Kitchen Design - Cooktop

"Patrick Fitzsimmons, CFP, CRPC, ChFC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My wife and I are building a new home and are trying to plan our kitchen
appliances. We haven't ordered cabinets, yet, nor do we have exact
dimensions on the walls, so we can order any size appliances we want and
have everything else built to suit. We agree on just about everything but
are having trouble with our cooktop.

We have four children - 11, 6, 3, and the 4th coming in July
My wife cooks full dinners 2-3 times per week and we expect to entertain 8
times a year
I LOVE to grill but usually only the end of spring and early fall when
it's not too hot or too cold

The person we talked to today strongly recommended against a grill in the
cooktop so we tentatively decided upon a 6-burner cooktop and we'll use an
electric griddle or an after-market griddle that we simply place on top of
2 of the burners. When I got back to my office, a friend of mine told me
that she loves her grill and uses it more than her oven or her burners. I
read some articles and the recommendation against the grill seems to be
personal preference.

We also contemplated the built-in griddle for two reasons. First, we like
the temperature control of the built-in griddle versus trying to control
the flame under the after-market griddle. Second, my wife likes the cover
on the griddle because it's a convenient place for her to put cooking
utensils when she's using the burners.

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

A, B, and C are roughly the same price. D, E, and F are all roughly the
same price but run about $800 more than ABC. We don't mind spending the
money but want to make sure we'll use it. Since two of our three children
are still small and the 4th isn't even born, yet, it's hard for us to
imagine our needs for everyday cooking.

If it makes any difference, we'll also purchase 2 wall ovens (both will be
conventional and convection), a microwave, and a warming drawer.

Interested in any suggestions and rationale the group can provide.

Thanks!

I'd go for the 6 burners and a griddle. To have both griddle and grill, you
will only have 4 burners. You need more than that. I think a griddle is
more important than a grill for preparing a meal, especially for a family of
6. If a grill is necessary, you might try the larger covered outdoor grills
which might serve as your 8 x a year entertainment.

I'm wondering where/what you eat the other 4 to 5 nights a week that you
don't have a full dinner. But I'm not sure what a full-dinner is for you;
but at any rate, perhaps there's a chance that you might be eating a full
dinner 6-7 nights a week in the future, so I'd go for the 6+a griddle+an
outdoor barbecue grill.
Dee Dee

"Patrick Fitzsimmons, CFP, CRPC, ChFC" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

My wife and I are building a new home and are trying to plan our
kitchen appliances. We haven't ordered cabinets, yet, nor do we have
exact dimensions on the walls, so we can order any size appliances we
want and have everything else built to suit. We agree on just about
everything but are having trouble with our cooktop.

We have four children - 11, 6, 3, and the 4th coming in July
My wife cooks full dinners 2-3 times per week and we expect to
entertain 8 times a year
I LOVE to grill but usually only the end of spring and early fall when
it's not too hot or too cold

The person we talked to today strongly recommended against a grill in
the cooktop so we tentatively decided upon a 6-burner cooktop and
we'll use an electric griddle or an after-market griddle that we
simply place on top of 2 of the burners. When I got back to my
office, a friend of mine told me that she loves her grill and uses it
more than her oven or her burners. I read some articles and the
recommendation against the grill seems to be personal preference.

We also contemplated the built-in griddle for two reasons. First, we
like the temperature control of the built-in griddle versus trying to
control the flame under the after-market griddle. Second, my wife
likes the cover on the griddle because it's a convenient place for her
to put cooking utensils when she's using the burners.

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

If it makes any difference, we'll also purchase 2 wall ovens (both
will be conventional and convection), a microwave, and a warming
drawer.

Interested in any suggestions and rationale the group can provide.

Thanks!

Patrick,

I have a 4 burner electric cooktop (with overhead side-by-side ovens (1/2
and one full size electric) on one counter and a 6,000 watt bbq grill on
another. They're both over 35 years old but still work like champs. The
grill has a rotisserie attachment.

If I had to replace the cooktop, I'd go with F, if the bbq grill did
double duty by putting a steel griddle surface over it. Don't know how
they'd manage a grease trap in that fashion, though.

I rented a house once that had a gas 4 burner and large steel griddle
stove. It was great for breakfasts and cheesesteaks. Steaks and burgers
and kabobs are much better on the grill. So F is the best of all worlds.

A few tips: The grill is going to need a lot of overhead. My bbq grill
has caught on fire from too much fat drippings all at once. I had three
foot flames dancing into the dual-fan commercial exhaust hood. I had to
toss the metal cover on to smother it out.

Griddles can spit and burn hot oil if you use too much oil and high temp.
And the large griddle is a lot of work to clean. Need to use a fine
steel-wool "brick" to keep the surface clean, shiny and smooth.

Both will need serious ventilation!

But they both add flexibility and creativity to your cooking!

Good luck,

Andy

Patrick Fitzsimmons said:

My wife and I are building a new home and are trying to plan our kitchen
appliances. We haven't ordered cabinets, yet, nor do we have exact
dimensions on the walls, so we can order any size appliances we want and
have everything else built to suit. We agree on just about everything but
are having trouble with our cooktop.

We have four children - 11, 6, 3, and the 4th coming in July
My wife cooks full dinners 2-3 times per week and we expect to entertain 8
times a year
I LOVE to grill but usually only the end of spring and early fall when
it's not too hot or too cold

The person we talked to today strongly recommended against a grill in the
cooktop so we tentatively decided upon a 6-burner cooktop and we'll use an
electric griddle or an after-market griddle that we simply place on top
of 2 of the burners. When I got back to my office, a friend of mine told
me that she loves her grill and uses it more than her oven or her
burners. I read some articles and the recommendation against the grill
seems to be personal preference.

We also contemplated the built-in griddle for two reasons. First, we like
the temperature control of the built-in griddle versus trying to control
the flame under the after-market griddle. Second, my wife likes the
cover on the griddle because it's a convenient place for her to put
cooking utensils when she's using the burners.

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

A, B, and C are roughly the same price. D, E, and F are all roughly the
same price but run about $800 more than ABC. We don't mind spending the
money but want to make sure we'll use it. Since two of our three children
are still small and the 4th isn't even born, yet, it's hard for us to
imagine our needs for everyday cooking.

If it makes any difference, we'll also purchase 2 wall ovens (both will be
conventional and convection), a microwave, and a warming drawer.

Interested in any suggestions and rationale the group can provide.

Personally I would find life hard without my grill. How would one cook a
Welsh Rarebit on a griddle?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Patrick Fitzsimmons said:

My wife and I are building a new home and are trying to plan our kitchen
appliances. We haven't ordered cabinets, yet, nor do we have exact
dimensions on the walls, so we can order any size appliances we want and
have everything else built to suit. We agree on just about everything but
are having trouble with our cooktop.

We have four children - 11, 6, 3, and the 4th coming in July
My wife cooks full dinners 2-3 times per week and we expect to entertain 8
times a year
I LOVE to grill but usually only the end of spring and early fall when it's
not too hot or too cold

The person we talked to today strongly recommended against a grill in the
cooktop so we tentatively decided upon a 6-burner cooktop and we'll use an
electric griddle or an after-market griddle that we simply place on top of 2
of the burners. When I got back to my office, a friend of mine told me that
she loves her grill and uses it more than her oven or her burners. I read
some articles and the recommendation against the grill seems to be personal
preference.

We also contemplated the built-in griddle for two reasons. First, we like
the temperature control of the built-in griddle versus trying to control the
flame under the after-market griddle. Second, my wife likes the cover on
the griddle because it's a convenient place for her to put cooking utensils
when she's using the burners.

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

Quoted message said:

Interested in any suggestions and rationale the group can provide.

Thanks!

I can't quite determine how much cooking you do. Sounds like maybe only
outdoor grilling. I think you should get what the Main Cook wants. I'm
leaning to A, four burners and a griddle. My first choice would be just
4 burners.

--
-Barb
<http://jamlady.eboard.com> Updated 5/22/2006, Church Review completed
"If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."

Melba's Jammin said:

I can't quite determine how much cooking you do. Sounds like maybe only
outdoor grilling. I think you should get what the Main Cook wants. I'm
leaning to A, four burners and a griddle. My first choice would be just
4 burners.

-Barb

I have to agree with Barb... the poster offers lots of minutia but not
a whit is useful for determining what kind of cooking or quantity.
That said, very rarely does typical family cooking require more than a
four burner cooktop -- ergo the most common configuration by far -- 90%
of the time only one or two burners are used. For entertaining say a
dozen people I typically mostly use the oven and/or outdoor grill, and
one or two burners.... I can't remember the last time I had all four
burners going at once. In my experience I've discovered that when
folks claim they need more than a four burner cooktop it's because they
need that extrsa space to park their days old yet unwashed pots. No
one really needs more than four burners, not unless they're running a
restaurant, or they literally don't have a clue how to cook.

Sheldon

Sheldon said:

Melba's Jammin said:

I can't quite determine how much cooking you do. Sounds like maybe only
outdoor grilling. I think you should get what the Main Cook wants. I'm
leaning to A, four burners and a griddle. My first choice would be just
4 burners.

-Barb

I have to agree with Barb... the poster offers lots of minutia but not
a whit is useful for determining what kind of cooking or quantity.
That said, very rarely does typical family cooking require more than a
four burner cooktop -- ergo the most common configuration by far -- 90%
of the time only one or two burners are used. For entertaining say a
dozen people I typically mostly use the oven and/or outdoor grill, and
one or two burners.... I can't remember the last time I had all four
burners going at once. In my experience I've discovered that when
folks claim they need more than a four burner cooktop it's because they
need that extrsa space to park their days old yet unwashed pots. No
one really needs more than four burners, not unless they're running a
restaurant, or they literally don't have a clue how to cook.

Sheldon

I agree with Barb and Shel. More than 4 burners is akin to having too
many dining room chairs - you can always pull chairs from the rest of
the house, and 6 or 8 chairs just get in the way, unless you have a
banquet table.

I would love to have two ovens, though. It seems at holiday
entertaining time, I need two ovens.

N.

Nancy2 said:

Sheldon said:

Melba's Jammin said:

I can't quite determine how much cooking you do. Sounds like maybe only
outdoor grilling. I think you should get what the Main Cook wants. I'm
leaning to A, four burners and a griddle. My first choice would be just
4 burners.

-Barb

I have to agree with Barb... the poster offers lots of minutia but not
a whit is useful for determining what kind of cooking or quantity.
That said, very rarely does typical family cooking require more than a
four burner cooktop -- ergo the most common configuration by far -- 90%
of the time only one or two burners are used. For entertaining say a
dozen people I typically mostly use the oven and/or outdoor grill, and
one or two burners.... I can't remember the last time I had all four
burners going at once. In my experience I've discovered that when
folks claim they need more than a four burner cooktop it's because they
need that extrsa space to park their days old yet unwashed pots. No
one really needs more than four burners, not unless they're running a
restaurant, or they literally don't have a clue how to cook.

Sheldon

I agree with Barb and Shel. More than 4 burners is akin to having too
many dining room chairs - you can always pull chairs from the rest of
the house, and 6 or 8 chairs just get in the way, unless you have a
banquet table.

I would love to have two ovens, though. It seems at holiday
entertaining time, I need two ovens.

I had two... Used them twice in 18 years, and I entertain quite a lot.
🙂 I also have only 4 burners...

Plenty to produce lunch in my house for 42 people! 🙂

Now a WOK burner I would use...
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

Kate Dicey said:

Quoted message said:

I would love to have two ovens, though. It seems at holiday
entertaining time, I need two ovens.

I had two... Used them twice in 18 years, and I entertain quite a lot.
🙂 I also have only 4 burners...

Now me...I would love the 6 burners, AND 2 ovens...and the grill.....
AND, I would probably fill them up pretty often.....

I can't tell you how many times I have really needed more than just 4
burners, and another oven.....

Christine

"Patrick Fitzsimmons, CFP, CRPC, ChFC" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

When I got back to my office, a friend of mine told me that
she loves her grill and uses it more than her oven or her burners.

Yepper! 365-days-a-year.

http://www.tinypic.com/10qct55.jpg

Andy

On Fri, 26 May 2006 03:35:57 +0000, Patrick Fitzsimmons, CFP, CRPC, ChFC
wrote:

<snippedsomeinfo>

I have 4 burners and a griddle, and NEVER use the griddle. The cooktop is
gas but the griddle is electric... NOT GOOD. It takes a long time to
heat the griddle and it will never get as hot as an iron skillet on a gas
burner, and it is not much larger than an iron skillet. The iron skillet
is much easier to clean. If you need a larger griddle, use 2 iron
skillets.

I would prefer 6 burners to the 4 burners and griddle configuration.

You will never go wrong with a premium kitchen in regard to resale.

If you griddle or grill inside, you really need an extra premium overhead
ventalation system like Vent-a-Hood unless you enjoy smoking. <G>

On 26 May 2006 06:50:37 -0700, "Nancy2" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I agree with Barb and Shel. More than 4 burners is akin to having too
many dining room chairs - you can always pull chairs from the rest of
the house, and 6 or 8 chairs just get in the way, unless you have a
banquet table.

True that I never use 4 burners at once. What I really would love is
two front burners, usual size, and one oversize back burner for *big*
pots and pans.

Nathalie in Switzerland

Christine Dabney said:

I would love the 6 burners, AND 2 ovens...and the grill.....
AND, I would probably fill them up pretty often.....

I can't tell you how many times I have really needed more than just 4
burners, and another oven.....

What, you're in bondage... you cook a different menu for each family
member... and then they spit on you in appreciation?

No one needs more than four burners and one oven to feed a family...
maybe instead you should buy larger pots...

Sheldon

In rec.food.cooking Patrick Fitzsimmons said:

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

Quoted message said:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

Quoted message said:

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

I have a nice large grill right outside the kitchen door
and use it year round. I think an indoor grill is
likely to be more trouble than it's worth with venting
and such considerations. I would really like to have
a griddle. I would narrow the choice down to either
4 or 6 burners and a griddle. That is just me and
knowing how I cook.

Like some others I don't see needing 6 burners, but
I also don't have that large a family. It would sort
of depend on what sort of cooking and how often. Even
during big holiday meals we rarely need an extra burner
above the 4 on our cooktop. Once or twice in 10 years
have I used the side burner on the outside grill because
the other 4 were in use. I have used the outdoor grill
as a second oven more than that, but you already said
you will have 2 ovens.

As Melba's Jammin' said, I'd ask the primary cook what
he/she thinks. At my house that is me, but sounds like
you need to ask your wife's assessment on the number
of burners and/or griddle.

Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.

Patrick Fitzsimmons said:

My wife and I are building a new home and are trying to plan our kitchen
appliances. [snip]

We have four children - 11, 6, 3, and the 4th coming in July
My wife cooks full dinners 2-3 times per week and we expect to entertain 8
times a year
I LOVE to grill but usually only the end of spring and early fall when it's
not too hot or too cold
[snip]

We also contemplated the built-in griddle for two reasons. First, we like
the temperature control of the built-in griddle versus trying to control the
flame under the after-market griddle. Second, my wife likes the cover on
the griddle because it's a convenient place for her to put cooking utensils
when she's using the burners.

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

A, 4 burners and a griddle is what I have. The grill is on the patio.
That's the configuration I recommend.

I've never made a meal that needed 6 burners. I seriously doubt you
will either.

The griddle is great for bacon, burgers, grilled sandwiches, pancakes,
and (with a bit of practice) chow mein. I've used it too many times to
count.

I have limited experience with indoor grills. Had an electric one for
a while. The best thing about grills is that you can intentionally
produce various kinds of smoke. That belongs outdoors, it seems to me.
The second best thing about them is that with certain foods the fat
drips away from the food onto the coals. That also belongs outdoors.
When you want fire but without smoke you use the broiler, which is just
an upside down grill.

Now I'll go read the other posts and see what I've been missing.....
-aem

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Christine Dabney said:

I would love the 6 burners, AND 2 ovens...and the grill.....
AND, I would probably fill them up pretty often.....

I can't tell you how many times I have really needed more than just 4
burners, and another oven.....

What, you're in bondage... you cook a different menu for each family
member... and then they spit on you in appreciation?

No one needs more than four burners and one oven to feed a family...
maybe instead you should buy larger pots...

Sheldon

I think there's a big difference between "needs and wants". As far the
burners are concerned I don't think I've ever used all four at one time.
Three maybe? As far as grills are concerned, we have a natural gas grill
and a BGE for outside cooking. I have friends who have inside grills and
they hate them because of the difficulty in keeping them clean. I live in
Texas so usually cold weather is not a problem <g>. For griddles I use
All-Clad griddles and they work just fine on the cooktop.

I do love our 30" double oven however. I would concede that this is a
luxury. However, but I really enjoy it especially for a crowd, but I still
utilize it when there are only the two of us for dinner.

Chris in Pearland, TX

"Chris Marksberry" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Christine Dabney said:

I would love the 6 burners, AND 2 ovens...and the grill.....
AND, I would probably fill them up pretty often.....

I can't tell you how many times I have really needed more than just 4
burners, and another oven.....

What, you're in bondage... you cook a different menu for each family
member... and then they spit on you in appreciation?

No one needs more than four burners and one oven to feed a family...
maybe instead you should buy larger pots...

Sheldon

I think there's a big difference between "needs and wants". As far the
burners are concerned I don't think I've ever used all four at one time.
Three maybe? As far as grills are concerned, we have a natural gas grill
and a BGE for outside cooking. I have friends who have inside grills and
they hate them because of the difficulty in keeping them clean. I live in
Texas so usually cold weather is not a problem <g>. For griddles I use
All-Clad griddles and they work just fine on the cooktop.

I do love our 30" double oven however. I would concede that this is a
luxury. However, but I really enjoy it especially for a crowd, but I
still
utilize it when there are only the two of us for dinner.

Chris in Pearland, TX

I like variety in my meals. I just finished late lunch/dinner and used all
four burners. And the microwave! I used an teapot to heat water, and the
oven to bake bread.
We are a family of DH and Dear Wife. If I had children, even though Iwould
be cooking larger proportions (bigger pots),I still would be cooking a
variety of foods.
Dee Dee

"Patrick Fitzsimmons, CFP, CRPC, ChFC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

A) 4 burners and a griddle

Quoted message said:

E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle

I have little use for an indoor grill. A griddle is used a LOT in our house
and often sits on the stove for days at a time.

Seldom do we have four burners going but your circumstances are probably
different. Even with four burners, more space would be nice at times and
the six will give more flexibility that way. If the budget can handle the
larger setup, go for it now because later never comes or will be much more
costly.

"Patrick Fitzsimmons,
<snip>

Quoted message said:

We have four children - 11, 6, 3, and the 4th coming in July
My wife cooks full dinners 2-3 times per week and we expect to entertain 8
times a year
I LOVE to grill but usually only the end of spring and early fall when
it's not too hot or too cold
snip>

Based on the limited info above, should we purchase:

Quoted message said:

A) 4 burners and a griddle
B) 4 burners and a grill
C) 6 burners

D) 6 burners and a grill
E) 6 burners and a griddle
F) 4 burners and a grill and a griddle
snip<-------------------

Personally speaking, I'd go for "C" but it sounds like 'you' may be better
suited by "B" but would do quite nicely with "C" and really well with "D".

There have been many, many times where I've needed more than the 4 burners
that I currently have... but that's me. My guess is that by already having
3 children in the house - your cooking needs/techniques probably won't
change much over the years unless the youngest 2 or 3 will/are all boys!!
LOL You can always buy the griddles that are designed to go over 2 burners;
so, if you have the 6 burner unit you can still use up to 4 other burners
and not feel cheated. As far as grilling goes - you can either get the "B"
option which may entice you to 'grill' more often and/or forego it and deal
with an outdoor grill as you've been doing.

Again - from what I see, you'd do well with any of the above. If it becomes
a budget issue - go with "B" or "C" but if it's not an issue, you might be
happiest with "D"... or what the heck, "F"! I've never been a big griddle
user which is why I'm not really putting it into the equation. Obviously,
if it's something that you feel you'll use - then go for it. Even if you're
not cooking with the burners, I find they're a great place to put hot things
filled with food. 😄

--
Syssi

Nathalie Chiva wrote on 26 May 2006 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

On 26 May 2006 06:50:37 -0700, "Nancy2" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I agree with Barb and Shel. More than 4 burners is akin to having too
many dining room chairs - you can always pull chairs from the rest of
the house, and 6 or 8 chairs just get in the way, unless you have a
banquet table.

True that I never use 4 burners at once. What I really would love is
two front burners, usual size, and one oversize back burner for *big*
pots and pans.

Nathalie in Switzerland

I cook for one. I rarely have more than 2 burners going at once no
counting the oven, even when entertaining. Things get done in serries at
at different times...cooking and watching more than 2 things at a time
gets to be a pain. That's why god invented a warming oven. Or in my case
the keep warm setting on the microwave.

--
-Alan