Buying and Maintaining Your Kitchen Appliances

There are only a few things that a man can’t live without. One of those is food. Whether you’re cooking for sustenance or for pleasure, your kitchen is an important part of your home. It just wouldn’t be complete without one.

Designing your kitchen comes with the thought of purchasing equipment that is not only functional but also efficient and safe. This ensures that you can get the most out of your appliances whie maintaining your peace of mind.

Energy-Saving Features in Kitchen Appliances

Your kitchen appliances will account for a huge chunk of your energy consumption. In fact, studies have shown that for some homes that are not designed to use energy more efficiently, their kitchen appliances accounted for about 30% of their energy cost.

This stems from the fact that the majority of kitchen appliances deal with temperature change. These types of devices require a significant amount of energy to function at optimum levels. Take for example a toaster. Looking at it, it would seem like a simple device, right? But in reality, over the course of 2-hour use, your oven toaster will consume more power than a modern LCD television.

The huge energy consumption consequently called for the development of more energy-efficient features into household appliances. So then what are these energy-efficient features?

Inverter Technology can most often be seen in appliances responsible for refrigeration. Old refrigeration technology uses a single-speed compressor that would start and stop whenever necessary. This is what the distinct on and off sounds you hear in your fridge.

What that does is that as the refrigerator reaches preset temperature inside the device, the device would automatically shut itself off to prevent it from going overboard. Consequently, when the temperature starts to rise again, the compressor starts again. This start and stop sequence consumes a large amount of energy which makes old refrigerators very efficient.

Modern refrigeration technology makes use of Inverters to allow compressors to work at variable speeds. This means that instead of a compressor shutting down to prevent the temperature from dropping too much, it would instead slow down and consume less power. When the temperature is deemed too high, the compressor would also start to increase power output, thereby bypassing the need for a surge of power to activate the motor from a dead start.

Inverter technology is by no means a quick fix to your energy consumption, however. The benefits of a refrigeration system equipped with inverter technology can be observed over a period of time.

Buy the Right Size of Equipment

Bigger isn’t always better. Not for kitchen appliances anyway. A number of people, when they’re still buying their appliances, opt to purchase the larger units just in case they need the size.

While this is not necessarily wrong, this could also mean that your purchase is not very efficient. For one, due to the size of the unit, you may not be able to make use of its functions in their entirety.

Second is the power consumption. Yes, the larger the unit, the more power it would consume. This is why if you have no need for an exceedingly large device, don’t get one.

Consider Induction Stoves

There is rising popularity when it comes to the use of induction stoves. For those of you who might not know, induction stoves make use of magnetic waves to generate heat. This allows the stovetop to remain cool and instead only heat the pot.

The technology of induction stoves also helps increase safety as there is no longer an open flame to start kitchen fires compared to traditional stovetops. However, since it uses magnetic waves, they consume electricity instead.

If it consumes electricity, doesn’t that mean it’ll consume more power and consequently increase my power bill?

Yes, it does. However, unlike products that use natural gas for fuel, electrical power prices are not as volatile. Meaning that as there is a move to much more efficient renewable energy production, energy costs would also be more affordable. Whereas oil and gas prices will continue to fluctuate and will most probably skyrocket as the supply for such fuels decreases over time.

Take Advantage of Automated Appliances

No, we’re not talking about AI and how your appliances can independently cook you food. Automated appliances mean that your devices are able to learn your behaviours when using them.

For the majority of people, leaving appliances on standby is much more convenient as there wouldn’t be a need to constantly turn it on or off. This habit in favor of convenience will also come with a cost. Even on standby, your units will still consume power.

Automted Systems however can bypass this by understanding your usage. If an automated coffee maker inputs sufficient data that it is mostly being used at a specific time of day, it will only start to get active during those times as well. This means  that you will not have to put your device on standby mode for convenience.

Essential Kitchen Appliances

Modern kitchens should be functional, and a functional kitchen should have at least one of these appliances:

• Refrigerator

The main reason for the need for a refrigerator is to keep food cold. Lowering the temperature of your food will slow down the molecular activity and consequently lengthen the shelf life.

This is pretty much self-explanatory. A well-functioning fridge can help keep your food fresh by cooling them or freezing them altogether. Modern kitchens make use of multifunctional refrigerators that incorporate more than just storing perishable food. 

• Stove

Unless you plan to start cooking with firewood, a stovetop is an absolute must. If a fridge allows you to cool and preserve food, your stove will allow you to heat and cook. Additionally, a well-functioning stove can help you get rid of appliances that you won’t necessarily need such as a deep fryer, or a toaster, all of which consume so much energy and are quite honestly redundant.

• Dishwasher

Yes, you can just wash your dishes by hand, and that is perfectly fine. However, a dishwasher makes it safer to handle fragile crockery like glassware. This makes it safer to wash bladed utensils while allowing for a more hands-free operation.

A dishwasher can also help you save on water as modern units are designed to be able to use water and dish soaps more efficiently. 

• Microwave

The microwave is perhaps the most versatile equipment in your kitchen. An efficient microwave allows more direct control of your cooking time, thus giving you more control of the energy you use. Since they also heat the food directly, they often use up less energy compared to ovens or gas stoves.

Kitchen Appliances Best Practices and Maintenance

Buying energy-efficient appliances is one thing, keeping them for longer is another. It is important that you know these basic appliance care and maintenance practices to make sure that your kitchen stays functional and your appliances stay serviceable.

• Keep your appliances clean

This is an important practice as your appliances, no matter how durable, aren’t designed to function with all that gunk. Keeping them clean helps prevent the growth of mould and the development of corrosion to sensitive parts. 

• Always use appliances within specified limits

If your refrigerator clearly specifies that you put no more than 60 kgs of supplies in it, just don’t. These guidelines are there to ensure that your appliance works well. They are also designed to function more efficiently within those given parameters. Overdoing it can and will overload the systems causing a faster rate of wear and tear.

Additionally, always follow the instruction manual that goes with the device. This ensures that you never go beyond what is deemed safe when operating your appliance.

• Inspect Them Regularly

By the time you notice a significant loss in performance with your appliances, it’s probably too late. Barring any untoward circumstances, such as accidents, these issues don’t happen overnight.

This means that there will be tell-tale signs that your device needs servicing. Make it a habit to check the condition of your appliances. A quick check once in a while will go a long way.

If you don’t know much about appliances, have a professional inspect them regularly. This has the added benefit of having a well-trained eye look for the early signs of wear and tear and have them fixed by a credible appliance repair service. 

• Ensure the correct wattage and voltage

Every electrical system will come with specified wattage and voltage limits. This ensures that they operate well within the margins of safety.

For others, these systems may not be directly compatible with what is directly in their socket. Make sure that you get the correct equipment to adjust to the correct wattage and voltages. If you don’t know what the specified limits are, call a professional to help you out.

• Only seek help from verified service personnel

At some point, our devices will start to succumb to wear and tear. This is to be expected. When this happens, make sure to have your appliances serviced by credible repair services. This will give you the peace of mind that your appliances are in good hands. Additionally, professional service personnel are able to educate you on proper usage and maintenance practices that you can perform at home.

Consult a Professional

If you’re looking for a trusted name in appliances, turn to Seattle Appliance Repairs for expert servicing. We offer quality and reliable repair of your appliances.