Remodeling Your Kitchen Ideas

Plumbing

Plumbing in your kitchen is pretty straightforward, with your kitchen sink and faucet, but there are other fixtures that add convenience and elegance to consider.   Your main sink can pretty much look and feel the way you want it to. They come in numerous sizes (such as single-, double-, and triple-bowl configurations) and materials (like stainless steel sinks, granite, and cast iron).   Similarly, kitchen faucets come in a number of looks and arrangements:

• Handles: Typical choices are single-handle and double-handle, but triple-handle faucets are also available.
• Handle type: Your options include lever, cross, and knob, and many lever handles are ADA compliant.
• Faucet centers: Choose from one-hole, two-hole, three-hole, and four-hole configurations.
• Features: Some of the most sought-after features include sidesprays, soap dispensers, and pulldown faucets to help simplify cleaning and washing.  

While you’re getting your main sink squared away, have you ever considered a bar sink and bar faucet? These are exceptionally helpful if you have a large island in your kitchen or if you could use an additional sink nearby. Bar sinks and faucets are generally smaller than their main kitchen counterparts, but they boast the same functionalities and can feature interesting looks.   If you’ve ever carried a pot of water from your kitchen sink to the stove, you may not be surprised to learn that one pound of the wet stuff weighs 8.34 pounds. When installed next to your stove top, pot fillers can save time and spare your back from unnecessary heavy lifting. They’re practical, functional, and can include several features. Finally, we’d all like to save money and water in the kitchen. And the best way to do that is by installing a tankless water heater. These amazingly energy-efficient fixtures provide instantaneous hot water and omit the waiting—which eliminates water and money waste. To learn more on how to choose a tankless water heater, read our DIY article here.

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Appliances

Swapping out your new appliances (or even just one or two) is another easy and effective way to rejuvenate your kitchen while saving energy (and money) in the process.   Today’s cooktops are more versatile, efficient, and economical than ever before. While just about any type of cooktop can heat your food, the difference is in its method and efficiency. The three most popular types of cooktops are induction, electric, and gas (natural gas and propane). You’ll find some halogen and modular models out there, as well. For more information, visit out cooktop buying guide.  

Ranges are the cooktop’s natural counterpart. Once again, if you place your food in a range and turn it on, it’ll get cooked. But it’s the way the range works and the fuel it uses that sets it apart. Choose from electric, natural gas, and propane ranges, as well as dual fuel ranges. For the most efficient range available, we recommend a convection oven. These ovens differ from conventional ovens, and the result is a more evenly cooked meal. There’s a lot to know about convection ovens, and you can read about them by visiting our DIY article here.   If you have a range, you’d best have a range hood. This is the most effective way to ventilate the kitchen and it provides a healthier environment by trapping unwanted odor, grease, smoke, dust, and moisture. Range hoods are some of the most complicated appliances in your kitchen, so it’s best to educate yourself as much as possible. We have several articles on range hoods in our DIY library, including Choosing a Range Hood and FAQs.

  Wall ovens are offered in a few different configurations: single wall, double wall, triple wall and combination wall models. Warming drawers are a unique way of preventing food that’s already cooked from getting cold, and they’re conveniently placed wherever drawers are installed.  

Microwave ovens have become a ubiquitous part of our kitchens, used for everything from thawing out frozen chicken to cooking baked potatoes to preparing a tasty bag of popcorn. What kind of microwave depends on where you have space for it, like on a countertop, over the range, or staged as a drawer.  

The refrigerator is one of the most critical appliances in the kitchen—and the entire home. Today’s fridges are extremely advanced and include a wide range of features you’d never dream of a generation ago. In addition, there are hundreds of ENERGY STAR-rated refrigerators available. You have a lot to think about when shopping around for a refrigerator, so if you have any questions, refer to our Refrigerator Buying Guide.   The dishwasher is built on convenience. So, what you look for in one depends on how it’s going to be used (such as cleaning up after family meals, seldom used in a bachelor pad, etc). You can find a long list of features that are designed to make your life easier and to save water and money, like the dozens of ENERGY STAR-rated dishwashers. If need more information, refer to our Dishwasher Buying Guide.  

Your garbage disposal is another appliance that’s designed to simplify life in the kitchen. While the benefit to having a garbage disposal is clear (getting rid of food and the old food smell that follows while eliminating bacteria buildup), garbage disposals are not exactly quiet. But new technology is helping to make these appliances quieter than ever without sacrificing power. Here’s our Garbage Disposal Buying Guide for more information.