@winstir, I have had Bosch induction cooktops for 11 years - my first one (a 500 series) was handed down to my daughter when I did our recent remodel; I have one at our vacation home (also a 500) and now have the Benchmark at home. So in terms of touch controls, I had no learning curve. I will say I love my first unit the best because the controls are on the stainless strip, not the glass, so no prints. Bosch discontinued that feature, however.

I'm not sure I am the best judge of the Benchmark yet. I am using it just as I used the 500 even though it has many more features. I do like having the flex area when I use a larger rectangular pan or a larger stock pot. I have not taken advantage of the "connect" feature or the timers.

After I saw your question, I went back and read my manual! I have a lot more to learn if I want to take full advantage. But all in all, I love the way the Bosch cooktops cook and I find the controls to be easy and intuitive but that may be due to my years of experience.

@MinnesotaMary Many thanks for getting back Mary! My husband and I reviewed it all this morning and had decided on the Benchmark. Great to have your endorsement and looking forward to enjoying it as much as you have.

@winstir, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. One other point I forgot to add: even though my 500 series cooktop that I gave to my daughter is 11 years old, it looks brand new. The tops clean up so well and without much effort! There is only one tiny hairline scratch on the old unit (which I think my daughter or SIL may have added) but not noticeable at all. Good luck!

@MinnesotaMary great to hear - thanks!

Youre new kitchen and family room look absolutely beautiful. I am wondering how you like the Zephyr Preserv. Are the shelves on teh right side easy to get things in and out of? Do cans on the right ever fall over when you pull the shelves out? I had decided agaisnt the french door dual zone because I thought the shelves on the right were too narrow to allow easy access to sodas so I am thinking of the Zephyr Preserv single zone with wine shelf on the top.Thanks

Congratulations on this stunning reno in the middle of a pandemic! Incredible. ...and that hood is just scrumptious!!

We are working on our kitchen reno and are about to pull the trigger on the cabinets and away we go. This generous sharing of info is so incredibly helpful. Thank you!!

@juki262, thank you! I really like the Zephyr. We bought it mostly so we could store red wine at the appropriate temp and I love that feature. Also love the lighting choices. The right side is great for cans and the shelves pull out readily but not so great for beer in bottles. I end up using the top shelf for white wine and the remainder for cans and/or beer bottles (some can stand up and others we lay down.) So if you need more can space, perhaps the single zone would be a better option. I just seem to store more red wine!

@Cheryl BKaun, hey, thanks! And good luck on your project. It is so worth it when all is said and done. Try to enjoy the process - it will be a better memory!

Hi again, I love looking at your kitchen and wonder where you put your garbage/recycle and your paper towel holder? Small details that I am in the midst of deciding. Love the built in hutch with glass cabinets and I have soemthing very similar in my plans.

@juki262, trash was a big decision as I planned out my kitchen. It took over my life for a bit! Haha! I am a visual person so I will include photos. I have 2 trash cabinets - one is in the island behind me when I'm at the sink. It is our main T/R center and it works really well in that spot. I also added a smaller trash can in one of the pullouts under the sink that I use for meat scraps, bones, melon rinds, etc - the stinky stuff I want out of the house within a day.

Trash is in the island at the end.

I made all of my drawers in the island 27 inches deep which I love.

My smaller bin under the sink.

Here is a "real-life" shot showing my paper towel dispenser which lives on the counter!

Thanks! Great idea for the pull out under sink; so much easier to see what you have. I will be getting a Kraus workstation sink with a side drain so hoping to have room on one side under sink for trash like yours

What a stunning transformation you did. It's clear you really sweated the details and it shows! May you have many happy years creating wonderful meals in your new space!

Hi Again Mary,

Could you provide details about your stunning picture window? How much are you loving it?

I'm looking at a Marvin vent window to place right over my sink. Wondering if this might be the same window.

Thanks very much,

Cheryl

@Cheryl BKaun, I love the window! And yes, it is a Marvin vent window. Mine measures (including framing) 46.5 x 45.5. It comes with a screen but I have not installed it because I love the clear view and the light the window provides. I opened it a few inches in the spring for some fresh air but honestly, our summer has been so hot that I mostly run the AC.

We brought the window right down to the counter which I also love. And I had the base cabinets on that wall built at 27 deep. That allowed me a nice deep space behind the faucet and deeper pullouts below the sink and deeper drawer stack to the left of the DW. I went with 15 inch uppers throughout the kitchen L. Here are a couple of shots of the space behind the window.

Thanks so much, Mary! My window will be almost exactly the same dimensions but I have only 5 inches from the window to the edge of my countertop.

By the way, my contractor just called to say the wait for the Marvin Vent window is now 24 weeks. He mentioned several other options but I'm totally stuck on this window so I will wait. So cabinets back ordered 20 weeks and now the window 24. Sure I'm in for a bumpy renovation ride but know it will be worth it when it's completed.

Hope you are enjoying your stunning kitchen! You are so sweet for sharing all of this info.

Be well!

@Cheryl BKaun, Hi! I wanted to correct something. I have the Marvin Ultimate Awning window, NOT the Vent window. My sister does have the Vent window and she gets very little airflow so I decided it wasn't worth it. My contractor highly recommended the Awning window which can be opened a foot or so but as I said earlier in the thread, it has a full screen. (He has the same window so I went by his experience.)

My experience has been that if I open the window about 6 inches without the screen in, I get a nice amount of air, much more than my sister does with her Vent Marvin. I don't leave it open all day or anything as we have mosquitoes, flies, etc. I do enjoy the clear view so have not put the screen in.

Just wanted to clarify and let you know the difference. Here is a YouTube video that shows both windows and how they operate. Hope this helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHdgGMvY0Z8

Thank you for that video! I'm actually now considering the Ultimate Casement window because I love that I can easily clean the outside. It's always bothered me that I can't clean the outside of my current double casement window like all of my other windows. Having a crystal clear window above my sink will make me happy--lol! I will leave out the screen because I just don't open it much. During the holidays, when I do a lot of cooking, I will pop it in.

Now back to the contractor to see the wait time for the casement window.

Again, super appreciated!

So going with the Marvin Ultimate Casement window. Contractor says still 24-26 weeks.

@Cheryl BKaun, Wow, I can't believe the lead times on everything. I guess 2020 messed up more than our way of life. Glad you figured out which window will work best for you! Just remember, the casement windows only go to 40 inches wide.

2020 sure did mess up every single thing! Yes on the 40 inches. So our current window is 38 inches square but with the molding approx 46 inches(4 inches on each side). Had hoped to max that 46 inches. Instead, we will do the 40 inch without the molding. I'll get to see the snow clearly from my window by the time the window is placed but again, worth the wait!

@MinnesotaMary Hi again. Trying to figure out placement of my recessed lights. Are your lights on the sink run 24" out from the wall? My electrician thinks I should center the lights in the aisle but I am reading they should be at the counter edge. TIA!

@Snbtwins, mine are centered on the edge of the counter. My sink run cabinets are actually 27" deep so the lights are spaced accordingly - about 27"/at the counter's edge. Hope that helps!

@MinnesotaMary you are so helpful. Thank you so much!

@MinnesotaMary Hi again. Do you remember how much reveal you did on your sink, did you follow the Kohler template? TIA!

@Snbtwins Hello! I did a 3/4 inch reveal on the Whitehaven and I don't think my installers used the template. I originally thought I wanted a one-inch reveal but my contractor was a bit uncomfortable with it so I settled on the 3/4 inch. I'm very happy with it. I can still straddle the sink with an adjustable colander and the reveal is easy to keep clean. Hope your project is going smoothly!

@MinnesotaMary Thank you so much. Project going okay, some minor issues along the way. But all the cabinets are in and counter layout happening tomorrow. Can't wait until this is done. I need to decide my hardware lengths soon, I am ready for decisions to end!

Your kitchen choices and finished project are just impeccable. I love it all! And especially how you transformed that kitchen desk area into such a useful yet beautiful space. Thanks for all the details, I am making notes! Love it all.

@Design2 girl, thanks! That desk transformation is one of my favorite things in the kitchen. It's pretty and functional which is the ultimate goal for me. That space was used by my kids growing up (we had the desktop computer there) but had gone unused for several years after we became empty nesters and started using laptops or tablets. Now, it is used all of the time and houses wine and cocktail glasses, barware, placemats, napkins, party ware and all of the alcohol! I love the dual beverage cooler. It keeps my red wine at the right temp and DH uses the right side for beer and my white wine. Guests gravitate there for drinks and snacks which keeps them out of my work space. Win win!

Looks absolutely stunning!! Such an amazing transformation to your space.

MM: in what part of MN do you live? I have tons of relatives there, was born there. Your kitchen is beautiful. I have that same floor plan but with a counter and was thinking of doing an island when we remodel next summer. Just gorgeous!! Yours, not mine LOL

A+

@Kathy Furt, thank you! We live in the south metro area. I was born in St. Paul and moved out of the city 40 years ago. Love Minnesota - but not its winters so head much further south for that season!

I loved every part of your kitchen remodeling - now it seems to be brighter and more modern.

Yes that’s nice. My grandparents used to winter in Palm Springs, my aunt has a house in Arizona. My dad hated those winters! We loved them. We moved in 1963, the day Kennedy was assassinated! Have you heard of Lake Alexander, Long Lake? The best people !!

looks amazing!

Hard work pays off. I saw this project a while back, these updates are insane, congratulations on your new spaces!

Thank you! Here we are a year later, and I still smile every day at what we accomplished.

@MinnesotaMary Your new kitchen is beautiful, as was your old kitchen!

Fresh, bright and gorgeous….you did well, MinnesotaMary. I have one minor suggestion……have the trees (seen from your new over-sink window) trimmed to open up the view more.

Amazing transformation! It's so much brighter and more modern, fab job!

Looks fabulous! Great work and thanks for sharing!

It looks beautiful!

@MinnesotaMary, when you say the Zhephyr cooler is not great for beer bottles what do you mean? Dont they fit on the right part of the fridge, standing vertical?

@venexiano, it depends on the height of the beer bottles. When my DH stores Corona, for example, we need to remove one of the shelves if he wants to store more than 8. Here is a photo that shows the space when I remove a shelf. This gives us 2 full shelves that will accommodate 16 tall bottles of beer.

When I have all of the shelves in - and I need to space them to accommodate the taller bottles, it looks like this:

In this scenario, we would have room on the top shelf for canned beer - about 8 cans - but right now I have white wine stored there. The bottom shelf is probably only good for wine bottles as it has a ridged surface. One also has to be somewhat careful when pulling out a full shelf of beer bottles as the shelves don't slide as smoothly as the wine shelves/left side. I do love the unit and it has worked well for us. Hope that helps!

Hi Mary--I noticed your counter overhang was 1 3/8 inches. Does this account for the cabinet doors? The overhang over your micro looks to be approx 1/2 an inch in these photos. I would like our counters to have a similar look.

We have the full overlay cabinets and the same micro on the island. We met with the fabricator(Imperial Danby-honed is the material) today and discussed 5/8 inch overhang beyond the cabinet doors.

Your kitchen has been the source of much inspiration for many--including myself. Your willingness to share your project details and answer these questions is so appreciated!

Thanks so much!

@Cheryl BKaun, thanks for your note of appreciation! My 1 3/8 inch overhang is from the face frame. So if you add the 3/4-inch cabinet door, it gives you a 5/8 overhang beyond the door. Sounds like you and the fabricator have it figured out. Continued good luck on you project!

@MinnesotaMary

You're the BEST, Mary!

I'll be sure to post photos when our kitchen is completed. Looking forward to that day!

I haven't seen this reveal and the biggest impact for me are your newly stained floors and your redesigned fireplace. That fireplace is just simply gorgeous.

Looks great !

What a transformation! Looks fantastic!