Creating a commercial design in your kitchen involves much more than adding stainless steel appliances and a large convection oven.
There also are warming drawers to consider and ornate vent hoods and islands with sinks for rinsing vegetables and European cookers that use radiant heat. “I think everyone wants their kitchen to look like it’s a gourmet, high-tech kitchen,” said John Dalbis, owner of Showcase Kitchens and Design in Geneva.
As homeowners continue their search for the kitchen worthy of entertaining Emeril Lagasse, manufacturers are tapping into the market for commercial appliances and designs. The result is an abundance of choices for those who want to add a little commercial appeal to their kitchens.
“Just about every manufacturer makes a commercial cooktop,” said Candace Simcox, design coordinator for Northbrook-based Ferris Homes, which is building condominiums from $236,000 in Highland Park and single-family homes from $565,000 in Northbrook. “Years ago, Sub-Zero used to be the only built-in refrigerator. Now every appliance company offers a built-in.”
The key to designing such a kitchen is to think about how you — or a real cook — would use the kitchen. Then add features to simplify those activities and enhance the cooking process.
Commercial ovens have become popular because they allow cooks to prepare several components to a meal in the same appliance. In convection ovens or those heated with radiant heat, a turkey, a loaf of bread and a cake can be cooking at the same time, for example. Each is placed in a different section that cooks at a different temperature.
Not only is this convenient for one cook, but it makes life easier when several people are working in one kitchen or when preparing food for parties, Simcox said.
Refrigeration takes the form of a built-in unit that is flush with the adjacent cabinets and countertop or several components that are located throughout the kitchen. In many instances, the door is stainless steel or a style of wood that matches the cabinetry.
When refrigeration is divided among several areas it makes cooking more efficient. A cooling drawer in an island, for example, can be used to store shrimp for entertaining or sandwiches for children’s meals.
Many homeowners opt for stainless steel appliances because they imitate the look found in restaurants, are easy to maintain and resistant to grease. Some also take the extra step and add stainless steel countertops.
Another important element in a commercial kitchen is the island. It should be close to major appliances and have enough room around it for easy access. Some homeowners also add small appliances, such as refrigerator drawers or wine coolers, in the island for added convenience.
“If you’re chopping vegetables in the island and have the refrigerator drawer with all the vegetables in it, you just reach down and pick out the vegetables and you don’t have to walk around the island to the refrigerator,” Dalbis said.
A sink in the island also will allow a cook to rinse vegetables, fill pots with water and wash hands without leaving the island. A separate pot-filler spout could be added on the wall behind the oven for filling large pans with water and putting them directly on the cooktop.
Homeowners also are storing pots, pans and utensils in exposed cabinets (no doors) with drawers. This mimics the storage found in a restaurant and saves time during meal preparation. “Pot racks we’ve seen for awhile,” Simcox said. “What we’re seeing now is open storage. In a true commercial kitchen you don’t cover up your utensils and tools.”
While the industrial-sized ovens and stainless steel appliances give the impression of culinary expertise, some may wonder, “Does anyone really cook in this house?”
“Some of them claim they are gourmet cooks and need it, but I’d say 50 percent at least do it because they’ve got money they made in the stock market and it’s a cool, hip thing,” said Curt Langille, president of Lanco Development, a semi-custom and custom builder in far northwest suburban Lakewood. “There’s no doubt it’s impressive and if you’re entertaining or doing a lot of cooking, it’s a nice thing to have.”
For some, the allure of having an Aga cooker or a Viking oven may be a version of keeping up with the Joneses. “Why does somebody buy a Mercedes instead of an Acura?” Langille said. “It’s the name recognition, the prestige.”
And, that style and name recognition can be costly. Homeowners often spend five times as much on commercial appliances as more traditional appliance packages. “You can do a kitchen with nice appliances for $4,000, but yet you can do this type of application for $20,000 to $25,000,” Langille said.
Another disadvantage is the need for additional cleaning. “If you’re truly a gourmet and that’s your thing, you’re buying commercial appliances for function and you know the downside, such as the clean-up,” Simcox said.
Some cooktops can be more difficult to clean, as they are larger and heavier than traditional appliances, she said. Most commercial appliances are made of stainless steel, cast iron or other metals and are not covered with coatings such as enamel, which is easier to clean, she said.
“If you think about it, most chefs don’t clean up. They have someone else clean up,” Simcox said. “Stainless steel is something that’s beautiful, but it’s more difficult to maintain. You have to wipe off the entire surface, not just wipe off one area.”
Next week: The use of commercial ovens.
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Allison E. Beatty is a Chicago-area freelance writer. If you have questions or information regarding new home buyers’ product and design choices, write to Choices c/o Chicago Tribune New Homes Section, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
