Functional Luxury - Full Steam Ahead with Miele

There are some appliances that just make you want to cook. It makes the process fun, intriguing and you just love being in the kitchen.  This is one of those kitchens and the Miele Steam Oven is one of those appliances..

In this kitchen design the Fieldstone oven cabinet was configured to hold a 24" steam oven with trim and a 30" convection oven. As the designer I worked with the Miele specs in order to correctly order the cutouts from the cabinet manufacturer.  There is a 36" base cabinet to the right of the ovens to provide for a wide landing space when removing items from the ovens.  There is also an island close by if it is needed.   This is a very efficient kitchen  for cooking purposes.
 
In high-end kitchens there is a trend  to replace the microwave with a steam oven.  The Steam Oven offers a healthy way to cook food but it will never be as fast as a microwave. For those who always need something right now this may not be a good idea, but in  ways other than time, the steam oven is far more beneficial in a kitchen.  

Steam Oven benefits:
 *  Ideal for veggies, fish, meats, making bread,  and desserts
 *  Cooks up to 3 levels without any transfer of taste between dishes
 *  Reheated items retain their original taste
 *  Moisture handling

Microwave benefits:
 * Time, Time, Time
 * Easier for people to use.

I think the main difference between the two cooking methods is how they handle moisture.  The Microwave appliance uses  moisture within the food item to create the heat that cooks the food.  This is what causes the food to sometimes taste dry and leaves little doubt that it has lost its flavor as well as nutrients.  In a Steam Oven the reservoir container introduces water into the oven and heats the food from outside thereby leaving the nutrients and flavor intact.

Other Steam Oven factors :
 *  The vertical container on the right is the reservoir that holds water. Depending on how often you use your steam oven you will need to refill the reservoir with water.
 *  It comes with several different pans that are designed for specific food types.  Perforated pans will create a transfer of heat that will cook veggies and still maintain their  nutritional value.  For rice and meat or fish dishes you will need to us the pan with a solid base.
 * There are other accessories that can be found on the Miele website
 * Food- driven menu system
 * Programmable for favorite receipts.













 



.

Functional Luxury - the Miele/SubZero Kitchen - The 5 Burner Cooktop

Just how important is ventilation to a kitchen?  It's very important.  The kitchen hood can make or break a fabulous kitchen yet so often it is overlooked.

 When designing a kitchen the cooktop and ventilation need to be considered as one unit.  A good design will allow them to work together efficiently.

This Miele  36" five  burner  cooktop is a powerful workhorse with its (2) 9,000 BTU high speed burners, (2) 15,300 BTU double inset super burners and its (1) 12,000 BTU super burner.  Whatever  thee homeowner will be cooking will surely put some pollutants into the air and for that reason you need a hood that's a good match for the cooktop. The hood chosen for this task was the 42"Best 1000 CFM (cubic foot per minute) chimney style hood.  There are some great features with this hood. 

Generally, a hood with its duct work vented to the outside is considered the most effective ventilation system.  For efficiency sake the hood should be at the very least the width of the cooktop,   It is preferable though that the hood be wider by 3 to 6 inches than the cooktop,  This is because  the greater the capture area the more efficient the unit can be.  What's great about this hood is that it also comes in a 24" depth which is not the standard.  With this configuration at 42" wide and  a 24" depth a solid system was in place to insure greater capture of the pollutants such as moisture and grease naturally rising from the cooking surface and dispersing into the air in the kitchen.   Another great  feature is that while the flue accommodates 8' to 9' ceilings it can be extended for 10' ceilings.

As a kitchen designer I work with manufacturers and appliance dealers to get you the best hood and cooktop configuration for your installation.  You can't overlook this important component in your kitchen remodel.
 

Functional Luxury - The Miele/SubZero Kitchen

 

No matter how beautiful a kitchen is, it must be functional.  Here's a sophisticated beauty that is easy to get around and easy to entertain in.  How a kitchen should function depends on how the homeowner uses the kitchen.  However, there are two major considerations regarding function within the kitchen: space planning and appliances.  Appliances are the backbone of the kitchen but you must also be able to effectively move around the space.  You can't be running  a marathon every time you cook dinner.   This spacious kitchen with its muted tones, simplistic cabinet style and built-in appliances is a subdued statement of functional luxury.

This appliance-savvy homeowner clearly understood the value of good quality energy saving appliances when she chose Miele for the cooktop, dishwasher, steam and convection ovens, and Sub-Zero Wolf for their refrigerator.  As their designer, my task was to provide a functional space plan to expedite their work in the kitchen, configure as large an island as possible for entertainment purposes and create a  shared openness with the adjacent  living room.   

As with many large kitchens having multiple entry points, placement of the island is critical. For safety and efficiency  it is important to have  adequate space  in the walk areas and around the work aisles in the kitchen. Sometimes the best solution to this  challenge is to position the island on a diagonal.  As it turns out, the diagonal approach worked well in this kitchen.

Even though this is a big kitchen it can still accommodate  the traditional triangle which means the refrigerator, cooktop  and sink are within easy walking distance from one another.  The two-tiered island  is  positioned diagonally to allow for easy traffic flow and easy access to the living room.  It is also  a preparation work station with multiple electrical outlets,  six drawers providing additional storage and is flanked by two 36"high cabinets.  The large overhang provides plenty of  space for  guest  to congregate and for conversations that  can easily include the cook.  Kitchens should be designed with the cook  in mind.

The beautiful cabinetry in this kitchen is from Fieldstone.  The cabinets are their Monterey door style done in cherry wood with a classic harvest stain.   This is a semi-custom line that allows a great deal of customization.  Therefore, as a designer you can meet your client's needs even when it may require extensive modification to their cabinetry.  This flexibility came in handy when configuring the oven cabinet and the adjacent utility cabinet.  Double oven cabinets always have to be modified depending on the ovens that the homeowner purchases.  The installer will make some modifications on site but some need to be done at the manufacturing plant. With the oven wall both the double oven and the utility cabinets were changing and the top cabinets had to be in alignment  after the modifications.  The utility cabinet was changing to make the top cabinet more  functional and that top cabinet would need to be smaller in order to align with the oven cabinet.   In this case, the homeowner didn't have a need for the normal top cabinet in the utility cabinet.  What they needed instead of the shelf was a place to store trays and miscellaneous items within access.

In many kitchens where  entertainment  is a goal a wine storage area is necessary, but we created  a wine area just off the kitchen in this home.

This is a dream kitchen when it comes to appliances. My next post will be dedicated to just the appliances  for they really are luxurious additions  to this sophisticated kitchen.

One other significant detail regarding this kitchen is that the  installation was done by the homeowner.  This was a complicated kitchen to install giving the built-in appliances and  the diagonal island.  Hats off to the homeowners.  It was a pleasure working with them.  I was glad to be part of the team.

 

The Miele/Sub Zero Kitchen -The Beginning Stage





Preparing for installation

My goal as a kitchen designer is to meet the needs and expectations of my client while creating a very  functional, aesthetically appealing and easy to work in environment.  I work with a team of licensed professionals to insure that the design meets the various code requirements that regulate safety in the kitchen and bath areas of your home. Because of the codes and the various types of  equipment, designing the kitchen and bath is a fairly technical endeavor which is why I received certification through the National Kitchen and Bath Association after receiving my degree in interior design.

 

Every kitchen/bath remodel is different because people and their needs are different.  The process usually begins with an interview that last about 2 hours.  I want to know what you like and don't like about your current kitchen, if you are going to buy new appliances, if you want a place for homework or for the TV, and the list goes on and on.  There are so many details that it is often overwhelming for the homeowner which is one reason why it's beneficial to hire a designer in the first place. It's the designer's job to make it happen and to make it happen as stress free as possible. 

Above is a picture of the beginning stage of my latest kitchen remodel.  As you can see the cabinets have already been removed from the wall and the walls are in the process of being readied for the new appliances and new cabinetry.  My client for this specific project is a do-it yourself homeowner with many years of installation experience so I am comfortable working with him.  However, I do usually work with a team of remodeling specialist.

In a future posting I'll have pictures of this kitchen completed.  There are elements in this kitchen that deserve a more detailed posting such as the built-in SubZero Refrigerator, the restructuring of the 36" pantry to align with the Miele Double Oven cabinet and the two-tier island on the diagonal. This kitchen design also reflects the recent trend that homeowners want to replace the microwave oven with a steam oven.


The Fieldstone cabinets have been delivered and will be installed when the walls are ready.