The perspective of a pro chef, for what it�s worth (long post): Induction vs. Gas SPEED: Advantage to INDUCTION: It heats up faster and doesn�t waste time on conduction to grates. RESPONSIVENESS: Slight advantage to INDUCTION. For mcst cooking, the two are basically a push. Both can be adjusted with near-instant responsiveness. However, induction burners can be set at lower settings, where gas flames would just die out. For example you can melt chocolate on induction without a bain marie. Also, gas cooking transfers heat to the grates, so there is a definite lag in responsiveness especially when lowering the heat (one reason why cooking "off the burner" is sometimes necessary). CONTROL: Basically a push. With gas, you can see the flame. With induction, you see the number. After learning the levels on induction, there�s no difference in this category. VERSATILITY: Advantage to GAS. Gas can be used for wok cooking, roasting peppers, flamb�ing. The induction equivalent requires a flat-bottomed wok, and a butane torch from the hardware store (not the dinky ones at kitchen stores). CLEANUP: Huge advantage to INDUCTION. Cleanup on induction is a breeze. Since the cooktop itself isn�t hot, there�s no cool-down time before wiping, and no caked on/burnt food & liquids. Or just cook on top of newspaper and throw it out afterwards. Cleanup for pots & pans is easier too - No more scorched exteriors to scrub. COOKWARE: Huge advantage to GAS. Gas being low-tech, you can use pots/pans of any material and size. With induction, you need ferrous pots/pans (cast iron or stainless). MAINTENANCE: Advantage to GAS. Gas stoves are generally low-tech, meaning fewer repairs and lower expected cost per repair. I would expect a quality gas range to outlast a quality induction cooktop. Also glass cooktops are at risk of cracking under abuse� There�s not really anything you can "break" with gas. PRICE: Advantage to GAS (assuming an existing gas line). Mid-range induction cooktops run about 50% more than their gas counterparts. ENERGY COST: Slight advantage to Induction. While induction in 90% efficient vs. 50% for gas (plus ambient cooling), natural gas is so cheap in North America right now that you won�t see a noticeable difference in your bills, if at all. Of course that could change down the road� And with the ambient cooling costs incurred with gas, induction still has a slight advantage in this category. SAFETY: Advantage to Induction. No risks associated with open flames, hot grates, or combustion fumes. SELECTION: Advantage to Gas. There�s just a huge selection of gas cooktops out there, in all sizes and ventilation options. There is no downdraft induction cooktop (not that downdraft is really effective anyway). There is currently no 36" induction range/oven combo (Viking makes a 30"). RESALE VALUE: Advantage to Gas. Most people in American are just not informed about induction. They will walk in and assume you have radiant electric, which could be a deal breaker. And even if induction is explained to them, they may still be wary. This forum is a prime example of the mentality out there. Some people are just staunch advocates of gas, and no amount of information can change that view. OVERVIEW: How you weigh these pros and cons will depend on the individual. For me, the clean-up with induction was a major factor, as I'm fed up with scrubbing caked on crud and grease from hot grates every day. Regarding the argument of what pros use... Yes, restaurants use gas. They are cheap, sturdy, easy to repair, and take a lot of abuse (banging & clanging). You can use crap pans, and no staff training is necessary. Most people (including my fellow chefs) have never cooked on induction, and feel no reason to explore it. There is NO TRUE PERFORMANCE ADVANTAGE to gas. Decide what features are important to you and don't listen to all the nutjobs out there!

Hi Andi, I have 3 Ikeas within 2 hrs. of me and I've been to all 3. There are slight differences in their displays, I guess due to different demographics. I would suggest going on a weekday, if at all possible. Eat something beforehand, have some caffeine and a Tylenol. I can't stress that enough! The kitchen designers and sales staff were very helpful. You'll get a lot more boxes and bags than you would expect. One of my boxes looked damaged and one was re-taped, They replaced them on the spot. Later I noticed a couple of items were marked REA. I think they were returned- but seemed to be unopened and just fine. The instructions are all pictograms- only one word "CLICK". If you're good at jigsaw puzzles, you'll be fine. Once you get one together- you're an expert. One or two pieces weren't drilled exactly, and we had to come up with a couple of different screws to get things right, but all in all it was do-able. We were sold some extra pieces, about $50 for panels. No idea what they are for. The drainpipe pieces for the sink were plastic, so we replaced them with metal ones from a plumbing supply store. The next morning after installation, a small piece of an inside door panel appeared to be lifting. I know we didn't damage it, but I'm not sure they'll take it back since we attached the hardware. There's a slight ding on the counter that we may have caused by dropping a glass. So, we tried to intentionally damage a leftover scrap of counter with a hammer and it held up just fine. There's a tiny cut on drawer edge that's not noticeable. I just don't know if they'll hold up as well as the ones we replaced (25 yrs.) They do come with a 25 year guarantee though. But, I do LOVE the 30" drawer cabinet. The drawers work like a dream. They hold my pots and pans, so I no longer have to reach over a hot stove for them. And it's so easy to see everything. I wish I had gotten another one, but I'm going to keep small appliances in the other bottom cabinet and I thought the open space might be more flexible. The laminate counters we got have white on one side and reverse to dove grey on the other. They have a metal edge which is very nice. They have another which is black on one side, reversing to whitewashed wood grain. I went with the white so that it would be brighter. I figured I can always accessorize with other colors. I got hardware from Expo. Aqua beach-glass rectangles framed in stainless. I got matching square knobs for the upper cabinets. If I can figure out how, I'll send pix. Any further developments on the floor choices? The pass-through?

Phylhl, Ceramic tile is a relatively maintenance-free product that requires little continuing care beyond regular cleaning. Most cleaning can be done with a damp cloth and a gentle non-acidic soap. More resistant staining such as calcium spotting and soap scum can be handled using specially designed cleaning products such as Miracle Sealants Mira Clean I product. Other manufacturers such as Stone Tech also offer products specially formulated for ceramic tile care. Take care to avoid âÂÂover the counterâ ceramic tile cleaners that contain phosphoric and glycolic acids that could etch some ceramic tile surfaces. Because crackle glazes are prone to absorbing stains, you may want to consider using a penetrating sealer. In areas that experience regular moisture, such as showers, resealing crackle glazes is a necessary maintenance procedure but for a kitchen backsplash, not completely necessary. If you don't seal the tile the crackles will darken over time giving it an antique type look. Some people love this, it is just up to you on what you want to do. Using a sealer does not affect the quality or appearance of the tile, just make sure you don't use too much or the sealer will leave a film on the surface. I would recommend sealing once a year just as you would with your stone counter tops. Thank you again for sharing and I hope this helps! Lindsay

Aw, thanks for all of your nice comments! My husband and I built the house we are currently living in, so power tools do not scare me, but building cabinets was new to me. I really enjoyed the precision work! When I get the cabinet doors built for the two book shelves, I'll post pics of that whole corner with the cabinets on one side, the lateral file cabinet and the little sink base in the middle. I knew I needed a sink in that room but could it figure out how I was going to fit one in without sacrificing a lot of needed cabinet space. Using this corner that would otherwise be a problem spot was the perfect solution, it's a small area, but plenty big enough.