Kitchen appliances

[Mike Nolan]

We have two sinks in our kitchen, one on the north wall and one on the center island. The original plan was to put in a standalone commercial pot sink (really deep, for washing things like stock pots), but that ran into aesthetic issues. But we did find an especially large/deep sink at a homebuilder show, made in Canada by Kindred. That was 20 years ago, since then US manufacturers are making bigger/deeper stainless steel sinks.

I recently read an article about a chef who designed the kitchen in his new restaurant around the 'pit' (the place where dirty dishes are taken and washed.)

[Mike Nolan]

One item that I would not be without in a kitchen these days is an instant hot water tap. It's great for making tea or any dish or task that calls for boiling water, the water that comes out of the tap is at 185 degrees. (The only downside is that they wear out, we've replaced the one in the kitchen 3-4 times in 20 years, hard water might make that worse.)

We put a whole house filter in our house, a 5 micron particulate filter and an activated charcoal one, but we're on city water. Every time the plumbing folks asked us about a water softener, I told them: I don't add chemicals to water, I take them out!

There are whole house filters specifically designed for high iron (well) water.

We found out the hard way a couple of years ago that your water heater has to have an anode element designed for the chemistry of your water. The city changed its water chemistry a bit, and the hot water heater needed a different anode. We wound up replacing the basement dishwasher and then the input valve on the replacement unit several times before we figured that out, because there was this sludge that was collecting in the valve. It also caused at least one water heater replacement. Between appliance replacements and plumbing bills (plus $100 to have the state lab test our water, which was when we figured out the real problem), we probably spent more than $2000.

[Italiancook]

When I have the kitchen faucet changed, I'm also having a new sink installed. Contractor wanted to do a 9" deep sink, as I recall. I think I currently have 7". We compromised at 8". My concern is pulling pasta pots full of water out of the sink. The heft of lifting them up over a higher sink/counter top, because the sink bottom is lower concerns me. I think it'd take more muscle to lift it up 9" instead of 7", or even 8". I'm unsure why contractor spoke up for the deeper sink, but now that we've had this discussion, I'll probably ask him before he buys the sink.

BakerAunt, I grew up with well water. I know it's a challenge.

[BakerAunt]

Mike, my husband did buy a whole house filter from a Canadian company, after doing a lot of research. The plumber did not want to use it for our house, so we had it put into the water system for the apartment. It ended up clogging, the renters had rust, and we had to buy a separate water softening system for the apartment.

A whole house system would be nice, but finding one that would work is the issue.

[Mike Nolan]

Lifting a pot with 10 or more quarts of water is something I try to avoid, too. I never put the pot in the sink unless I'm washing it, and that sink is large enough that I can just tip it over to drain it.

To fill it I use the sprayer hose with the pot on the counter or the edge of the sink. These days I'm more likely to put the pot on the stove and fill it using a two quart pitcher.

I debated having a cold water tap by the stove, which I've seen in some commercial kitchens for filling large pots, but my plumbers recommended against it, because they drip.

[Mike Nolan]

The single sink in the kitchen is 23 x 17 x 9. It was designed to be the 'prep' sink, but it's the best one for washing the large pots and pans. We have an even bigger double sink in the laundry room, both 23 x 17 but over 11 inches deep. At the time it was the biggest stainless steel sink we could find in either the US or Canada.

A commercial pot sink is usually big enough to hold a full sheet pan, so the bottom is at least 26x18, but they're not very pretty, I've seen one in a laundry room but never in a home kitchen.

[aaronatthedoublef]

Our water is actually pretty good here. We're having a battle with a bottled water company because they want to start filling from our reservoir at a ridiculously low price while all of our bills are going up and, when they proposed this, we were at an all time historical low.

We actually have a pedal sink in the kitchen. It works very nicely. I used to tell people it was voice activated and say "sink on" and step on the pedal. In a couple years there will be Alexa-connected (or Google) sinks.

Like Mike, we have a commercial hood (which used to go with our commercial range until we pitched it). The only real challenge here is if something goes wrong. The people who can fix commercial products are not bonded to work in houses and the people who fix residential appliances have no idea what to do with restaurant gear.

Our commercial range had a 48 inch, stainless steel griddle and I loved it. My new range came with a really nice, thick, cast iron grill/griddle and I use it daily. It takes the place of two burners. I may take it our, put the burners in, and then get a griddle that sits on top of the burners. I saw one with a back splash that will be less messy to cook on and easier to clean.

[Mike Nolan]

Our range hood isn't a commercial one, it's the one DCS was selling with the 48" dual fuel range 20 years ago. It has a shelf, 2 heat lamps (that we almost never use), a light and a variable speed fan that at high speed clears a lot of smoke quickly.

True commercial range hoods these days have fire suppression systems in them that make them way too expensive for a home kitchen, and they're huge to boot.

[BakerAunt]

Let me ask another question: Do you prefer a stainless backsplash, either low or high (bought in addition to the stove) or some kind of a tiled backsplash? My last stove actually had a top piece in the back (no controls or anything on it) that was about 6-7 inches high. However, if I want that for this range, I will have to buy it. I see one advantage in that it keeps anything from running down behind the range (which in the best of all possible kitchen scenarios, in the best of all possible worlds, would never be a problem).

[Mike Nolan]

I have stainless steel backsplash with the big 48" stove that's part of the range hood, I think it is easier to keep clean than a large expanse of tile would be. It took me a while to find something to clean baked-on stains off it, I use the same thing commercial kitchens use, carbon-off.

[Italiancook]

I don't have a backsplash, but the thought of tile makes me think of the problem with grout maintenance. Grout has to be cleaned and re-sealed. Have no idea how often in a kitchen. We do it every 3 years in the bathrooms.

[BakerAunt]

An email from Martha Stewart's company had a tantalizing section on what makes the best backsplash. I looked at it, and it was all about design, not the nuts and bolts of maintenance when cooking. A lot of the home shows are now into fancy backsplashes and hoods as a "focal point" for the kitchen. Huh?! Do these people ever cook or bake?

The backsplash that is made for the stove I'm considering is 9-inches tall and stainless steel finish.

[Mike Nolan]

Martha is about style, not utility. Whenever I see something recommended by her, I look for something else.

[BakerAunt]

I saw that Kitchen Aid is now making ranges in "misty blue."

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a24271935/kitchenaid-misty-blue-range-oven/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_del&utm_medium=email&date=103018

I'm not interested, as I've settled on a Thermador (please, please let the contractor be ready to start soon), but I wonder if "misty blue," will end up going the way of avocado and almond appliances.

I'd actually prefer a white stove. Sigh.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by BakerAunt.

[RiversideLen]

Blue is my color but don't care for the misty blue. It looks like it's better suited to a laundry room rather than the kitchen.

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