Ah, the home chef. You know who you are. You love being in the kitchen, preparing a meal for those you love more than just about anything in the world. The sight of a handcrafted cutting board makes you smile. The smell of homemade lasagna cooking in the oven makes your heart sing. The sound of your family happily eating your carefully crafted meals makes you feel alive. You live to cook, and you’re good at it, too.
No chef’s kitchen would be complete without a slew of appliances and tools that make the work a little easier – even if you are not manning a commercial kitchen at a top restaurant, you still need to have top-notch things at your disposal to pull off dinner, even if it’s just dinner for one.
Without a doubt, three of the most-used appliances in a kitchen are the refrigerator, the oven or stovetop, and the dishwasher. They see daily use, and need to be durable and efficient. Below are two of the best options out there in these three categories:
Refrigerators
In terms of bells and whistles and ease of use, the GE Café CFE28TSHSS is a dream come true for home chefs. Boasting a hot water dispenser and temperature adjustable drawers, this fridge is well worth the $3000+ price tag. With French doors and a freezer section below, it makes seeing what you have available a breeze; it also eliminates the hassle of practically getting on your knees to see what is in the back near the bottom of the fridge.
If a side by side refrigerator is more up your alley, the Samsung RH29H9000SR is just the ticket. It comes with a hidden storage compartment inside the right door, which makes is easy to grab much-used food items without having to get into the main areas of the appliance. This is especially handy if family members regularly frequent the fridge for things like juice boxes, apples, or even condiments. Priced at under $3000, it is also an affordable option that offers ample space for all your food prep and storage needs.
Ovens and Stove Tops
The LG LDE3037ST is, without a doubt, one of the best oven/range combos that a cook could ask for. For increased baking and warming space, this dual-oven range delivers on all counts, including an infrared broiler and a specialty interior coating that makes easy cleaning a dream come true. The cooktop delivers beautifully as well, with 4 burners and a warming area. The front left burner is made for speed, boasting a 4-minute water boiling speed that will have you well on your way to having dinner done and on the table in no time flat.
If space is at a premium, you may want to opt for a built-in wall oven that leaves you more room to move around while prepping meals. For optimum performance, consider the steam convection oven by Benchmark. Steam cooking preserves the essential nutrients of your food better than a traditional oven, and the sleek design of this model saves as much space as possible. It is also designed to fit perfectly above a warming drawer or storage area, so that you can make the most of your cooking time and energy.
Dishwashers
If you are looking for a dishwasher that is both extremely quiet and that can hold an obscene amount of dishes and cutlery, then the Bosch 500 Series is perfect for you kitchen. It is far quieter than the other models in its price range ($800+/-) and even outperforms some models priced up above $1000. It is available in multiple rack configurations so that you can customize it to meet your unique needs, and it also comes in various finishes, including stainless steel. As dishwashers go, it ranks pretty highly on the list for energy and water efficiency; it also comes with a sizeable warranty.
If a drawer-style dishwasher is more your style, consider the DCS DishDrawer. It can accommodate up to 7 place settings per drawer, and comes with 9 wash cycles, including eco-friendly options. It has an Energy Star rating, and – since the drawers work independently from one another – it is a fantastic option for people that go through a lot of dishes but not so quickly that they need to run an entire standard load every day. It also has a very slim profile, making it a great space-saver for any kitchen size.
No matter what you envision your dream kitchen workspace looking like, these appliances deliver quality, durability, and ease of use at every turn.
