Types of kitchen appliances
added 11/26/2007
OVENS
The counterpoint of all things in the kitchens is the ovens.
Ovens and burners are used to cook food. Depending upon the
area, the budget for appliances and the type of food being
cooked, there are numerous options that you can choose from.
THE CONVENTIONAL OVENS
The electromagnetic waves rise radiate from the sides.
As the air constantly moves around, the warmer air rises to
the top and cold air replaces it at the bottom. The top portion
of the oven is the hottest with the lower part being the coolest.
Conventional ovens are available in both gas and electric
options. There are many brands available. It costs about $850
for a good conventional oven.
CONVECTION OVENS
Convection ovens cook faster than conventional ovens. The
air is heated from a source and a fan helps in the circulation
of the hot air keeping the temperature uniform and allowing
the heat to penetrate the food. It was developed in the 1950s
to aid bakers. Convection ovens are available in electric
options only. They cost about $1300 - $1500.
MICROWAVE
The microwaves help the food to cook rapidly by making the
food molecules move vigorously against each other in an electric
field. It’s recommended that the microwave operate at
750watts to 1000 watts in order to cook properly. In addition
to this microwave is good for defrosting food, reheating food,
making popcorn, browning various recipes etc. They cost from
$100 - $500.
GAS BURNERS
The heat from gas burners is measured in Btu, or British thermal
units, (the energy required to heat 1 pound of water through
1 Fahrenheit temperature). In normal households and for normal
everyday cooking 9000 Btu would be more than enough. But if
you are likely to be frying and sautéing, then you
need a gas burner, which would provide 12,000 Btu. They can
cost from $300 - $1000.
ELECTRIC COILS
They generate heat through electrical resistance. The heat
moves from the coils to the pans through the process of induction.
They can cost $200 - $300.
GLASS CERAMIC SURFACES
These come in the options of radiant, halogen and magnetic
induction. They can cost from $500 - $700.
VENTILATION IN THE KITCHEN
Ventilation is very important in the kitchen. No matter how
delicious your recipes are, if smells and fumes are not banished
from the kitchen, soon your kitchen will have stale smell
and look. To clean out the smells properly, a ventilation
system is required. The system of ventilation that you choose
would be dependent upon the layout of the kitchen, your preference,
local building bylaws and the budget. The two types of ventilation
systems are updraft vent hood and downdraft vent hood.
REFIGERATORS
This is an essential element of all modern kitchens. They
are constantly used throughout the day to keep food inside,
take out milk and juice cartons. Most refrigerators now consume
30% less energy than they did prior to 1990s. This means that
you would be saving $40 per year in electricity bills. Refrigerators
come in really small sizes about 18 cu ft. and can go up to
the monstrous sizes.
DISHWASHERS
Dishwashers should be purchased on the basis of the features
that it offers.
The loading factors – many dishwashers loads the glass
on the top and the plates at the bottom. Some might do the
reverse. There may be separate shelves for silverware and
other additional features.
Control panels – there would be an electric panel or
manual knobs for various cycles in the dishwasher. Various
settings are now provided by the manufactures for the dishwashers.
This means that you can wash the porcelain and china separately
and there are less chances of them getting spoiled. Ideally
stainless steel tubs are more durable than plastic tubs and
many dishwashers have their own heaters to heat the water.
Dishwashers can cost from $350 to $1400.
Please refer to our Kitchen
Remodeling Firms section to find a great contractor near
you.
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