Upgrade Kitchen Appliances During Cabinet Refacing

by Allison Millar
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

If you're tired of trying to make gourmet meals with old kitchen appliances, consider buying new appliances when you reface your cabinets. With new cabinet fronts and fancy appliances, you'll drastically change the look and feel of your kitchen design.

Commercial Ovens Top the Appliance List

Restaurant-styled ovens have been a big hit in today's kitchen appliance market. It seems that everyone wants to look like a gourmet chef, whether they really cook or not. These types of ovens typically feature:

• Stainless steel construction.
• Higher BTUs for more cooking power.
• Flexible stove top configurations that include options for a griddle or other cooking surface.
• Convection cooking.

Refrigeration Boosts Kitchen Design

Refrigerators and freezers take center stage in some kitchen designs, as large side-by-side models anchor an island area. Include a new refrigerator alongside your cabinet refacing project, and the whole kitchen takes on a new design. Among the popular features are:

• Filtered water dispensers.
• Cooling drawers with separate temperature controls.
• Chilling features that chill a bottle of wine in 30 minutes.

Microwave Ovens with Memory

The microwave oven has come a long way from the large box that used to sit on a countertop. Today's microwaves are smaller, sleeker and packed with computerized features. They can:

• Store your favorite recipes in memory.
• Cook by sensor to take the guess work out of meal preparation.

Dishwashers That Are High-Powered and Quiet

Quiet seems to be the buzz word today when it comes to dishwashers. Many appliance manufacturers have introduced models that reduce noise to a minimum. Other popular features include:

• A setting for washing china.
• Sensors to determine how dirty the dishes are.
• Timers for delayed starts.
• Oversized or undersized dishwashers to fit your space needs.

There are many kitchen appliances that combine technology and modern design to make cooking easier. When refacing cabinets and shopping for appliances, look for models that can make your recipes more precise and your meal preparation more enjoyable.

About the Author
Allison E. Beatty is a syndicated real estate writer. She has been a writer of home improvement columns for 15 years. Her articles have appeared in numerous national newspapers and magazines, and on home improvement web sites.