How to choose kitchen appliances and how to arrange them in the room?

The choice of household appliances for the kitchen is one of the most important decisions when it comes to furnishing the room. Which equipment should I choose? What should I pay attention to? Where do I put them?

Freestanding household appliances

One of the possible solutions is the purchase of free-standing household appliances. It's a good choice when you want a low price and the possibility of exchanging household appliances without the need to interfere with the kitchen cabinets. Freestanding appliances have many more advantages: they are inexpensive, functional, spacious, easy to install and dismantle, and are often used as a kitchen decoration because they have a carefully designed design.

If you decide to buy a free-standing household appliance, its installation is very easy - the restrictions are the existing connections and the kitchen furniture you own.

Household appliances for built-in use

Recessed household appliances are becoming increasingly popular because they can be almost completely hidden in the kitchen. The built-in refrigerator or dishwasher is practically invisible because it is completely hidden in the cabinet and topped with a kitchen front.

It is discretion that makes built-in devices so popular, but not without significance is their functionality and the fact that they are conveniently used. The growing choice of such devices is also not insignificant.

How to choose a fridge, hob and oven?

The purchase of each of these devices is a considerable expense, so it is worth to reach for thoughtful and good solutions. In order to make the right choice, the following issues need to be considered:

• Do we prefer stand-alone or built-in appliances?

Making this decision will allow you to narrow down the available pool of devices to choose from to those that meet this criterion. If you are planning a major renovation of your kitchen and replacement of furniture, consider buying a built-in household appliance. If we just want to replace a broken refrigerator with a new model, we should use the same type of appliance as we had to avoid major changes in the kitchen.

• Should the fridge have a freezer at the top or bottom?

Refrigerators with a top freezer, and especially single door models, are slightly less functional than those with a separate bottom freezer. Fridges with a freezer at the bottom are particularly popular, which can be built with two independent furniture fronts. The freezer at the bottom is comfortable to use (it is used less frequently than a fridge) and has spacious drawers.

• Do you prefer an oven with a hob or a built-in appliance?

This is an issue that should be considered, because it has a significant impact on the appearance of the entire kitchen. A cooktop oven is a free-standing appliance that can be placed next to kitchen cabinets. The oven and the separate cooktop are built-in solutions that can be built in either classically (one above the other) or completely independently, which creates great opportunities for room design.

• What kind of cooktop or cooker do we want to buy?

Once we have decided whether we prefer a free-standing stove, oven and built-in hob, we should focus on the type of hob or cooker.

Gas cooktops are only suitable for kitchens with gas installation. Gas cooktops are valued because they are independent of electricity. If there are power outages in our area and we have the possibility to connect a stove or a gas hob, it is worth choosing this solution.

Electric and induction hobs are a more modern solution, which will work well wherever there is no possibility to connect to the gas installation. Electric and induction cookers and cooktops allow you to prepare meals quickly, do not emit flame, you can place them a little closer to the window, because there is no risk of flame blowout.

Issues to be considered when purchasing kitchen appliances

Deciding whether to choose built-in or free-standing equipment is just the beginning of the success. It is equally important to pay attention to technical details such as

• Noise emitted - each household appliance emits a certain amount of noise during use. This applies in large part to canopies, dishwashers and fridges. It is worth paying attention to this issue, so that it does not turn out that too loud fridge makes it difficult for us to sleep at night. This parameter is expressed in decibels (dB) and the lower it is, the quieter the operation of the device.
• Functionality - regardless of whether you choose a fridge, dishwasher or oven, it is worth making sure that the functionality of these devices will meet the expectations of users. If you're looking for an ice maker in the fridge, let's focus on those models that offer it, and if you're looking for an oven with a steam function, let's discard those devices that don't offer it.
• Energy class - every household appliance has an energy class assigned to it. The higher the higher the better, because the power consumption will be lower. This is particularly important in the case of household appliances that are used frequently or continuously (like a refrigerator).
• Price - it is worth to set the available budget at the outset, so as not to unnecessarily browse through offers with devices repeatedly exceeding the assumed price.
• Brand - it is worth choosing devices of renowned manufacturers, which enjoy good reviews among users.

Where to place the household appliances in the kitchen?

The specific layout of household appliances should depend on the preferences of the household members and the layout of the room, but it is worth following a few rules:

• The built-in stove and gas hob should not be located directly under or near the window - there is a risk of flame blowing out as well as curtains and curtains igniting.
• The distance between the hood and the cooker or cooktop should depend on the type of cooker. If it is a gas hob, it should be at least 70 centimetres, and if it is an induction hob or electric hob, the hood can be hung 60 centimetres above it.
• The refrigerator should be away from heat sources that could adversely affect its efficiency. This includes in particular ovens, but also an oven and a window with a southern or western exposure.

Choosing kitchen appliances is a big challenge, but if we focus on some of the most important issues, shopping should be fruitful. The same goes for the kitchen kitchen layout - you only need to follow ergonomics and some of the most important safety rules to achieve a comfortable end result.