Appliances Kitchen

The kitchen, in five parts

Cooking, ventilation, refrigeration, dishwashing and coffee. Each part is chosen on its own merits and planned against the others: the hood against the cooktop, the panels against the cabinetry, the circuits against the electrical panel.

  1. Cooking
  2. Ventilation
  3. Refrigeration & Wine
  4. Dishwashing
  5. Coffee
Part I

Cooking

The heat source decides a great deal: the hood, the circuit or gas line, even the cookware. We start there.

Close view of a stainless pro-style gas range with heavy cast-iron grates and a row of polished control knobs, white subway tile behind.
Pl. 07The burner deckCast-iron grates and brass-collared knobs on a pro-style range, in late light.
A ceramic vase with a grid pattern holding leafy branches with small white flowers, beside the edge of a black induction cooktop on a light oak counter, glazed tile behind.
Pl. 08Glass and greeneryA black induction surface set into a pale oak counter.

Ranges

All-gas, dual-fuel and induction ranges, from the standard 30-inch width to wider professional-style formats. We confirm fuel type, circuit and side clearances before you choose.

Wall ovens

Single, double and combination configurations, stacked in a tall cabinet or set beneath a counter. Cutout dimensions are checked against your cabinetry drawings.

Cooktops

Induction and gas, framed or set flush with the counter. Induction asks for magnetic cookware and a dedicated circuit; gas asks for a correctly sized supply line.

Steam & speed ovens

Combination steam ovens for bread, vegetables and gentle reheating; speed ovens that pair convection with microwave. Steam models come plumbed or reservoir-fed, and we will tell you which your space can support.

Choosing between induction and gas? Read our field note before you decide.

Part II

Ventilation

A hood is sized to the cooktop below it, not to the wall above it. Width, airflow, duct path and makeup air all follow from that.

A custom painted range hood with a fluted lower band above a six-burner stainless range, flanked by greige cabinets, with a staircase visible through an arched opening.
Pl. 09The plaster hoodA fluted, painted hood over a six-burner range. Inside, a hood insert does the work.

Wall hoods

Chimney and canopy hoods mounted to the wall above a range or cooktop, in stainless, glass or a finish painted to match.

Island hoods

Ceiling-hung hoods for cooktops in an island, generally sized wider than the cooking surface because rising heat drifts in every direction.

Hood inserts & liners

The working core of a custom hood: fan, filters and lights, built into a surround made by your cabinetmaker or plasterer.

Downdraft systems

Vents that rise from behind a cooktop or draw through the surface. Useful where an overhead hood cannot go, though less effective with tall pots.

Many local codes based on the International Residential Code call for makeup air above 400 CFM. Sizing ventilation explains the rules of thumb.

Part III

Refrigeration & Wine

Freestanding, built-in or fully integrated: the choice shapes the cabinetry around it, so we make it early.

Rows of wine bottles with copper-colored capsules resting on their sides in an iron rack against a stone wall, a few handwritten tags hanging below.
Pl. 10The cellar wallBottles laid on their sides, the way a wine column keeps them.

Column refrigerators & freezers

Separate full-height columns that can stand side by side or be split across a room, with a matching wine column if you want one.

French-door

Two doors above, a freezer drawer below. Available in standard-depth and counter-depth versions; we check the door swing against walls and islands.

Integrated, panel-ready

Built in flush with the cabinetry and finished with panels to match. Requires precise cutouts and a plan for ventilation and panel weight.

Wine & beverage

Under-counter and full-height wine storage with one or more temperature zones, and beverage centers for the bar, pantry or outdoor kitchen.

Weighing a panel-ready refrigerator against a freestanding one? See integrated or freestanding.

Part IV

Dishwashing

The quietest appliance in the kitchen when it is chosen well, and the one you notice most when it is not.

A galley kitchen with grey terrazzo counters and backsplash, a stainless single-bowl sink with a brushed gooseneck faucet, walnut base cabinets and a tall walnut cabinet, framed prints on the far wall.
Pl. 11The cleanup runWalnut, terrazzo and a single deep bowl: the dishwasher’s natural neighbor.

Dishwashers

Standard 24-inch dishwashers in stainless or panel-ready fronts. Rack layout, a third rack for utensils, drying and noise level are the usual points of comparison.

Dishwasher drawers

Single or double drawers that run independently, useful for small loads, a kitchen island or a second prep zone.

Panel-ready fronts

The dishwasher disappears behind a cabinet panel. We confirm panel weight and hinge requirements with your cabinetmaker before it is built.

A dishwasher belongs within reach of the sink and its drain. We check the plumbing location against your plan.

Part V

Coffee

A small appliance with a large place in the morning. Built-in machines need planning like any other.

A stainless espresso machine on a black counter against dark tile, with a folded blue and white towel on a wooden board in the foreground and a jar of coffee beans behind.
Pl. 12Morning, in steelEspresso at the counter. A built-in machine moves the ritual into the wall.

Built-in coffee systems

Fully automatic machines that install in a tall cabinet, often stacked with a wall oven or a warming drawer for a single, aligned column.

Plumbed or reservoir

Some built-in machines connect to a water line; others use a removable tank. We note which your cabinet location allows.

Countertop espresso

For those who prefer the ritual by hand, we help you place the machine near water and a dedicated outlet.

Planning a coffee column next to the ovens? Tell us on the contact page and we will check the stack.

Next

Plan the whole kitchen

Bring drawings, a sketch or a list. We will check the fit of every part against the others.

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