Kitchen Appliance Score

[zakthor]

We've lived in current house for more than 20 years. When we moved in it had a 2 year old custom kitchen. I'm still in the honeymoon phase and think it is great but...

The cooktop sparkers are weak, electrodes are NLA, a few of the burners have low flame even though I've cleaned the jets... After each cleaning the sparkers work until a pot boils over. Recently the microwave in the combo microwave/oven started making a burning smell so its off line...

We've been discussing new counters for a decade but the appliance damage is making change imperative.

Researching storage, appliances, etc, etc. Is hell to deal with these so called 'experts' and the prices are completely nuts as are the order delays. I think these 'kitchen designers' are scammier than a used car salesman.

Three days ago I spotted our exact jennair downdraft cooktop, new in box, on craigslist for $200. Coerced spouse into buying it, a drop in replacement while we make up our mind what we want to do with this kitchen thing.

Yesterday she texts me "I see your $200 cooktop and raise you a $50 combination oven", she found the final verision of our kitchenaid superbe microwave/convection oven for $50, again new in box it had sat in someone's garage for past 8 years. Our spot is 28.5" wide so only a few ovens fit. Score!

I could install the cooktop but for oven we're going to hire an actual expert. Wife wants a warming drawer put in below it.

I'm thinking the best approach is we find a place to lay hands on various slider drawer technologies, see what can be done to improve actual problems which are mostly to do with storage access.

Once we've got a clear idea what we want we can shop around and pull the trigger once. Hopefully I can do the sliders and custom drawers and we just pay for new counters and an underhung sink.

Those two appliances are the major gripes, could save us a lot more than the $6k we saved compared to buying new.

[2.7RS]

That's awesome !

Happy New Year to you

[masraum]

So your house has 22 year old appliances, and you managed to find new-in-box drop in replacements (newer, but direct replacements) on CL for practically free?

Dude, you've got some serious karma working for you. Congrats, the universe is trying to tell you "good job"!

[wilnj]

Re: countertops.

Not one regret about soapstone. What causes damage to other materials is considered patina for soapstone.


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[zakthor]

Originally Posted by masraum

So your house has 22 year old appliances, and you managed to find new-in-box drop in replacements (newer, but direct replacements) on CL for practically free?

Dude, you've got some serious karma working for you. Congrats, the universe is trying to tell you "good job"!

Big shout out to the spouse that tolerates and encourages this thrifting. I'm a lucky lucky person.

I was looking at reclaimed sparkers on ebay that cost more than we paid for the cooktop.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Re: countertops.

Not one regret about soapstone. What causes damage to other materials is considered patina for soapstone.


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In with you on the patina. We're pretty sure we want plain white marble because of its pearly glow. We don't care if it stains and cracks because thats just livin'.

[matthewb0051]

My dream, if you will, is for a separate ice maker. We went to a relative's home in Colorado over Labor Day. They have a proper under counter ice maker that literally never runs out of ice.

That was in addition to having two refers in the kitchen. One of they was basically for bottled and canned drinks.

[Superman]

I just sold a house with a mid-fifties Thermador cooktop that I refurbished myself. Best kitchen I will ever prepare food in. Galley-style. twenty-five drawers and many cabinets. Tile counters. Way nicer than our current kitchen which I am likely to remodel, but that will be a massive project.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by zakthor

In with you on the patina. We're pretty sure we want plain white marble because of its pearly glow. We don't care if it stains and cracks because thats just livin'.

We'd love marble, but the missus would not do well with scratches, chips, and stains. So we're going with a Quartzite (real stone, not man-made) that looks as close to marble as possible.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Re: countertops.

Not one regret about soapstone. What causes damage to other materials is considered patina for soapstone.


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We'd considered soapstone in the past. Could you post photos. I'm curious to see how it looks in a home.

[wilnj]

Our kitchen isn’t typically camera ready.

We got ours from M Teixeira @ www.soapstones.com

They have photos on their site.

Conveniently, they’re only 35 minutes from me and I picked up the stones and did my own install. The material is a bit of a dichotomy. It wears well but can easily be worked using common tools.


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[masraum]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Our kitchen isn’t typically camera ready.

We got ours from M Teixeira @ www.soapstones.com

They have photos on their site.

Conveniently, they’re only 35 minutes from me and I picked up the stones and did my own install. The material is a bit of a dichotomy. It wears well but can easily be worked using common tools.


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thx

[red 928]

I'm all in on quartz countertops.
Perfect solution IMO.

[LWJ]

Damn. You SCORED on those appliances. I just did the year 15ish replacement of half my appliances. And, that built in microwave??? They didn't make one that size today! Yikes. I needed a new surround. What a pain.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Damn. You SCORED on those appliances. I just did the year 15ish replacement of half my appliances. And, that built in microwave??? They didn't make one that size today! Yikes. I needed a new surround. What a pain.

We have a company that will make custom trim for your microwave for not too much money. 150 bucks? maybe be a bit more today? Its actually far more stronger and better made then factory carp today. Let me know if you need info. Not sure if they ship?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by zakthor

We've lived in current house for more than 20 years. When we moved in it had a 2 year old custom kitchen. I'm still in the honeymoon phase and think it is great but...

The cooktop sparkers are weak, electrodes are NLA, a few of the burners have low flame even though I've cleaned the jets... After each cleaning the sparkers work until a pot boils over. Recently the microwave in the combo microwave/oven started making a burning smell so its off line...

We've been discussing new counters for a decade but the appliance damage is making change imperative.

Researching storage, appliances, etc, etc. Is hell to deal with these so called 'experts' and the prices are completely nuts as are the order delays. I think these 'kitchen designers' are scammier than a used car salesman.

Three days ago I spotted our exact jennair downdraft cooktop, new in box, on craigslist for $200. Coerced spouse into buying it, a drop in replacement while we make up our mind what we want to do with this kitchen thing.

Yesterday she texts me "I see your $200 cooktop and raise you a $50 combination oven", she found the final verision of our kitchenaid superbe microwave/convection oven for $50, again new in box it had sat in someone's garage for past 8 years. Our spot is 28.5" wide so only a few ovens fit. Score!

I could install the cooktop but for oven we're going to hire an actual expert. Wife wants a warming drawer put in below it.

I'm thinking the best approach is we find a place to lay hands on various slider drawer technologies, see what can be done to improve actual problems which are mostly to do with storage access.

Once we've got a clear idea what we want we can shop around and pull the trigger once. Hopefully I can do the sliders and custom drawers and we just pay for new counters and an underhung sink.

Those two appliances are the major gripes, could save us a lot more than the $6k we saved compared to buying new.

Get me a couple pics and I will tell you what's needed to make the drawers work

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by look 171

Get me a couple pics and I will tell you what's needed to make the drawers work

I’m home tomorrow I’ll do it. It’s an odd space and I think previous owners did a great job, hoping is just little stuff.

From what I can tell there’s only incremental gains to be had in actual functionality but price varies from $10k to 150k depending on whether a little thing bugs us enough.

How many nights is that at the Aman Dari?

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by masraum

We'd considered soapstone in the past. Could you post photos. I'm curious to see how it looks in a home.

Here you go.



We oil the counters about once a month. I’m particularly proud of how I treated the edges.

I wet sanded the edges with a sanding sponge, 120 grit I believe before going over everything with wet 220. It really gives it a rustic look.


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[masraum]

Originally Posted by wilnj

Here you go.



We oil the counters about once a month. I’m particularly proud of how I treated the edges.

I wet sanded the edges with a sanding sponge, 120 grit I believe before going over everything with wet 220. It really gives it a rustic look.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's really beautiful! Thanks for the pic. I'm afraid to show the missus in case she changes her mind. (we're neck deep in a kitchen reno) LOL!

[wilnj]

Originally Posted by masraum

It's really beautiful! Thanks for the pic. I'm afraid to show the missus in case she changes her mind. (we're neck deep in a kitchen reno) LOL!

Thanks. I hate to put this in writing since I’m sure to jinx myself but the microwave is 24 years old. A hold over from my bachelor days.

In the 17 years since we did the kitchen, that’s our 3rd dishwasher, second garbage disposal. Not to mention the hundreds that I’ve thrown at these plus the other appliances in parts to keep them running. I’m certain we haven’t had a fully functional ice maker since year 2.

The microwave hasn’t skipped a beat.


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