Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Thermador Downdraft Cooktop

If you love cooking and the kitchen is your own personal haven, then you have probably heard about Thermador. Thermador is one of the staples in kitchen appliances and, for the last seventy years, have been producing quality cooktops for every American home. The company are true to their words when they chose the phrase "An American icon" as their tag line because every home can work well with a Thermador.
One of the best appliances that the company ever manufactured is the Thermador gas cooktop. Thermador blends the classic styles of black and sleek kitchen appliances with the modern needs of every homeowner.
One of the distinct properties of the Thermador gas cooktop is that instead of the regular circular burner that we see in cooktops, it has a star shaped one. Aside from being aesthetically attractive, Thermador actually tried and tested this design to give off more heat and make the dissemination more equal. Their cooktops also function under its ExtraLow settings which provides the lowest simmering action for juicier and more tender meats.
The gas cooktop comes in two different sizes, the 30" cooktop and the 36" cooktop. If you are constantly using your cooktop every single day to prepare meals for a big family, the 36" cooktop will work best for you.
There is one drawback if you would like to purchase the Thermador gas cooktop, however. This specific brand seems to go from $1100 to $1600, a far cry from the $800 that other brands offer. However, if you are after quality and durability, paying extra might be a good choice.
The Thermador gas cooktop is perfect for most homes because of its beautifully designed body and its unique Star Burner and ExtraLow technologies, both of which have been tested to greatly improve the cooking experience of everyone who loves to whip up a dish.

The Whirlpool Downdraft Gas Cooktop

Probably the best way to determine how stable a company is and how good the product you are getting will be is through examining the audience of the company. If the company was established decades ago, with branches all around the world, serving the elite and the average, then that is a basis of a good company. That is exactly the type of company that Whirlpool is.
Established decades ago, with presence in countries worldwide and accepted both by the high end and the middle class, Whirlpool continuously proves that it is a benchmark for excellence when it comes to kitchen, laundry and other home appliances.
The Whirlpool gas downdraft cooktops are one of the most widely sold items of the company because of the many advantages of having this specific model. Probably one of the most notable characteristics of the gas downdraft cooktop is that it comes as one of the cheapest in the market today, with the cheapest one priced at the high $900 to low $1000.
One of the more notable features of the Whirlpool gas downdraft cooktop is the provision on the left side for either a griddle or a grill. In case your friends ask you to host a barbecue night, you need not worry about smelling like smoke because the vent in the downdraft will keep the smoke at bay.
However, the Whirlpool gas downdraft cooktop is not all that great, either. A cooktop that only has two burners might look okay if there would just be two people at home, but if you need to prepare meals for five or six, it might just not work.
If you are satisfied with having just two cooktops, though, the Whirlpool gas downdraft might be perfect for you. It's not only easy on the pocket, it's quality is great, too.

The Jenn-Air Gas Downdraft Cooktop

There has been a name in kitchen appliances that, although relatively younger than its competitors, has been steadily climbing the ladder of success. This goes by the name of Jenn-Air, which suits a name for an airline rather than an appliance company. However, Jenn-Air has been the staple in most Hollywood homes and famous personalities go for Jenn-Air because of its elegance.

One of the most widely marketed products that the company carries is the Jenn-Air downdraft cooktop. This cooktop comes in two varieties, the gas downdraft cooktop and the electric downdraft cooktop. Your choice depends entirely on your dwelling situation and your home's overall theme.
Regardless of what you choose between the two Jenn-Air downdraft cooktops, you might find the following features that are present in both models highly useful. First of all, Jenn Air has the best CFM output meaning, the broader the fire is and the hotter it goes. On top of that, the company also boasts of their unique cooktop styles, coming in either European, floating glass, oiled, or stainless.
Another notable thing about Jenn-Air downdraft cooktops is the innovation they are putting into their product. Jenn-Air is the first to offer the duct-free downdraft cooktops which allows homeowners to have more flexibility on where they would install their cooktop. It also benefits people living in high-rise units since there is no constraint on where this new cooktops can be installed. Other than that, Jenn-Air is the first to provide a technology that silences the vent in the cooktops, producing a quieter and less distracting sound.
Although Jenn-Air downdraft cooktops are generally a little bit on the expensive side, it may well be worth your extra bucks. If you are getting Hollywood performance, then you can be sure that you are getting your money's worth.

Downdraft Gas Cooktops - Where to Get the Best Deal

Are you in the market for downdraft gas cooktops? Well, so was I. And I found great prices that I can share with you.

How do downdraft gas cooktops work?
First of all, this type of cook top is ideal for kitchens that do not have a large bench area; the cooktop itself fits into the counter top. The downdraft ventilation operates by forcing smoke; steam, and odors downward and out of the kitchen through the filters and ducts that are connect to the sides of the cooktop. There is no need for an overhead exhaust fan and hood to suck the smoke and smells from the room. This, in turn, makes cleaning a simple operation. In very small kitchens, however, it may be advisable to have some sort of support exhaust fan to help with evacuating smells and smoke.
What are the advantages?
Some of the advantages with having one of these cook-tops are as follows.
  • They allow more preparation space on the counter so you can cut your vegetables, etc easily.
  • The downdraft system means there is no need for a cumbersome overhead hood - in large kitchens, that is.
  • Cleaning is easily done as the cook-top is built into the counter top - no need for a ladder.
  • They add grandeur to the kitchen, making it seem big and modern.
How do you find great prices on downdraft gas cooktops?
Finding the best quality and the best price for downdraft gas cooktops is not just a matter of walking into the nearest store and picking one off the shelf.
You should to do a fair amount of research and carefully check out different websites that are retailing gas cook-tops. If you do visit a store, don't let yourself be beguiled into buying something that a salesperson thinks is good. It is often a good idea to visit various retailers and check out the best deals.
Before you decide, sit down and go over the pamphlets you will probably be given by each salesperson you meet. Surfing the Internet is another excellent way of finding the best appliance. There are hundreds of outlets to choose from. It is important, however, to be sure of the place or website you visit and buy from - there are honest online retailers and then there are some unscrupulous ones.

The KitchenAidDowndraft Gaz Cooktop Line

If you are hands on in planning the home of your dreams, from the blueprint to the furniture to the appliances, then you probably heard of KitchenAid before. Most Americans probably have one or two appliances from this specific brand mainly because they produce high quality goods that are at par with the prices. After all, they wouldn't survive in the business of kitchen appliances for 90 years if their products are not good.
One particular product that the company is proud of is the KitchenAid gas cooktop. Sure, there may be a lot of different cooktops nowadays, from induction to electric ones, but nothing beats the experience of setting fire and seeing its tongues lick the bottom of a nice, silver pan.
For every chef's needs, there is a specific KitchenAid gas cooktop that will fulfill it. If you are cooking for the meals of your family, the home edition cooktops will be perfect for you. They come in a five burner cooktop with the largest one at 36". Its designed in such a way that there is a lot of space for pots and pans to work together and the controls are located at the bed of the cooktop, not on its sides. Because of this, there's no more need to break your back in bending down to take a peek of the knob settings.
For commercial use, there is also a KitchenAid gas cooktop that will impress you. The impressive 48" burners provide enough heat to cook for a really large party, plus, the electric griddle that comes with it is a great addition, too!
However, since KitchenAid did not skimp on the features, it did not skimp on the price as well. The KitchenAid gas cooktop ranges from $1199 to a whopping $3000++! Now that's a little bit overboard if you are on a budget.

What Are the Advantages of the Downdraft Gas Cooktop?

It is inevitable that when you are cooking your home will be filled with the smells of food. In the short term this is not necessarily a problem. However, after a while you may find that your home has rather unpleasant lingering food odors, and if you are frying or grilling, smoke may also become a problem. This is where the downdraft gas cooktop comes in particularly useful.

The standard solution to this particular problem is to install a cooker hood which incorporates a fan and filter, or a venting system. In this instance, the fan in the hood draws the odors, steam and smoke in stopping it from drifting around your home. The problem with this arrangement is that installing a cooker hood it is often simply impractical in many kitchens. Cooker hoods do take up a lot of space and in some kitchen arrangements are just impossible to fit. Also, for those people for whom aesthetics are important within a kitchen, they can be considered to be unsightly.
The downdraft gas cooktop provides a solution to this particular problem. This appliance has a powerful fan as an integral part of it. This allows for the cooking smells, steam and smoke to be drawn quickly away before it has chance to leave the immediate cooking area. The offending odors are then sent out of your home through a pipe, often out under the floor.
This, of course, goes against nature. The warm air that carries your kitchen odors wants to travel upwards as it is lighter than the cooler air around it. In order for your downdraft gas cooktop to be effective therefore, the fan that sucks down the warm air needs to be very powerful, but at the same time it is not so powerful that it becomes an irritation. It also means that they are somewhat impractical for small kitchens are there is simply not enough airflow. Larger kitchens can take downdraft cooktops much better as the increased space means that there is greater airflow around the cooking space.
In conclusion, the downdraft gas cooktop does offer some significant advantages in some specific circumstances where space is limited or where you simply do not want a cooker hood due to how it may look in your kitchen.

Downdraft Gas Cooktops Pull Away the Unwanted Smells From Cooking

If you live in a small apartment and are constantly irritated by the smell of frying fish, then you probably have a cooktop without a vent. Surely, not only are you irritated by the harsh odors of fish and other foods cooking, your curtains, pillow sheets, bed sheets and even your hair take on the smell. It's okay if the scent is pretty easy to get rid of, but if you have poor ventilation, it might be a problem for you. That is why there are now downdraft gas cooktops available at your disposal from various appliance manufacturers.

First of all, you might ask what downdraft gas cooktops are. That is a fairly normal question since this type of cooktop is quite new in the market and is still on the way of receiving more recognition. Although it does not have a full hood and exhaust system to effectively puff out the smoke that your cooking emits, it does have its own system that will effectively minimize, if not eliminate, the stink that sticks to your clothes whenever you are cooking something.
So, how exactly how do downdraft gas cooktops work? They work in such a way that smoke that cooking emits is sucked back down, thus the name downdraft. Once the smoke goes up, a downdraft element effectively sucks it down, pushes it to the tube included in the system, and pushes it out of your house through a vent.
Downdraft gas cooktops are perfect for smaller spaces where there is limited space for a full sized stove range and oven. Also, if you are on a budget, it will be best to get this type of cooktop since they are a lot cheaper than a full hood. Although they may not be as effective as an exhaust system, they are better than having no smoke system at all. It is also perfect for cooktops on kitchen islands, making it an effective cooking system.
The downside to getting downdraft gas cooktops, however, is the fact that it is less effective in getting rid of the smoke compared to a full range. On top of that, they are also less attractive than induction cooktops or other options.
There are good options when getting downdraft cooktops and most appliance manufacturers are producing them on a wide scale. However, they have not received that much attention because they are not that appealing to the eyes, something that homeowners nowadays are looking for.
Downdraft gas cooktops vary in price and the difference can get quite hefty. 
Some manufacturers sell these for just around $800 while some make models that reach $1600, almost the same amount as a full range hood. You also have the option of getting it in either the usual silver or a sleeker black, whatever complements your overall kitchen theme better.
Installation is pretty easy but if you are unsure, it will always be best to consult a professional so that there will be no leaks in the tube of the cooking system. If you think that downdraft gas cooktops are for you, then it is good to note that there are a wide array of options to choose from... one for any taste or budget.