New kitchen to design - now what?
Wow! Just discovered this site, and we're about half way down designing our kitchen for our new house here in San Francisco. We hired an interior design team, but haven't had a great deal of "meaty" information or suggestions on the kitchen. This board seems to have a ton of experiential knowledge that I'll need to absorb in a very short time.
I'll ask for your indulgence in advance if any of my upcoming questions have already been beaten to death in some other part of the forum.
The firsty question is on refrigeration. Single unit combo, or separate refigerator and freezer? One option we have is to have the main fridge part be 36" wide, and then have two freezer drawers in the island. Does anyone have experience with this layout?
An option suggested to us is to sacrifice some counter space and go with a huge 48" side by side monster. We're not sure we like that idea.
It seems a single 36" wide refrigerator/freezer would be just a little too small for us (family of 4 plus a dog), with the regular entertaining we do.
Too many choices, too little time....
Austrian in SF
austrian
Jul 22, 2007 03:53PM
Scroll down on this very page and you'll find talk on kitchen design. Also Google "Arrol Gellner kitchen" (no quotes). He's an East Bay architect who's written quite a bit about kitchens (I edited many of his articles).
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For people that actually use their kitchens for serious cooking I have found the choice of fridge and freezer to be the most variable/personal -- unlike ranges where basically every cook can benefit from the highest performance, some folks truly don't need much freezer space, while others need a great deal.
One of the biggest factors is how you shop -- if you infrequently buy frozen food you may not need much freezer space. Some folk only use fruits & vegetables that are in season and fresh.
Similarly, if you rarely use your freezer to store meals for later reheating that eliminates one of the big space-takers in freezers.
A big fridge is nice to have for parties, but just about any family of four really does not need more than 10-15 cu ft. The fridge will probably be what dictates the freezer for most people, as all but the most high end kitchens use a combined unit. The various standalone "freezer drawers" are not a good value, though I'm sure there are some folks who love 'em. One of problem with having fridge and freezer separate is the shear amount of space they units themselves take up, but also the large amount of cabinet space that is lost, the swing space needed so the doors don't open to a dead-end, the counter layout, so that you can load groceries into the units and have some place to rest items that you retrieve. Cost is an issue too -- the appliance cost gives almost everyone building a kitchen some sticker shock...
Personally I do have a "storage freezer" separate from the kitchen. I am not sure that I would want such a big hulk in a kitchen even I were designing a new house.
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If you have the space and need lots of freezer stuff, consider putting a second deep freeze (upright or chest type) somewhere nearby, especially if it is for "storage", sort of a frozen pantry - rather than taking up active kitchen space (for example if you keep large quantities of ice on hand for parties, or are prone to buying a hind quarter or side of beef). You say that a 36 inch model is too small, yet a 48 is too big. Not to split hairs, but you are only talking about giving up a foot of counter/cabinet space. If your kitchen is small enough that one foot makes that much of a difference, then chances are you don't need more than a 36" unit.
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Take a look at the many answers to the "your one kitchen design tip" post. I'm at a similar stage in our kitchen design as you are, and the answers have been invaluable.
I'm also in San Francisco. I recommend spending a couple of hours at BSC Culinary, near Van Ness and Mission, to see their wide selection of high-end appliances. They regularly have cooking demonstrations -- different brand reps each week.
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I think what you need is a kitchen designer. If you have too little time for research, it's best to rely on a pro to whittle down your choices to manageable bites.
There are fine kitchen designers in San Francisco. Look for a CKD.
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