My Kitchen
I renovated my kitchen a while back - and while it was
an ordeal to say the least, it was well worth the time and effort.
I ordered my
KRAFTMAID cabinets through Home Depot.
I almost didn't get the cabinets from there at all since I had to argue with the Home Depot kitchen designer to get the cabinets I wanted.
After I placed my order, she called me and left a message that said she changed the order and quoted me on the Passport series (that I had already rejected as not useful for my situation since I don't have any feet, so the additional foot room was a negative for me) and refused to even mock up the design I wanted for MY OWN HOME. This was AFTER she asked me if I had the money to pay.
I went back to Home Depot and said I'd be placing my order with the MANAGER or I'd be placing it across the street at Lowe's.
Suffice it to say that I have the beautiful Hickory cabinets with inlaid accents (in the kitchen, bathroom and my entryway), corner sink, Corian countertops with integrated sink, Jenn-Aire downdraft convection oven and GE refrigerator with the integrated Brita water filter I ordered, just like I wanted.
I did inform Home Depot about the problems I encountered and the Service Manager (Linda) was wonderful. She took care of all my concerns and followed up on my countertops - installed by our local countertop people (Distinctive Countertops) who even gave me a cutting board that matched my counters.
Now, if I were to renovate (hahahahhhahhaaa) or build (much more likely) I would order from Home Depot again, and I'd order KRAFTMAID cabinets again as well.
I would add a few things though - like an additional faucet over the stove (like in commercial kitchens) to fill pans that way I don't have to drag the pans or put them on my lap, or a faucet with a really long hose with the controls on the handle - for the same reasons.
Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
525 HP Professional Model. Love it. Just wish I knew about the PINK ONE before I bought at Costco. It is VERY heavy so mine sits on a woven fabric placemat that I use to slide it around.
Jenn-Air Downdraft Convection Oven
Mine has the cooktop with interchangeable cartridges so I ordered the grill (which I use every day) and the ceramic solid element.
I quickly ordered the standard coil elements since the ceramic scratches and once it is scratched, you can't use it anymore. The grill is wonderful, but the exhaust fan is immediately beside the grill and unless you put something over the food, it sucks the heat right away from the grill.
It's also a little noisier than I would like, since when the oven is on, the vent fan comes on automatically. Also, the vent goes directly outside so it gets COLD in the winter unless the vent is covered. I would buy the brand again but I would go with a traditional exhaust system since the downdraft is the only real issue - which is due to the configuration of my house.
General Electric Refrigerator
WELL worth the wait.. I had to special order it, but the bottom freezer is EXTREMELY convenient and the Brita, well, it was the BEST fifty dollars I ever spent. The adjustable pull out shelves make arranging your food really easy and you can just pull the shelf out like a drawer to get at things in the back. There are also baskets in the freezer compartment that slide to the back so accessing your frozen goods is easy too.
ULU Knife
I got a little one for Christmas. I use it mainly to mince garlic since that takes a lot of fine motion. The rounded out bowl/cutting board fits perfectly and the handle is wide enough that you can fit your hand right in. I tried to get more information, but my inquiries to the manufacturer have gone unanswered..
Corian
I love the color and the tone of the mossy green counters I chose, and I love the integrated sink with the surface mounted faucet (easy clean up and no lip or edge), it needs a bit of TLC when using since it scratches when something is moved across the counter so..
