Are you moving into a new house and are making a checklist of essentials for your kitchen? Perhaps, you are just looking for a new kitchen appliance to spruce up your cooking. Read on to see some of the must-have kitchen appliances for effortless home cooking!
Hobs
Kitchen hobs are an absolute necessity in homes for cooking. There are mainly two types of hobs in the market — gas and induction hobs.
Gas Hobs
The gas hob functions such that gas travels up to the burner rings and is ignited when you turn the knob connected to its lighter spark. Gas hobs are great for a variety of cooking styles and cookwares such as a wok or tall pots. However, it is harder to clean the narrow gaps between the burner ring and its protruding grip when bits of food drops inside it. Even though it is less energy efficient compared to the induction stove, it is ultimately cost-savings as it consumes less electricity. It is worth considering having a gas stove if you cook regularly at home!
Induction Hobs
Induction hobs are dependent on electricity with electricity traveling through its strongly wound copper coils underneath each zone. In turn, an electromagnetic field is created which causes a reaction between the induction zone on the hob and the bottom of the cookware. The electromagnetic field will flow into the cookware and generate a current inside of it which then produces heat for cooking. It is child-friendly and much easier to clean with its smooth surface. However, only cookware with magnetic metal bases will be able to work with the induction cooker.
Whether you are looking for a gas or induction hob in Singapore, we highly suggest checking out high-quality and reputable Miele’s stoves. You can check out Miele’s wide array of kitchen hobs at (link).
Hoods
The perfect partner with kitchen hobs would be hoods. While whipping up delicious meals, the kitchen hoods will help to ensure your kitchens remain well-ventilated with fresh air. There are 2 major categories of hoods in the market – the updraft and downdraft hood.
Updraft Hood
As its name suggests, the updraft hood takes in odours, grease and moisture from above your kitchen hobs. There are 3 different types of common updraft hoods in the market.
Chimney
The first type of updraft hood is the chimney hood which is placed against an adjacent wall and is directly above your kitchen hob. It is rather chunky but its size makes up for by being powerful enough to take in heavy fumes. It is highly suitable for you if you intend to cook on a daily basis as it ensures that your kitchen will always be well-ventilated. However, space that could have been meant for storage cabinets or light fixtures will be taken up by the chimney hood.
Slimline
The slimline updraft hood is a thin, horizontal hood that is installed above hobs but is fitted under your cabinets. It is a choice worth considering if you are looking to have more storage space in your kitchen or a minimalist aesthetic. However, its slimmer size means that it is not as powerful as the chimney updraft hood in taking in grease and moisture due its smaller fans. It is an option to think about if you are not cooking regularly.
Island
Island hoods are placed above hobs on island countertops. Island hoods are similar in appearance and functions to the chimney hoods. However, due to the larger surface area of island countertops, more power is required to absorb the grease, moisture and odours. Hence, it will consume more electricity and be pricier to maintain in the long run.
Downdraft hood
Downdraft hood is distinctively different from the updraft hood. It works such that it sucks in the emissions from your cooking through a horizontal blower and out of a duct. Downdraft hoods are usually placed behind or around your hobs. It is typically 8 to 10 inches tall and can be hidden under the countertop when not in use. This makes the downdraft hood a great minimalist accessory for your kitchen if you are looking for a minimalist aesthetic for your kitchen.
However, the downdraft hood is unable to accommodate effectively for certain cookware such as tall pots as it is unable to absorb the moisture and odours produced. Additionally, even though downdraft models have improved its fan speed to be comparable to updraft hoods, it still lacks in absorbing large amounts of fumes effectively. If you do not cook often or do not have a large family to cook for, the downdraft hood is a choice worth considering!
A premium quality of kitchen hoods to consider would be that from De Dietrich. You can view De Dietrich’s impressive catalogue of kitchen hoods right here (link).
Fridges
Another must-have for homes is a fridge to ensure perishable foods will remain fresh, cool and last for a longer time. This is especially so in tropical countries, like Singapore where humidity and temperature are high, making perishables susceptible to being spoiled.
Freestanding Fridge
Freestanding fridges are probably the image that comes to mind when we think of fridges. There is a large variety of freestanding fridges in the market for you to choose from with different storage compartments, sizes and functions.
Freestanding fridges are standalone and able to be fit into anywhere in the kitchen. It is less eye pleasing as it tends to protrude out and generally has cracks in between spaces with other kitchen furniture.
However, it is generally cheaper than integrated fridges and are more accessible in the case of repairs compared to integrated fridges.
Integrated Fridge
Like its name, integrated fridges are fitted into a kitchen cabinet and have cabinet doors fastened on its front. There are two models of integrated fridges – ‘fixed’ or ‘sliding’ hinge models, which are cabinet doors suited to appliance and housing cabinets.
If you are looking for a picturesque kitchen where all kitchen appliances fit in with each other, the integrated fridge will be an impressive addition. It is also more silent compared to freestanding fridges with insulation from the cabinets.
However, with the extra cabinetry, it makes the integrated fridge more expensive and makes it harder to reach during maintenance.
Some of the top quality fridge brands in the industry include Sub-Zero and Liebherr. Sub-Zero’s and Liebherr’s catalogue of top-notch freestanding and integrated fridges can be found here (link)
Microwaves
With the bustle of city life, sometimes there is just simply not enough time to cook. Perhaps, you are just tired after a day of work and just need something to fill your stomach before jumping into bed.
Microwaves are just the solution for you as it enables convenient cooking and is great for easy food preparation as well. However, how do microwaves work?
Microwave ovens function on magnetrons in which a vacuum tube allows the electrons to oscillate to the same frequency of microwaves. The stirrer enables the microwaves to be spread evenly and will be reflected inside the microwave oven. In turn, the water molecule’s vibrate which then heats up your food!
Built in Microwaves
Built in microwaves are nicely fitted into a wall or cabinet which helps to save countertop space. It is usually installed over the kitchen range or oven and is able to fit seamlessly with the rest of your kitchen appliances. A built in microwave is a notable choice to consider in freeing countertop space.
However, it is usually pricer compared to countertop microwave ovens. A licensed contractor is needed to ensure proper installation to prevent potential fires due to improper ventilation.
Countertop Microwave
Countertop microwaves are portable and can be placed anywhere in your kitchen. There are a myriad of countertop microwaves of different sizes, models and functions that are available in the market for you to choose from. These countertop microwaves are generally cheaper compared to built-in microwaves and can be replaced easily. However, for those with limited counter space or small kitchens, larger countertop microwave ovens can be seen as an impediment.
If you are wondering which brand of microwave ovens would last you for a long time, we recommend Gaggenau! Check out Gaggenau’s catalogue of trusted microwave ovens right here (link).
Ovens
Have you ever dreamt or seen one of those dreamy movie scenes where the aromatic smell of freshly baked goods wafts through your home. Well, dream no more and get an oven! The oven is an awesome companion for your home and is a potential time saver for easier, more efficient cooking. With multiple types of ovens available in the market, let’s see the breakdown of each oven!
Single/Double Ovens
The more commonly known ovens available in the market are the conventional and convection ovens which can come either as a single or double oven depending on the product.
Conventional Oven
Conventional ovens are your traditional ovens with their heating elements placed uniformly. However, this causes food to not always be heated fully as the heat does not necessarily reach all parts of food due to different shapes of food. It is also to note that there might also be a temperature difference between foods placed on the higher and lower racks.
This is not to say that conventional ovens are all bad! If you are looking to use the oven mainly for foods requiring a lot of moisture such as puddings or cakes, the conventional oven will be a great option. Conventional ovens also do not have fans which tends to make foods drier. Additionally, if you are just starting out to use an oven, a conventional oven might be a preferred choice as many recipes available online are based on using the conventional oven.
Convection Oven
A distinct difference between the conventional oven and conventional ovens is its use of fans. The fans in a convection oven helps to ensure that heat is spread out evenly during cooking. With multiple fans, it also helps to heat food up faster at a lower temperature, saving time and electricity.
Convection ovens also allow you to cook multiple foods at once. Due to its fans, it helps to ensure that heat reaches food on different racks equally, making for more efficient cooking! However, as mentioned earlier, foods do tend to be drier in convection ovens with its use of fans. A water bath can be used with foods requiring extra moisture in the oven’s air to ensure it is moist. Another option could be to consider the convection steam or combi ovens to avoid such fuss.
Convection Steam/ Combi-Steam Oven
A popular oven option in the market, the convection steam oven uses both convection and steam cooking. With its use of heated, pressurised steam, this helps to cook foods faster while retaining its nutrients, allowing you to make healthier foods with beautiful colour! Additionally, a moist environment remains despite the use of fans, preventing your food from drying out.
However, the combi-steam oven is not suitable for foods requiring browning or crisping. Even very delicate foods such as certain cakes and baked goods might not be able to handle the steam oven. Although, this is dependent on the model purchased as certain models allow you to choose to utilise either the steam feature or regular oven feature.
Even when you are cooking different dishes in the oven at the same time, there will not be cross-flavouring of foods. The combi-steam oven is an impressive appliance worth considering to be placed in your homes for easier, faster cooking.
The price range of a combi-steam oven however is more expensive than the other two ovens mentioned and could take a lot of space, especially countertop models. You should also be wary of adjusting the cooking times taken from traditional recipes as the combi-steam oven does cook quicker than conventional or convection ovens.
If you are contemplating on buying any of the ovens mentioned, we recommend checking out Betrazzoni, a premier, established brand in the market. You can check out Betrazzoni for its quality ovens right here (link).
Wine Fridge and Wine Chiller/Cooler
Wine fridges or wine chillers might not be the first option that comes into mind, but it is a necessary kitchen appliance! Whether you are a wine connoisseur or are just using wine for cooking, it is important to store your wines correctly rather than just placing it in your regular fridge.
Typically, when people place their wines in a normal fridge, they tend to place it vertically to save space which is incorrect! Wines have to be placed horizontally so that the sediments in the wine would not be affected. Additionally, temperatures of a typical fridge always fluctuates which will affect the wine too. With the many other foods and objects placed in the fridge, this will affect the eventual quality of your wine when the cork shrinks or becomes porous.
A conventional fridge also aims to keep food dry and cold, which is undesirable for wines that have to be kept at a certain humidity. A wine fridge or wine chiller typically allows you to monitor the temperatures and humidity to ensure your wines are kept in optimal conditions.
Now that we know how important it is to store your wine properly, let’s break down some differences between wine storage options — the wine fridge and wine cooler!
Wine Fridge
A wine fridge functions using a compression cooling technology like your conventional fridge. In turn, the wine refrigerator is slightly louder than the wine cooler with its low buzzing sound produced.
It is much larger in storage space compared to a wine cooler with models typically holding at least 30 bottles. In turn, wine fridges are also more costly compared to wine coolers, in addition to more functions. WIne refrigerators can also be set to temperatures below 7.2 ℃ which a typical wine cooler does not reach.
Wine Chiller/ Wine Cooler
A wine chiller or wine cooler operates using either the above-mentioned compressor or through thermoelectric cooling. Thermoelectric cooling refers to heat of a wine chiller’s internal chamber and its outside environment being exchanged using a metal rod. This means that the room in which the wine chiller is situated should not be too warm as thermoelectric cooling produces temperatures slightly lower than its outside environment.
Without a compressor, it produces less vibration which prevents wine sediments from being disturbed and a quieter appliance. It is also more environmentally friendly with its energy saving ability and lack of dangerous emissions or chemicals.
However, it is smaller in size, typically carrying more than 10 bottles. Although, its small size makes it more portable.
Compressor-based wine chillers will be better for environments with higher temperatures and if you have a larger collection. Most built in wine chillers do function on a compressor as well.
Another interesting function of both wine chillers and fridges available in the market is that there are single and dual zones for either. Single zone wine fridges or wine coolers means there is only one uniformed temperature in a shared storage space. Dual zones have two temperatures with different storage sections. You should opt for a dual zone wine fridge or wine cooler if you have red and white wines since both are ideally kept at different temperatures.
If you are looking for high quality wine fridges or wine coolers, we recommend Kadeka’s products. See the link to explore Kadeka’s wine fridges and wine coolers here (link).
Dishwashers
After all the cooking is done, you might be tired or simply feel a bit lazy to do the dishes piling in the sink. Dishwashers can help you solve this issue of going through a pile of dishes!
Dishwashers help to clean your used cookware more thoroughly with its use of high temperature to get rid of germs and dirt that you cannot see with your naked eye. The pressurised water also helps to remove stubborn stains and difficult to reach nooks and crannies with handwashing. There are different temperature settings available to cater to different cookware from plates to pots. It helps you to save time and effort of handwashing all your dishes, giving you a more efficient and enjoyable overall cooking experience.
Furthermore, dishwashers can also help you to save water usage as it uses less water, which ultimately saves money. It is also a safer option compared to handwashing where accidents are prone to happen.
However, it is to note that some machines do use more water and dishwashers with their bulky size might be seen as unnecessary in smaller kitchens.
One of the best and premium brands for dishwashers is by Fisher & Paykel. Click here to see Fisher & Paykel’s catalogue of dishwashers! (link).
Conclusion
After reading about all the wondrous kitchen appliances available to help you have a more relaxing and efficient cooking experience, you might have some questions on which kitchen appliance fits your home best! Speak to our highly experienced specialists from Rina Electrical at our Shaw Centre showroom or call us at 6737 4351. You can even check out our website to view our extensive collection of kitchen appliances at https://rinaelectrical.com.sg/.
