Mayhaw Man gets Mad

[fifi]

I am going to weigh in on the freezer at the bottom. I spent considerable time in a showroom "acting out" how I use a fridge. I will have a chest freezer for most storage but it is in the utility room downstairs, otherwise the fridge only would have been a consideration. Like someone else said, the concept of not having to grovel on the floor to get into the crisper drawers sounds like heaven. The fridge freezer is for snack stuff, chile powders, corn meals, that sort of thing. I am getting the GE Monogram because I like the lay-out of the fridge and the service is really good here.

Which brings me to the icemaker... Check out this puppy! I have several friends that have them and they are in love. 50 pounds per day of those crystal clear little cubes. You can also get them so that you can install your front to match the cabinets. A couple of folks had to call service out because it wasn't installed properly, leveling and such is important the get the ice sheet to slide to the cutter wires properly, but the service was quick and efficient.

[Mayhaw Man]

I have tons of room now and am thinking about a seperate freezer and refrigerator. My wife thinks ... that would be a good idea if we could find a set that accepts cabinet fronts. I agree that it would be appealing, but so far I have not found any of that type that are seperates.

They exist, but now we're starting to get into the multiple-thousand dollar range, like SubZero or GE Monogram.

Too much. AGGHHHHHH!

What if I just screwed some boards to the front and called them "the Rustic Line"?

They really would not be that far out of line, price wise, but I am buying a bunch of appliances (fridge gear, oven, ice machine, new dishwasher, and a cooktop of some sort for the island), the flooring is rediculously expensive (even though I am buying it from a friend locally who saws up the stuff from big beams that formely were holding up industrial plants), and I am going to have to do a fair amount of rewiring (some of which I can do, some I can but am not willing).

[enrevanche]

My vote for fridge configuration: freezer-on-the-bottom, as well. Better ergonomics for the refrigerator compartment, which you are going to be using much more often (especially with a free-standing icemaker.)

Sears' "Kenmore" line of refrigerators (mostly OEMed by Whirlpool if I recall correctly) offers excellent value for money.

Brooks, I think you are right on target about not spending a ton of money on kitchen appliances. The one area where I would urge you to spend a little extra is on your dishwasher. The quiet ones tend to be more expensive, but having a dishwasher that whispers is worth good money in my book.

BTW, if you have the space, one of those countertop convection ovens is a great idea. I use a gas oven for routine baking and roasting and have never really found it to be a problem, but having cooked with a friend's convection oven I am mightily intrigued by this technology.

[Rachel Perlow]

Too much. AGGHHHHHH!

And you don't know the half of it, I've done some more research and edited my post above, but we're talking $7000-8000 for a high end all fridge all freezer combo. Not to mention, you're taking up wall space that could be used for an electric convection wall oven, and save the money and put it into a high end dishwasher. Instead of being 4x the cost of a regular dishwasher, they're only like 2x the cost, so are a better value. I love my dishwasher, a Miele with a third silverware drawer at the very top.

[Jason Perlow]

Sears' "Kenmore" line of refrigerators (mostly OEMed by Whirlpool if I recall correctly) offers excellent value for money.

Kitchenaid also OEMs it as well.

[fifi]

I don't remember the numbers right now but I did settle on GE Monogram. When you talk them down a bit, they really aren't that much more than top of the line "regular" lines. They certainly don't cost what a Sub-Zero does. With a chest freezer, I am not sure that a full size freezer is all that useful. That is, unless the chest freezer is totally dedicated to whole cows, large alligators and the full season's production of the one acre okra patch.

I had to have an upright freezer at my previous house (because of space available) and am now totally opposed to them. Every time you open the damn thing, all of the cold air dumps out, along with that frozen chicken on your foot. Then it runs like crazy to catch up.

I was considering the Sub-Zero but some friends that had them (notice past tense) had so much trouble with them and couldn't get good service here. They sold them and went other ways. I don't think they are made by the same folks as years ago and I did read some mediocre reviews on reliability.

[Rachel Perlow]

Not to mention that they (Sub Zeros) are so hard to open, my cousin is always breaking fingernails on the door handle.

[fifi]

Not to mention that they (Sub Zeros) are so hard to open, my cousin is always breaking fingernails on the door handle.

I forgot about that! You are absolutely right! I remember asking one of my friends if they had a vacuum pump on the damn thing.

[Jason Perlow]

Too much. AGGHHHHHH!

What if I just screwed some boards to the front and called them "the Rustic Line"?

Wait, get some old cyprus boards from the side of a barn and get those guys out in Cajun country to make a face for the fridge out of it... now that would be slick.

[Mayhaw Man]

Not to mention that they (Sub Zeros) are so hard to open, my cousin is always breaking fingernails on the door handle.

That's no problem for me. I am always breaking them on my teeth.

That's when my hands aren't busy pulling my hair out.

What's left of it, anyway.

[andiesenji]

I have tons of room now and am thinking about a seperate freezer and refrigerator. My wife thinks (design element interferes with engineering/practicality again-ever seen that ad where the engineer is married to the supermodel? That is much like my real life situation ) that would be a good idea if we could find a set that accepts cabinet fronts. I agree that it would be appealing, but so far I have not found any of that type that are seperates.

If you really want to have one that looks like furniture you might check out these, and you can see one in use in Paula's kitchen on food TV.

Klondike fridges.

For someone who does a lot of food prep the interior has wonderfully efficient storage. They are built to last a lifetime.

I considered getting one when I got rid of my Sub-Z but decided that I would go with a regular one plus some refrigerator drawers and a smaller one just for cheeses and some produce that doesn't want to be as cold as a regular one.

I still may get one because I find that I need more refrigerator space than I have and I could also use another freezer. However first I want to get a brick oven put in, then I will know how much room I will have for other things.

[winesonoma]

You can get a dual fuel range ;Electric convection and gas cooktop. Just got a Sears bottom drawer freezer with 2 door top that opens full width. It' very nice and very useful. and it has an icemaker.

[therese]

The "French Door" style fridge that Rachel mentions (made by LG) was actually first test marketed here in the US under the Kenmore label. It is on sale at Sears at this very moment for $1700 (until the end of July). I needed a counter depth fridge, othewise I'd have gone for it.

I absolutely loathe side-by-side configuration: deep narrow holes, never big enough for a serving tray, etc.

[jsolomon]

What if I just screwed some boards to the front and called them "the Rustic Line"?

Just remember to use 4 inch lag screws that have pre-rusted tops to really achieve the "it was built in the 30's" look

[Mayhaw Man]

What if I just screwed some boards to the front and called them "the Rustic Line"?  

Just remember to use 4 inch lag screws that have pre-rusted tops to really achieve the "it was built in the 30's" look

Funny you said that. I have a bunch of hand cut/square head nails that I could use for that super authentic look.

Those nails came out of some old buildings on our farm. I wish that I had had the wherewithall to get all of them out. They are still pretty much as good as new (they were buried in cypress-cypress does not rot and neither does the hdwe. that is in it-miracle wood really-too bad they cut it all and hauled it up North about a hundred years ago). I am probably going to use them on a small outdoor kitchen that I am going to build before I die (I plan on living a long time ).

[Cusina]

woah... you are really brave!

Keep posting pictures of your progress, please. I love the idea of the reused cypress cabinet fronts. They will be beautiful.

You won't regret putting hardwood in for your floor either. We hemmed and hawed over that decision a lot and ended up with maple boards that match the rest of the house. Definitely was the right choice.

[bleachboy]

My dream refrigerator wouldn't have shelves, but instead just notches on the sides that would accomodate sheet pans so that I could reconfigure the shelves as needed, slide the shelves out to get at stuff in the back, etc. I wonder if there is such a beast...

[andiesenji]

If you want to do some searching for "alternative" refrigerators, check this site. They have a large listing of links to various manufacturers, installer, specialty products, such as Klondike, which I mentioned above.

unusual refrigeration concepts

I have to add that I did have a Sub-Z for several years 1988 to 1996 and it was a tree-full of lemons. I had at least 4 service calls a year, replaced the compressor in the freezer twice and in the refrigerator once. It was noisy and the freezer was very bad about drying things out. It just seemed to suck the moisture out of everything.

Ice cream in those round cartons, unopened, unless sealed in a plastic vacuum bag, would shrink by 1/2 inch from the sides of the carton, after being stored only a month.

I was not at all happy with its performance, particularly considering what I paid for it.

I have a friend who lives in Big Sur that has one of the double Klondike refrigerators plus a separate freezer and uses half of one fridge as a wine cooler. When they had a bad power outtage two or three years ago, she told me it stayed cold for a very long time, much longer than most would have done. She was finally able to rent a big generator at the end of the second day of the outtage and did not lose anything in either of the refrigerators or in the freezer.

This was the main reason I seriously considered getting one. That and the fact that they are hand built. And still cost less than the Sub-Z.

Edited July 25, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[Susan G]

Brooks, I'm sending you my moral support! Your cypress bar top sounds *gorgeous*!!

[FistFullaRoux]

Just my 2 cents on the freezer thing. 2 standup freezers will take up about as much floor space as 1 chest freezer. The space above a chest freezer is usually wasted, unless you like the idea of bending at the waist, diving into a frozen landscpe, while trying to read the sharpie marks on a ziplock bag, as a payload of who-knows-what hangs on a shelf above you waiting to put a dent in the back of your head.

I suggest getting an upright freezer only unit, an upright fridge only unit, and put the freezer in the nearest out-of-sight area. A chest freezer will break your heart. Use the extra space for more pantry area, or some other common use.

But that's me. A chest freezer could be used to store extra ice. My mom does this. Whenever she thinks about it, she empties the kitchen icemaker into recycled store-bought ice bags, then drops them in the chest freezer. It's about the only thing it's used for these days. They also have a second fridge in the utility room, but they entertain quite often. She always has ice at the ready, no need to stop at the convenience store.

[andiesenji]

My dream refrigerator wouldn't have shelves, but instead just notches on the sides that would accomodate sheet pans so that I could reconfigure the shelves as needed, slide the shelves out to get at stuff in the back, etc.  I wonder if there is such a beast...

Do you mean like this?

Scroll down to see "Bun Tray racks"

in this?

Or this?

Edited July 25, 2004 by andiesenji (log)

[JAZ]

I just saw an ad for a side-by-side with a flat-screen television in the fridge door, so (as the copy reads) you can "cook along with your favorite chefs." Too strange.

[Daddy-A]

Okay ... I may regret this, but then again I'm a sucker when it comes to helping out ..

Have I mentioned I'm a Certified Kitchen Designer?

Mayhaw Man, I just got back from Portland (Brewfest) so I won't get a chance to check out all your questions until tomorrow after work, but for now ...

Go with the bottom mount freezer ... most fridges today are equally as energy efficient, and I NEVER suggest a side-by-side unless it's at least 42" wide. Anything less and the fridge side isn't wide enough to be usefull (think party platters). After working with a fridge at an orgonomically proper height, you'll never go back.

My sig has a link to my work web page if you want to check out my credentials

DA

[bleachboy]

My dream refrigerator wouldn't have shelves, but instead just notches on the sides that would accomodate sheet pans so that I could reconfigure the shelves as needed, slide the shelves out to get at stuff in the back, etc.  I wonder if there is such a beast...

Do you mean like this?

Scroll down to see "Bun Tray racks"

in this?

Or this?

Yes! Maybe, anyhow. The "Bun Tray Racks" are what gave me the idea, but I've only ever seen them used in a walk-in. Also I saw somewhere where a guy had done all the drawers in his kitchen with a similar gizmo designed to hold hotel pans.

But those True refrigerators DO claim to have an "optional interior kit" with "tray slide sets" which sound like that might be the ticket -- I'm going to be buying a fridge sometime late this year or early next, and I will check into that!

[andiesenji]

Do you mean like this?

Scroll down to see "Bun Tray racks"

in this?

Or this?

Yes! Maybe, anyhow. The "Bun Tray Racks" are what gave me the idea, but I've only ever seen them used in a walk-in. Also I saw somewhere where a guy had done all the drawers in his kitchen with a similar gizmo designed to hold hotel pans.

But those True refrigerators DO claim to have an "optional interior kit" with "tray slide sets" which sound like that might be the ticket -- I'm going to be buying a fridge sometime late this year or early next, and I will check into that!