Lots of questions about the appliances we chose for our new home so here are all the details.
Let me start by saying we are not very fancy in this department. We are not coffee drinkers with built in espresso machines or chefs with all the latest cooking gadgets. We are kind of basic. There are lots of cool appliances out there like warming drawers, refrigerator drawers, wine chillers, etc, but that is just not us. We just need some appliances that work, have great reviews, are pretty and get done what we need.
OVENS:
I shared all the details about our ILVE range here. It works great for us. The cooktop is awesome, the oven works great and I honestly haven’t had it long enough to learn about all the fancy things it does. This brings us to our next appliance which is our built in oven in the butlers pantry. It is a Kitchen-Aid and it is exactly what we had in our last house so I know how to use it very well and I gravitate to this one. Not because the ILVE isn’t wonderful, I just am more comfortable with the one I know. I will have to report back after we have been in the house longer and I have had a chance to learn the ILVE better.
Originally we were going to do 2 built in wall ovens with a range cooktop which is what we had in our last home, but after looking at the ILVE range I realized we could have that and a wall oven for about the same price. I LOVED the look of the ILVE and we didn’t need the storage space under the range top so we decided to go this route. I just moved the pot and pan drawer to the side of the range instead of underneath the range top. We got 2.5 ovens, a cooktop and a gorgeous statement piece for around the same price.
DISHWASHER:
We only did 1 dishwasher because honestly that is enough for us. I would rather do more loads vs have things sitting in a 2nd dishwasher waiting to fill up. Again, we are not huge cooks. I could totally see how if you cook a bunch at home and have a large family how this would be amazing, but for us we just didn’t need it. We did a bunch of research and went with a MIELE dishwasher. It had the best reviews online. It also was panel ready so we could make it look like a cabinet. That was very important to me. To be honest, I am not sure I love it. Here is why, again, we are not traditional cooks so we are not typically washing a bunch of dinner plates, salad plates, salad bowls, etc. A lot of times we eat on paper plates so our dishes are things like water bottles, casserole dishes, random bowls, etc. It is said to hold the most of any other dishwasher, but I think that is only if you use a lot of plates. It is smaller than other dishwashers which I did not know. It is only by a few inches, but I notice it. I will say I do think it cleans better than any other dishwasher we have ever had and it dries better. That part I love and it has lots of configure options where you can move trays, slide things over, hold wine glasses, etc. The top 3rd rack is really nice for silverware, etc. I think most people LOVE it, but for me it is not what I am used to so I don’t love it as much. Maybe after more use and figuring out my layout, etc I will change my mind.
MICROWAVE:
We use the microwave all the time. This is probably our most used appliance. We did a Kitchen Aid built in one in our butlers pantry with a trim kit and then a second inexpensive one in our kitchen behind a hidden cabinet. I feel like there is always a line at the microwave so I am so glad we have 2. I considered doing a drawer microwave at one point, but opted against it. I had polled Instagram for thoughts on a drawer microwave vs a standard one and you can read all about that HERE.
(In the photo below you can see this hidden microwave cabinet closed)
FRIDGE/FREEZER:
I really wanted a split column fridge/freezer. I saw it in a magazine once and though it was amazing. I like the function and look of it. I also wanted integrated ones that we could put a cabinet front on. These are very expensive. There are not a ton of options and after a bunch of research Fisher & Paykel had the best option for us. They had great reviews, met all of our storage needs and were the most cost friendly. Still, expensive, but less that Sub Zero or some of the other options. We went with the 30″ columns. WE LOVE THESE. Having separate fridge and freezer columns really works for us. If someone is in the fridge and another person wants to get in the freezer you are not in anyone’s way. Based on the layout of our kitchen the fridge is on the left and the freezer on the right. We wanted the fridge closer to everything in the kitchen. Things to note. . .the model we got does not have a water dispenser, I think the newer model does on the interior. This did not matter to us because we did a filtered water dispenser at our sink. The freezer does have an ice maker drawer. Make sure you get ones with door swinging the right way for your kitchen design.
BAR FRIDGE:
I love our bar fridge. It is so cute and works great for our needs. The retro look is so fun. It comes in multiple colors, but black went the best in our space. There are also multiple sizes. We got THIS ONE. We use it to hold all of our drinks and the bottom has a freezer with 3 drawers that we use for ice with a scoop. You have to put your own ice in there so we fill with cubes from our kitchen freezer and also a drawer for Sonic ice. We considered doing a build in ice maker in here, we had one in our last house, however it was the worst appliance ever. It broke all the time. I had multiple appliance people say that ice makers are a pain and break often. We didn’t want to mess with that. If we need more in the future we may get a counter ice maker, but so far it has not been an issue.
LAUNDRY FRIDGE:
This is a super old fridge we have had for over 10 years, but it still works great. I like having a back up fridge in our laundry room when we need extra storage. I keep sodas in here, kids ice cream, etc. It is nothing fancy but works for us. It also has a water dispenser/ice dispenser so this is where the kids fill up there water bottles, etc. I also have it stocked with water bottles for when the kids come in from riding bikes, etc. They can just help themselves.
WASHER DRYER:
We have a Whirpool Cambrio washer and dryer that we have from our old house. It works great. I prefer top loading washer and dryers. My biggest tip would be add a 2nd washer and dryer in your closet if you have the space and your main laundry room is in another section of the house. I know lots of new builds are adding laundry rooms attached to primary closets and that makes a lot of sense. We didn’t do that because personally I used my laundry room as an extension of our mudroom so I like it by the back of our home. I like to walk through the garage, mudroom, laundry, etc. I used it as a drop zone and kind of our utility area, especially this chapter of life with kids. I could see in my retirement type of home having the laundry by my closet. Anyway, adding a stackable W/D in the closet is amazing. It is not a huge extra expense and is so useful. I just throw my laundry directly in the washer and when it is full I run a load and then hang everything up. Loving this feature! We got a Frigidaire from a local scratch and dent place. I didn’t care at all what it looked like, just that it worked.
OUTDOOR GRILL:
We have been in the house a month and it is winter, but I know we will get a lot of use out of this space when it gets warmer. So excited to have a built in outdoor grill! We chose this Coyote Grill. Geoff says he is going to become a grill master! I hope that is true!
Let me know if you have any questions about our appliances.
ALL NEW HOME POSTS HERE
**We are building our home with Joe Vastano with Joseph Paul Homes. The Joseph Paul Homes website is under construction. You can see his work on his Instagram and Facebook **