The basics
Major appliances, such as stoves, ovens, and refrigerators, are the basics for any kitchen. To date, I know of only one person who has been able to live without a fridge. The days of storing milk between the outer and inner windows during the winter are gone (most homes don’t have two sets of windows anymore). The items listed below are necessary for any kitchen, but the model depends on their functions and the frequency they are used.
Gas stove
If I had to choose between a gas or electric stove, then I prefer gas. Gas is much better for getting the higher heat you need to turn food golden brown. Gas stoves are still similar to the ones from the past, and you can get better results because they heat up more quickly, the heat levels are more even, and it can be regulated better. Gas stoves can be attached to a central gas line or a propane tank, but matches are no longer needed to turn them on – electronic ignitions are the norm. The size of your cooking surface depends on how much you cook and what you prepare. My favourite is a 90 cm surface on which you can prepare several dishes at the same time, which is especially convenient when you have guests over on the holidays. If you don’t prepare that much, a surface with four rings is sufficient. I like the surfaces with sunken rings – then the pot you put on is level with the surface of the stove and is more stable. The one with raised rings seem a bit unsafe, because the pot can slide off sometimes. Another plus is that a gas stove is great for all kinds of pots and pans, including woks.
Electric or induction stove
Two quite similar looking surfaces, but essentially different. I don’t really understand induction stoves, and I don’t like working on them, but the people who have them seem to like them. I don’t like the fact that the surface turns off every time the pan is lifted off the surface to mix the contents. In addition, the pan and water heats superfast, and quality surfaces have temperature regulators to heat things as hot as you want. If you plan on getting one, check that the temperature gauge has increments of less than 20 degrees, otherwise it will be difficult to poach an egg. And consider the fact that you will need special pots. But an electric stove is good because it does heat up well and there is no soot, but the negative aspect is that it turns on and off – if you want crispy crust on your meat, you have to work quite hard and the results are often disappointing. Special pots are not needed for a regular electric stove, and if you don’t have a gas connection to your home, than it is the best option. Both electric and induction stoves have a plus in that you can shut them off so that children can’t turn them on.
Refrigerator
Yes – fridges are different than in my youth (Soviet fridges were very noisy with a single compartment that had a tiny freezer up top). It is important to choose one that is energy efficient with separate sections for refrigeration and freezing. If you are a lover of salads, you should also get one with a salad crisper. The rest are design elements, size, and shelving purposes. That’s about all there is – the rest is a bonus, which may be important to some, but not important at all to others.
Oven
As regards choice of oven, the most important thing to consider is size. If you need to choose between a gas or electric oven, I would give preference to an electric oven because gas ovens do not heat as evenly as electric. Yes – gas ovens look stylish and authentic, but you can forget about baking perfect croissants in a gas oven. There are some other important factors to note – it should have a top and bottom heating setting, convection, grill, and defrosting options, as well as a self-cleaning feature (this setting results in a high temp to clean the oven). Those are the basics, but if you are quite the chef, then Sous Vide, raising, and pizza options (testing and tasting pizzas made with and without this options show a difference) are also great. Some ovens also have a steaming option, or more precisely, it’s a steam oven for those who like to prepare steamed dishes on a regular basis.
The self-cleaning option heats the oven very hot and burns off all the food that has stuck to the surface of the oven – all you have to do is wipe down the inside of the oven when its done. This should be done every month, so that you don’t experience what a friend of mine experienced – he decided to use the self-cleaning option after six months and ended up calling the fire department (no – it wasn’t burning, but the smoke was intense).
Sous Vide
Sous vide[su:’ vi:d] is a method of preparation in which the food is hermetically sealed in a plastic bag and then submerged in a water bath that is precisely and continuously kept at one temperature. The food cooks slowly and results in a completely different flavour and texture. This preparation technique was first mentioned by Benjamin Thompson way back when in 1799, but at that time it had a completely different purpose. It was only in 1960 when American and French engineers turned it into a factory process for storing food. Ten years later, the method was further developed by Georges Pralus at his restaurant Troisgrosin France. He discovered that the famous foie gras(pâté made from duck or goose liver) could be prepared using this method and not lose its delectable structure and original fat content. Preparation in a constant temperature in vacuum conditions maintains the original structure of the food, its taste, colour, consistency, moisture, and valuable nutrients and vitamins. This method is also suitable for longer storage and is easily heated. Clean up is also simple because the food cooks in the bag. In addition the Sous videcooking method does not required specialized knowledge; prepare the food as you would normally – clean, chop, season, and flavour, and then place in a vacuum bag to hermetically seal all the goodness. All that remains is placing the bag in a Sous Videcooker, choosing the desired setting, and waiting until it is done. For even more delectable results, you can brown meat on a grill first, and then use the juices that collect in the bag for sauce. The goal of this technique is to prepare the contents evenly and to guarantee that it’s perfectly prepared without any external processing. In this way, anyone can prepare the ideal steak and chicken breast so juicy that it falls away from the bone, or vegetables that are full of vitamins. All that needs to be done is place food in the bag and press the button!
Wine cooler
A wine cooler is good for those who wish to store large amounts of wine or who have begun to collect wine. Before purchasing, consider the size and volume of the cooler, as well as temperature settings for top and bottom shelves so that you can store both white and red wine. The rest is a matter of taste – colour, built-in or freestanding, large/small, or how you stack the bottles – individually or on top of one another.
Stove hood
The better quality and more powerful, the better. This is especially important if you have a smoke detector nearby that goes off every time you grill sandwiches. So – depending on your budget, space restrictions, and style choice, it is worth getting the best and most powerful stove hood you can afford.
Dishwasher
Just like the refrigerator, you should choose a dishwasher that is energy efficient and is sufficiently large. Before purchasing, make sure you check the size of dishes that you can place in it. Lately, there has been a tendency to serve food on very large dishes, sometimes so large that they don’t fit in a standard machine. I like machines with an energy saving option, a short cycle, and interrupting capabilities so you can add more dishes to the machine while it runs and not have to wait until the cycle has finished.
