How to choose built-in appliances for the kitchen

Large and small household appliances are the workhorses of your kitchen. As a rule, about 9% of the total kitchen budget is spent on their purchase, which is quite a bit, considering how much value they bring every day and how long they serve. Therefore, the technique should be treated as an investment and choose it wisely. Our guidebook will help you to prepare for techno-shopping and not to lose your mind on the number of proposals.

Why is it worth buying exactly embedded equipment?

There are two main questions in the choice of kitchen appliances: how it works and how it fits into the interior. Solving the second question is not difficult - just select the embedded technology instead of freestanding. It is not much more expensive, but it allows you to create an ideal design and even save precious centimeters without sacrificing functionality. Yes, and take care of the kitchen with integrated appliances is much easier. Therefore, our kind advice that we want to give you - build everything you can!

• Particularly relevant embedded technology for small kitchens (the unity of all surfaces visually facilitates the close space) or interiors, decorated in classic stylewhere chrome and metal are not appropriate.

What to buy?

The minimum "vital" set of equipment for the kitchen includes:

• Cooktop;
• Oven;
• Fridge.

Depending on the needs of households and kitchen area, you can add to the shopping list:

• Exhaust hood;
• Dishwasher;
• Small household appliances (microwave oven, coffee maker, mixer, combine, blender and other appliances).

If the kitchen is small (an area of ​​5-7 sq. m.), then, most likely, you will have to limit yourself to a minimum set - a cooking surface, an oven and a refrigerator. However, having “played” with the furniture and the layout of the mini-kitchen, you can try to fit a narrow dishwasher (45 cm wide) and install a built-in recirculation hood with a retractable visor. The latter will save space for the locker. And those who rarely bake, you can advise to replace the oven on the microwave oven with the functions of convection and grilling.

At what stage of kitchen arrangement is it better to buy appliances?

Ideally, you need to choose the technique after designing the kitchen, but before the start of the repair. Knowing the total power, size and future location of all devices, builders will be able to bring communications in the right places and make the right design of electrical wiring. Thus, you will not have problems with a lack of sockets and power grid, when the walls are already painted and the headsets are assembled.

Read more about how to independently plan the project. Electricians in the kitchen. here and here.

How to choose a refrigerator?

When choosing a refrigerator, first of all you should take into account its size - it depends on how the device integrates into the headset or, if you choose a free-standing model, into the kitchen space.

• For mini-kitchens up to 7 square meters. m. narrow but tall models are suitable - 45-55 cm wide and up to 2 m high.

It also makes sense to look at the small refrigerators that are built in under the countertop.

• For large kitchens and for large families, it is better to choose a side-by-side refrigerator that resembles a wardrobe, in which one chamber is refrigerated and the other (smaller) freezer.

It is desirable that the refrigerator had a cooling system no frostso as not to worry about the formation of ice. Another positive factor of choice is the presence of a freshness zone, in which, due to zero temperature, it is good to store chilled meat, soups and so on.

How to choose a hob?

To choose a hob, first you need to determine what type it should be - gas, electric or induction? If your kitchen is gasified, then the easiest way is not to change anything and install a gas stove. Firstly, it is more convenient to cook on it, secondly, it is more economical, and thirdly, replacing a gas stove with an electric one is simply very troublesome and requires coordination.

Which stove is better - electric or induction? In our opinion, the induction cooker is preferable, though not without flaws. Its main advantage lies in the super-fast heating of dishes and greater energy efficiency compared with the electrical panel. For example, 5 liters of water on an induction cooker can be boiled in just 5-6 minutes, and on a regular one in half an hour! Cons: slightly higher cost, lower impact resistance of the panel, compatibility only with stainless steel, cast iron and aluminum cookware with a ferromagnetic bottom, as well as incompatibility with the oven (it can be placed only next to the panel, but not under it).

• By the way, if you wish, you can buy a hob with two induction hobs and two conventional ones.
• If the kitchen is small, and the family consists of two or three people, then a model with two or three rings will be very useful.

• The hob may be oven dependent. In this case, both devices have a single control panel and are separated from each other only by the worktop. In fact, this is a good old stove, just built-in. Such kits, as a rule, are cheaper, they are more convenient in operation and maintenance, and simply free from the agony of choice.

How to choose an oven?

The oven can be gas or electric. The latter option is more multifunctional. It can have not only convection functions (in gas ovens, this function is not in every model), two-level heating and grilling, but also defrosting products, as well as 3D mode, which allows you to cook several dishes at once. In some ovens, you can even reheat food like in a microwave oven, which is especially important for small kitchens (although, it is not as convenient to do this as in a separate microwave oven).

The oven can be dependent and independent of the hob. We already told about the dependent. What is good independent? It allows you to choose a more convenient and rational place for installation, for example, at eye level, as well as to choose devices of different sizes. In addition, an independent oven is useful if the hob is gas, and you want an electric oven.

How to choose a hood? And do you need it at all?

On the one hand, the hood is not a necessity, because our parents somehow managed without it. Moreover, it occupies a place in which it was possible to put another locker. On the other hand, the hood helps protect the whitewashed ceiling from cracks, clean the air (by the way, it’s the dirtiest in the kitchen), remove unpleasant odors and smoke. Especially needed hood in the kitchen with a gas stove, on kitchen-living room or kitchen in the studio.

Here are the main principles of choice:

• The hood must fit the panel size;
• Capacity depends on the size of the room. The larger it is, the more powerful the device should be. The exhaust power must be calculated using a special formula (very simple!), Which can be found in Point number 4 in our detailed guide to the choice of hoods.

• If you choose not a built-in hood, but a dome or inclined hood, then it is very important to choose its design correctly. In a classic kitchen, it is better to install a dome hood (in the photo above), and in the modern kitchen - an inclined hood (in the photo below). True, the latter is not very effective, some experts even call it decorative.

• To save space in a small kitchen, you can choose a recirculating type exhaust hood. It does not take away air, but cleans it with the help of filters. This hood is compact and allows you to save space for another locker.

For details, see the material: 8 steps for choosing a kitchen hood and 40 photos

How to choose a dishwasher? And do you need her?

It is said that one who has washed the dishes at least once in the dishwasher will never again refuse it, no matter how inveterate the conservative it is. Perhaps we agree with this statement, because it not only saves precious time, but also water. And she copes with the washing of dishes is much better - with a hundred-year-old layer of fat in a frying pan, it is finished in one cycle.

• At the same time, you can live without it. If your kitchen is very small, it is possible that you can refuse PMM. Although ... you can buy a narrow PMM (40-45 cm wide) designed for 10 sets of dishes or a desktop model for 6 sets.

How to choose the perfect dishwasher?

• It is advisable to buy a model with a capacity of 2-3 times the required minimum, so that you can save the dishes and run the appliance only once a day, and also fit the pots and pans.
• Well, if the machine can operate in half load mode, has the function of turbo-drying, protection from leakage. The optimal number of programs is 5-6.

For details, see the material: 11 things to know before buying a dishwasher

Small household appliances

Often, small household appliances are needed in the kitchen as much as the basic “troika”. Our guidebooks will help you choose the best (click to go to articles).

And a couple of general tips

1. Try to bypass noisy equipment with a noise level of more than 45 dB. The normal noise level for most kitchen appliances is 35-44 dB. Well, if the gadgets are even lower - with a noise level of 25-34 dB.
2. The energy efficiency class of level A is the norm for modern appliances for the kitchen, moreover, there is practically no equipment below the class A in stores. It is desirable that the letter A had pluses or additional letters A.

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See also:

• What should be the temperature in the refrigerator?
• Guide to the choice of washing machine-automatic
• All about placing the washing machine in the kitchen
• We use the dishwasher correctly
• Guide to choosing a good universal pan
• The choice of pans for universal use: a comparison of 7 types, 6 tips and 1 video