Consumer Reports and Cabinets
bons
16 years ago
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bons
16 years agoRelated Discussions
wolf cooktop not included on consumer reports
Comments (25)Plumberry - you have posted 5 times on this thread, and been asked several times to be more specific, but I STILL can't see anywhere where you've mentioned which fuel type you are interested in. I don't know what you meant by "5 burner". So, I figured maybe some of your older posts might have mentioned what you are looking for, and they indeed all said you want induction. If that's the case, the Thermador induction cooktop is nice; conversely I would never recommend a Thermador gas cooktop-- so do you see how it's important to mention the fuel type? The recommendations you are seeking will vary a lot depending upon what kind of cooktop you are looking for. Your criticism of Antss was unwarranted and unfair. Antss is a valued contributor to this forum. He has excellent insight. Each of his posts on this thread has been direct, to-the-point, and clear. Yours have not. If you want people to help you, you shouldn't make it so difficult for them to do so, and it is inappropriate to call people arrogant and unrefined (??) when they try to help you. From your posts on this thread, it sounds like you strongly believe Consumer Reports has the most expertise and valuable advice. Then, just go with what they say. As Mojavean pointed out, CR has reviewed the Wolf range, and you can just use that review for your cooktop choice, since you have indicated you don't need to be specific among the Wolf appliances....See MoreQuality of Cabinets
Comments (21)For $4000 you can get into Medallion's Silverline line. A few things to consider as you look at the different brands in your budget and consider durability. Experienced designers know the stories people tell when they start looking for new cabinets and it's nearly always that the bottoms of the drawers are giving way, the wall cabinets over time are starting to sag and pull away from the wall. So, when you choose how to spend your $4000, there are some really important durability things you should consider (1) Will the finish hold up? Is at a catalyzed hardened top-coat or is at a water-based finish? (2) What construction method is used to keep your box square and strong? Did the manufacturer use wood I-beams that run front to back or did they use the little plastic corner blocks? (3) Will the drawer boxes and drawer guides be strong enough to last? Is it a plastic or particle board drawer box or is it a hardwood dovetailed box? Yes, hardwood dovetailed boxes are in your budget. Is the bottom of the drawer just stapled into place? Or is it fully captured in the sides of the box? What's the thickness of the wood used on the drawer bottom? Did the manufacturer use Blum drawer guides? are full-extension or smooth close or heavy duty drawer guides available to you as an upgrade? (4) How did the manufacturer attach the sides and back of the box together? Staples are the weakest method. Glued and pocket-screwed are the strongest combination. (5) Did the manufacturer include a hanging rail to help secure the cabinets to the wall and keep them from pulling away over time? Good luck to you. You can do a lot with $4000 in a small space....See MoreAnyone familiar with Aristokraft cabinets?
Comments (7)We had Aristrokraft cabinets in our old kitchen and they were, to put it nicely, designed to fail (i.e., pieces of c**p). Let me say right now, though, that our cabinets were most likely "builder grade." However, in a thread a few months ago others, who had "better" Aristrokraft cabinets, also weren't too happy with them. Oh, and like others said, no upgrades were available (I asked!) In our kitchen, drawers started failing (twisting, hard to open/close, out of alignment) after only 4 or 5 years, the sink fronts started falling off and the finish started failing around the same time (we had a painted finish), the shelves were very thin and bowed easily (no amount of turning over helped). The edges were all very sharp...I was constantly scraping my fingers whenever I brushed a shelf or cabinet side, including getting things out of the back of drawers (only 3/4 extension). Some of the hinges had to be replaced about 7 years in and the insides started peeling. The only thing that didn't fail was the lazy susan...it was still stable, and going strong when we demolished the kitchen...go figure! Back when Consumer Reports rated cabinets, Aristrokraft were dead last. There's a reason they were "one of the better quotes"...you get what you pay for. We made do with those cabinets for 12 years, but the last 5 or 6 years I was embarrassed to have anyone see them. I was so happy the day they were taken out!!!! Sorry to be so harsh about them...but they were awful and I'd hate for anyone else to end up with them w/o being forewarned! Here's a picture of our "before" kitchen...the cabinets look better in the picture than they did in person, believe me! (You can see the painted finish wearing off at the sink, the misaligned drawer b/w the sink & range & in front of the sink, etc. The drawer you can't see in this picture was even worse!)...See MoreConsumer Reports Island Size
Comments (16)Our kitchen is 13'5" wide and we have an island. The narrower aisle is 36" from counter-top to counter-top, between island and DW/fridge. It works fine for me, but my husband hates it. If he had his druthers, we'd have an extra 12" between the area, but it works for me. We have to have a side-by-side fridge for clearance of the door-to-island, and that works well for us, too. I think you could have an island with a 12' wide kitchen, if the island is narrow, but it will be a tight fit and might make your kitchen look smaller. (I always think about re-sale) Use some blue painters' tape to mark it out and create a mock-up island from appliance boxes or foam board (office depot type stores sell it), as some other people have already suggested? This would give you ample time to place the mock-up island in your kitchen, live with it, and see if you think it is a good idea for you....See Morepcjs
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