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Consumer Reports Kitchen Planning and Buying Guide January 1st, 2017 Digital Back Issue Cover

Consumer Reports Kitchen Planning and Buying Guide January 2017 (Digital)

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I HAVE THIS PAIR OF SHOES I LOVE. They’re a lovely blush pink, with a pointy toe and a bow, and I spent way more on them than I should have. But every time I slip them on, my feet start screaming about 15 minutes in. Because pretty as they are, they just don’t fit. A new kitchen costs a lot more than even an overpriced pair of heels—between $20,000 and $60,000 last year, on average, according to figures from Remodeling Magazine. That’s a bundle by anyone’s standards, and an absolute fortune to pay for a pretty kitchen that cramps your cooking style. But don’t worry: That’s where Consumer Reports comes in. Our team of editors, product testers, and market analysts will help you figure out which features you really need, and…

Welcome to What’s New

How to Use the Ratings on the Website On CR.ORG, you’ll find the same fresh, modern look for our ratings whether you’re using your desktop, your tablet, or your phone. Thanks to technology upgrades, the pages will load much faster onto whatever screen you’re using. The ratings charts will also respond to your preferences in real time so that you can reorder a chart of products by characteristics that matter to you most. We overhauled our buying guides and our video hub is brand new as well, offering new and improved search and browsing tools. You’ll also find more 360-degree videos (go to ConsumerReports.org/360video).…

Welcome to What’s New

Wood-paneled walls, two-tone cabinets, hidden appliances, and mixed metallics. Those were the top kitchen trends of 2016, according to Zillow Digs Home Trends Forecast, which combines data from a survey of interior design experts and an analysis of popular photos on the Zillow Digs website. Our editors’ unscientific observations concur: It was hard to open a magazine or click through Houzz last year without a glimpse of one or all of those trends. And they’re showing no signs of falling by the wayside in 2017. Probably because although they are “trends,” they’re are also classic design elements, the types of details that have always given interiors of all types warmth and personality. Here’s how to incorporate one (or all) into your own kitchen, without running the risk of a datednext-year…

Ree vs. Rachael

REE Known as The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond oversees a thoroughly modern media empire as a Food Network star and lifestyle blogger. She has lent her name to a number of products, including the Pioneer Woman Vintage Speckle Nonstick 10-piece cookware set, $99, sold exclusively at that little general store down the road, Walmart. It’s designed to look like something you might use over a campfire. But how about in your kitchen? Consumer Reports put the pots and pans to the test. RESULTS In our tests, water quickly came to a near-boil in the stockpot, and of the 14 nonstick cookware sets we tested, the Pioneer Woman cookware set was the only one to score excellent in both cooking evenness and nonstick durability. In our durability tests, in which we rub…

Ree vs. Rachael

Advanced Placement

1. ON THE DOOR Butter, condiments, carbonated drinks, cooking oils (can go rancid at room temp.), jam and jelly, juice, peanut butter, water 2. WARMER UPPER SHELVES Yogurt, snacks (pudding cups, fruit cups, etc.), leftovers (in separate containers), beverages 3. COOLER BOTTOM SHELVES Milk, eggs (in original carton), raw meat, poultry, and fish (on trays to catch any drippings) 4. HIGH-HUMIDITY DRAWER* Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green onions, leafy greens 5. LOW-HUMIDITY DRAWER Apples, avocados (once ripe), grapes, mushrooms, peaches (once ripe), pears (once ripe), peppers, plums (once ripe), melon (once ripe), nectarines (once ripe), squash 6. DELI DRAWER Cheese, deli meats, hot dogs Items That Shouldn’t Go in the Fridge Bananas Bread Coffee Garlic Onions Potatoes Tomatoes Protecting Your Produce These special storage containers did best in Consumer Reports’ tests BEST FOR STRAWBERRIES Rubbermaid FreshWorks Produce Saver $20 for a two-piece set If you have a fridge…

Advanced Placement

Some Like It Hot

The Brits know a thing or two about tea. And they have been gaga for electric kettles for decades. The kettles are a British staple, outselling all other small kitchen appliances, according to Mintel, a market research firm. Some are said to heat water faster than the staid stovetop models or microwaves we Yanks tend to use. Plus they’re said to be safer than kettles you heat on a burner because they’re supposed to shut off when the water comes to a boil. And you can use them anywhere there’s an outlet—no kitchen required. In fact, the bottom of an electric kettle’s carafe stays cool, so you can even place it directly on your desk, countertop, or table. Now these hot-water heaters are finally making headway on our side of the…

Some Like It Hot

Renovate on Any Budget

If you’re contemplating a kitchen remodel, there’s a good chance you’ve been drooling over photos of Carrara marble countertops and commercial-grade ranges on websites like Houzz, Pinterest, and Remodelista. But for all of the inspiration those sites provide, they tend to be short of a couple of crucial details: the price of all that beauty and, just as important, how the pretty products perform. Consumer Reports will tell you that those marble counters are stain-prone, that many pro-style ranges disappoint, and that the cost of both would devour much of the $28,000 that the average American spends on a professional kitchen update. Our guide will also tell you how to create a beautiful, functional space filled with solid materials and reliable appliances at any price—all of it backed up by our…

Renovate on Any Budget

Fast Fixes Under $500

Paint a Chalkboard Turn any open space (including a cabinet door) into a handy family message center. A quart of chalkboard paint will run you about $12—or try Benjamin Moore’s Chalkboard Paint (308), $22, a latex coating that turns any color paint into a writable surface. But be prepared for the mini-Matisses in your family to steal the surface. Create a Picture Gallery A collection of yard-sale frames and ready-cut mat boards offers the perfect opportunity to show off favorite family photos, souvenirs, and quirky artworks. Or, head to Ikea, where simple wood Ribba frames, in a range of sizes in black or white finishes, start at $4.99—and come with pre-cut mats. No fine art on hand? No matter. Etsy is a great source of printable artwork. Just search for a theme you…

Fast Fixes Under $500

When Angela and Dan Anderson moved into their Minneapolis home with their 1-yearold son, they knew right away that the kitchen had to go. “It had been renovated a couple of times by previous owners, with pretty unfortunate results,” says Angela. “The layout was terrible, and the style just didn’t look like it fit with the rest of the house.” But other projects—including two more babies and a new business—got in the way, and it wasn’t until they had lived in the house for 10 years that the couple finally decided to take the plunge on the kitchen. By then experienced remodelers and the busy parents of three, the Andersons knew better than to take on every aspect of the update themselves. They turned to Jen Seeger and Rosemary Merrill, then…

WHEN CHEF JOSE GARCES bought his 40-acre farm in Bucks County, Pa., the farmhouse kitchen was a far cry from the professional spaces that he was used to. “It was pretty bare,” he says. “It had a few cedar cabinets, an electric cooktop and oven, and an open flue to vent to the outside.” Because the busy restaurateur and Food Network Iron Chef intended to use the kitchen for hosting events, it clearly needed a total overhaul. “We wanted to be able to have chefs up from Philadelphia to cook here, so we needed a highpowered and efficient space,” he says. With the help of designer Gretchen Kubiak and a major redo, that’s just what he got: The new kitchen blends a homey look with restaurant-style chops. It’s the perfect mix…

Add Style With Tile

Walking into a tile showroom can be as overwhelming as it is inspiring. The displays are spectacular, but there are so many options, at so many price points, it’s enough to make you walk right back out. Before you run to the home center for a box of plain white subway tile—and miss out on the chance to make a bold impact in your kitchen—read on. Our tile primer will help you get the lowdown on this durable, beautiful material. To help you shop, we’ve asked an expert panel of tile manufacturers, retailers, and installers for their best tips on everything, from the pros and cons of the most common types of tile to which type of grout to choose. Take your ideas and their advice to the tile store, and…

Add Style With Tile

Cook Like a Pro

If you love to cook, you know there’s more to a great kitchen than just a pretty face: It needs an efficient layout, tough surfaces, and the right appliances, too. But there’s no foolproof formula to follow. Just like developing a winning recipe, the design process can involve some trial and error. To help you find the perfect mix, we asked a team of pros—three designers certified by the National Kitchen & Bath Association, a private chef, a culinary teacher, and a homeowner—for their most practical kitchen-design tips. We can’t promise their advice will make you a better cook, but it will definitely help you whip up a better workspace. Getting Started Like coming up with a menu and a grocery list before you start to prep a meal, the first step…

Cook Like a Pro

NOTES FROM THE TEST LABS $400,000 That’s how much Consumer Reports spent last year buying appliances to test and rate. 23,053 That’s how many items—including plates smeared with a sticky mess of egg yolks, peanut butter, and raspberry jam— we washed to see which dishwashers performed best. 7,000 That’s the number of boxes of frozen spinach we stuffed into refrigerators we tested (about 125 per year). 17 That’s the number of substances we applied to dishes (baked-on brownie mix, chili, creamed corn, eggs, peanut butter, and more) to sit overnight in the dishwashers we tested.…

Cabinets can be your biggest expense when remodeling; they may account for up to 40 percent of your budget. Not only that, they set the stage for your kitchen, and you'll have them for years. That's why choosing cabinets is so daunting. White cabinets are popular again and so are cabinet styles that are less fussy and more streamlined, such as the clean lines and square corners of Shaker cabinetry. Use this buying guide to help you choose. (Note that Consumer Reports doesn't test cabinets at this time.) It used to be that dovetail joints inside the drawers were practically all you needed to distinguish high-end cabinets. That line has blurred as more manufacturers offer premium features even on lowend lines. Indeed, tests have found that you can have once-exclusive features…

As chameleons go, quartz is impressive. The man-made stone offers an increasingly realistic look, mimicking materials such as marble, granite, concrete, and more. But quartz offers easier maintenance than those materials. Combine those qualities with granite fatigue and you can see why quartz is gaining in popularity. Quartz is also top-rated in our tests, narrowly edging out granite. To test durability we stained, sliced, scratched, scorched, and nicked 14 materials, including the ultracompact surface called Dekton. We found big differences among materials but little variation among brands, except for recycled glass, so we’ve rated materials. In some instances, the finish can also affect a material’s performance. So you’ll see some materials listed more than once in our ratings, on page 57. To choose the countertop that’s right for your budget and space,…

All flooring looks great out of the box, but the true test is what happens once life takes over. Good news: Our latest tests revealed a variety of options that pair stain resistance with lasting style. For many shoppers, there’s no substitute for the warmth of wood. But in an active kitchen, both solid- and engineered-wood floors are especially prone to denting from dropped items. A great upside to solid hardwood and bamboo, however, is that many can be refinished multiple times to get rid of the scratches and dings of normal use. Want to pay less for a wood look? The better laminates we tested performed about as well as solid wood. And they can be floated: installed right over your old floor with no need for glues or fasteners.…

Picking a paint has become more difficult than just deciding on a color (as if that wasn’t confusing enough). Relying on past experiences isn’t a good way to choose a brand because paints are frequently reformulated, which changes their performance. But there’s good news. Our latest tests revealed products that make painting faster and greener—for less. And we found that a brand’s various finishes perform similarly overall, so we’ve combined the scores to make it easier to use our ratings and to shop. That said, be sure to pick the right finish. See “On the Market,” on page 67, for more on finishes. Keep in mind that it always makes sense to buy the highest-quality paint. Budget paint costs less up-front, but you’ll end up putting on more coats for better hiding.…

American shoppers are piling more fresh food into their grocery carts. And retailers are responding by making more room for fruits, vegetables, and other “perimeter foods” that are usually placed along the outer edges of stores. The freshness trend isn’t only changing the layout of many American supermarkets; it’s also having an impact on refrigerator design. Take the Samsung Chef Collection RF34H9960S4, a top-scoring model with four doors (pictured on page 78). Its bottom-right chamber can be switched from freezer to refrigerator for those who’d rather have more room for produce than Popsicles. Another feature we’ve seen more of in our labs is dualevaporative cooling. With standard refrigerator design, the fresh-food compartment is cooled with air from the freezer. Our tests confirm that refrigerators with dual evaporators are better at maintaining optimal…

The range is the workhorse of the kitchen, and if it’s stylish, it’s probably the centerpiece, too. Electric radiant smoothtop ranges remain the big sellers, but you have more options than ever, including double-oven ranges for the multitasker in all of us. And though a cooktop and wall-oven combo has its appeal, the two appliances often cost more than one range. At Consumer Reports we buy every range we test. So we know what it’s like to pay big money for pro-style ranges. We don’t rate them on style—that’s your call—but we do test and score them on how quickly they deliver cooktop heat, simmering, baking, broiling, and self-cleaning, just as we do with all ranges we test. Steps to Success 1. Pick a Type Freestanding ranges are the most widely used and…

Style and flexibility are the biggest attractions when replacing your range with a cooktop and wall-oven combination. The look is modern, and you have more choice about where you install the appliances. For example, you could place the wall oven at a height that eliminates the bending a range requires. Most cooktops are gas or conventional smoothtop electric. But induction technology is growing in popularity as prices fall. The downside of a cooktop and wall-oven combo is price. You might pay as little as $2,000 or so, but you can often find a great range for about half that price. Cooktops and wall ovens often require professional installation, so don’t forget to factor in that expense as well. See our ratings to find a model that pairs the best performance and…

Unlike a range, a wall oven can go wherever you want it: at waist or eye level so that you won’t have to bend to pull out heavy pans, or even under a counter or in an island or peninsula. And now lower prices have made wall oven and cooktop combinations more affordable. Although most combos will cost more than a stand-alone range, there are affordable options, especially compared with pricey pro-style ranges. Some manufacturers offer double ovens; other options include electronic touchpad controls, a self-cleaning mode, a convection function, and 24-, 27-, or 30-inch widths. Gas models are available, but most wall ovens—including all of the models in our ratings—are electric. Once again, we found that a high price doesn’t necessarily guarantee top performance. Some of the more expensive models we…

Sure, it’s tempting to save space and cut costs by relying on the built-in ventilation of an over-the-counter (OTR) microwave. But if you care about venting smoke and fumes, you’re better off with a separate range hood, especially if you cook on a higher-powered stove or cooktop. We no longer test range hoods, but none of the over-the-range microwave ovens we tested in the past could match the smoke-capturing or fumeclearing abilities of a good range hood. Range hoods have become as stylish as they are practical. Most now offer the commercial look of stainless steel, or you can choose from the lighter look of glass or an integrated look with a canopy matched to your cabinetry. Some manufacturers offer hoods in finishes that match their ranges. The best hoods we tested in…

Microwave Ovens

Speed and smarts now go hand in hand as more microwaves are designed with enough features to let them serve as second ovens. Many have sensors that automate cooking for more than just popcorn. More also include convection and even slow-cooking and grilling options for people who want added capability without having to add a wall oven or replace a range with a double-oven model. You’ll find more automation as microwaves take on a growing list of tasks. Browning and speed-cooking modes, along with interactive recipe databases, are also on the menu as brands push features aimed at busy families. But as our tests have shown, you can pay a premium for those perks without getting even heating and defrosting, and some brands overstate usable space by as much as 50…

Microwave Ovens

Breakfast cereal, egg yolk, raspberry jam: What do these different foods have in common? Their dried-on, baked-on, caked-on residue is a challenging adversary for just about any dishwasher. In our tests, we ask more of a dishwasher than you probably ever will—we load 10 place settings slathered with the aforementioned stubborn foods. We let them sit overnight, then run them through a normal cycle using the high- temperature option (if it’s available). Our listening panel evaluates how noisy each model is. We also check energy efficiency. Tougher rules have slashed the amount of energy and water dishwashers can use and still get the government’s Energy Star seal. Dishwashers that qualify for the Energy Star designation are, on average, 12 percent more energy efficient and 30 percent more water efficient than standard models,…

Good news: Our tests found impressive sinks at all prices. For months we stained, scoured, dropped objects, and put hot pots in 18 double- bowl sinks. We compared thick stainless steel with thinner versions, and heavy cast iron with lightweight acrylic and fireclay. We found that the manufacturer mattered less than the material, so we arranged our ratings by material. Here’s what else our tough tests revealed: Finish matters more than thickness. We tested 18- to 23-gauge stainless steel sinks. (The lower the gauge, the thicker the steel.) We found that expensive, thicker-gauge stainless didn’t hold up any better than thinner versions. And sinks with polished or glossy surfaces showed scratches and stains more easily than those with matte or brushed finishes. You can add color to your kitchen with a solid…

Faucets have come a long way. Ceramic-disc construction means leaks are practically unheard of. And tough finishes are now common on all but the cheapest models. Most faucets also come with lifetime warranties (for the original buyer) that cover defects and even finishes. In fact, faucets are now so reliable that our tests found few performance differences among brands, and that’s why our advice is based on finish and why the faucets aren’t rated. We tested single-handle pullout faucets, a popular style. They combine spray head and spout for added convenience and flexibility, but our findings apply to other faucet styles, too. You’ll find a range of metallic finish options on the market, including chrome, stainless, brass, and bronze, as well as bold colors and a trendy “new” look: matte black. But…

Best Appliance Stores

If you need to replace an appliance, you can’t go wrong by shopping at Abt Electronics and Appliances or Amazon.com. Both retailers got high marks from more than 56,500 Consumer Reports subscribers, who told us about their experiences buying more than 80,000 large and small appliances at almost 30 retailers across the country. And we found that the biggest stores weren’t necessarily the best. Abt, for example, has one store in suburban Chicago but ships across the country. It topped our ratings of large-appliance retailers for the 7th year in a row. And it was the 11th year that Amazon was among the top sellers of small appliances. Our appliance store ratings include regional, warehouse, big-box, department store, independent, and online retailers. Where People Shop Most of our respondents’ appliance purchases are still…

Best Appliance Stores

IDEA FILE Update 6 bottom left, Craig O’Connell Architecture, craig-oconnell.com Renovate on Any Budget 13 bottom right, Wayfair, Tides Glass Mosaic Tile in Ultramarine by Kellani, wayfair.com Fast Fixes Under $500 19 Heather Marx, hmxaa.com 20 Heather Hilliard, heatherhilliard.com 21 top, EW Kitchens, ewkitchens.com; bottom, Becca Galbraith, Becca Interiors, becca interiors.com 23 Cindy Black, Hello Kitchen, hellokitchen.net and Katie Marye, Studio Tupelo, studiotupelo.com Light and Airy 24-27 Rosemary Merrill Design Farm Fresh 28-31 Gretchen Kubiak, Black & Poole, blackandpoole.com Add Style With Tile 32 Styling by Gregory Bissonette 33 Gianna Santoro, DEANE Inc., deaneinc.com 34 Susan Burns, susanburns design.com 35-36 Steven Gambrel, srgambrel.com Cook Like A Pro 38-42 Michelle Hogue Interior Design, hogueid.com BUYING GUIDE Buying Guide (opener) 46-47 Viking, vikingrange.com Cabinets 46 left, Gianna Santoro, DEANE Inc., deaneinc.com 46-47 Yvonne Claveloux Interior Design 47 right, Brian Patrick Flynn Design, flynnsideout.com 48 top left, Liselotte Kragh, Abita Studio, abitastudio.com; bottom left, Merillat, merillat.com 49 top left, Ikea, ikea.com; bottom…

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