't reach the back of the worktops.

- the builder fitted my kitchen worktops at 'normal' height so I get back pain but my best friend (female) is perfectly happy when we share cooking duties.

 

It's not about PC or equality, IMHO kitchens should be offrered with two worktop height options which each household can choose depending on the height of the person who is the main cook.

[cheezemonkhai]

As I said previously the height adjustable island/worktop isn’t hard.

 

The fact different worktop heights are needed isn’t sexist.

 

The opinion that the kitchen is a woman’s area is completely out of touch though.

[PetrolDave]

30 minutes ago, cheezemonkhai said:

The opinion that the kitchen is a woman’s area is completely out of touch though.

I have to say it depends on the occupiers, in some households men do most of the cooking and in other women do most of the cooking - if someones only experience is households where women do most of the cooking then that will be their only experience and hence likely to be their opinion.

 

Not my opinion, but I can understand others thinking that way...

[VWD]

Kitchen, it's almost a marmite area, as some women ( as in my case) claim it as their domain. I can cook, but that's mainly for myself to save her the problem. But apart from the traditional xmas dinner with usually son & partner ( as she's from over the pond and loves a family, or as near as it can get Xmas) and single son , I seldom get involved in the kitchen. So as far as both of us are concerned ,it's a room where she dictates what goes where and she wishes that there were more women involved in kitchen design, who understand the importance of storage needs vs appliance positions.

Most things in life are a compromise. Likewise to our mindset, is a kitchen. Most domestic cooking has little effect on worktop heights, till the subject of cakes/decoration etc is involved.

Then there is the idea amongst some kitchen designers that fitted ovens should be mounted at floor level, under the hob. I politely tell those of that mind set to close the front door on their way out. In a kitchen with kids/grand/or even great grand kids, the last place you need a hot oven is at floor level.

[BTL1904]

I suppose the choice is up to you, but there are some issues that you should be aware of. First of all, you will have your steam oven door opening and closing all the time, so you need to be careful not to burn yourself when reaching into the oven. Secondly, if you need some access to the back of the oven and the fridge (such as to clean or replace the filters or light bulbs), you will need to move and remove both the oven and the fridge. If you decide to do it, you will also have to decide whether you want the refrigerator to be on the left or right, and you also need to remember to leave enough space for the doors to open. The design of your kitchen will be affected by the size of your kitchen, so you need to make sure that you leave enough space for the refrigerator. Good luck!