Welcome to the home of the 21st century

If you have shopped for appliances lately, you know what

analysis-paralysis feels like. No longer are questions as simple as

gas or electric, white or off-white. It’s a whole new world out

there.

Actually, it’s a complicated universe with a lot of technobabble

and amenities that we apparently can’t live without. My appliance

odyssey is long and complicated, as almost all remodeling projects

are. It began with adding a pool to the back yard four years ago. The

project spread its poisonous tentacles into the kitchen, laundry

room, outdoor barbecue area and outdoor bath.

I know we live in the “more is more” world, but more can be mind

blowing. Some of the improvements are inspired, others leave me

asking why. I’m going to give you the reader’s digest version on new

appliances. Hang on, you’re in for a ride.

No matter where you go, avoiding confusion is impossible. Among

Home Expo, Standards of Excellence, Pacific Sales and the Great

Indoors, choices abound.

If you are shopping in earnest, go prepared. Take measurements:

heights, widths, depths ... and also potential heights, widths and

depths. My journey began with the quest for a new washer and dryer.

The last time I bought a washer and dryer, I was in and out of the

store in 20 minutes. Let’s just say that I’ve been kicking this

around for a year and I still haven’t decided.

There are a lot of cool new things about washers and dryers. The

best feature is that many manufacturers are making full-size

front-loading washers and dryers that can be mounted under a counter.

This means beaucoup folding space and storage space, and it looks

cleaner. Of course, if you decide to go with under the counter

machines, it would be necessary to ... add the counter that they sit

under.

I think this is worth the effort, and sooner or later, an

under-counter washer and dryer will make its way into the Wight

house. There are a few new features for washer and dryers that I

don’t understand, such as optional pedestal mounts. If there were

room in these bases for a Costco-size box of detergent, this might be

appealing, but since the bases amount to about 12 inches of what I

consider unusable space, I can pass on that.

The only plus side to this feature is there is less bending to put

in and take out a load, but then, your counter height is raised to a

ridiculous level. Why didn’t they consult with me when they did all

their market research?

The addition of the backyard pool also tweaked our kitchen --

don’t ask. I lost a window and a downdraft for the stove top, so a

hood and a new cook top (we finally plumbed for gas) were in order.

Hoods. Who would think there are so many features to choose from.

I ended up with a very simple design, but I could have gone wild. By

far, the favorite feature (that I didn’t splurge on) was a warming

shelf above the cook top that keeps cooked foods at ready-to-serve

temperature. Very smart.

Now for cook tops. There is nothing too radical about the new cook

tops, but it’s the accessories that make the decision hard. Chopping

block? No thanks. Optional griddle? You bet. Wok ring, nah, I can

live without one, plus it means I might serve my kids vegetables ...

wouldn’t that be horrible. Pro series, non-pro, gas configuration,

sealed burners, control panels mounted on top or on the face of the

cabinets, simmering burners. Wow.

Ovens. If you don’t choose a free-standing stove unit with ovens

built in, you need to get an oven wall unit. Basically, it comes down

to “how big is your turkey?” Oven widths are 27 or 30 inches. Do you

want double ovens? How many things do you bake at one time? Do you

want a microwave built in? How about a warming drawer?

At one point, I swore to install two warming drawers, one for the

kids’ pizza, one for my Chinese food and do away with ovens

altogether. OK, not really, but it’s tempting. Warming drawers ended

up being a must have. If you have a family that eats at different

times in the evening, a warming drawer is a great amenity. You can

set it on low, medium or high, moist or dry, and it really does keep

food ready to serve.

And here’s an extra tip: Warming drawers are outdoor friendly. You

can not only have one near the patio barbecue, if you have space, you

can install a warming drawer near the pool, set it on “dry” and the

medium warmth setting, and have toasty towels to wrap up in. I

haven’t done that, but it’s a darn good idea.

Refrigerators. I just keep praying that our 25-year-old Sub-Zero

keeps ticking for a while longer because I’m not ready to make more

choices. Refrigeration has a lot of options. Wide fridges, wide

freezers, veggie crispers that are mounted in the kitchen island,

wine captains that can be installed anywhere.

If I were designing a kitchen from the ground up, I would get

tricky with this compartmentalized refrigeration concept. It makes

sense to have the things you chop near the place you chop them.

Freezer space near the oven is another great idea. Ice makers near

the glasses.

OK, I have a couple of things to say about ice machines --

actually, only one thing to say: If you’ve ever been to Massimo’s

Pizza on 17th Street in Costa Mesa and ordered a beverage, it’s the

best cup of Coke, Diet Coke, lemonade or iced tea around. The have an

ice “flaker,” not an ice cube machine. This little nuance is a big

deal. I generally don’t care for regular Coke, but a Coke from

Massimo’s with flaked ice is like a dessert. Scotsman is the

manufacturer. This machine doesn’t come cheap, but if you’re going

for the gusto, flake, don’t cube.

Televisions. This topic can make me cry. It’s like computers. I

buy a new computer, and a groovier new version comes out in six

months. Oh well. Love the one you’re with. However, the technology

with televisions is even more dramatic.

How many of you have purchased or had entertainment units built

for your homes? I see all those hands out there. And I’m right with

you. We are on the verge of having giant dinosaurs in our family

rooms. With the new flat screen, high-definition televisions that are

hitting the market like a hurricane, viewing options are expanded

exponentially. You want a telly in the kitchen? Get a fold-out or

flip-down version. You want to watch the big game in the living room?

Mount the flat screen above the mantle and install framed artwork

that has a roll down canvas that hides the screen.

With a little imagination and a lot of cash, you too can enter the

21st century, or at least take advantage of this year’s versions.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Thursdays.