Kitchen Appliances Explained

Here is a breakdown of the appliances we sell with a brief description

Cooking

Range Cookers

The design of a range cooker product means that the cooker can stand alone without any surrounding cabinetry. Range cookers are considered freestanding and not built in.
Many styles of Range Cooker are available from the more traditional design to modern stainless steel cookers.

Range cookers are ideally suited to larger kitchens, although today's range designs are available in many sizes, from 70cm to 150cm.
There are different fuel options to consider, from all electric (with ceramic top) to all gas, dual fuel and the option of LPG conversion.

Freestanding Cookers

Freestanding cookers are an ideal choice if your cooker has to fit between kitchen units with restricted space. The sizes range from 50cm to 60cm with most of the manufacturers who promote freestanding cookers.
A freestanding unit offering oven, grill and hob in one appliance, designed to slide between kitchen appliances cabinets.

Freestanding cookers have adjustable feet to fit flush to worktop height.

Built-in Cookers

Cookers and hobs designed to fit into either a kitchen work surface or kitchen cabinets.
Single or double cavity ovens and hobs are available to build into or under kitchen units. The choice is between built-in to a cabinet at a higher level or built-under which means underneath the work surface.

Conventional ovens

Conventional ovens can be gas or electric. In a conventional gas oven, the heat comes from the gas burner at the rear bottom of the oven. In a conventional electric oven, the heat comes from elements under the base and at the top of the oven.
In a conventional oven, heat rises to give a hotter temperature towards the top of the oven, and a slightly cooler temperature towards the bottom of the oven.
The heat zones in a conventional oven make it ideal for cooking a number of dishes together, where different cooking temperatures are required. Conventional ovens are perfect for traditional cooking for things like cakes and roast meat.

Electric grill

Electric grills consist of either single or dual elements, and may have fixed or variable heat settings, depending on the model. The heat output of variable grills can be controlled by turning up or down, between low heat and high heat settings.

Fan assisted ovens

A fanned oven has an even cooking temperature throughout the oven as the fan circulates the heat. This makes it perfect for batch baking.

Heat comes from the element in the back of the cavity, beit in the middle or top of the oven, and the hot air is circulated around the oven cavity so that an even cooking temperature is achieved throughout the whole of the oven.

Fanned Grilling

Available in ovens showing multifunction and fanned ovens in the specification.
Heat comes from the grill element, and hot air is circulated around the food, so that there is no need to turn during grilling. Ideal for grilling meats as it helps cook through the food as well as browning it.

Fan and base cooking

This feature is available in selected multifunction ovens only.
Heat comes from the element in the base of the oven, and is circulated throughout the oven by the fan.
Ideal for cooking moist dishes where the filling and the base need to be cooked evenly.

Griddle

A griddle is a flat cast iron cooking plate. Some range cookers come with a removable griddle designed for use over two specified hotplate burners. Some electric and dual fuel range cookers feature a fixed electric griddle plate.
Griddles are also available for many gas hobs.

Hotplate lids

Some freestanding and range cookers feature hotplate lids. These are toughened glass on some models, or solid cast iron lids on our more traditional Farmstyle range. Lids to gas hotplates (on gas or dual fuel models) have a safety feature so that if the lid is accidentally closed while a hotplate burner is on, the hotplate burner will be switched off.

Automatic programmer and clock

An LED automatic programmer - clock has a full 24 hour digital clock display.
It also has a minute minder function and its main function is that it can be programmed for automatic cooking in the oven under control of the programmer. You can set cooking start time, or end time, along with the length of cooking time required. When the programmer reached the end of the cooking time set, it will automatically switch the oven off.

Minute minder

The LED minute minder / clock has a 24 hour clock display. It also features a minute minder functionwhich acts as a timer to let you know when your cooking needs attention. The desired time is set, and an alarm will sound after the time set has elapsed. The minute minder works independent of the oven, so if your cooking needs an extra few minutes, theres no need to reset the oven.

Multifunction oven

A Multifunction oven is an electric oven which has many cooking functions. These functions will include a selection of the following; fanned oven cooking, conventional oven cooking, grill, fanned grilling, base heat only, top heat only, fan plus base heat, intensive bake and defrost.

Pyrolytic

These ovens usually have a triple glazed door so the oven can withstand the heat required to burn off excess food. The ovens go to extremely high temperatures and automatically lock themselves so you cannot get close to the heat produced.

Shelve supports

Most ovens feature removable shelves and shelf supports. This makes cleaning even easier – especially as they can be cleaned in a dishwasher.
Shelves can be placed in a variety of different positions inside the oven, so that you can position the food you are cooking at the perfect height.

Stay clean liners

Stay clean liners help reduce dramatically the amount of cleaning an oven needs. The special coating burns off most of the fatty by-products and food splashes on impact, leaving your oven much cleaner and needing less wiping.

Top heat only

This function is available in some Multifunction ovens, and some electric conventional ovens.
Heat comes from the element at the top of the oven. Top heat is ideal for browning the top of oven cooked dishes.

Inner door glass

Most ovens feature an inner door glass panel, which is removable for easy cleaning.

Warming plate

A heat resistant toughened glass warming plate is a feature of some electric range cookers. It is perfect for warming plates before serving, or for keeping a pan warm at a low heat before serving.

Wipe clean enamel interior

This is a smooth hard wearing enamel oven or grill interior finish, which can be wiped clean after use.

Induction hobs

A frequently asked question is how does induction work?! Induction hobs deliver heat to the pan using a magnetic field.

The electric current passes through a coil which creates a very strong magnetic field under the ceramic plate. This field creates an induction current, which generates heat and is drawn upwards into the ferrous pan.
The induction currents heat the pan instantly, which then passes its heat on to the food it contains.

Advantages of induction

Safety - the temperature of the glass top remains low. With an induction hob, the heat necessary for cooking the food is produced directly inside the pan; the vitro-ceramic glass hardly heats up at all, as it only receives the heat from the pan placed on it.
If there is no saucepan on the hob but the power is on, the surface will not heat up until a suitable saucepan is placed on the hob.
Precision cooking control - these cooking zones are so accurate that it is possible to create a constant low temperature for long periods of time, so that soups and casseroles can simmer away without the likelihood of them sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Induction hobs are also extremely fast being capable of reduced cooking times, and because there is no heat wasted, they use considerably less energy than other hobs.
Induction hobs are more economical than conventional hobs - when a pan is lifted off, the zone stops heating immediately.
Will my pans work on an induction hob?
Pans in enamelled steel, cast iron or stainless steel are all suitable for use on an induction hob.

Gas hobs

Gas hobs come in many different variations, from domino hobs with one or two burners, through to 7 Burners on some hobs!!

Auxiliary or small burner - perfect for low heat settings and simmering
Semi Rapid burner - ideal for most cooking
Rapid burner - suitable for boiling and for faster cooking

Wok burner - powerful burner designed for frying and the wok

Ceramic hobs

A ceramic hob is a smooth heat-resistant ceramic glass hob surface. The heating elements are located beneath the glass.

Halogen hobs

A halogen hob cooking zone is located beneath a ceramic glass hob. Heat comes from a halogen element, which has a fast response time.

Cooker hoods

Cooker hoods extract smells and fumes out of the kitchen using ducting, if ducting is not possible then it is recirculated using filters.
A chimney hood is fitted as a visible feature and adds character to any kitchen
A canopy hood is placed into an artificial chimney of any style.
An integrated cooker hood is built into your kitchen appliances furniture and is covered by a cupboard door which matches your kitchen.

Microwaves

A built in microwave is built into your kitchen furniture and requires a frame kit.

Refrigeration

Built in fridges / fridge freezers

These are built into a tall cabinet in your kitchen furniture. A door is then fixed onto the appliance, or two doors for a fridge freezer in most cases.
Built in refrigeration comes in many different sizes, like 50/50 split which means you get equal space for the fridge and freezer, or 70/30 split which gives you more fridge space than freezer.

Built under fridges, freezers and fridge freezers

These just simply slot into a gap and don't have any cabinet carcass surrounding them. The door then hangs on the fridge. These are very popular integrated kitchen appliances

American Refrigeration

American and American style refrigeration products are more popular in the UK than ever before.

Many people chose to design their new kitchen around a range cooker and side by side fridge freezer as focal points.

The name 'American style' is used when the appliance was actually manufactured outside of America.

There are many models to choose from including with or without the ice and water dispenser, and even built in options. Some models have mirrored panels or panels that can be changed over to match your kitchen units.

Wine coolers

Wine coolers can be built in to a column, built under a work surface or freestanding, and have different features such as 'zones' for different temperatures.

Laundry products

Tumble dryers

Tumble dryers can be condenser (the steam created turns to water and is stored in a removable compartment), or vented (a hose takes the steam to an external point).
There are a few fully integrated tumble dryers to choose from too.
Sensor technology on some models means the tumble dryer will stop before the cycle ends if the clothes are dry.

Washing machines

There are various spin speeds, colours and specifications available with washing machines.
Built in washing machines take a furniture door to match your kitchen units. These are the most popular kitchen appliances on the market today.

Dishwashers

Built in dishwashers are usually 60cm wide or the slimline dishwashers 45cm.
The same sizes are available for freestanding dishwashers