New Homes Journal product & services Appliance Envy high end

Do you regularly hear the voice of that little green envy monster that exists in all of us? There is no need to deny it—it's just the way it is.

Oh...to be able to boast about the biggest, juiciest burgers in the neighborhood or actually besting your friends with your beer basted, succulent smoked chicken...it's what backyard dreams are made of.

While the backyard has predominantly been considered a guy dominated arena for, well forever, the kitchen has remained pretty much off limits to the male's interests. But lately, women have been forced to get out of the way in the kitchen as well. Recently, more and more specialty appliances are being introduced that are strongly geared toward the men—and they're loving it!

You only have to visit a quality kitchen showroom to see appliances which have been built with at least as much attention to the man of the house as the woman. Professional-style ranges with commercial looks and functionality, and of course, plenty of dials and "whiz bangs" strategically designed to satisfy the male craving for coolness, gives them a brand new playground to compete in. I say...Hooray!

Women have been the main cooks in the home kitchen for most of civilized history. I'll gladly move over if my husband finds today's professional appliances so macho and appealing as to create a sense of urgency to develop his culinary skills!

So again, you've envied your neighbor's new kitchen with the new, magnificent 48" pro range, but does it really service you better than a standard 30" electric range? And do you really need it?

There are several reasons to purchase high-end professional-style appliances. I can't tell you the number of times I've met with a "30-something" year-old couple regarding a kitchen design to find that when I ask them what they are looking for in appliances, the husband speaks up and proclaims..."We want a big pro-range like a Viking". I then follow that with what seems to me to be the most obvious and leading question..."Oh, then you must cook a lot?" I have to admit that I'm continue to be surprised by the most common answer, "You kiddin'? No way, we just think they're the coolest looking appliance we've ever seen."

Slightly more serious consumers are semi-convinced that owning professional-style appliances will make them the "super chef". However, if you can't boil water now, there is no guarantee that a high-quality, high-powered, high-priced range is going to greatly improve your culinary prowess (or the lack thereof).

The budget to equip a kitchen with nice quality stainless steel appliances, such as a dual-fuel range, dishwasher, refrigerator and microwave could start at around six to seven thousand dollars.

Then if you care to step it up a bit, a kitchen package for consumers who consider themselves pretty fair cooks and needs double convection ovens, a higher btu gas, five-burner cook top, dishwasher and refrigerator could easily approach twelve thousand dollars. The more serious kitchen investor will spend upwards of twenty thousand for appliances including a professional 48" double oven range with incredibly high btu's, a built-in refrigerator and a number of slick specialty items that go along with a more high-style "top-chef" approach.

Make no mistake, these are investment products that will provide the serious cook a controlled cooking environment along with the capability to prepare delicious and creative culinary masterpieces—assuming there was any ability to cook to begin with.

Remember, although playing the appliance envy game can be fun, making bad decisions isn't. When it's time for you to choose your equipment (for someone else to envy), base these important decisions on three essential considerations...1. Your budget...2. Your lifestyle...3. Your confidence and abilities in the kitchen.

If you weren't comfortable in the kitchen before, a professional range can be very intimidating. That being said, I wouldn't trade my professional Thermador range for anything...and I won't let my husband near it!