A TKO SWAT team should be sent in to confiscate their appliances. :-)

I've opined about this before. My guess is that the regular visitors to this forum represent only about one percent of the kitchen-remodeling/building population in the U.S.

So yes, you can read that as 99% of recent kitchen remodelers or new home builders are absolutely clueless! The builders, kitchen designers and appliance salesmen see the sheep and reel 'em in (or something like that)...

I don't find it unusual at all. :-)

I was at a custom cabinet place in York County pa recently. Prior to my appointment, the KD had been with a couple remodeling the kitchen in their home who were spending 75,000.00 on their remodel. In this area of the county, that is a very high end kitchen. The KD told me that the wife specifically told him that she did not cook at all, but wanted the place to dazzle her friends and family. She was getting all Wolf and SZ appliances in her 20x25 ft kitchen. He was told that the kitchen in their home, which was only 10 years old, had never had the oven in the range used. What a waste of good appliances!
I am glad for the KD, but sad for the three kids. I really don't think this is unusual though.

I maintain that the people with the trophy kitchens do the least amount of cooking. VIZ - phone by the stove. I bet they get it delivered, too.

My friends will be dazzled just to see that I have replaced these gross, crappy builders' almond formica cabinets with doors that don't close, and the appliances that don't work.
Almost anything would be better.

If you must know, I had never heard of Wolf, Bertazzoni, Bluestar and a few others before I began reading this forum. Aga, of course, I knew from reading English detective novels. For heaven's sake - people heat their homes with those things! Now I know all the names and am still buying KA, Jennair, and Monogram. I can't wait to bake in a new oven!

The 1st Blue Star I saw (I don't think I'd heard of one before that) was 3 years ago in the (actual) farm kitchen of a woman that I just met. I had recently bought a DCS & we were comparing features & she was very pleased to let me peek & pull & see everything. She had recently had the kitchen re-done & was an excellent cook, but apparently didn't have a clue about cleaning the stove ( I believe someone came in once or twice a week) as evidenced when I pulled out the drip pan - & it was covered with burnt food particles or/or mouse droppings!!! She had no idea that such a thing existed or that it slid out for cleaning. RTFM? I don't think so. And she'd had this stove in service for over a year & had specifically researched it & had it shipped to the midwest from PA.

I think you're right Joe! Which is probably why my KD gets annoyed sometimes with me when I start suggesting alternatives and/or objecting to what she does in most other kitchens (b/c she's been doing this for 25 years...yada yada!) I'm not a sheep who goes meekly to slaughter! I research and I don't take her word for it! (If I did, I would have a kitchen that while it would be fairly functional overall, it wouldn't fit me the way the one I've fought for will and, I'd have a recirculating vent!)

My contractor tried to pull that one on me once as well...

I'm sure I'm the "difficult client" or at least "high maintenance"!

I have started a kitchen remodeling project for my wife (who LOVES to cook and entertain), and I have to confess that reason we have focused on Wolf stoves is because she just loves them! It's purely emotional, and not based upon detailed features, etc. Fortunately, the research shows that there is substance behind the Wolf reputation. Another point that I've learned is that about 50% of the sales people we have talked to don't have a clue about their product, or how it stacks up agains their competition, or what the trade-offs are. I've learned more from reading here, and ont the net, than from many salespeople at "High End" kitchen places. Some sales people are good, and know their stuff. Others are just there to take orders.

It's the same with cars. The salesmen just look blank when I ask how something works or whether this or that feature is available because they just read off what's on the sticker. And people buy because they like the color, not by what it actually does (I don't kick the tires--I check out the drivetrain!).

That said, I can imagine ordering up the whole sparkling trophy kitchen and letting the designer fret over the details (not me, but I can imagine it). What I can't wrap my head around is not reading the owner's manual at least once!! What's the point of having trophy toys if one can't impress the impressionable by setting off all the bells and whistles?

But better overkill appliances in a hardly used kitchen than a kitchen with gorgeous, expensive finishes and crappy appliances. Because if they can hire out the kitchen design they could hire people to cook in it (or Grandma or whoever), but I just about tear up when I see that the range was an afterthought in a beautiful kitchen. Okay, maybe they don't use it so don't bother with better, but it's just so sad, you know?

I watched a tv show a while back where a celebrity walks you through their house. Kind of like a lifestyles of the rich and famous, but the homeowner themselves does the tour. This 30-something sinlge guy was in his beautiful kitchen, or a house that was brand new (designed with him in mind). He opened his refrigerator to show it filled with bottled water and beer. And nothing else. "Oh yeah," He explained. "I order out every meal. The stove has never been used."

I guess I was surprised he didn't even have some milk for an occasional bowl of cereal. Oh well, I guess the nice kitchen will be a good selling point if/when he moves.

pillog - that's where the expression RTFM comes from :-)

A friend caters and does lots of hotsy totsy parties in great, gorgeous kitchens.

One holiday she arrived at a hosts' fabulous home with all her food and supplies. Pre-heating the ovens, she peered inside and, horrified, shrieked, "OH MY GOD! What IS that?"
The husband looked inside and said, "It's the turkey from last Christmas. I guess we forgot to take it out."

Pecanpie, *That* is hilarious. I can understand not being enthused about cooking. Heck, I'm not that enthused about cooking. But I can't imagine doing something notable like a cooking a turkey (or even heating it) when you just don't do that kind of stuff and then forgetting you're doing this once-in-a-bluemoon thing! Now that is scatter brained. Hilarious!

I remember a similar story posted to this forum a couple of years ago: Caterers show up to a house w/over-the-top kitchen, start prepping, and fire up the ovens. After 30 minutes or so, smoke alarms are going off and people smell burning plastic.

Open the oven doors to find unopened manuals in their plastic sleeves. ;-)

oh, wow. I think the KDs just are responding to all the fancy brochures that pour into their places ---they figure "If they want the best, here it is" and order it.

Same thing with all the granite that has wound up just everywhere. On countertops I mean. At this rate there won't be a hill left to quarry the stuff from.

Someone also posted a story a while back about going to someone's house to cater a party. They went into the kitchen to get started and the hostess came running in yelling at them not to use her show kitchen - there was another, work kitchen somewhere else in the house they were supposed to use.

ROTFLOL!!!!! Oh, Weissman, that is precious!!!!

I had a roommate once who had perfectly folded towels on the rack and kept the ones she used on a wire hanger on a hook behind the door (you know, the damp ones on the wire with no air...), but at least that was just towels!

But I don't understand walking into any kitchen and turning on the oven without checking in it first. Even rational people store pans in their ovens, and put the racks in weird places, and it's worth moving them before they get hot :)

plllog, please don't get me started on shopping for cars. I'd love to be able to order one like getting a computer, building it online and never having to deal with a dealer.

I had several friends in college who were very into audio equipment but had sparse music collections. What's funny to me is that I don't recall them playing the same things over-and-over. Maybe I was just dazzled by the towering speakers and racks full of electronics.

After we've finished and moved in, I wonder whether anyone will notice our house has no granite countertops. Doing our part to save those hills, LOL.

chipshot - you used to be able to order Saturns that way - in the days when they really were an independent division of GM - they had a great commercial set in a college dorm - it starts out with a delivery guy showing up asking who ordered a pizza and ended up with a delivery guy showing up asking who ordered a Saturn. In those days they really liked to custom build the car for you - in fact I had to pressure them into selling me one in stock - I was in a hurry for a new car - they really wanted me to custom order one. Those days are over.

Weissman, that's a jaw-dropper and a half. What I don't understand is ... that you find something that you have little use for - like cooking - and then dedicate not one but TWO spaces to that function???? I mean to say, how much room must these people have? Wowza!

Chipshot, but you can do just that. Order your car just as you'd like it. I did just that with my present BMW. Admittedly, I did need to go through a dealer and I wasn't taking a BMW body and a Ferrari engine and a Porsche transmission but I selected exactly the features I wanted from those that BMW offered, there wasn't a car with those options in the country nor one coming with those parameters, so it was built for me as I spec'd it. As in: I got word that today my car was being manufactured. The next day (or the day after) I got another status report that my car had been painted and that it was now curing. Another day I got word that my car was en route to Hamburg (Bremen? whatever) to be shipped etc. Unless I'm getting my made-to-order purchases confused, I think, because I was getting one made to my specs, that there was some option I wanted that was not available in the US offerings but was for the German offerings and I was able to get that too :-).

That was in 2000. This year, we're buying another BMW the same way with the very options we want, only this time, we've chosen the European delivery route and are going to Germany to "pick it up". Which is to say, we're going to BMW to pick up the car, tootle around the country for a week, take it back to a BMW drop site for them to ship it back to the US, return home and then twiddle our thumbs waiting for the car to arrive. So you can, to some extent "build" your car to your specs.

Of course, you can also "build your car" with the Porsche xmission and the ferrari engine to give you your Ferrari scream - there's a small company in Connecticut that has done just that. Car and Driver has written up and even test driven one of these venerable brand names of indeterminate lineage models. 'Course the car was a cool half mil.

I remember Saturns being sold like that (including the commercial, which was great) and am familiar with being able to order just about any brand built your way from the factory (which I have done), but you still have to take delivery from a dealer. No major car companies sell directly to consumers. Overseas delivery sounds terrific, and I'm looking forward to doing that someday.

Almost back on topic, perhaps exotic cars are like fancy kitchens in that many of them spend most if not all of their time just sitting and looking fantastic. At that, I should mention that friends who own the house I described above have a Ferrari 360 and a Saleen S7. Yes, they do drive them.

Mindstorm, I've been in several houses, on tours - not as a guest, where they have a 'family' kitchen (at least 2500+ sq ft) & a 'catering' kitchen (equipped better than a small restaurant & about the same size). Of course, the design of both kitchens was magazine perfect with only the most expensive of everything. I'd be willing to bet the catering kitchens gets more use, but they were almost as pristine as the families' private kitchens.

I'm always tickled when I check out the listings for new condo developments in my city and the kitchens are tricked out with Miele/Wolf/SubZero/Bertazzoni/Caesarstone et al., though the apartments are marketed to swinging singles who do little or no cooking. In some markets, people expect a high-end kitchen even if they're never going to use it.

Friend of mine from college who didn't cook used to store her winter sweaters and blankets in her oven.

When we first started our kitchen remodeling project, we took a tour of several of our builder's kitchens. The most impressive and most expensive of the bunch by far was the last one we toured. It was absolutely gorgeous, custom cherry cabinetry, 2 dishwashers - one Asko, one Bosch. Double Wolf Ovens, you name it, they had it. Then we saw the extra large pantry... There were cases and cases of Progresso soup and every known pre-packaged food or mix known to man. Not a raw ingredient to be found, if it didn't come in a ready to make package or heat and eat can, it wasn't served in that kitchen unless the caterers brought it. We laugh about it often.

When we started our kitchen plans, we were the ones with the questions no one had ever asked before. Thanks to everything we've learned here, we knew what we wanted and we got it.

We cook a lot, sometimes for just us and lots of times for large groups. We designed our kitchen for the industrial use it gets and love it. We had several college friends over for a fondue party last weekend. It was so fun having room for everyone to cook what they brought and watching everyone see induction in action for the first time.

How about four out of five, zeebee? Swinging singles, however. Definitely not.

To me appliances are tools, and just as with some of the tools in my Sears Craftsman workchest, some kitchen appliances happen to be beatiful and useful.

I doubt anyone will ever tour our kitchen, but friends and family members will spend many happy hours there. And caterers will be welcome to use it. In fact, they'll have to use it, as we won't have a second kitchen set aside solely for them.

antiquesilver, did you mean a 2,500 square foot house or a 2,500 square foot kitchen?

chipshot, I screwed up on my math. I was referring to the size of the kitchen (guestimate of 20 x 30) but I don't know where 2500 came from - living proof that the mind is the first to go! LOL

Very funny posts everyone. I just had my first meeting with our KD, whom my builder decribed as "he knows his stuff, but he is pretty arogant" and had a blast. My builder said he'd never seen the KD so chatty. I don't think the KD gets a chance to work with TKO clients very often and I was glad to have someone to chatter on about my new kitchen. I'm trying not to bore the heck out of my friends--who love to come over for dinner, but do not cook themselves. I've been dreaming of this kitchen for about four years and it is hard for me to fathom having a wonderful kitchen and not having the skill or desire to use it--it makes me want to cry a little for the poor unused Wolf :) Sadly, it kind of reminds me of my DH--I can cook wonderful five-course meals (with a Frigidaire electric stove and 3.5 feet of counterspace!) and all my he will eat is meat, potatoes, and corn. It's a sad waste of my skills--it's a good thing he's cute :) Thank goodness my two DS's (10 and 6) will eat almost anything and give me someone to cook for besides myself (and our friends of course).

Our local medical auxillary puts on a kitchen tour that is way over the top. Gorgeous kitchens, some used, some not, but often the KD is present to answer questions about his/her creation.

Several of us TKOs were touring and on a dare, one asked the designer of a lovely but awkwardly laid-out kitchen, "So, how often do you cook at home?" She answered, "Oh, I never learned how- we'd starve if it weren't for take-out!"

I think a lot of people have clued into what is really going on... people are designing and installing kitchens simply as a status symbol / resale tool.

Face it... if your house / condo is 500K+, you just can't have a basic kitchen. Sure, it would function well, but that's not what buyers / owners want these days.

Look at most of the +20 golfers at your club... bet they have 3K in clubs in their bag. Look in the parking lot... how many V8's do you see? Do you think they are all weekend racers, or pulling heavy boats?

We live in a society where we have a lot of disposable income... more than any generation or country in history. We buy luxury items because we can, and they make us happy. My wife and I certainly didn't need the kitchen we just installed, but we love it. We cook a lot, and designed it with that in mind, but I know full well I could have spend half the amount I did on appliances / countertops / plumbing and still had a great kitchen.

Enjoy what you have, and don't worry about how others use theirs.

Cheers!