Clear Answers for Common Questions

A smoothtop range is an oven range that lacks the traditional range burners and is instead perfectly flat with the burners built directly into the top. There are several different makes and models and most major appliance manufacturers make a range in this style. This type of range has both ...

Once all of the groceries, utensils, dishes and electrical appliances have been stored in a typical kitchen, one fact often becomes very clear. There's abundant storage space, but precious little workspace. For this reason, kitchen designers have developed a special counter called a kitchen island. A kitchen island is ...

Rather than let hot air circulate randomly, a convection oven carefully creates a uniform temperature with internal fans that evenly circulate hot air. Convection ovens are often more expensive than standard, or radiant, ovens, but they cook food faster, at a lower temperature, and often with better results. Fans ensure ...

A refrigerator purifier can be one of two types of purifiers designed for use in the refrigerator. A refrigerator purifier, depending on the type, is either installed directly into the refrigerator or simply set inside it. One type of refrigerator purifier is for the air inside the refrigerator, while the ...

No one likes to do the dishes. However, the advent of the automatic dishwasher has freed millions of people from that chore. As common as dishwashers are, though, there are still many homes that don't have one. This is usually because of a lack of space. For this reason ...

Cleaning your kitchen cabinets can be a quick, easy task or it can take hours, depending on what kind of shape the cabinets are in. One common problem is that grease, food particles, and smoke can stick to the surface of the cabinets, making them grimy. Since the main culprit ...

Mildew is a grayish growth that resembles mold, and it can be found growing on almost any organic matter, including leaves, leather, clothing, paper, tile, and walls. The mildew most commonly seen around the home is powdery mildew, caused by Ascomycota fungi. These fungi tend to produce pouches and cysts ...

Tile is a favored treatment in many homes, but it requires careful installation as well as good maintenance. It can easily become dingy looking and take away from the appearance of a room. To improve the appearance of your tile, begin by cleaning it and the grout thoroughly with bleach ...

Cabinet refacing involves replacing or veneering the parts of the cabinet that are visible all the time. The cabinet boxes, called the cases, stay in their current layout, but get a new finish with veneer. Other parts, such as drawer fronts and cabinet doors, get completely replaced. The decoration can ...

Bottle openers come in two main varieties, those intended to remove bottle caps from soda, beer, or water bottles, and those made to remove corks from wine. Both are referred to as bottle openers, but they differ drastically. A standard bottle opener is simply a lever to wedge beneath the ...

A lazy Susan is an addition to a table that is designed to assist in moving food from one person to another while dining. This is accomplished through the use of a turntable, which usually moves the food in a circular pattern when pushed by those at the table. In ...

With the versatility of today’s steel, a stainless steel sink may very well be the best option for homeowners when it comes to remodeling or designing a kitchen. Not only is it extremely cost efficient, but a this type of sink is also as attractive as those made of ...

Though millions of households have functioned without an automatic dishwasher throughout history, the dishwasher has become a standard household appliance. Whether you are purchasing a dishwasher for the first time or are simply replacing a broken down one, there are a few things you should consider before you buy. If ...

Most people don't think about wooden spoons and cutting boards as items that need to be "cared for." Cooks use them, clean them, and put them away. To make them not only last as long as possible but also remain sanitary, you need to take a few extra steps ...

Thankfully, buying a garbage disposal is not something homeowners have to do very often. Most will last for 10-15 years, but once the in-sink unit does go out, the convenience of a disposal will soon be missed. If you find yourself without a working disposal, you'll need ...

Of all home-improvement projects, updating a kitchen is one of the most expensive, yet most rewarding, projects. If you have laminated kitchen cabinets in good shape, you can save the expense of replacing them by painting them instead. While it takes a bit of time to get the job ...

A dinette set is a table with chairs or benches used for serving and eating meals. A dinette set may be made up of a table with benches on each side, or a bench on one side and chairs along the other as well as on both ends. Alternatively, a ...

There are a number of uses for mason jars, those clear glass containers sold primarily for home canning and jelly making. Some uses for mason jars still maintain elements of their traditional purposes, while others are clearly outside the box. Mason jars have a nostalgic sense about them, since many ...

Frequently used in restaurants and lounges, metallic laminates are now trendy for home use, where they provide a contemporary, sleek look. Several manufacturers create solid metal or foil-faced laminates for use in kitchens or other areas. Metallic laminate is most often used on vertical spaces: for backsplashes, to cover ...

There are two kinds of cabinets, framed and unframed, therefore there are two general categories of hinges. Framed cabinets have a visible front frame in the same plane as the doors so that all or part of the hinge might show. Cabinets without a frame are entirely enclosed by the ...

The different types of cabinet hardware include knobs, drawer pulls, and decorative hinges. There are further divisions by period, motif, material, design, and orientation. Whether you'd like a barely visible slot as a recessed handle on a bathroom vanity drawer or an elaborate teardrop pull with a scrolled backplate ...

Many people love rice and like to have cooked rice around for different dishes. It is sometimes difficult to make fluffy rice in a regular saucepan, so some people opt for a rice cooker. The electric appliance known as a rice cooker has been available in Asia for 35 to ...

Will the many choices of kitchen appliances available, it may be difficult to determine which products are best for your needs. The first thing you should consider before purchasing any kitchen appliances is your space limitations. It is very important if you have a small space to measure correctly. It ...

Granite consists of quartz, silica, mica, obsidian, feldspar, and other natural minerals. Those who choose granite countertops over other options, such as Silestone, Corian, or laminate, do so because of its distinct beauty. Each slab of granite has unique crystals, depth, and variations in color. Granite never changes colors, so ...

Whether in a college dorm, an office break room or a hotel guestroom, the compact refrigerator has certainly become a very important appliance in our daily lives. A quality compact refrigerator allows us to safely store left-overs, packed lunches and cold beverages, which in turn can lead to substantial ...

Ironically, refrigerators keep things cold because of the nature of heat. The Second Law of Thermodynamics essentially states that if a cold object is placed next to a hot object, the cold object will become warmer and the hot object will become cooler. A refrigerator does not cool items by ...

Concrete provides a natural, customizable, unique material to create counter tops for the kitchen, bathroom, or any work surface. Concrete can be poured to anyone's specifications, such as width, size, color, aggregation, and shape with an integrated backsplash or integrated sink. Since it is a natural blend of cement ...

For those wanting an innovative alternative to hardwood, tile, or carpet, stained concrete floors are a beautiful and functional choice. Stained concrete floors offer an elegant surface that saves time and reduces allergies since it's so easy to clean. Unlike plain grey concrete on walkways, these floors come in ...

A bottom freezer refrigerator puts the fresh food you need to access most often right where you need it -- at eye level. The less frequently accessed freezer section is moved to the bottom of the unit. The decision to purchase a bottom freezer refrigerator really depends on how important it ...

The home refrigerator tends to collect old items, like mostly empty jam jars, half-eaten jars of salsa, salad dressing bottles, and all manner of other items. Stains are common from spilled liquids, overturned cola bottles, and so on. The outside may collect magnets, children’s art and business cards ...