Appliance shopping isn’t easy, especially for the kitchen. Appliances are expensive investments, so you need to carefully consider what model is perfect for you, your needs, and your budget. They aren’t easy to return, either, so you don’t want to make any mistakes. Believe it or not, many people spend weeks selecting their perfect appliance, only to bring it home and discover it’s too big for their kitchen. Don’t let this happen to you; follow these tips on how to ensure that a major appliance is the right fit for your kitchen.
Accurate Measuring
Perhaps the most important aspect of choosing an appliance for your kitchen is that it’s the right size for its spot. A fridge with inconvenient shelving isn’t quite as bad as a fridge that is too wide for its spot and ends up sitting in the middle of the room. When you measure the areas where your appliances will go, measure the height, width, and depth – and measure three times. You need to be triple sure that your measurements are accurate. Bring the exact measurements with you while shopping. In some cases, with your fridge, for example, you’ll want to subtract about two inches from each measurement and search for a fridge that size.
Measuring the Route
The spot where your appliance will go isn’t the only thing you need to measure. You should also measure things like any doorways the appliance will need to fit through to make it to your kitchen. If it’s too wide for them, it won’t work no matter what you do. Bring these measurements and a description of the route with you as you shop, too. Tell the salesperson about it, especially if it’s a long route with stairs and hallway curves, so he can assess whether or not it would be feasible for the appliance you want to make it to its designated spot.
Considering Door Swings
Another thing you need to measure is how much space you have to open the door of your oven, dishwasher, or fridge. With your fridge, you should also consider which side the door needs to be hinged on in order to be able to open fully or be most convenient for you. Ask about the side the door is hinged on and whether or not it can be switched. While you’re at it, make sure the door is easy for you to open.
Considering Function
The size of your appliances should also be determined by your habits in the kitchen. If you tend to do a lot of cooking, and you sometimes cook with very large cookware, you need to make sure your favorite pieces will fit inside the oven. The best idea is to take your largest piece of cookware with you while shopping and test it out yourself. With your fridge, consider the size and shape of things you most commonly store there. A unit with a side-by-side freezer and fridge, for example, might not have a wide enough space for you to store things like frozen pizzas or sheet cakes.
Katherine Brown is a kitchen design professional with Drury Designs who knows a thing or two about kitchen appliances. She also loves to write and often covers kitchen remodeling tactics or home upgrades as topics.
