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Kitchen reno- how to cook my food :)

What's your preference?

  • Sell the range to help fund an upgrade of the separate wall oven and cook top.

    Votes: 4 66.7%
  • Switch to a stand-alone range tucked into the place where the cook top was.

    Votes: 2 33.3%
  • I'm going to blow your mind with a new option that you've never thought of, listed below!

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    6

manderz

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
1,539
Hi, all!

Hubby and I are gearing up to redo our kitchen. We're still in the planning stages at this point. My question for you is this:

The kitchen came with a VERY outdated, poorly sized cook top and wall oven. Like, there's no way I'm cooking a turkey this year tiny oven. They're getting changed for sure. What would you do?

As a side note, we already have a stand alone range that is less that one year old, that we just bought for the old house. LOVE this stove, but hubby thinks that it would be less work and better for resale to keep it the way it is. This range could either be used to help fund the purchase of the new appliances, or retrofit into the space the cook top is currently located in.
 

tuffyluvr

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
1,339
You could always avoid the oven altogether and deep fry your turkey! I've never done it, but people rave about how the oil "seals" the juices in the bird and it turns out juicy and not the least bit oily.

DH did a PSA on the local news last year for thanksgiving and a major topic was deep fried turkey. If you choose to go this route, make sure you take all precautions: always fry outside, completely thaw your bird (if frozen), pat dry inside and out, don't over-fill the oil, have a fire extinguisher handy, etc.
 

rainydaze

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 1, 2007
Messages
3,361
To really say for sure, I'd want to see your kitchen. I couldn't wait to get wall ovens and a cooktop when we redid our kitchen. That's what I grew up with, but my own houses always had ranges. I found them a pain to clean and they never had enough space on the cooktop area, plus I like the convenience and comfort of wall ovens.

My mom's oven was/is a 24" oven! She just replaced it, so they are still made at that size. Last Thanksgiving we fit - I kid you not - a 26lb turkey in it just fine! Nothing else could be put in there at the same time, though.

When we did our kitchen, I was adamant that I wanted a 27" oven. Everyone thought I was nuts and should go for the now-typical 30", plus it was a pain finding a 27" I liked. But even cooking for a decently sized family, I found the 30" was always too big. I was wasting space, energy, and money. Even the 27" feels too big at times (like when I'm making a silly little meatloaf and nothing else in there). I did opt for a double oven, though, and I love having that feature. It allows me to cook a roast in one while baking dessert in the other. It also lets me use one like a 'warming drawer'.

Having the oven and cooktop separate is more versatile. I find the cooktop so easy to clean, and that's where much of my cooking happens so I was able to get a big 'un to fit my needs. Plus, if one breaks, I can just replace that instead of a whole new unit where one might still be working just fine.
 

ksinger

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
5,083
Like the others, I'd need to see your kitchen for space and whatnot. But if space was not an issue, I would put a full range in the cooktop spot AND update the wall oven, because it would enable my husband to cook more to the level that he would like to. He's really gotten into cooking in the last few years, and I encourage that. ;-)

And of course the range would be gas with a continuous grate. I think mine is a GE (you'd think I'd know, but our remodel was way back in 2007, that time is hazy now - thank heavens because kitchen remodels are so disruptive - and I'm in another room so...) but if price was no object, I'd get a professional range, like a Viking or a Wolf.
 

december-fire

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 3, 2013
Messages
2,385
Congratulations on the house and reno!

I know some people shudder and think stress, mess and expensive (all valid points), but I love floor plans and creating spaces that work better for the homeowners! Very exciting! :appl:

Its important to think about what's right for you. Some things to consider are: current space and layout (as others mentioned), timeframe you expect to remain in current home, resale value (importance of this varies by individual situation/time in current home/etc), budget, how you like to cook and entertain, priorities (storage requirements, necessary appliances - like a dishwasher! HaHa), and other functions for the kitchen space (computer area).

Personally, I'd hire an interior designer (and have done so in the past), before any plans are finalized. A kitchen reno is usually expensive and something you want to plan carefully.

I enjoy baking and have had convection ovens for the past 30 years. God, for being so young, that comment makes me seem old! :o
I had a Panasonic Genius microwave/convection oven for about 25 years. Loved it! It could be used as a regular microwave, convection oven, or combination. It was a bit roomer than today's microwaves, and I once cooked a turkey in it on the combination setting; cooked in less time than regular oven, but browned nicely. I used the convection setting often when I wanted to bake something without heating up my large regular oven. Don't know if they still make the microwave/convection/combo anymore. But it might not be something that would interest you.

Think about how you and your husband cook and what you'd like from the space.

Have fun!
 

manderz

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
1,539
Thanks for the input, guys! Sadly, there are no designers to be hired in our area, other than maybe home depot. When our house was built in 1959, it was all pretty high end stuff, but it's not been updated since. There are some things that need do really need some repair, and the bathroom and kitchen are the two that need the most love. The spaces are both relatively small, so there won't be any major re-configuring. We're actually still trying to decide if we even want to change out the cabinets, since what will be in our budget won't be as good of quality as what was originally there.

I love the idea of using both the range, and getting a better wall oven! I am going to pass that on to hubby, and emphasize how awesome it would be :)

The first picture is a panorama that shows the bulk of the kitchen- it's an interesting horse shoe shape. The dishwasher is located under the peninsula. I would like to eliminate the peninsula, and twist the dishwasher 90 degrees so that it's along the side wall with the rest of the cabinets. The space is unusable at this point, because there's only access from the next cabinet over. I think removing the peninsula would just make it feel much more open. The second picture shows the back wall of the kitchen. We plan to add a couple of cabinets and build in the microwave. Between the fridge wall and the rest of the kitchen is a walkway, with doorways at either side that allow access to the dining room and garage (super convenient!!

_35336.jpg

_35337.jpg
 

manderz

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
1,539
My thoughts are, if we go for a refurbish,
  • new flooring
    new counters
    faucet and sink
    remove bulkhead and raise upper cabinets to ceiling
    new lighing (pendant above sink, ceiling fan, and under cabinet lights)
    repair and paint cabinets, adding new hinges and handles, and trim to create shaker cabinets
    place range where cook top is, upgrade wall oven
    update electrical to include gfci outlets
    tile the back splash
    remove peninsula and adjust dishwasher location
    buckets of paint :)
 
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