Basic kitchen appliances are an integral component of any successful kitchen, enabling cooks to unleash their culinary creativity and craft delicious cuisine. However, not all appliances are created equal.
Multi-purpose appliances have become an increasingly popular trend as consumers search for devices to help save space and reduce clutter. Therefore, it is crucial that customers choose an appliance retailer who offers a range of options and warranties as their warranty needs.
Stove or Cooktop
Your kitchen should contain appliances designed for optimal use, yet even seemingly minor differences can make an enormous impactful statement about who you are as a cook. Your choice between a range or cooktop could change how your setup operates significantly.
A stove or cooktop (commonly referred to in British English as a hob) is an electric or gas-powered appliance used for direct heating of pans and pots on countertops, often installed alongside an oven for baking or roasting purposes.
Stove and oven combos come in both gas and electric versions and offer two to five burners, with optional griddles or specialty burners for additional functionality. A stove/oven combo may be beneficial to larger households that share meals regularly or those who want something that complements their counter space more seamlessly.
Oven
An oven is a large, enclosed cooking chamber powered by either gas or electricity to heat and cook food, often used as part of a range or separately installed into a kitchen’s wall.
Ovens provide an efficient means of baking, roasting and grilling foods. Equipped with temperature controls to regulate how much heat is being applied as well as timers that allow you to set an estimated cooking time, ovens are an invaluable addition to your kitchen arsenal.
Ovens can be heated from either the bottom or top, and some models include different cooking modes that target specific types of foods or preparation techniques – for instance convection baking and roasting.
Before buying an oven or range, take some time to assess your cooking needs and goals. Don’t get lured in by additional features you might never use that may drive up the price of your appliance.
Microwave
Microwave ovens cook food by emitting electromagnetic radiation in the microwave frequency range. This energy causes water molecules in foods to move around, creating friction which in turn generates heat.
The term “microwave” can be misleading as it doesn’t refer to actual waves but to the appliance which produces them – in this case an oven whose magnetron emits electromagnetic energy which creates microwave radiation.
These waves reflect off of the walls of your oven and travel along its turntable until they reach your food, where their waves reflect off polar molecules such as water, sugar, and fat causing rapid rotation which generates frictional heat.
Dielectric heating ensures food is cooked quickly, making the microwave oven an indispensable part of many kitchens since its introduction over fifty years ago.
Refrigerator
Refrigerators (commonly referred to simply as fridges) are modern appliances designed to store food and drinks cold. Refrigerators are essential in any kitchen as food deteriorates quickly at ambient temperatures; by keeping it cold in the fridge, freshness can be maintained longer.
Refrigerators can often be freestanding appliances that can be moved around as needed in a kitchen, though some are built-in into cabinetry for a cohesive look. There are also compact and portable refrigerators designed as secondary appliances in family rooms or offices.
To ensure your fridge is maintaining the appropriate temperature, use an appliance thermometer to monitor its internal temperatures on a regular basis. This is particularly important during power outages when food spoilage could pose health hazards. Also keep water stored in quart-sized plastic bags inside to maintain refrigeration even in an emergency power failure scenario.
