Whether you are embarking on a new kitchen renovation or updating an appliance, there are many questions you will be faced with, and it can become very overwhelming to determine what is right for you. The kitchen is an important room in any home, so getting the right mix of design, functionality and technology is a must.
First, let’s start with what you need to think about before you start comparing products. By painting a picture of the kind of kitchen that will work for you, will result in a practical and inspiring space that gives you satisfaction every day.
How do you use your kitchen?
Is it simply for cooking and preparing meals, or is it a place where you entertain? What is most important to you in your kitchen (style, function, space etc.) and do you enjoy spending time in the kitchen?
What appliances do you need?
When designing your kitchen, it’s useful to have an understanding of what you need for your kitchen. Do you want built in appliances that are built into your cabinetry or do you prefer freestanding appliances that can be swapped out with ease down the track? Whether it be a refrigerator, dishwasher, cooktop or oven, our buying guides will delve deeper into these products, so you are able to find the right solution for your home.
What space do you have?
Are you using the existing space to replace appliances, or will you be doing a full renovation? At this point you need to consider the space you will or already have access to so you able to find the right sized products for your home.
Quick Tip – Kitchens sell houses. Even if you’re not planning on selling, investing in good quality appliances and smart and functional designs are essential.
We have two helpful pathways for you to explore to help you find the right solution for you.
Measure the space of the cavity that your existing appliance is installed in. This includes height, width and depth.
Is it integrated into the cabinetry or is it freestanding?
In the case of a dishwasher, does it need to fit under the bench top?
Do you have plenty of bench space? And therefore space for two cooktops? Do you need to have space to fit a microwave, or is there space for it to be built-in?
How deep and wide is the cabinetry? Are you restricted in size when choosing a rangehood? Or will it need to be suspended from the ceiling?
Materials and Finishes
Look at the existing finishes in your kitchen.Look at the existing finishes in your kitchen.
Do you want your new appliance to match others?
Will it be integrated?
Infrastructure
Make sure you understand what type of appliance you have now.
Does your appliance use gas or electricity or both?
If you want to change from gas to electricity or vice versa is this possible?
Must Haves
Have a think about the things that are most important to you before you start looking at new products. This will ultimately help narrow your search and save you on time and money.
Some things to consider…
Is energy consumption a key consideration for your household?
Do you want to stick to a particular brand for synergy within your kitchen?
Function vs design – which is more important to you?
Is there a particular function you need to have? E.g. Safety features or easy to read programmable functions.
PATH 2 – THE RENOVATOR
Understand the space
If you haven’t already, you should get a clear picture of the dimensions of the space you have to use – the length of the walls, height to the ceiling, where windows and doors are placed etc.
Depending on your budget, you may choose to use a kitchen design company, an independent drafts person, an architect or use online tools to design it yourself.
Materials and Finishes
What style of kitchen are you going for?
If you need some inspiration, we recommend you do some research. Take a look at our inspirations page and start visiting kitchen show rooms to get the look and feel of different materials.
Choosing materials and finishes will impact your choice of appliances…
Do you want them fully integrated, using the same external material as your cabinets or do you prefer a freestanding model that can offer a more simpley install down the track if you need or want to upgrade?
Infrastructure
Imagine if you designed your perfect kitchen only to find out it’s impossibly expensive because the utilities have to be moved. It is very important to have an understanding of where your gas, water and piping is and if they can be moved if necessary.
Are you planning on changing from gas appliances to electric or vice versa?
Do you have gas, or only electricity?
Is there scope to bring in gas if you want it?
Will the builders have access to re-pipe gas or water to where you want it?
You should also consider the most ergonomic layout. For example, you’ll want your dishwasher near your sink and your cupboards in reaching distance of your dishwasher for easy packing away.
Must Haves
In planning a kitchen, you’ll no doubt have some things that are absolute musts.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to help get you started:
How important is energy consumption to your household?
Would you like all of your appliances to have the same look and feel?
Function vs design – which is more important?
Do you prefer a particular brand? Is it worth considering others?
Cost
We’d all love to have the perfect kitchen with the best appliances, but it is really dependent on your budget. It’s essential at this point that you make a budget of all the items that will go into making your kitchen a reality.
When you make your budget make sure you plan the right balance of spend between design and function. It is easy to spend a lot of money on handles and drawer mechanisms for instance, but will this be at the cost of getting the appliances you want?
You’ve done the planning and now it’s time to choose the right tools for your kitchen.
You have a picture of how you want your kitchen to look and what your budget is, so now you need to drill down and choose the appliances that will bring it to life.
There are so many fridges on the market, so how do you choose which brand, style and model will suit you?
Let’s begin by taking a look at the different styles of fridges available:
French door or 4 Door
French door refrigerators offer split doors in the fridge compartment without the fridge space being cut in half meaning these are perfect for the entertainer or family who need to chill larger items such as platters or large baking dishes, pots and pans. With a bottom mounted freezer drawer or doors; French door refrigerators give you the best of both worlds. They feature easy access, wide storage, flexible shelving and adjustable cooling areas. 4 door design offers the huge refrigerator compartment with 2 doors and areas in the freezer section for easy organisation of the freezer space.
Side-by-side
This fridge features the refrigerator and freezer compartments beside each other, both taking up the full length of the appliance, with the doors opening from the middle. These fridges often feature extras such as ice and water dispenses, however due to the layout they sometimes do not lend themselves to wider, larger items like platters.
Bottom mount
Sometimes your fridge choice is determined by available space and as the name states, this fridge has a bottom mounted freezer, giving you more convenient access to both your fridge and freezer items than a traditional top mount fridge. Bottom mount fridges are great for those who need access to fresh ingredients more readily as there is no need to bend down to access the fresh fruit and vegetable compartments that are generally located at the bottom of the fridge space
Top mount
Opposite to the bottom mount, this is the traditional style of fridge and depending on style and brand may generally be the least expensive. The freezer is housed in the top portion with the refrigerator below. The top mount refrigerator is perfect if you are wanting to keep frozen treats out of reach of hungry little hands.
Pigeon Pair
A Pigeon Pair is a single door all refrigerator or all freezer that are sold as individual units that can be ‘paired’ together to meet your requirements. You may want two freezers together or you can even have as a standalone single refrigerator or freezer as extra storage over and above your main refrigerator.
Chest Freezer
Do you like to buy your frozen goods in bulk for which you are will require more storage space then the freezer in your refrigerator will offer. If so, you may need to plan into your kitchen area or some other area of the home, space for a Chest Freezer. Chest Freezers are available in a variety of sizes for domestic use. Some features to look for in chest freezers could include lift-out baskets and/or vertical dividers to help your packing of the freezer of your frozen goods.
Bar Refrigerator
if you need more space for drinks why not consider a Bar Fridge. You can store your drinks in this small fridge instead of taking space away from food storage in your main refrigerator. Some Bar Fridges even come with a full width ice box, a full width crisper drawer and fridge shelving. If not just for drinks a bar fridge can offer some additional food storage when needed. Bar Fridges are mostly available with a stainless steel finish door or in white. Some brands and models are also available in other colours.
Wine Storage
are you looking for either a Wine Cooler or a Wine Cabinet? A wine cooler will keep wine at a consistent, cool temperature, and, is suitable for wines that you’re going to drink across a short period of time. A wine cabinet on the other hand is more of a climate controlled cabinet used for longer term storage of wine.
Some key features to look for in a wine cabinet include a humidity-management system to preserve corks, dark interiors, soft lighting, and tinted glass so as to protect the wine from damaging light, and wooden shelves to absorb small vibrations so as not to shake up and disrupt the wine
In terms of model selection you need decide if want a single-temperature cabinet which is ideal for cellaring wines or alternatively do you want a multi-temperature model to enable you to serve your reds or whites at the required drinking temperature
THINGS TO CONSIDER
The style of fridge you choose will be greatly impacted by the space and kitchen layout you have available, so here are a few things you should consider…
Energy and Water Rating
If reducing your environmental footprint is important to you, ensure to inspect both the energy and water rating of your dishwasher before you buy it. The higher the number of stars, the more efficient the dishwasher will be.
Space
Are you fitting your fridge in an existing space or are you free to choose? Always make sure you check the installation dimensions of the fridge you are considering against the space you have available because different styles require different space and access.
Before sure to check the specifications on all fridges you are considering as most require some space around for ventilation that you need to factor when working out whether you can fit the fridge into the space.
Quick Trick – If you’re not sure if the fridge you want will fit, why not make a cardboard cut-out of the width and depth of your fridge. Then you can slide it through all areas of your home that the fridge will need come through to make certain it will fit. There is nothing worse and costly than the delivery person showing up to not even be able to get through the front door!
Size
How many people are there in your household? A family with hungry teens will require far more fridge space than a family with less mouths to feed. Here is a rough guide to follow:
400L = single or couples
520-600L = family of three to four
700L = households with more than four
Energy rating
Are you concerned with the energy consumption of your fridge? Make sure you look at the energy rating on the products you are considering. A general rule of thumb is the larger the litres the more energy it will consume. Always check the energy label – the more stars the more energy efficient it will be.
Functionality
Today fridges come with all sorts of innovative functions – from slim line ice and water dispensers to integrated speakers and clever adjustable shelving. Have a think about what functions will enhance your kitchen and use our product reviews to help you understand more about how they will benefit your lifestyle.
Finishes
What finish would you like your fridge to have? Do you want it to be integrated with the doors matching your cabinetry or does the finish need to match other appliances in your kitchen for finish and design? These are choices you need to make early on. And if considering integrating a fridge, make sure the models you are looking at can be integrated and a panel can be produced for the front of the fridge in the material that matches your cabinets
Quick Tip – Different styles of fridges can be integrated. Some are specifically designed to be integrated, while others come with inexpensive add on kits that give you the integrated look without full integration.
How do you cook and what do you cook? Do you want fast auto-programming functions, or is a wide oven with a self-cleaning function something you’re looking for? There are a number of things you need to consider when choosing an oven. Firstly, you need to decide on gas or electric ovens. Most ovens on the market today are electric, however gas might be your preference. Traditionally gas was popular as it doesn’t dry out food as much, however, as technology continues to bring innovative features to the humble oven there are now plenty of electric options that offer superior cooking results, making electric the most popular choice. There are a range of ovens on the market, with varying features. It is important to determine the right features that will make your life easier. There are a few options on the market:
Self-Cleaning Ovens
Pyrolytic Ovens
Put simply, these are ovens that clean themselves. The oven uses an extremely high temperature of over 400’C to turn the oven grime from cooking into ash. The oven door locks while the pyrolytic cleaning cycle (which lasts for around 1.5-2 hours) is in progress, for safety reasons. Then you simply need to wipe it clean with a damp cloth. If cleaning an oven is something you dread, this is probably the oven for you. Traditionally, when performing the pyrolytic function, racks and all dishes need to be removed and cleaned separately. Some brands now offer ‘pyro proof’ oven accessories, but not all so enquire if the brands you want the extra convenience pyro proof accessories offer.
Catalytic Liners
Catalytic liners will allow cleaning at a much lower temperature, meaning it offers the flexibility of cleaning while you cook and are characterised with a rough appearance. Catalytic oven liners are specially treated and designed to trap grease. At around 200’C this trapped grease will then be converted to dust that sits on the liners and on the bottom of the oven to easily wipe out. The liners have a limited life span and need to be replaced when they stop being effective.
Steam Ovens
Steam ovens come as steam only or as a combination steam oven which enables combination steam and traditional convection oven functions. Steam cooking offers multiple benefits including faster cooking times, more retained flavours and nutrients and the ability to cook food through steam over multiple shelves without combining flavours. A steam oven is not designed to replace your standard oven, but provides some extra versatility in the kitchen.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
The style of fridge you choose will be greatly impacted by the space and kitchen layout you have available, so here are a few things you should consider…
Space
What are the dimensions of where your oven will go? And what is the space around it? Just because ovens may look the same size on the outside, they can vary with the useable space on the internal cabinet.
Size
How many people are you going to be feeding and therefore how big should your oven be? Oven capacity is measured in litres and you will see both net and gross litres quoted. If you are comparing ovens that you ask for both measurements to make sure you are comparing the same measurement.
Functions
Which features will make your life easier? Fan and grill settings, upper and lower heating elements, steam, self-cleaning, safety, ease of installation and defrosting. Ovens have a range of functions, so it is important to select one that will best suit your lifestyle. Before you start to shop, make sure you know how you use your oven and the current functions you use now. More features generally increase the cost, doing this before you start shopping will help you avoid paying for additional functions you do not need.
Finishes
Built in ovens need to go in an oven housing unit and are installed as a part of the cabinetry. Consider the outside finish, whether you want glass doors giving you easy viewing access or a stainless steel option to match other appliances. Also have a look at the handles to make sure they fit with your design plan for your kitchen.
Controls, Interface
Oven controls now come from simple single knob operation to full colour touch screens with step by step guidance. Each home cook is different and will have a different preference. Once purchased the control panel will be the one part of the oven you touch and use most so make sure you like it.
Oven Furniture
Oven furniture refers to the racks and also any trays and dishes that are supplied with the oven. With telescopic racks or runners, you can pull out the shelves beyond the front of the oven while the rack remaining stable. This means no more putting your hand into the oven to check part way through cooking or removing the food from the oven. You can often buy these runners separately if you decide down the track you wish to have this feature, however not all ovens are equipped to have these installed so if you think this may be something you may want to do down the track, check the oven can have the racks installed.
Are you after a stylish cooker to suit your newly renovated industrial-style décor, on a budget and looking for an all in one cooktop and oven or replacing an old unit. With such a wide price range and new improved features, from the budget conscious to all the bells and whistles, these combined oven and cooktops are a versatile option to consider.
The first thing you need to bear in mind is which combination of elements will suit you best:
Gas cooktop and gas oven
Electric cooktop and electric oven
Gas cooktop and electric oven
Ceramic cooktop and electric oven
Induction cooktop and electric oven
Other things to think about are…
Space
What are the dimensions for where it will sit? Freestanding cookers come in a variety of sizes – slim line to wide industrial-sized, the choice is yours.
Size
What size will suit your needs?. Just remember that the bigger the shelves are heavier they are, so make sure they come with safety stops or telescopic racks.
Functions
Is it self-cleaning? If it is a wide model, you will be thankful for this feature as it will make cleaner a lot easier for you.
Are the controls easy to view and use?
Is the burner layout on the cooktop efficient? Having the burners you use most often at the front is not only more convenient, but it’s safer so you aren’t leaning across an open flame when cooking.
Gas, ceramic and induction? Cooktops are often referred to as hobs and are an important part of the kitchen. Depending on who you talk to you could get
many different answers as to which is the best. It all comes down to preference and how you like to cook, so here is a guide to the basic benefits of each:
Induction
Fast cooking, immediate control, cool touch (little residual heat left of your hob) and energy smart.
Gas
Providing instant, sensitive heat control.
Ceramic (Electric)
This sleek cooking surface is easy to clean, and easy to install.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Things you should consider when choosing your cook top are…
Size
What are the dimensions of where your oven will go? And what is the space around it? Just because ovens may look the same size on the outside, they can vary with the useable space on the internal cabinet.
Configuration and Spacing
Do you cook with large baking dishes often or are you more of a small sauté pan cook? Make sure you look at the burners or zone configuration before you buy and see what suits what you use most. You may find that sometimes the two burners you would use most at the same time are next to each other and when you put both pans on they do not fit when on the cooktop at the same time.
Cookware
Induction cooktops generally require specific cookware to be used on them, so factor this into your budget.
Power Settings
Have a look at the power or temperature settings settings – generally, the more temperature control settings, the more expensive, however dependent on how precise you need to be they are useful.
Controls
Touch, knobs or slider be sure to test run the controls before you buy. If you chose something with knobs check that it matches the knobs on your oven as best as possible.
Finish
Cooktops come in a variety of colours and finishes from stainless, gloss, matt and colour options such as grey and white.
There are many options of rangehoods on the market, but the choice will ultimately come down to the space you have and the layout of your kitchen as well as your cooktop choice.
Wall Mounted Canopy rangehood
Canopy rangehoods are installed against a wall over the cooktop and not installed into the cabinetry, they are a design feature themselves.
Island rangehood
Island rangehoods are a canopy style rangehood but installed above an island bench from the ceiling.
Undermount rangehood
These are often referred to as concealed, under cabinet, built in or integrated rangehood which is built into your cabinetry. They are a popular choice in designer kitchens as they are hidden from sight when not in use. Perfectly streamlined and stylish but functional at the same time.
Slide out rangehood
These can also be referred to a retractable rangehoods and are great space savers. The fan and light turns on as you slide out the hood and can be pushed back out of sight when you’re finished.
Fixed rangehood
Fixed rangehoods are as the name suggests fixed to the wall and not designed to be installed/concealed into cabinetry. They are generally not as attractive as the other types of rangehoods but are perfect for those on a budget.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
There are a number of things you need to keep in mind when choosing your rangehood…
Space
You may be limited by the area above your cooktop as to what type you can choose. Before you start looking you must measure the space you have.
Ducted or Recirculating
You must decide if you want your rangehood to be ducted or not. Ducted simply means it takes the air out of the kitchen and sends it outside through piping installed. The alternative is a recirculating rangehoods that recirculates the air via a filter, which cleans the air before sending it back into the kitchen. Grease and oil are captured in the filters that need to be cleaned and maintained or replaced regularly. Many brands are now offering dishwasher safe filters that will make cleaning.
Recirculating is not as powerful, but if you are unable to use ducting this could be a good alternative.
Power or Extraction Rate
The power of a rangehood is measure in m3/hour. The higher the air extraction rate, the greater the amount of air will be removed from your cooktop. Dependent on the type of cooking you do, power may not be needed. If you wok a lot, consider a higher extraction rate of over 700m3/hour.
Lighting
There is nothing worse than not being able to see what you are cooking! But on the flip side, you do not want to be blinded as you whip up your dinner. The choice will come down to preference so be sure to test out the lighting instore as some have dimming functions. Also check the lights lifespan and that the replacement globes will be easy to replace and buy.
Noise
Do you live in open plan layout where others may be watching TV or relaxing in an adjoining lounge area as you prepare dinner?
New technologies in rangehood motors mean that you can now have an off board motor meaning the motor or part that makes the noise is installed in the roof instead of being part of the visible rangehood in your kitchen. This means that the noise is significantly reduced almost to a silent operation level.
Finish
Cooktops come in a variety of colours and finishes from stainless, gloss, matt and colour options such as grey and white.
You’ve cooked the perfect meal. Your guests are happy, you’re happy… but in the kitchen you’re faced with a mountain of washing up… having the perfect cleaning partner in the kitchen will let you get back to doing the things you enjoy. Choosing the right dishwasher might not seem like a hard task, but with the plethora of different products on the market it can get confusing.
Freestanding
Many kitchens have a dedicated, open spot for the dishwasher, usually next to the sink, so it is convenient to stack and the waste water can be connected to the pipes. A freestanding dishwasher can stand alone at the end of the bench with a hard top and sides.
Built Under
Like the freestanding, your kitchen has a dedicated space, but a built under model simply fits under the lip of the bench top, it does not have a hard top and is fixed into the surrounding cabinetry.
Integrated
Dishwashers can also be integrated into your cabinetry for stylish uniformity. You can choose between fully or semi-integration – fully-integrated means the dishwasher is seamlessly hidden behind the cabinetry and matches in with other cabinetry, semi-integrated allows you to see the settings and dials, with the body of the dishwasher hidden behind a door panel specially made to match your cabinets.
DishDrawer™
DishDrawers™ are available as one or two draws, which fit ergonomically under the benchtop at waist height. As the name suggests, the drawer design is as easy to use as your normal drawer. Dishdrawers™ come in a variety of options including single, double, tall, wide and integrated to suit the design or space in the kitchen. With one installed, they are ideal for a smaller kitchen. A double dish drawer allows you to run two different wash cycles at once or gives you the flexibility to run only one, should you only have enough dirty dishes to fill one drawer
THINGS TO CONSIDER
In choosing a style that suits, you should think about the following…
Space
Measure the space you have to fit your dishwasher. If you have higher benchtops you may be able to fit a ‘tall tub’ dishwasher into your space which is simply a little taller than the standard dishwasher and in turn giving you a little extra room. If you are designing a kitchen, it may be worthwhile considering higher benchtops to enable a tall tub to be installed.
Size
Dishwasher capacity is measured in place settings – essentially the maximum number of plates and utensils that can fit in each wash. There are three options:
Regular to full sized: 12 – 15+ place settings. Idea for a family of four or more.
Slimline: 6-9 place settings and is 45cm wide. Suitable for kitchens tight on space.
Compact: 6 or less place settings. These are often either for the benchtop or
Energy and Water Rating
Check the energy and water ratings to find the most environmentally friendly dishwasher to suit your needs.
Functionality
Most dishwashers have a number of different wash cycles you can choose from, allowing you to suit how soiled your load is or half wash cycles so you can wash a part load with full peace of mind you are not wasting energy and water.
Shelving and Racks
Many dishwashers on the market offer innovative flexibility inside, with adjustable shelves and cutlery trays or baskets. Some cutlery shelves are full width and others ¾ width to enable long stem glasses such to fit in the top shelf. Not all dishwashers have the same configuration or flexibility in shelving so it is important to look inside, see how easy or hard it is to change the shelving to suit your changing needed.
Noise
There is nothing worse than settling in to watch TV, the dishes are in the dishwasher and you turn it on. Part way through your favourite show, it sounds like you are taking a shower on the couch! Dishwashers will have dB rating which is an indication of how loud the dishwasher will be when in operation so be sure to check the rating before you buy.
Are you wanting to cook your meals to perfection and need something speedy? Do you need to defrost something or reheat some left overs?
Microwaving is the most energy efficient type of cooking as it’s fast and has a low running cost. There are three types of microwaves on the market:
Conventional
These are often referred to as standard microwaves. They are generally more simple in functions, no fuss and handy for heating pre prepared meals on the run or for simple defrosting.
Convection
Often referred to as ‘combi microwaves’ These provide more variety in cooking than a conventional microwave, allowing you to adjust the settings for browning, crisping and baking as they have the addition of a grill and fan. It is a useful addition to your standard cooking appliances, providing you extra space when cooking for many, or a simple and fast alternative when cooking for few.
Steam
For the ultimate in microwave flexibility by adding the additional feature of steam cooking to the grill and microwave functions. Steam microwaves offer steam only functionality as well as combination with grilling and microwave functions.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Some things you should consider when thinking about a microwave purchase…
Inverter or Not?
Inverter technology was designed to assist in more even heating results being achieved. If you want to heat something at 50% power level, a non-inverter model will switch between off and full power setting to provide an average 50% heating. Inverter allows the power to be regulated and in this instance will provide a consistent 50% power level across the total heating time, rather than the traditional ‘on and off’ methods.
Space
Do you have a dedicated spot or will you have to give up bench top space? If you are putting your microwave into a dedicated spot, you may want to consider a trim kit which frame your microwave in your kitchen, allowing you an integrated look in your kitchen.
Size
Microwaves generally range from 20 to over 40 litres. How you use your microwave and where it will be housed will impact on which one is best for you. The larger capacity allows you to fit larger plates and prepare more food, but if you’re only reheating or defrosting, a smaller option might suit.
Functionality
Are the functions easy to understand and adjust? How will use you use it? Therefore, do you need a simple press and go, or one with advanced cooking features that let you adjust the temperature and type of cooking.
Turntable or Flatbed
Microwaves now often come with the option of flatbed technology or the traditional turntable. Flatbed microwaves are simply without the turntable and give you a much large cooking area as you do not need to allow the space for the turntable to turn. Also with a flat design, there is no need to remove the turntable to clean the bottom of your microwave.
Quick Tip – Kitchens sell houses. Even if you’re not planning on selling, investing in good quality appliances and smart and functional designs are essential.
