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palomalou_gw

RE: Things I would NOT recommend or things I dislike! #2

palomalou
15 years ago

I would NEVER choose a bi-level island. It looks good, and people like to sit at it when I'm cooking, but when prep space is needed, nearly half of the island is unusable.

Comments (34)

  • kompy
    15 years ago

    1. The big super pantries will swing out shelves. A waste of space and usually not adjustable shelving. Too gadgety for me.

    2. U-shaped kitchen, if given other good options. I didn't have a choice given my house layout and needs. But DH are always in each other's way. If it were larger by 3 more feet...it would be OK. It would also be OK for a one cook kitchen.

    3. Trash compactors

    4. Angular sink peninsula's (with bi-level bar) so prevalent in all the new homes today. sometimes the sink/dw is too far from dish storage.

    5. Side-by-side refrigerators. Sorry, just don't like 'em. Prefer bottom mount freezer styles.

    6. Microwave shelves hung right next to the range hood.

    7. Sometimes over the range microhoods are a necessity in a small kitchen. But if a kitchen is bigger, I don't like the way they look. The ventillation is pretty poor too.

  • natal
    15 years ago

    I would NEVER choose a bi-level island.

    The trick there is to make the working level deeper. I did that on our peninsula. The countertop is 30" deep and the raised bar is 18". Plenty of room no matter which side you're on.

    5. Side-by-side refrigerators. Sorry, just don't like 'em.

    I tend to agree, BUT it's a totally different animal when you're talking built-ins. I love mine! Lots of room and everything is easily accessible. Only thing I didn't like was the price. ;)

  • nightowlrn
    15 years ago

    We love the trash compactor for dry trash. We keep a smaller trash bin for messy/smelly stuff and empty that daily. I can't imagine not having it.

    Bi-Level island - Blech for us as well. Ours made much of the island useless and workspace was limited. The seating was redundant because the kitchen table is right behind it. The top part generally was a crap collector. Getting rid of the bi-level was the single best thing we did for kitchen usability. We had a party last night and a few people thought we bumped out the kitchen a few feet when all we did was drop the bi-level island to a single level.

  • igloochic
    15 years ago

    micro over the stove for all the reasons kompy mentioned

    karmen cabinets...pure crap

    couldn't live without our trash compactors!!

    separate appliances for everything (ie marghritta maker, hot dog cooker, pizza oven, etc)

  • neesie
    15 years ago

    Hated our trash compactor (came with the house); Most of the "dry trash" can go into the recycle container. Rule of thumb: containers that are kept in the cupboard can be recycled, containers that come out of the refrigerator or freezer cannot). We also compost. We decided to re-claim the room the trash compactor took up!

    Also would never recommend a stainless steel sink unless dullness and water spots don't make you crazy!

  • maydl
    15 years ago

    "I would NEVER choose a bi-level island."

    The "seating" end of our bi-level island will be counter height, same height as all our other counters and fine for any kind of prep; it will be 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep, plenty of space for a second cook to work or for a buffet. The real (i.e. my) "working" end of our island will be 4 feet wide and 2 feet deep, will be dropped by 3 inches for chopping and pastry work, and will have the prep sink. I don't think our two levels will be a problem at all.

    FYI, one of the happiest days of our lives in this house is when the trash compactor went out the door; we've loved the wine cooler that took its place.

  • bluekitobsessed
    15 years ago

    Hate trash compactors! New kitchen has recycle/trash pullout; I put the recycle bin up front as a hint, hint, hint to recycle more often. I also listened to this forum and bought a small compost jar from BB&B for green waste.

    Also on my list (these might be controversial):
    --gadget type things designed to use every last square inch but end up with breakdown-prone parts; lazy susans and pull up stands for mixers are on that list, sorry people
    --Very, very dark cabs (espresso or venge stain/paint) without making a significant effort to lighten up the room otherwise -- don't want to cook in a cave
    --Islands designed to seat more than 2 or 3 people in a row -- hard to carry on a conversation without some face to face time
    --Christopher Peacock in particular, and generally the mentality that demands the priciest appliances/highest maintenance countertop but never actually knows how to turn on the oven and roast a chicken
    --Pretty well everything in my old kitchen :)

  • sue_ct
    15 years ago

    Oh no, igloochic, no Margarita maker? How come? I wanted one of those and I don't usually go in for the one use appliances.

    Sue

  • morton5
    15 years ago

    I can't wait to get my compactor out of the kitchen, though I may move it to the garage and compact there. Also, I'm not a fan of ornate kitchen cabinets and trim; they would be too difficult for me to keep clean, though less messy families may not have an issue. I'm looking forward to getting rid of my white Corian sink; I can't get the stains out.

  • cpccarolyn_2008
    15 years ago

    Microwave oven range. Useless as an exhaust

  • edlakin
    15 years ago

    separate appliances for everything (ie marghritta maker, hot dog cooker, pizza oven, etc)

    these kind of things are a huge pet peeve of mine. alton brown calls them "uni-taskers" and, much to the frustration of my wife, i banish them from my kitchen. with the rare exception for items that make something that can't otherwise be made, like a waffle iron.

    this stuff is just invented to give people yet another cheap made in china piece of crap to buy. i saw one that claimed to be a "quesadilla maker" once. i already have a quesadilla maker--it's called a frying pan!

    my thing i wouldn't recommend is slate counters. we did them in our last kitchen, and while they gave us the look we wanted, they scratched so easily that we never quite got comfortable putting things on our counters, even after a few years. we'd always place things very. slow. ly. on. the. counter.

    i wouldn't use them again.

  • nomorebluekitchen
    15 years ago

    Things I hate:

    - tiny sink (about 6" across and 6" deep) for my garbage disposal. I can't wait to be rid of that thing!

    - the dopey twirl around pantry thing that can't hold anything larger than a can of beans in the entire 36" run

    - stainless sink

    BUT, I love my compactor and wouldn't do without it. I have a 2nd one in my pantry for recyclables which works so great in keeping them from taking over the house as the week wears on.

  • chrissiemw
    15 years ago

    -Stainless sink...hated mine! So glad it's new home is in the garage waiting for someone from freecycle to pick it up

    -OTR microwave...and unfortunately I am stuck with this awful thing. If it were up to me I wouldn't even OWN a microwave but dh thought I was from another planet when I suggested that alternative.

    -S/S fridge. HATE it with a passion. Again, dh insisted on this. We bought it 2 yrs ago and it's on craigslist. As oon as it's sold I'm going back to my beloved bottom mount freezer.

    -standard pantry that acted as if it were the black hole. It was narrow but the shelves were deep so I could never find anything and it never stayed organized. That was the first thing to demo when it came time! LOVE my pantry cabinet with full extension pull-out shelves. Nothing is ever out of place.

  • sweeby
    15 years ago

    I LOVE my bi-level island -- though I can see how I might not care for the loss of countertop space if I didn't have enough. The upper section space belongs to the 'visitors' side of the kitchen; the lower section belongs to the cook. So when we're entertaining, once a food item is 'done', I set it on the upper section; and things that are on my side are very clearly not ready. Unlike my MIL's large single-level island, my cooking mess is nicely contained and doesn't spill over onto the serving area, and visitors don't encroach into my work space.

  • kompy
    15 years ago

    Natal,
    RE: side-by-side refrigerators.
    Yes, I agree with you. The larger, built-in units are great! I thought about that after I posted.

  • joann301
    15 years ago

    The "integrated" soap dispenser that required an extra hole drilled into the granite will never be repeated at our house. Our first one leaked, which meant one person climbing under the sink, while the other person tried to unscrew the fitting on top of the counter. What a PITA. Dispenser #2 hasn't leaked, but it isn't great either. Next time just give me a nice dispenser that sits on the counter.

    Wouldn't waste my money on a warming drawer again, it takes too long to heat up.

  • arlosmom
    15 years ago

    We used double hung windows on the back wall to match what's on the rest of the house. I have to climb up on the counter to open them, so that'll almost never happen. On the other side, we had a custom casement window built to include a stained glass panel. I can easily reach the casements, and I open them all the time. Wish I'd used casements both places.

  • goldie5
    15 years ago

    Is there a post #1? I can't find it.

  • gshop
    15 years ago

    I love my compactor (along with my double recycle bins). I love my microhood convection oven (plenty of exhaust for my stove). And I love my SS side-by-side refrigerator!

    The only thing I don't like in my new kitchen is the gas on glass range. It is black and looks dusty all the time. But it cooks beautifully!

  • mmme
    15 years ago

    I hate reading how much people hate their OTR microwaves, because I just put mine in....

  • david123
    15 years ago

    We are getting set to spruce up our kitchen right now, so I have many things that I cannot stand about our kitchen.

    1. Cabinets that match the floor. We will paint them (a kitchen designer is actually helping me out with it!!)

    2. Over the stove microwave oven/vent. The vent does not even vent to the outside. Horrid. New kitchen will have adequate ventilation and a drawer microwave.

    3. Sink with equal size bowls. I grind small juice glasses and silverware all the time down the disposal. I cannot wait to have my GD in the small side sink. I will train my kids to put all dishes in the large side.

    4. A tiny refrig. We are getting rid of the cabinets and replacing them with smaller ones so we can fit a full size fridge

    5. Inadequate lighting. I will have undercounter lighting and recessed lighting put in by an electrician. I cannot wait!

  • rmkitchen
    15 years ago

    Those pull-out pantry units! We have three of them and hate each of them passionately. Vehemently!

    They are not really adjustable; they do not make good use of space; things (for example, cans) cannot be stacked in them. In hindsight we wish we'd done pull-out shelves below / middle, with fixed shelves up higher (necessitating a stepladder, sure, but we already need it to reach the top shelf of these pantries). With that, we could've stacked cans, we could've just opened up the doors and seen everything at once (as it is, we have to open each pantry unit separately).

    Hate them!

  • donnar57
    15 years ago

    "I hate reading how much people hate their OTR microwaves, because I just put mine in...."

    Well, I love mine, and am glad we put one in.

    So far I haven't really found anything in my new kitchen that I regret doing. I LOVE this kitchen and am enjoying it!

    DonnaR/CA

  • mamadadapaige
    15 years ago

    I am not a fan of corner sinks or corner ranges... wish i could explain why... I guess aesthestically I prefer straight clean lines, the angle just doesn't appeal to me.

  • loves2cook4six
    15 years ago

    I love my bi-level island. It literally floats above my counter with custom stainless steel corbels so I can use all the space under it right to the far edge. The whole setup is 30" deep.

    I also have a smallish u-shaped kitchen and 4 of us can work comfortably in it because it was designed in zones. Actually it is G-shaped which is even better. That closed off U keeps visitors out of the cook and prep zones and also separates the clean up zone from the cook zone.

    I would highly recommend setting up the new kitchen using cardboard boxes, tables etc; whatever it takes so you can get an idea of the flow for the room. We did it in the garage and walked through prepping dinner, a party etc. This helped us work out all the kinks. So far I can say that there isn't a thing I would change or not recommend (except the GC but that's another story LOL). I love my new kitchen.

  • mominthedubc
    15 years ago

    Goldie, yes, there is a post #1, I started it. But I can't find it either. I can't figure it out. Too bad, because there were some good ideas on there.

  • Circus Peanut
    15 years ago

    Corner cabinets of any stripe or ilk, with any kind of susan, lazy or energetic, or even plain shelving. Had them all, upper and lower: always hated them. Everything gets lost on fixed shelves, falls off the darned turntable, requires a zillion maneuvers to pull out the fancy hardware. Ugh! Nixed them entirely in my remodel by putting a prep sink above the one base corner I have, with access from the back side of the cab. Take that, corners!

  • reno_fan
    15 years ago

    Different strokes for different folks......

    LOVE LOVE LOVE our trash compactor. Took one out of our last kitchen remodel and replaced it with 2 pullout trash cans. I *hated* the trash pullouts! They were twice as bulky, and we had to empty them every day.

    The trash compactor is one unit (though we have a separate bin for curbside recyclables), and we empty it maybe once a week.

    I also love my corner lazy susan cabinets. I have 3 of them; one for spices, one for medicines and coffee/tea supplies, and one for little-used small gadgets. They totally make our corners useful, and I don't have things fall off the sides.

    Things I would not recommend:

    -OTR micro. I agree about that one. I hate how close to the cooktop they are, and the totally inadequate venting.

    -Open kitchens if you have teenagers and you don't have a house with enough "getaway" space for everyone. OUr last house only had one living room, which we opened to the kitchen in the remodel. It looked beautiful, and when it was just DH and I, we loved it. But when we were sitting down in the evening trying to unwind and watch a show and teaming throng of teenagers burst through the door and starts fixing food, getting ice, etc., we quickly began to hate the setup. We moved to a house with doors on the kitchen and 2 living rooms and couldn't be happier. (For now!)

  • raehelen
    15 years ago

    Our OTR MW is one of our favorite things in our new kitchen. I've never had a really good hood, so can't compare to one of those, but the 'Turbo' fan on our Panasonic is better than the old fan we had, and I couldn't 'give up' any of my counter or cabinet space to a MW...maybe if I had a bigger kitchen... But I find the location so convenient, we use ours several times a day, probably the most used appliance in our kitchen.

    I am learning to hate my chrome Lazy susan... looks pretty, but pretty useless. Please, if you're in the planning stages, look into getting and paying the extra $$$ for a Super Susan instead. Turntable on a wooden shelf, no centre pole gives you lots more room and no tipping/sticking... On the list of things for DH to build, two SS!!!

  • vadefeo
    15 years ago

    Goldie,

    Not sure this is the post you are looking for, but here is something similar.

    Va

    Here is a link that might be useful: Maybe the first message

  • Buehl
    15 years ago

    Here's the original thread. It's fallen off the hit list. I found it using a Google search using: mominthedubc + dislike

    Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Things I would NOT recommend or things I dislike!

  • goldie5
    15 years ago

    Many thanks to Gonzoe and Buehl for the links!

  • Buehl
    15 years ago

    bump

  • sayde
    15 years ago

    Not crazy about my downdraft Jennair. We put it in cause it was expedient at the time. Having a good ventilation is one of the main reasons to re-do the kitchen.