Question of the Day, Friday, July 6

[Winchester]

Good morning!

Since we are working on our kitchen "thing", today's question is about kitchens and is two-part.

1. What do you love about your kitchen?

2. What do you hate about your kitchen and would change if you could so?

 

[Draco]

I love nothing about my kitchen except it has a gas stove/oven.

I hate it's so tiny with only 1 foot of counter space and no drawer for utensils. I've been using my dishwasher as storage for larger dishes and utensils. It's a small galley kitchen.

 

[catsallaround]

Our kitchen was to be redone but it isn't going to happen.

I like nothing but I put an AC unit in window in front of sink so doing dishes is cool

Hate

Pipes leak, washer is in there, stove is preventing drawer from opening, kitchen is from 50's and the cabinets and drawers are all metal and none open right/stay closed.  it is small and 2 people in will bump into each other non stop.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I love my custom built oak cabinets.  I detest my vinyl floor.  But I am blessed and really not complaining.

 

[rosiemac]

I have oak units and l love them, but it's my built in oven that l really love

 

[coolcat]

I love !..
But isn`t finish yet....:disa: so I should to finish it for think what can we do for improve...


Great question Pam!...:bigthumb:

 

[-_aj_-]

My kitchen is tiny and needs redecorating which I'm in the process of doing its an awful red colour at the moment, if I have any cream left from painting the sitting room its getting done cream instead if the red

It's only big enough for a double unit counter, sink, oven and washer heaven knows where my fridge is going to go

 

[catlover19]

I love that it is big. There is a lot of cupboard space and the cupboards are deep so they fit a lot of stuff. 

I hate the colour of the walls (ugly green, the bathroom is the same colour) but we rent so we aren't going to repaint. I also don't like that there is only one sink (I prefer double sinks) and its right against the wall with barely any counter space beside it for my dish rack and that there are no outlets near the sink. We want to get a portable dishwasher, but there is nowhere to plug it in so we would have to run an extension cord across the kitchen. 

 

[swampwitch]

I love that our kitchen is big. It's almost 1/4 of our house (it is a tiny old farmhouse that the city grew around). Two entire walls are windows/french doors so it's very light and overlooks the garden. I can see the Washington state mountains from our kitchen, too, for when I'm homesick for the U.S.

I don't like that there's no dishwasher... and no way to put one in without tearing the entire kitchen apart...

But still the good outweighs the bad!

 

[tarasgirl06]

I love just about everything about my kitchen!  And I can't think of anything I'd change, really.  

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I love the layout!  It's nice and open.  I have decent lighting (which is still much better than I had at our last place) and plenty of work space!  I picked out some awesome knobs and pulls when we bought the house that DH put on.

If I could I'd upgrade the counters and flooring (laminate).  They are fine; just not so pretty.  I'd put recessed lighting in and some kind of pendant over the peninsula.

 

[margecat]

We remodeled our kitchen a few years ago, so I basically like it. It's on the large size, which is great. 

Things I like:

1.  The size

2.  There's plenty of counter space

3.  The colors (tans and browns)

4.  There's enough room for a table for 4

5. The Silestone countertop!

6.  The new appliances, especially the refrigerator, with an ice maker--so nice during this heat wave!!!! It's the first time I've had an ice maker and a double-door refrigerator, and I love the bottom drawer freezer

Things I don't like:

1.  A tiny window that lets very light

2. I hate having a corner sink--I'd like the window over the sink, like everyone else has

3.  And the corner behind the corner sink!  I can barely reach it while on a step stool, in order to clean there (my arms are just a bit too short).  Dust always collects there, and along the top edge of the backsplash strip of the Silestone countetop. As it's brown, the dust really shows

4.  And the corner AGAIN...the underside of the corner upper cabinet has an open triangle. The Hooligan Sisters know about it. When we try to trap them to take them to the vet, they climb up inside!  I've been bugging DH for 2 years now to seal if off. Try getting a very scared small cat, who's clinging to the grout lines of the backsplash, out of a confined wall space, and multiply that by 3!

 

[Winchester]

We have an eat-in kitchen with cabinets around three walls. The house is about 30 years old now, so the kitchen has seen better days.

What I don't like:

1. Not enough space for everything

2. Older, dark cabinets

3. A small window above the sink with a northern exposure means the kitchen is very dark. In the winter, I always have to have lights turned on. During the summer, we have an AC unit in that window, so I'm still using lights.

4. Not enough room to knead yeast doughs and roll out pastry and such. Every time I make bread or roll out cookie dough or pie dough, I have to move everything from the counter top to the kitchen table before I can start. (With seven cats in the house, all of whom surf the countertops regularly, I also have to completely clean the countertop before starting to cook, but that's another story.)

5. We have a primarily white kitchen floor.....I don't know what I was thinking when we bought that. No matter how I try to keep it clean, it's always dirty.

6. We have a white formica countertop....ick. It's a pain to keep clean and shows scratches and such.

What I like:

1. We bought a new stove about four or five years ago with a double oven and that really comes in handy.

2. When we installed the water system in the basement, we bought a new dishwasher. I hate doing dishes, so I love the dishwasher.

3. Several years ago, we replaced the old sliding glass door with a wooden French door. It's probably one of the best things we did. Both doors open, not just one, and with the ceiling fan on (and the bay windows open in the living room), it creates a wonderful breeze throughout the kitchen and living room.

 

[margecat]

We have an eat-in kitchen with cabinets around three walls. The house is about 30 years old now, so the kitchen has seen better days.

What I don't like:

1. Not enough space for everything

2. Older, dark cabinets

3. A small window above the sink with a northern exposure means the kitchen is very dark. In the winter, I always have to have lights turned on. During the summer, we have an AC unit in that window, so I'm still using lights.

4. Not enough room to knead yeast doughs and roll out pastry and such. Every time I make bread or roll out cookie dough or pie dough, I have to move everything from the counter top to the kitchen table before I can start. (With seven cats in the house, all of whom surf the countertops regularly, I also have to completely clean the countertop before starting to cook, but that's another story.)

5. We have a primarily white kitchen floor.....I don't know what I was thinking when we bought that. No matter how I try to keep it clean, it's always dirty.

6. We have a white formica countertop....ick. It's a pain to keep clean and shows scratches and such.

What I like:

1. We bought a new stove about four or five years ago with a double oven and that really comes in handy.

2. When we installed the water system in the basement, we bought a new dishwasher. I hate doing dishes, so I love the dishwasher.

3. Several years ago, we replaced the old sliding glass door with a wooden French door. It's probably one of the best things we did. Both doors open, not just one, and with the ceiling fan on (and the bay windows open in the living room), it creates a wonderful breeze throughout the kitchen and living room.

I've always wanted a double oven! I have no need for one, but I've always wanted one! I hardly use my single oven.

The first dishwasher I ever had was in our apartment, and, now, I wouldn't willingly live without one.  I find hand-washing dishes sort of relaxing, but it does tear up my skin, especially in the winter. Also, I think that one of the best uses for a dishwasher is having a place to stash the dirty dishes in a hurry, and are too tired/lazy to hand wash them!

About you cabinets: can you paint them? I've always loved the white cabinets look.  Also, if they are in good shape otherwise, and you like the layout, you could get them re-faced.  A neighbor had that done, and they were gorgeous--looked brand-new.  Another source: eBay. We bought ours there. They are all wood, no particleboard. he only catch: you have to assemble them, but it wasn't hard to do, just a bit bulky to handle.  I was able to get maple 10 maple cabinets for less than $2000-and about $300 of that was for the shipping. They get delivered shrink-wrapped on a pallet.  You could even buy (cheaply) a sample from the seller, before buying the cabinets, and they were so nice to work with, and very helpful.

 

[feralvr]

I LOVE my kitchen. We have an open floor plan and the kitchen has vaulted ceilings with an eat in bay window on one side and the dining room on the other. Lots of windows that let in a ton of light. I would redo our cabinets if we could. A bit outdated. We added all new hardware and knobs which freshened up the cabinets. We also just had granite installed last summer. Looks really nice now.

 

[Winchester]

I've always wanted a double oven! I have no need for one, but I've always wanted one! I hardly use my single oven.

About you cabinets: can you paint them? I've always loved the white cabinets look.  Also, if they are in good shape otherwise, and you like the layout, you could get them re-faced.  A neighbor had that done, and they were gorgeous--looked brand-new.  Another source: eBay. We bought ours there. They are all wood, no particleboard. he only catch: you have to assemble them, but it wasn't hard to do, just a bit bulky to handle.  I was able to get maple 10 maple cabinets for less than $2000-and about $300 of that was for the shipping. They get delivered shrink-wrapped on a pallet.  You could even buy (cheaply) a sample from the seller, before buying the cabinets, and they were so nice to work with, and very helpful.

When our last oven bit the dust and we had to buy a new one, I decided on a double oven and now, I'd be lost without it. It's nothing much, the second oven is down where the drawer is normally located, so I still have the big oven for large turkeys and such. The small oven goes to 450 degrees and I can only put in short-type casseroles as it's not real big. A 9 x 13 casserole fits the oven nicely. A nice pan of cookies, too, sometimes. I don't use it all the time, but when everybody gets together at our house, that little oven is a godsend.

Actually, when it comes to doing large turkeys, hams, and such, I use our large electric Nesco roaster. It works beautifully. I can put it in the computer room, shut the door, and the roaster does its thing. That leaves me the big oven for side dishes and the little oven for rolls, etc. Works like a charm!

As for painting the cabinets, I bought the Rustoleum Cabinet Transformation Kit a few weeks ago, but haven't had it tinted yet.  We were actually going to start work on the kitchen cabinets this week (today, in fact), but then Rick decided that if we're really going to do this, we should at the very least check out what new cabinets would cost, so we're doing that. He works for a cabinet manufacturer and gets a nice discount, so it's worth it to check out. The problem is that their HR dept is slow as molasses and we're still waiting for information.

I like the basic layout of the kitchen overall, I guess, but because of other issues, the cabinets have to be changed around. I have 22 cabinets now and a pantry closet and, with the changes I'd like to do (dealing with putting in a larger window and eliminating that pantry closet), that will cut me down to only 20. Plus, with moving cabinets around the window, I also have to move electrical switches and sockets.

These pictures are about five years old...I haven't taken any new kitchen pictures lately. You can see the dark cabinets.....I really do hate them. And, other than the French door at the other end of the kitchen, there's just this wee little window. Because it's a northern exposure, there's little natural light. And that means that pretty much whenever I'm cooking, I have to have lights turned on. And notice that we put a replacement window in there; that cuts down on the light even more. So we're looking at a larger window, just not sure if I want a bay window or just a large flat window.  Don't mind the white stove; it's gone now and the new stove is pictured below.



We did install a light above the sink at the window....it's really 3 lights, so that gives me more light now. And we put a valance at the window, too. Finally....I think that window was bare for almost 25  years before we put the valance up. There are two cabinets on the other side of the window and sink as well as the dishwasher and a bottom cabinet.

See where the crock pot is? There in the corner? That's where I do most of my food prep. And that's where I knead yeast doughs and roll out cookie and pastry doughs. There's not enough room in that corner at all. And I have to move everything before I can even start with my doughs. It's frustrating. I would love to have a wide counter area where I can knead and roll my doughs out without having to move everything around. I love kneading bread dough. I'm really messy at it, but I love doing it.

The KA mixer is Baby Blue. On the other side of the sink is Big Red, my big KA. Love my KAs!



This is the range that we bought when the other one died. I really like my range. The second oven is in that little bottom drawer, leaving me the big oven for large turkeys and such. It's convection, too, so when I'm in a hurry, I can do 4-5 pans of cookies at a time (convection is wonderful, IMO, and I use more often than I ever thought I would....it's great when making a stuffed acorn squash, for example....I can get it done so much quicker. Spareribs are wonderful, too. And man, I can bake cookies! Lots of cookies). The oven has a Proof feature for when I'm raising yeast doughs...comes in handy during the winter to keep the right temperature. My mother makes fun of me because I use a timer. But I'm usually doing a bunch of things at one time, and it's easy for me to forget what's going on sometimes. The left side of the range has a bridge burner. That comes in handy when I'm melting butter and brown sugar in long pans when I'm making sticky buns. I can heat the whole side, the front burner, or the rear burner. Oh, and it has a warming burner in the very back, too.

Our old microwave was also convection and when we had to replace the microwave, we couldn't find one with convection. I really missed it. So when we found this stove, we grabbed it.

My next range will be dual-fuel. Gas stove with an electric oven. It would mean putting in a gas line with a tank, but gas is so much better to cook with. OTOH, I like the consistency of an electric oven.

And, of course, you can see what's in the top oven.....cookies!

 This was right after we got it and Rick insisted that I make snickerdoodles to "try out the oven". There are five racks in large oven, so when I'm using convection, I can do 4-5 racks of cookies at one time, if I choose. Depending on how much of a hurry I'm in, it comes in handy. Especially at Christmas when I spend an entire day baking cookies.



So that's pretty much what my kitchen looks like. It's nice overall, I guess, but it really does need more than a few tweaks. I spend most of my time in my kitchen, so it's important to me to have a kitchen that functions with me.