Talking kitchens

idun · February 4, 2015

mint, I'm sure that my de dietrich was pyrolyse (sp), meaning self cleaning and I never used a special program on it, just used it a lot and it did what it should and stayed clean.

Thanks for reminding me, I HAVE TO HAVE a self cleaning oven next time. A job that is something I just have no intention of doing ever ever again.

mint · February 4, 2015

Thanks, Rose. Will deffo look at your link. I thought Metod was grey in colour? I was looking for off-white but I don't mind a pale grey.

Id, I have thought long and hard about the floor. No, tiles will not do, too cold for poor old doggie and anyway the floor will extend from the eating area right into the cooking area.

Might need some vinyl sheet material. Yes, I know, not so good-looking or posh but I don't mind as long as it's functional.

The installer has emailed back and said that there is no reason not to buy the oven; he's only asked for the specs.

I shall ring the shop tomorrow and arrange a courrier.

I should also really ask if it's a cool door but it ticks every other box. No, id, I don't mind cleaning the oven. In fact, it would be a pleasure to clean shelves again. I have never had such a grubby oven as the present one. The shelves are too big even if I bought a gardening tray to soak them in and, as for the glass, I wouldn't even look at it.

I used to have a cleaning lady and she was told never to clean the oven, the hob or the toilets because I needed to see to those things myself! The present oven was always going to be junked and I have avoided using it as much as I can and now I just put things in when I absolutely need to and I ignore its state of cleanliness or otherwise!

Edit: apologies, Gluey, not meaning to ignore your helpful posts but I think I have found the oven I want so that is at least a decision I have made!

Edit 2: Rose, if I do have the grey colour units, I think I will paint the whole room in a pale yellow colour?

Rose · February 4, 2015

Mint my dear worry not as you can have whatever colour you like... well not quite but the METOD is the cupboard frame... I think it comes in white or a dark oak colour. These are just the frames and you just choose the frames you need to fit your kitchen.. the choice is more tall or wide, for sinks, with drawers, corners that kind of thing... it the structure of the kitchen.

You can then choose from their door collections... whites, wood, colours, glass or patterns... and you can choose the handles too.

But... I have seen one of their grey kitchens and it does look very nice [:D]

Russethouse · February 5, 2015

Fwiw I have Karndean on the floor and I'm very happy with it...easy to clean, not cold like tiles which we had before and no grout to get mucky ( although this can be sealed to help )

Gardengirl · February 5, 2015

I have Karndeanin my kitchen too, but with the thin strips of white between the large grey tiles. We had the cheaper range of Amtico in the bathroom, also likes and wears fine. Karndeanin is just over 3 years old, Amtico about 5 or 6 years old.

mint · February 5, 2015

[quote user="Russethouse"]Fwiw I have Karndean on the floor and I'm very happy with it...easy to clean, not cold like tiles which we had before and no grout to get mucky ( although this can be sealed to help )[/quote]

So, RH, do you mean there is no grout and that the floor is sealed with waterproofing sealant?

As the oven is coming from the UK, I might get the flooring there too if the price is right.

Russethouse · February 5, 2015

With Karndean it's vinyl and it goes on in strips, there's no grout although I suspect GGs white strips look like grout. My husband doesn't like tiles because he says the grout gets mucky and stains...you can seal it which helps, but Karndean or Amtico, if you have a bigger budget , look good and just needs a wipe over to come up smiling.

idun · February 5, 2015

I have at least one friend with Karndean and one with Amitco flooring. And something I would strongly consider, if I didn't go for tiles.[:D]

Both makes available in France, I believe.

Gardengirl · February 5, 2015

Yes, they look like grout, but they are just long strips. The shop we bought it from also laid it. It definitely comes up looking good when washed; some neighbours liked the look of the floor so much that they had Karndeanin put in their kitchen too.

Amtico have a cheaper range too, and that also looks good in our bathroom.

mint · February 5, 2015

Thank you, les filles![:D]

Chancer · February 5, 2015

And from what I have seen and my experience the (comparatively) dirt cheap French brico flooring including the Leroy Merlin Senseo range is every bit as good looking and hard wearing.

They dont have salesmen to come round and measure up, the choice wont be as wide although LM do stock a lot, you cant count on the same one being available this time next year, they dont sell the thin "jointing" rolls which make for the stunning effects on some UK flooring but the stuff is a fraction of the price of the two big UK marques.

Théière · February 5, 2015

Chancer the problem I find with laminates is where they join, the clip or glue joint raises the join after a year or so making the floor ugly. Any issues with the vinyl Senseo? Any creep after time opening up joins etc?

Quillan · February 5, 2015

[quote user="Théière"]Chancer the problem I find with laminates is where they join, the clip or glue joint raises the join after a year or so making the floor ugly. Any issues with the vinyl Senseo? Any creep after time opening up joins etc?
[/quote]

Thats because the joints are not made properly. I have four in my kitchen work surface which again gets well abused what with plating up, food taken off the hot plate straight on the surface etc and I defy anyone to work out where the joints are (not from the photo's of course). The material is Formica by the way. I had a work surface from B&Q in one house years ago and without thinking put a frying pan straight on it when making a 'fry up' one morning, needed a new worksurface afterwards. Since then I have always had Formica worktops and never a problem. Heres some photos I took today of my three year old Leroy Merlin kitchen this morning.

[URL=http://s134.photobucket.com/user/ckenway/media/FinishedKitchen1800x600.jpg.html][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q99/ckenway/FinishedKitchen1800x600.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s134.photobucket.com/user/ckenway/media/FinishedKitchen3Copy.jpg.html][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q99/ckenway/FinishedKitchen3Copy.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[URL=http://s134.photobucket.com/user/ckenway/media/FinishedKitchen2Copy.jpg.html][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q99/ckenway/FinishedKitchen2Copy.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Gosh I forgot what I had on Photobcuket. Thats me in the back returning from The Falklands. Nothing to do with kitchens of course.

[URL=http://s134.photobucket.com/user/ckenway/media/29sqn.jpg.html][IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q99/ckenway/29sqn.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Chancer · February 5, 2015

A lot fo drift here but all within the realms of the kitchen, Théière was talking about laminate flooring Quillan, you must have missed the word "floor" Nonetheless a good point regarding worktops.

No Théière to date no lifting of the vinyl at all and no water ingress either thanks to my sikaflexed matchstick joints, I clean the floor with a mop but dont slosh water around, that said I have had a few floods from burst pipes which caused no problems as I was on hand to mop us straight away.

Dépends on your substrate I suppose, I initially bonded vinyl onto new flooring grade chipboard, followed by one set of cheap and tacky looking French vinyl tiles followed by the plank ones so they are tiles stuck on tiles which makes for a good bond, on top of ragréage I'm not so sure.

I have some damaged laminate flooring in a rental property but to replace the 2 planks means removing the skirting on 3 walls and then taking up and relaying most of the flooring so for now I have "repaired" it with Brown sikaflex.

Théière · February 5, 2015

Thanks Chancer, yes P4 chip is what I had put down in a bathroom and vinyl effect bamboo but over a 3-4y period I think they have shrunk slightly or creep has occurred but you couldn't get a rizla between them when I put them down but now have some ugly gaps so kept clear of vinyl planks apart from welded ones like Amtiko because of that but the ones in LM look pretty good so your hands on experience is worth asking about.

Chancer · February 5, 2015

Maybe mine would have done that too, I just wanted a caulked gap between them like deck planking on a boat, the Sikaflex has probably moved with the shrinkage and expansion, it looks really good and as it ages and the caulking becomes discoloured it looks even more authentic.

Leroy Merlin started doing one that looked just like what I created, they even called it "pont de bateau", all they did was photographically added a tongue and groove "V" joint a very clever trick, you need to run your fingernail over it to realise, if those planks shrunk once a bit of dirt fills the gap you would never see the shrinkage like on mine or on a real wooden floor.

idun · February 5, 2015

Drawers
I have a question about not having cupboards and just drawers in kitchens.

How on earth do they stand up to having plates and bowls and side plates..... well, all the crockery. It is a very very long time since I only had say 4 of each in my cupboards (I was but a young thing then, and I am not now). I had a few more place settings before I moved to France, but after living there, I just found that I needed lots, so I now have at least 12 of everything all the time, and I use them. (And I do have lots of spares in the dresser next to my dining table too, just don't use them all the time)

I just cannot see any drawer being up to having that weight in, and in regular use, so please, do they? I would be very upset if a drawer collapsed, say on my feet, or just collapsed and broke my crockery.

Théière · February 5, 2015

Thank you I will take a look on my next trip.

Gluestick · February 5, 2015

Talking kitchens and on another topic........

This morning, as Mrs Gluey was prepping lunch: (This time of the year, we lunch on soup and today's - and the next four! - is Lentil. On a cold Winter's day, a bowl of this plus a hunk of our three grain wholemeal bread is all one really needs).

Our Bifinet blender glass jug, suddenly cracked in three places, when Mrs Gluey was washing it. Luckily, the soup was finished!

Now Bifinet are, on the face of it, a cheap brand retailed in the UK by Lidl.

However, in the past we have purchased (for France and UK) a number of their appliances, including toasters, kettles and the blender.

One kettle burned out the element within 6 months: and having contacted the German importer/supplier (Kompernas), they replaced it without question very promptly.

Thus, very much tongue in cheek, I emailed their support unit.

Within three hours, they responded, in perfect English: they could indeed offer a replacement glass jug (including postage from Germany!), for the princely sum of €15! In comparison, a replacement Kenwood jug (much smaller), is circa £30 + postage.

Paid by PayPal and the part is now en route.

In comparison, when our top-end Russell Hobbs, Chrome four slice toaster required new elements (I took it apart and tested) there was a deathly silence..........

The blender was very nice looking: 550 watts of grunt and the jug is 1.75 Litre capacity; thus not a small unit.

Kompernas brands include Balance, Bifinett, Dentalux, Florabest, Lervia, Parkside, SilverCrest, United Office.

Worth remembering, perhaps?

Théière · February 5, 2015

[quote user="idun"]Drawers
I have a question about not having cupboards and just drawers in kitchens.

How on earth do they stand up to having plates and bowls and side plates..... well, all the crockery. It is a very very long time since I only had say 4 of each in my cupboards (I was but a young thing then, and I am not now). I had a few more place settings before I moved to France, but after living there, I just found that I needed lots, so I now have at least 12 of everything all the time, and I use them. (And I do have lots of spares in the dresser next to my dining table too, just don't use them all the time)

I just cannot see any drawer being up to having that weight in, and in regular use, so please, do they? I would be very upset if a drawer collapsed, say on my feet, or just collapsed and broke my crockery.

[/quote]

Idun if you look at the price jump from cabinet to drawers you'll see why they can stand it [:-))] The drawer gear is made by the same company no matter who makes the kitchen and it's heavy duty. Now whether the cabinet is up to it is different. A16mm thick carcase at a 800mm or 900 wide drawer may suffer unless it's firmly fixed to it's neighbor. Also if it had a proper solid back and not hardboard it will be far more rigid and strong. Other kitchens have much thicker cabinets up to 30mm and I have personally observed these including very wide drawers still in good shape after 6 years but that's high end. Some chipboard is paper covered like Ikea and others. Even Brico depot's is the old tough melamine so at 16mm thick that is probably still stronger than 18-20mm of paper covered long term.

Théière · February 5, 2015

[quote user="Gluestick"]Talking kitchens and on another topic........

Kompernas brands include Balance, Bifinett, Dentalux, Florabest, Lervia, Parkside, SilverCrest, United Office.

Worth remembering, perhaps?

[/quote]

Definitely, when you consider the trouble I had with one of Britons iconic toaster manufacturers who flatly refused to supply me with a new element.

No wonder they are called Dualit it's a bloody duel to deal with them even as a domestic appliance repairer, they want it all in house £££

Fortunately I have other routes for spares.

Gluestick · February 5, 2015

[quote user="Théière"][quote user="Gluestick"]Talking kitchens and on another topic........

Kompernas brands include Balance, Bifinett, Dentalux, Florabest, Lervia, Parkside, SilverCrest, United Office.

Worth remembering, perhaps?

[/quote]

Definitely, when you consider the trouble I had with one of Britons iconic toaster manufacturers who flatly refused to supply me with a new element.

No wonder they are called Dualit it's a bloody duel to deal with them even as a domestic appliance repairer, they want it all in house £££

Fortunately I have other routes for spares.

[/quote]

So have I, on spares, T: I have (And would!) even resort to buying NiChrome Resistance Wire in coils or straight, to re-manufacture elements.

Fleabay have numerous sellers of such.

However with toasters, they are all embedded Mica sheets.........

Indeed, two of my flat panel wall heaters (France) 2.5 Kw have blown the flat panel elements. Can I source any?

Nope!

[:@]

Théière · February 5, 2015

[quote user="Gluestick"]

Indeed, two of my flat panel wall heaters (France) 2.5 Kw have blown the flat panel elements. Can I source any?

Nope!

[:@]

[/quote]

Don't know if this will help, doubt it will be a match but with a bit of ingenuity.

http://www.omega.co.uk/shop/subsectionSC.asp?subsection=M01&book=Heaters

idun · February 5, 2015