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gwlolo

Fun thread: What is your current kitchen related obsession?

gwlolo
10 years ago

Thought it would be fun to see what kitchen related thing that folks are obsessing about. Thanks to GW, I am mulling over Vitamix 750 or 6300 :). Internet makes it too tempting to immerse oneself in researching the latest obsession!

Comments (74)

  • Gooster
    10 years ago

    we are near the finish line, so I am obsessing over decorative details like the mirror and art work. Also, sadly, our dw panel is not wide enough, so that is our minor frustration at the moment.

  • kksmama
    10 years ago

    Layout, all day, every day.

    Rosie, I have your answer: Fagor set at Costco online.
    Bowyer - big yes to the lodge griddle/grill (no ventilation yet, so we only griddle). I'm very happy with our coffee maker, Cuisinart extreme brew . You need a good grinder, and good beans (I love my costco Capresso infinity, and Jim's organic...BUT the coffee maker and grinder are not aesthetically pleasing together even on my ugly green laminate counter- I'll count on you to find a better solution before my remodel is complete).
    GWlolo - great thread! Now please fix my layout issues!
    http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0516423224298.html?26

    Here is a link that might be useful: Costco Fagor pressure cooker set

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  • juliekcmo
    10 years ago

    How to make my new kitchen just like the old kitchen I love.

    We sold our home of 16 years and are downsizing. Thanks to my intense obsession on GW I was able to choose things quickly and with no mercy.

    I currently have on premises or on local hold waiting for install everything listed. Fridge is in, and I have been working on the cabinet pulls.

    We move in 22 days.

    I have new fridge, gas range (found one with 2 high BTU burners up front in a standard stock model, 600 cfm hood, butcher block island, porcelain tile counters and BS, smaller version of the current sink I love (discontinued; got on Amazon), hansegrohe faucet at Costco (learned about on GW), pendants for island lighting on close out for 19 bucks each-in halogen, new ceiling fan, and cabinet pulls.

    I know DH just wants to be settled in. Can't wait! With our current house on the market we have been in limbo since April.

  • rkb21
    10 years ago

    Kksmama: thanks for the pressure cooker link. I'll have to look into it. I feel like I'm never going to move into my kitchen. BUT, I'm told the end is near. I'll believe it when I see it :)

  • Holly- Kay
    10 years ago

    RKB, I told DH today that I feel I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and the stinker said " Yeah, but it's a train coming right at you". When I got home from the shop we put the new fridge in place and DH actually seemed happy with it (thrilled is not in his vocabulary).

  • Sherrie Moore
    10 years ago

    Like annkh... schedule. Must be around the same place... total demo done. now the electrical, plumbing, HVAC. final cabinet measurement done and hope instal late July.

    Also since remodel kind of big, adding a Nest programable thermostat... or something better!?!?

  • cookncarpenter
    10 years ago

    Another one here obsessed with griddling! (is that a word?)
    When I ordered my Bluestar, I debated grill vs griddle, and am so happy I went with the griddle. I've come to realize anything that can be grilled, can be griddled, but not vice versa! Besides we are in So Cal and have two outdoor grills just steps from the kitchen that I use all year long. In the four months I've had the Blustar, I've cooked about everything imaginable on the griddle with great results, and find I use my skillets much less than I used to.

  • sreedesq
    10 years ago

    Roasting our own coffee.

    Rosie: I have the Breville Fast Slow Cooker and I'm really happy with it!

  • ppbenn
    10 years ago

    Most recently I've been obsessing over how to trim the fat and come in some place close to the budget.
    I had to say good bye to the travertine floor and we have slate look 12x24 tile that we just installed in a herringbone pattern over last weekend and will grout tomorrow.
    Bowyer123 I found the lodge griddle/grill at tjmaxx a couple weeks ago. It is patiently waiting.

  • maxee123
    10 years ago

    This reply is to carsonheim.....
    Great job on your backsplash which goes so beautifully with your creme de Bordeaux countertop. I looked long and hard for my backsplash to go with this granite. I had to coordinate Saltillo floors as well. Just order fireclay debris series butter toffee. Love your design behind cooktop. Exquisite.
    Would you mind telling me about the tile you selected? Thanks so much.

  • deedles
    10 years ago

    thedork: rofl

    fagor pressure cooker-- have one, works great, recommend.

    Currently obsessed with *please* starting the tear out of the kitchen to be able to start the remodel of the kitchen that I've been obsessed with for almost 2 years.

    Also rediscovered my Omega juicer and have resumed juicing anew this past week. Feeling great!

  • rikerk
    10 years ago

    Carsoneim do you have a link to the kitchen with the backsplash that you posted abpve? I would love to see more of this kitchen

  • melissaki5
    10 years ago

    Cabinet handles. We have been living with this kitchen for 10 months now sans handles. Dh wants to kill me, relatives are shocked I haven't picked any out yet, and I still can't make a decision. The ones I fell in love with I am afraid are too long for 3 smaller drawers in the kitchen, and don't come in a smaller size. My second choice is $12 more each and the first ones aren't cheap. So I keep searching and searching not finding ones I like better. These are my first choice.

  • katy-lou
    10 years ago

    Schedule - so want it done - and cabinet glass. Mouth blown by bendheim/ lamberts. So many options . . .

  • kitchendetective
    10 years ago

    Pal,
    Aren't stainless steel counters applied to a substrate, e.g., wood? So, couldn't one use a wood coving attached to the edge of the wood that will be at the back of the counter, sand the junction smooth, and apply the stainless over that?

  • babushka_cat
    10 years ago

    i am obsessing about remodeling another kitchen! doing house hunting, want another fixer so i can start the madness again!!!

  • selphydeg
    10 years ago

    I am online all the time looking at dining table and dining chairs. We have a small round table, but I am looking to upgrade to a bigger table. I absolutely can't stand the upholstered chairs right now. Fabric and little kids don't mix. I want something with a hard surface that doesn't absorb sauce, juice, ink, etc.

  • andreak100
    10 years ago

    lila - fabric and kids DO mix, you just need the right fabric. Check out Crypton fabrics.

  • Delilah66
    10 years ago

    My obsessions are targeted at kitchen use. Since I mastered in coffee obsession years ago, I've rededicated myself to tasting all the perfect vodkas. Christiania is my current favorite, but because it is now almost impossibly expensive to get, I found an acceptable alternative: American Harvest.

  • beachpea3
    10 years ago

    My on-going obsession (Call it #1) is trying to plan a semi-unfitted kitchen-- i.e. finding the right "elements" (that we can afford...) that work with a circa 1680 house that originally never had a kitchen. The early kitchen/ keeping room is currently the dining room...Obsession #2- should we combine the two rooms???.........And around and around we go.......In the meantime DH pacing back and forth about the budget and the time & turmoil it will involve... as our office is at home...................... and as you can probably tell by now...he is a Type "A".... Is it not a surprise that it has taken years to get to this point???

  • islanddevil
    10 years ago

    I'm burned out just thinking about a kitchen remodel and serious research is on the back burner until the fall. For now I'm obsessed with what's going on outside my kitchen window with all my hanging fuchsias and the hummingbirds that visit them. Also anxiously awaiting my the arrival of my new comfy patio sectional for summer reads and happy hour margaritas!

  • texasgal47
    10 years ago

    Hmmmmmm, it's the home stretch for my remodel, and I've been obsessing over the dang range hood for months!!! (ABRHH--All But Range Hood Hell).
    By the way, I requested and received a pressure cooker as a wedding gift in 1968. It was used on very rare occasions over the years and was finally sold two years ago. It's a shock to me that this item is recycling it's way back around again -- No pressure cooker obsession for this gal.

  • frugalnotstingy
    10 years ago

    Add another one to those who are in backsplash hell! The ones that I am liking are too modern for my traditional cabinets.

  • home4all6
    10 years ago

    as I sit here in a small corner of my house, with my kitchen and dining room corraled off by plastic, listening to the constant drone of the dry wall installers, with the occasional shock of that pressurized air tank thing turning on, I am simultaneously researching:
    ~sinks, specifically searching out the LARGEST prep sink I can fit in an 18" cabinet. (Franke RGX110, I think?)
    ~faucets, good quality pull-down without spending a fortune
    ~pendants, small, interesting, not too expensive, not too industrial (even though I like that style best, it just doesn't work in my house, in my opinion)
    ~backsplashes, I think marble subways on the perimeter, but something more interesting for my butler pantry
    ~soapstone varieties and local dealers--ugh! This one is super-stressing my out!!!
    But I can't fully devote my time to any of these things, because it's summer, and my kids need me, too, I suppose :)

  • carsonheim
    10 years ago

    For those of you asking about the backsplash I posted, it is by Encore Ceramics. Here's a linky:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Grace Backsplash

  • juliekcmo
    10 years ago

    Buckeye golden mom

    Check out the Ecobee wi fi thermostats

    Nest has some shortcomings in that it is not programmable in the sense of creating a schedule. It is reactive to habits but not able to know that unlike yesterday, today you want to do THIS

    Ecobee is wi fi, with smartphone apps, reads outdoor temp based on your location, and can be adjusted from any internet location. But best of all, your phone is now a remote. Cold at night and already in bed? Pick up your phone and bump up the temperature.
    Coming home for lunch today? Turn on the AC when you leave the office and it's cool by the time you arrive.

  • rosie
    10 years ago

    Carsonheim, your backsplash is exquisite. Julie, our son tends to decide when his parents lives need a technical upgrade and presents his current decision for Christmas. So thanks for the heads up. :)

    And thanks, Kksmom, for the link. Son also has Costco. :) I researched that model and it looks like just what I want.

    Suska, sorry I didn't see your question earlier. I visit various cooking forums, including ours here, but a favorite that has had a good amount of pressure cooker chat on is linked below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pressure cooker discussions and recipes.

  • rosie
    10 years ago

    Forgot to mention, Sreedesq, I just went and admired the Breville. We have one of their toasters and really like it. In this case, the price is definitely high enough to grab DH's attention, especially with my three large slow cookers (for holidays) filling his office cupboard. Maybe someday, like when we downsize... The newer two slows were picked up for $20 each over his "do we really need those" protests. :)

  • kksmama
    10 years ago

    I could answer this thread differently every day! Today it is granite, I think I found "the one" and can hardly wait until tomorrow morning to see it for the third time (is it old fashioned to insist on a 3rd date before making a relationship "exclusive"?). I'm frustrated not to be able to find any info online - the yard is calling it Godiva and says it is from India. I think I've exhausted all combinations of "granite, godiva, black, white streaks" without success.
    I may have to move on to the weekend's obsession early - exploring diy treatment options for my glass cabinet inserts.

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    10 years ago

    today (and most days recently ) it is sink: still looking for that mythical perfect 30" ( or at least larger than 25") sink with an offset drain that will fit into a 30" cabinet. Granite or steel? Drop-in or undermount? What faucet to go with? What color if granite -- to decide, I need to make a commitment to a countertop, which introduces my other obsession: Silestone or granite, dark gray vs black, or maybe River White? Or maybe the clam shell corian?

    All I know for sure right now is that my cabinets will be painted something close to SW Natural Choice, I will have a wood floor, and I have lights in the ceiling.

  • michoumonster
    10 years ago

    melissaki5, can you please tell me what brand those cabinet pulls are? those are gorgeous!!

    my current obsession is cabinet pulls. am trying to figure out if i should do the edge pulls, or go with regular handles..
    also looking for a portable induction cooktop!

  • gwlolo
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Michou,

    I recommend the max burton portable induction. I bought mine for $100 from Amazon and it was supposed to be for a few months for remodel. We are here 2.5yrs later and we are still wrapping up our remodel. It has been our main cook top for a family of 4 cooking at least twice a day. I bought a couple of IKEA induction pot and skillet and hey have served me well. I liked this so much that I changed my cooktop to induction instead of CC gas range top.

  • sreedesq
    10 years ago

    Rosie,
    For me the Breville pressure cooker is great for cooking meals that take hours in about 30 mins. It also keeps everything from getting soggy since you can saute first. If you eat a lot of beans, roasts, or soups it's worth it in that regard. Plus you can use it as a steamer. When I bought it and started using it, I gave away my old stovetop pressure cooker and slow cooker. I did keep my small rice cooker/steamer just to have if I needed to cook a little rice for a sick dog. It's great! HTH :)

  • rosie
    10 years ago

    You're making me covetous. Since I do often brown meat first, the saute feature is what makes me especially wonder how to innocently lose those slow cookers. Maybe take 20 quarts of bisque or chicken and dumplings to a party in the next state (wouldn't someone be surprised) and just "forget" to bring them home?

    Would you steam veggies in yours, such as for dinner, or probably do hose in a smaller pot too?

  • sreedesq
    10 years ago

    Rosie,
    Regarding the steamer function, it fits enough veggies/shrimp for 4 people easy. I did keep my large stovetop Calphalon Steamer since the Breville really isn't big enough to hold crab legs. I haven't steamed as much in it as pressure cooking.

    I only use my small single girl rice cooker/steamer now for my yorkie since he often has an upset stomach and I cook him a small amount of rice in it.

    The only negative I can say about the Breville is that the silicone gasket does absorb the smell of things you cook. Mine smells like onions from sautéing prior to cooking. It isn't a problem for me, I happen to love onions.

    My old slow cooker was done so I tossed it b/c I would never use it now. But, I could see where you would want an old slow cooker if you were letting people serve themselves out of it. The Breville is more of a machine than a serving piece and I wouldn't want the nonstick surface to scratch. So, maybe hold off on "losing" all those old ones ;)

    There is a small learning curve, but it's great. Now, that other retailers have them the price may start going down. HTH :)

  • sreedesq
    10 years ago

    Rosie,
    Regarding the steamer function, it fits enough veggies/shrimp for 4 people easy. I did keep my large stovetop Calphalon Steamer since the Breville really isn't big enough to hold crab legs. I haven't steamed as much in it as pressure cooking.

    I only use my small single girl rice cooker/steamer now for my yorkie since he often has an upset stomach and I cook him a small amount of rice in it.

    The only negative I can say about the Breville is that the silicone gasket does absorb the smell of things you cook. Mine smells like onions from sautéing prior to cooking. It isn't a problem for me, I happen to love onions.

    My old slow cooker was done so I tossed it b/c I would never use it now. But, I could see where you would want an old slow cooker if you were letting people serve themselves out of it. The Breville is more of a machine than a serving piece and I wouldn't want the nonstick surface to scratch. So, maybe hold off on "losing" all those old ones ;)

    There is a small learning curve, but it's great. Now, that other retailers have them the price may start going down. HTH :)

  • pobrecita
    10 years ago

    Soapstone countertops. They are hands down the biggest splurge in our reno but I just had to have them.

    Second would be a vitamix. I think I *need* one.

  • SparklingWater
    10 years ago

    Cabinet pulls and knobs: satin vs polished nickel.

    I planned on satin, my faucet, air switch, flange, and soap dispenser are satin but so far, all manufacturers I've checked or ordered samples from are too dark for my stark white cabinets.

    Any one know of a "brighter" brushed satin nickel knob/pull manufacturer? Does it have to do with being brass rather than zamak or zinc underpinnings?

  • SparklingWater
    10 years ago

    Also, for those who are interested:

    "2013 Kitchen & Bath Style Report"
    NKBA-member survey reveals the top design trends for 2013.

    Here is a link that might be useful: link:

  • melissaki5
    10 years ago

    Michou - they are Siro Quadra design A. They start at 10" and have various sizes up to 30". That's the brushed nickel finish which is really nice. They also have a chrome which I have not seen. I've pretty much have shopped every website I can think of and the price is almost the same everywhere.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Siro pulls

  • lwerner
    10 years ago

    Today I'm obsessing over ... everything! I keep thinking that I've made all the decisions that could possibly be required. But then the contractor, electrician, landscaper, fabricator, or someone else I've never heard of comes along with a new question for me. :-/

    The specific things I'm obsessing over, though, are under cabinet lights and Kitchenaid mixers. I think the new kitchen may be a good excuse for a new, bigger mixer. Gotta be color coordinated after all! And countertops. We just laid out the templates on the slabs yesterday so they can start cutting. The install is supposed to happen the week after next!

    I need to post some progress pictures. I lurked and posted here some last year, but then drifted away after the design got mostly finished and the project got bogged down in permits and civil engineers and the like. But now the end is finally near.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    Been there, done that - but of course, I still am mastering the Vitamix (which helped start this thread)

    I am still waiting for resolution on my silly drawer... The first set of replacement were the wrong size....

  • oldbat2be
    10 years ago

    Mrsmm- did you say MRmm shot you in the knee with a nail gun? I think my current obsession would be revenge...

  • oldbat2be
    10 years ago

    Mrsmm- did you say MRmm shot you in the knee with a nail gun? I think my current obsession would be revenge...

  • rkb21
    10 years ago

    Latest obsession: when can I move into my kitchen? I'm tired of the delays!

    A close second and third are my door hardware and the search for the perfect backsplash.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    MM - ouch!

  • flgargoyle
    10 years ago

    Gladys1924- Sorry, I hadn,t realized that you asked about my build! I'm dried in; roof is complete, and windows and doors are in. I have to have my plumbing and electric roughed in soon, too, for a big inspection. I'm building the house myself, single-handed, so things move slowly.

    I found my sink! I bought a 43" Elkay on ebay. It has very minor damage, but I think we can live with that for the price. I figure if it starts out with a few scratches, it relieves us of the burden of keeping it perfect LOL! Now I'm stalking a matching single bowl for the prep sink.

  • michoumonster
    10 years ago

    thanks melissaki5 fir the pulls info, i will check those out!
    gwlolo, thanks for the rec on induction burners. there are quite a few of them on amazon, all with mixed reviews, so it is good to know of one that is good.

    oh a new obsession, green non-stick pans!
    the cast iron is too heavy..

  • mrsmortarmixer
    10 years ago

    Oh yes, MrMM shot me right in the knee after a finish nail deflected off of a knothole in a board I was holding for him. He worked with clamps the rest of the job.

  • aquilachrysaetos
    10 years ago

    Mine longtime kitchen obsession has been vintage cookware from the 50s or older. I have a lot of Guardian Service cookware. I love that the stuff is practically bombproof.

    At the thrift store the other day I found an ancient but still perfectly workable Presto 4 qt pressure cooker. The hammered texture on the lid caught my eye. It has beautiful wood handles too. I love that I can still get gaskets and overpressure plugs for it which I did because while the ones it had were serviceable they looked a little old. I also found a manual for it. Using some common sense and some internet research, it's incredibly easy to use.

    Since then I have experimented with making a few dishes in it. French onion soup is awesome in it and beans come out creamy textured. Presoaking gets better results though if in a hurry I can start from dry. Seasonings get right into the beans instead of staying in the broth.

    I am looking for a big oldie so i can use it at the next chili cook-off!