Appliances Assemble: creating a kitchen super-team

May 8th, 2012

Appliance Talk Kitchen

Seen The Avengers yet?

In between all the explosions, one-liners, and Robert Downey Jr stealing scenes, there are a few lessons we can learn about appliances.

Seriously.

If you’re putting together a kitchen, for example, you’ll need appliances that work well individually, but also come together as a team – assemble, if you will – to combine their unique powers and achieve cooking and cleaning greatness.

Here’s what I mean:

High tech innovation

The more modern variations of traditional appliances include a lot of whiz-bang technical bits that don’t just cover the surface with flashing lights to make it look tech-y and futuristic, but also provide some really useful functionality.

Many newer ovens and microwaves include specific cooking settings that produce the exact conditions required to perfectly cook particular meals.  They can also help prevent making mess, and sometimes even clean themselves up.

For example, this Bosch model combines the functions of an oven and a microwave, uses catalytic liners to help clean itself, has several safety features to keep your loved ones safe, and uses 20 different programs to perfectly cook your food without requiring constant attention.

It can be intimidating to have so many functions and special modes at your fingertips, but once you’ve mastered them, you’ll be able to start using them as creatively as a billionaire genius playboy philanthropist.

Raw power

Sometimes you don’t need subtlety or finesse. Sometimes you just need a lot of power to take on the big jobs.

If you know an appliance is going to have to handle a lot of work, then you’ll want the STRONGEST THERE IS.

If you want to SMASH the food from your dishes after cooking up a big greasy casserole, your dishwasher will need to be big to fit the plates, powerful to get through the grease, and tough to handle it all without stopping.

While most dishwashers stocked by Appliances Online are of a similar size on the outside, our mightiest models accommodate up to 15 place settings.  Many incorporate stainless steel sides for long-lasting toughness, and powerful wash settings to tear through grease and baked-on food like an enormous green rage monster with boxing gloves made of cars tears through a building.

Also, Smeg’s dishwashers come in a range of colours, though at time of writing, green wasn’t an option.

Energy efficiency and surge protection

High power bills?  Danger of electrical fires and short circuits?  I SAY THEE NAY!

All electrical appliances need power, and this power needs to be carefully managed to keep your bills low and keep your loved ones safe.  We’ve recently found out for ourselves how risky it can be to be sitting on top of a lot of energy.

So when choosing your kitchen appliances, consider their energy star ratings – the more stars, the better.  Kind of like casting a big-budget superhero movie – get plenty of Hollywood stars, and you should be onto a winner.

Unless your electricity is well-managed, it’ll be as unreliable as a god of mischief.  If you want to smite the threat of power surges damaging your appliances, consider investing in a good surge protector.  The overall lifespan of all of your appliances will be improved by having their energy use managed, and any unexpected surges will be knocked into Valhalla.

Long-lasting, reliable cooling

When we choose a fridge or freezer, we always want to find one that will last a long time, reliably keeping our favourite foods perfectly preserved until they’re needed.

One GE fridge managed to last without maintenance for 58 years – long enough to keep a two-fisted pulp hero in deep freeze right up until the modern day.

May newer fridges use innovations such as frost-free technology and temperature-controlled cool zones to operate efficiently and preserve the freshness of different foods as required.  This makes even long-term storage reliable, so you can buy ingredients in advance and have them on hand for when a day comes when you must call on them again.

Working as a team

Some appliances naturally play well with others.  Stocking your entire kitchen with appliances from a single brand will usually make sure they complement each other well.

But with the right leadership, even mismatched appliances can work together to overcome their differences and combine their strengths.

Consider the classic concept of the Kitchen Work Triangle, where the kitchen is arranged to make the most efficient use of your three most-used appliances – the fridge, the oven/cooktop and sink/dishwasher.

Your long-lasting fridge will keep your food and ingredients preserved until they’re ready to be cooked.  In a single effort, the meal can go into the oven or microwave, which can use its array of special features will take the hassle out of cooking, and do its part to clean up after itself, thanks to catalytic liners.  Once the meal is over, your dishes and any dirty oven trays can all be taken care of by your mighty  and powerful dishwasher.  And all the while, your surge protectors and energy-efficient appliances will keep your kitchen’s energy usage under control, and your loved ones safe from electrical accidents.

Sounds like a winning combination.