The Cook's Kitchen

With the integration of the kitchen as the focal point of the home and nowadays most commonly centered around the main living area, your kitchen design and product specification should be high on your priority list. Sometimes overlooked by both the designer and homeowner, the kitchen's workflow and functionality should come first before aesthetics.

Whether you are a certified master chef or someone who just loves to cook, getting involved at the planning and framing stages of your kitchen will ensure years of proficiency and stress—free food preparation.

It's worth taking the time to explore ways to make your appliances more accessible, like raising your dishwasher so you don't have to bend down to load and unload it. Check out all the wonderful options available for your drawers like warming ovens, refrigerators and dishwashers. If you love making pizza, you might want to add a brick oven or if wine is your passion you might want a beverage chiller or storage unit - some even come with a cigar holder. If you're considering a trash compactor, consider moving it to the garage to free up space in the kitchen.

You can express your passion for the culinary arts, by upgrading to premium appliances that meet the standards and style of the pros. Almost every manufacturer of kitchen appliances offers a professional line of appliances. For example, GE offers the GE Café Series of professional-styled appliances, that have the look and feel of a modern stainless steel restaurant kitchen, combined with the latest cooking advantages available to top chefs. This affordable suite has all the key ingredients for a great kitchen, without the high price tag. For a more gourmet kitchen you can choose from the GE Monogram™ luxury line or the stylish GE Profile™ series.

When all the cooking and dining is done, you can relax and let the second generation of GE SmartDispenser™ dishwashers do the work. The GE Profile™ SmartDispenser 2™ dishwasher now steam cleans to rid dishes of difficult messes, such as starches, eggs, rice, peanut butter and oatmeal. There's also a pure steam pre-wash option that helps pre-treat dishes to leave china and crystal sparkling and virtually streak-free. This dishwasher is the only one of its kind that features the SmartDispenser™ technology, which dispenses detergent (it holds an entire 47 oz. bottle of liquid or gel) based on water hardness, cycle selection and soil level of dishes.

	When it comes to creating more storage space in your kitchen, you should specify "full extension drawer glides" so you can have full access to even the very rear of your kitchen drawers. Adding deep cabinets above a wall oven with vertical dividers will allow you to store large platters, cookie sheets and wire cooling racks, untangled, not stacked and easy to grab. In the end, function will matter much more than aesthetics because if the kitchen in your new home is not well laid out and there's not enough practical counter space or cabinets, you will be displeased with your kitchen every day you're in that room, even if everything looks terrific. Think of the future, because a poorly designed kitchen will decrease the value of your home - so invest in your upgrades now, rather then wishing you had later.