Home Renovation Ideas in Gold Coast
My mother-in-law also gifted this carbon-steel wok to me for Mother’s Day this year, and it works beautifully on my new gas range. After seasoning it with salt, it’s pretty much nonstick and it makes me excited to stir-fry all the time. As a serious cook, I would never consider a non-induction electric range if I had the choice – it’s just too finicky and hard to control. However, if you’re a serious baker, electric might be better for you since electric ovens are more precise. This only applies if you’re purchasing a range that’s a range / oven combo (I was getting a range top and wall oven so this didn’t apply to me). These days there are also dual-fuel ranges where you can get a combination gas range and an electric oven together. It might be costly for the installation so talk to your contractor about that, but this might help you get the best of both worlds. Choosing a Range Hood My dad said that the most important appliance in a kitchen is the range and the second is the range hood. Because Chinese cooking is done at such high heat, it produces a lot of “wok hei”, literally the breath of the wok. Basically that’s just a euphemism for all the fumes released during stir-frying, which need to be vented out to keep your kitchen environment clean and safe. In my old kitchen I had a microwave / range hood combo, which basically did nothing. It sucked the fumes up from the bottom of the microwave and then vented them right back into the kitchen through the top of the microwave. Our smoke alarm went off all the time and it left a lot of our surfaces grimy and sticky despite our best efforts to clean all the time. I definitely knew that I needed something super powerful, especially since I had 6 strong burners. The power of a range hood is measured in CFM (cubic feet for minute), and my designers recommended that I get something with the ability to vent at at least 1000 CFM for the Miele rangetop I chose.
At that power, there just weren’t a lot of island range hood options but they did find this one by ProLine. It wasn’t a brand that I had ever heard of but after some Googling, it seemed legit and met our CFM needs (it’s got 6 settings and goes from 300 CFM to 1100 CFM). It’s definitely a bit distracting to have a huge stainless steel contraption hanging down from the ceiling in the middle of the kitchen, but I really wanted a pro rangetop on a center island so the physical presence of a large range hood was the tradeoff I had to make. So far, the venting has been great (test the power of your range hood by turning it on and seeing if it has enough suction to keep a piece of cardboard stuck to it). It gets loud at the higher settings but that’s because it’s working hard! Choosing an Oven A few years ago I saw an oven with French doors and immediately knew I wanted one for my kitchen some day. It just looked so sharp and also functional for a shortie like me (I’m just 5’1”). For a wall oven installed at a higher height, it means that I don’t have to bend over an oven door while trying to lift like a heavy turkey into the oven. That might be an easy task for a normal height person but I’ve definitely had issues in the past. Plus since you can walk right up to the oven, it’s easier to get things in and out of all the shelves. My husband asked, “Wouldn’t French doors be more of a pain since you needed both hands free to open them?” However, smart product designers have thought through that problem. Opening either one of the doors pulls the other door open too. Because I was set on a French door look, I didn’t have a lot of options in my price range. Since my rangetop was my big splurge, I knew I wasn’t going to go with a luxury brand for this one. I ended up choosing this GE oven and am just loving it so far. I’ve been doing lots of testing and it roasts and crisps food up beautifully. I can’t wait to roast my first big turkey in it! Choosing a Microwave We eat a lot of leftovers in our house so a microwave is key for reheating them up. Plus, I find that the microwave can be a fast way to cook vegetables too so I like having a fairly roomy one. However, I didn’t want a large microwave taking up a lot of counter space, so I was looking for a built-in option. And then I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have a second oven too? However, because I also wanted a built-in desk in our kitchen, it just wouldn’t have been possible to have a double oven and also a built-in microwave. Luckily, there are lots of microwave / oven combos available these days!
- Page 1 and 2: Home Renovation Ideas in Gold Coast
- Page 3: A non-smart fridge: I know Silicon
- Page 7 and 8: process is only complete if you’r
- Page 9 and 10: It’s important to blend the old a
- Page 11 and 12: 3. Calculator Not every work-at-hom
- Page 13 and 14: 5. How to paint kitchen cupboards P
- Page 15 and 16: Stay organized. To keep the structu
At that power, there just weren’t a lot of island range hood options but they did f<strong>in</strong>d this one<br />
by ProL<strong>in</strong>e. It wasn’t a brand that I had ever heard of but after some Googl<strong>in</strong>g, it seemed legit<br />
and met our CFM needs (it’s got 6 sett<strong>in</strong>gs and goes from 300 CFM to 1100 CFM).<br />
It’s def<strong>in</strong>itely a bit distract<strong>in</strong>g to have a huge sta<strong>in</strong>less steel contraption hang<strong>in</strong>g down from<br />
the ceil<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the middle of the kitchen, but I really wanted a pro rangetop on a center island<br />
so the physical presence of a large range hood was the tradeoff I had to make.<br />
So far, the vent<strong>in</strong>g has been great (test the power of your range hood by turn<strong>in</strong>g it on and<br />
see<strong>in</strong>g if it has enough suction to keep a piece of cardboard stuck to it). It gets loud at the<br />
higher sett<strong>in</strong>gs but that’s because it’s work<strong>in</strong>g hard!<br />
Choos<strong>in</strong>g an Oven<br />
A few years ago I saw an oven with French doors and immediately knew I wanted one for my<br />
kitchen some day. It just looked so sharp and also functional for a shortie like me (I’m just<br />
5’1”).<br />
For a wall oven <strong>in</strong>stalled at a higher height, it means that I don’t have to bend over an oven<br />
door while try<strong>in</strong>g to lift like a heavy turkey <strong>in</strong>to the oven. That might be an easy task for a<br />
normal height person but I’ve def<strong>in</strong>itely had issues <strong>in</strong> the past. Plus s<strong>in</strong>ce you can walk right<br />
up to the oven, it’s easier to get th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> and out of all the shelves.<br />
My husband asked, “Wouldn’t French doors be more of a pa<strong>in</strong> s<strong>in</strong>ce you needed both hands<br />
free to open them?” However, smart product designers have thought through that problem.<br />
Open<strong>in</strong>g either one of the doors pulls the other door open too.<br />
Because I was set on a French door look, I didn’t have a lot of options <strong>in</strong> my price range.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce my rangetop was my big splurge, I knew I wasn’t go<strong>in</strong>g to go with a luxury brand for<br />
this one. I ended up choos<strong>in</strong>g this GE oven and am just lov<strong>in</strong>g it so far. I’ve been do<strong>in</strong>g lots<br />
of test<strong>in</strong>g and it roasts and crisps food up beautifully. I can’t wait to roast my first big turkey<br />
<strong>in</strong> it!<br />
Choos<strong>in</strong>g a Microwave<br />
We eat a lot of leftovers <strong>in</strong> our house so a microwave is key for reheat<strong>in</strong>g them up. Plus, I<br />
f<strong>in</strong>d that the microwave can be a fast way to cook vegetables too so I like hav<strong>in</strong>g a fairly<br />
roomy one. However, I didn’t want a large microwave tak<strong>in</strong>g up a lot of counter space, so I<br />
was look<strong>in</strong>g for a built-<strong>in</strong> option.<br />
And then I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have a second oven too? However, because I also<br />
wanted a built-<strong>in</strong> desk <strong>in</strong> our kitchen, it just wouldn’t have been possible to have a double<br />
oven and also a built-<strong>in</strong> microwave. Luckily, there are lots of microwave / oven combos<br />
available these days!
Change language