Canux : Home Sweet Home

Archive for the ‘Ranges & Cooktops’ Category

Are you interested in making your home more energy-efficient? How about saving some money in the long run? Well, here are a few items that you should consider replacing in your home, especially if you’ve had them in place over 10 years.

Bathroom Sink Faucet - Did you know that a dripping bathroom sink faucet can waste as much as 3,000 gallons per year? If the faucet was purchased and installed before 1994, it can flow at a rate of 3 to 7 gallons per minute. Current federal law requires that all new faucets have a flow rate no more than 2.2 gallons per minute. Toilet – Older toilets can use as much as 7 gallons per flush. Redesigned toilets can use 1.6 gallons or less per flush. Showerhead - Newer showerheads are designed to produce large water droplets at a high velocity providing the sensation of high water flow. Some of the newer showerheads also allow you to adjust the flow from the current 2.5 gallons per minute to less than 2 gallons per minute. Refrigerator – Newer refrigerators have high-efficiency compressors, thicker insulation and more precise temperature controls. When replacing a refrigerator, be sure and look for an Energy Star label which means it meets strict energy-efficient standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Cooktop – Cooktops are one of the least energy-efficient appliances in the home. Gas burners with standing pilots can use more than double the energy in one year than gas burners with electric ignition. Dishwasher – Today’s dishwashers are much more energy efficient than older models as they usually conserve time, water as well as energy. Washer and Dryer - There are dramatic savings to be realized with new washers and dryers with the Energy Star rating. You can expect to save up to $550 over the appliance’s lifetime. Front loading washers use the least water and electricity. New dryers have moisture senors in them which shut off the machine when the clothes are dry. Windows – Newer, more efficiently sealed windows can help you cut your energy bill by as much as 15 percent. You have the choice of double or triple pane windows which reduce heat flow and prevent condensation. Water Heater - New tankless water heaters can save you up to $500 in operating costs. Or, you can opt for a solar heating system will save you anywhere from 50 to 80 percent in energy costs. Heating and Air Conditioning - If you’ve had your heating and air conditioning system more than 12 to 15 years, then it’s probably time to start thinking about a replacement system. Energy Star certified systems can probably save you anywhere from 20 to 30 percent on heating and cooling costs.

Replacing all of these items at one time is cost prohibitive, but you should start reviewing the list and gradually replace the oldest appliances as soon as you can afford it. It will ultimately bring you long term savings and make you a much happier consumer.

The kitchen sink that are available now are far more from those of the past. You have to educate yourself with all the factors in picking out the right kitchen sink for you kitchen, family and budget. As we all know kitchen sink is the most used part of the kitchen so if you choose just any kind of sink, for sure you will regret of choosing it as the years come.

Now there stainless steel sink is the most popular material for your kitchen sink today. You will enjoy having this sink because it is easy to clean and install. But the downside is that it can scratch, dent and scold easily if it is not taken care of properly. It is also noisy as the water falls. So if what you want for your kitchen sink is the stainless steel sink it is better to check on the gauge of the material. The lower that gauge of the metal the thicker it is which will eliminates those downside and enjoy a lot using it. Another option that you can have is to have an undercoating that will muffle the sound.

There are other kinds of kitchen sink that you can actually use, but having the one that is modernly design is something that can give you a lot of advantages. There are some people who do not really understand what a stainless steel sink can give them, so if you are one of them better read this article for sure you will change your point of view.

Stainless steel sink is easy to maintain. Cleanliness is a must in every home especially to your kitchen because this is the place where you usually process and prepare your meals. Having a clean kitchen sink will help you prevent contamination and different diseases.

This kitchen sink usually provide ease for every members of the family because this can provide what your family needs and wants for a kitchen sink. There are variety of choices with the stainless steel sink. You can choose a single, double or triple bowl that will fit .the amount of task that you are doing. You just have to pick the one that will fit to your daily task.

This kitchen sink is easy to install. You have to measure the sink and the place where you want to install it. You have to get the exact measurement in order to fit it perfectly.

And lastly the stainless steel sink is very affordable so that anyone can buy it.

Glass cooktops are among the most popular designs for ease of cleaning and overall convenience. The substance in these ranges is constructed of a special material that can withstand temperatures in excess of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The radiant heat type of glass cooktop uses about 20 percent radiant heat and 80 percent conducted heat. For this reason, it is extremely important to choose the correct type of cookware for your range.

Without regard to the brand name of any particular cookware, the most important design element of the cookware you choose is that it must have a flat bottom. Not just mostly flat, but extremely flat. The best way to test for flatness is the ruler test. Take a standard 12 inch ruler and place the edge of it across the pan at the center. When you do this, look closely to see if there are any areas of light showing under the ruler. It is also acceptable to have a slight concave toward the center of the pan.

Another way to test if your pan is flat, is to place it on your glass cooktop and add one half cup water to it. Heat the water to boiling and check to see that the water heats and boils uniformly across the entire pan.

The best performing pots and pans for a glass top is one with a stainless steel bottom. Pans with copper or aluminum bottoms will transfer heat very well, but the soft metal will tend to mark up the specially designed glass. Ironically glass cookware is the least desirable type of material to use on a glass cooktop and is not recommended.

Whether you have a basic set of pots and pans from your major retail outlet or a designer set you received as a wedding gift, the name on the pans is not as important as the style, design, and material you use with your glass cooktop.

A Hybrid cooktop is a combination of radiant and induction cooktops built into one unit.

Electrolux is one of the major produces of hybrid cooktops in the world today. I believe many people buy hybrids because they fear that if they go all induction they might not like it, so they have radiant burners to fall back on just in case.

The 2 most common sizes for residential cooktops is 30 inch and 36 inch and Electrolux makes both sizes.

The 30″ induction hybrid cooktop comes with 6″ and 10″ induction elements. You can boil water in just 90 seconds with this powerful 3200 watts stovetop. You can even program the 25 preset one touch button setting for instant cooking.

If you trade your old gas cooktop for all induction then you are looking at saving up to 70% on your cooking energy bill or 20% savings if you convert from electric element to induction.

Considering how long an average cooktop lasts, the energy savings potential is huge especially if you cook a lot. If you live in a hot climate and hate the fact that your present cooktop heats up the whole place when your whipping up dinner then this is a perfect replacement.

Since there is no residual heat thrown off by this stovetop your living quarters will remain much cooler. Not only will you save money on your cooking energy but also save on your cooling costs.

As a fanatic about saving time, money & energy I swear by these cookers. If you are thinking about buying a hybrid then that’s fine but I prefer a 100% Induction to a hybrid any day of the week.

Electrolux Induction Cooktops come in two sizes, 30 inch and 36 inch. You can also chose from cooktops that are all induction or ones that are a combination of radiant and induction.

The Electrolux EW30CC55GB 36-in Electric Induction Hybrid Cooktop – Black is the most popular model of the two hybrids that they make. It features 10″ and 6″ Induction Elements.

At present Electrolux does not make an induction range with an oven, however I am sure they will be coming out with one in the near future.

Unlike conventional gas or electric stoves these magnetic cooktops do not directly produce heat. They also do not technically have burners like gas or electric, instead they are called hobs. These induction hobs create a magnetic field that reacts with the molecules in the iron based bottom pot or pan.

The pan heats up instantly! Unlike gas or electric cookers, induction is the most controllable heat in the world.

The Induction elements automatically detect the presence of magnetic cookware and activates the induction magnetic field and adjust it to the exact size of the pot or pan.

Magnetic cookware must be used on the induction hobs for it to work. Simply place a magnet to the bottom of the pan and if it sticks then you can use it. The other two electric burners can can use any type of cookware.

If you are ready to replace your old cooktop then this Electrolux Hybrid Cooktop is the way to go. You may want to consider going 100% induction and take the leap to 100% but the choice is yours.

In the long run induction will save you time, money, keep your kitchen cooler and safer. If everyone switched to induction cooktops then lives and property would be saved because house fires would dramatically decrease using this magnetic cooking technology.

Have you heard of the Jenn Air ranges for the outdoor grill? These ranges are unique as they let you grill on your stove. You can conveniently switch the radiant cook surface with grilling parts. Another very popular feature is the convection oven, and the fact that it has two-timers. Just like with any oven unit, you are also bound to run into some problems with your Jenn Air range. Thus, it is important that you save your money and try to solve the problems yourself.

You must always ensure that the oven vents are not blocked, if your baking outcome is not like it was expected. You must remember that the results may obviously vary from that of your earlier oven. You must check to properly ensure that the range is level. You must also ensure that the oven temperature is decreased by 25 degrees while baking.

You must also check the oven rack positions to see if your food is not roasting properly or is smoking a lot. The food item may be too close to element. You must make sure that the broil ingredient was pre-heated. You must also remember to never line the broiler with the aluminum foil.

If the unit did not clean properly, then set the self-clean for a much longer cleaning time. You must also ensure that you remove all the extra spillovers before beginning the self clean cycle. You must keep in mind that it is quite normal for a new Jenn Air Range to emit a strong smell or light smoke to appear. Thus, you must initiate a clean cycle to burn-off the strong smell faster. This will help to switch on the ventilation-fan. If you planning to buy a new Jenn Air Range then browse through the various online retail stores and grab the best deals.