Advice from Other Experts:

High-End Appliance Shopping

By Tim Murray

As you venture into the hypothetical sea of appliance stores and salespersons in search of your dream kitchen, which will aesthetically please your family and guests as well as perform to your sense of taste, keep the following points in mind. Just as in shopping for a car, appliances come in many different sizes, shapes, and models. During your shopping process, take a moment to absorb what you have learned and prioritize what features are most important. Is performance an issue? The amount of sound a product emits? Does it boast a state-of-the-art design? Prioritizing makes it easier for you to decide which product to choose based on YOUR needs. Attempt to strike a balance between form and function.

Ovens

Some ovens feature meat probes that will measure the temperature of the meat and automatically shut off the oven and notify you when your perfectly cooked poultry, beef, or lamb is ready. Many ovens now give you the ability to cook with either thermal or convection heat. Thermal heat is produced by an element, and no matter where the heat element is situated, the hottest area of the oven is at the top and the coolest is at the bottom. A convection oven conveys heat by a fan that circulates the hot air. The circulating air penetrates the food faster and more evenly than the motionless air of a standard "conventional" or "thermal" oven. Some ovens have "fine-tuning" capabilities that allow one-third top element and full bottom or one-third bottom and full top element combined with thermal or convection heat. These different cooking modes can provide cooks with finishing cooking capabilities that have never been available in the past.

Cooktops

The rising popularity of the professional gas cooktop has resulted in increasingly powerful burners available for residential use. Some burners can output 20,000 British thermal units (Btu). This impressive number will bring any pot of water to a boil in a short period of time. Although the upper limits of these burners is quite amazing, remember to also ask how low a burner can go. The ability of these burners to simmer is as important as their ability to quickly boil a pot of water. Some professional-strength burners now have the ability to simmer at levels as low as 500 Btu.

Ventilation

The popularity of professional cooking equipment has created a need for proper ventilation equipment, as some professional gas cooktops can produce upwards of 16,000 Btu per burner. Let's use a 36-inch cooktop with six burners as an example. Although not common, assume all six burners are being used simultaneously. That would result in 96,000 Btu of heat. Combine that heat output with steam and grease emitted while cooking and you'll start to get an idea of why a proper ventilation system is so important. Many professional brands recommend 300 cubic feet per minute (CFM) per linear foot of cooking surface. That would equate to a minimum of 900 CFM for a 36-inch cooktop. Every kitchen has differing ventilation needs; consult your local dealer and designer for more information regarding your kitchen's requirements.

Refrigeration

The phenomenon of built-in refrigeration continues to gain strength. As more players introduce their products to the marketplace, consumers are being provided greater choice, higher quality, and competitive prices. Many of these state-of-the-art refrigeration systems are controlled by microprocessors resulting in increased efficiency and greater temperature control, in turn resulting in food staying fresher longer. Many of these built-in systems are capable of achieving a completely "frameless" or fully integrated look, allowing the unit to virtually disappear in your kitchen.

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