BlueStar

New Bluestar 24" Sealed Burner RangeUAKC has the right products for your kitchenThe team at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center can provide you with appliance products built to fit the dimensions of your kitchen. The big box stores can't do that because their offerings must fit everywhere. For example, there are many homes and apartments in the LA area with 24" wide cabinets. This is not true for much of the U.S. Here's a new 24" luxury range from BlueStar that will fit in any kitchen, even here for those folks who need or want a nice range that will fit in a 24" space. Here's the scoop from BlueStar: BlueStar has combined professional level features and a sleek design into its new Sealed Burner Series. Cook like a pro with professional level power and versatility with up to 21,000 BTUs of searing power plus a precise simmer burner.24″ SEALED BURNER SERIES RCS24SBV2 Sealed burner design with up to 21,000 BTUs of power Precise simmer burner Extra-large convection oven with 1850° infrared broiler - fits half size sheet pan 24" depth for compatibility with standard kitchen cabinetry Includes standard island trim backguard Available in stainless steel only Available in Natural or LP gas Handcrafted in Pennsylvania since 1880Professional Grade PerformanceThe Sealed Burner Series burners provide a searing 21,000 BTUs for high heat cooking and searing while the 6,000 BTU burner allows for more controlled simmering and melting. The full motion grates allow you to move pots and pans seamlessly across the

Selective Use of Appliance ColorsBrighten Your Home with Colorful AppliancesWe've written often about appliance colors and finish. Trends such as stainless steel appliances, and now black stainless steel appliances are regular topics throughout the industry. Most of what we see is buyers considering matching kitchen suites, e.g. range, refrigerator, dishwasher, and vent hood.However, there are some bold and daring ideas out there about using a colorful appliance to brighten a kitchen. Here's an example from Bertazzoni, an up and coming appliance brand from Italy:Can you picture having a bright spot like this in your kitchen? Is it too daring? Certainly, bright colors are not new when it comes to kitchen appliances. Here's a retro appliance package below in a newly remodeled kitchen.I do remember when appliance colors found their way to the laundry room. Colorful, big, front-load washing machines helped make front-loaders popular. Buyers got so caught up in their bright red washing machine, they didn't seem to care about the brand or the features. "What the heck? All washers are going to get my clothes clean. THIS ONE IS RED."But, we digress. BlueStar has led the way with their many custom colors, and finishes:BlueStar appliances are available in a painter’s palette of colors and finishes. Select from 750+ colors plus textured finishes to turn up the heat on discerning kitchen design. Or, send us a sample of your favorite color and we will create a custom color for a look that is uniquely your own. Unleash your inner designer

Are Stainless Steel Appliances on the way out?Don't bet against Stainless SteelEvery so often we hear some predictions that stainless steel is on the way out as an appliance finish. Is that like to happen soon? No. Stainless steel is going to be the top choice for appliance buyers for years to come. Here's how it stands today:New constructionProduction home builders usually offer a base appliance package in white or black with an upgrade to stainless steel. Upgrading to stainless steel appliances continues to be a very popular choice for new home buyers.Custom homesProfessional/Restaurant style appliances are a top choice for custom homes buyers. Several of the top brands in this category only offer stainless steel, though some color selection is an option for Viking and Bertazzoni brands. (BlueStar, a pro-style line of cooking products has a very wide selection of colors.) In addition some elite luxury brands such as Le Cornue offer a selection of designer colors.Remodels and replacement salesCustomers who choose to replace their kitchen appliances from the popular entry level appliance brands, eg. GE, Whirlpool, and Frigidaire, available in white, black or stainless steel will almost always upgrade to stainless steel (except for basic apartment replacement sales). Though premium brands such as KitchenAid, GE Profile, or Bosch may be available in white and/or black, their sales skew heavily toward stainless steel. Kitchenaid has recently introduced a finish called black stainless steel that is getting a lot of attention.Whatever

New Upgrade to BlueStar Sealed Burner Gas Ranges21,000 BTUs on Sealed BurnersBlueStar® has announced new, more powerful 21,000 BTU burners in its sealed burner gas range line. These burners are among the most powerful in the industry on a sealed burner range. Now, for a limited time, the Sealed Burner Series can be customized with color. Customers can choose among over 750 colors. Call or visit one of the UAKC showrooms today to discover how you can take advantage of this free offer.Summer Recipe: Steak and Mushroom KabobsRecipe thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen® KalynsKitchen.com and BlueStar®Meat-eaters love a juicy steak on the grill, and who doesn't love grilled mushrooms, and this is a recipe that combines both these grill-time favorites into easy kabobs that are delicious and quick. You start with pieces of tender steak, marinate them for one hour in a flavorful mixture, add the mushrooms to marinate for another hour, and then grill and enjoy!Steak and Mushroom Kabobs(Makes about 4 servings)Ingredients:16-20 oz. Top Sirloin, New York Steak, Tri-Tip Steak, or Petite Sirloin (use steak with less than 10% fat for South Beach Diet)8 oz white mushrooms, washed and driedMarinade Ingredients:1/4 cup olive oil1/4 cup white wine vinegar1 T Worcestershire Sauce (omit for Paleo)1 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal or saltfresh ground black pepper to taste (I like a lot of pepper in this.)Instructions:Trim the meat well and cut steak into pieces about 1 1/2 inches square. Whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder,

Deciding on a new appliance.UAKC can help you make the right decision.Recently, I wanted to buy an additional monitor for my office computer setup. I shopped around, and knew the prices, features, and sizes that would work for me. Yet, I agonized endlessly over this model or that, and I just couldn't decide. Suddenly, it struck me that I spent less time deciding over a new car that costs tens of thousands than over an inexpensive electronic device that cost only a few hundred dollars. Why was I spending all this time debating back and forth over something that cost so little?This is called paralysis by analysis. To one degree or another, we all have it. If you need a new refrigerator, a washer and dryer, or even an entire suite of kitchen appliances, you don't want to make a mistake....but, you also don't want to needlessly deny yourself these new appliances just because of your paralysis by analysis syndrome.Here's a suggestion: Call or visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center. I've know these folks for a long time (long before I began writing these blogs). They won't waste your time. They are very knowledgeable. Tell them what your situation is, and in no time at all they'll make a few recommendations. They'll try to match your requests for brand, quality level, pricing, etc. with the best overall choices that fit your needs.With their large selection of brands, and great pricing you really won't need to be shopping around. You can

BlueStar Ranges at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterAbout BlueStarManufactured in Reading, Pennsylvania, BlueStar traces its history to the Prizer-Painter Stove Works beginning in 1880 with a line of residential and commercial coal ranges, water heaters, furnaces and heating stoves.Today Bluestar is the residential arm of Prizer-Painter providing commercial quality cooking equipment for your home. Recently, BlueStar has added refrigeration to its line of cooking products as it grows into a more kitchen appliance categories. BlueStar ranges are custom made and available in 750 + colors. Other custom options include:Burner configurationsBackguardsKnob colorsTrim options Since Bluestar cooking products come with such a wide variety of styles and configurations, the lineup is grouped into series. Featured below is the platinum series: PLATINUM SERIES36" version (models available in 24", 30", 36", 48" and 60")New features found only on the Platinum Series offer unsurpassed power and performance for discerning home chefs who demand restaurant-quality results. …25,000 BTU PrimaNova™ burnersAll burners, plus Interchangeable Griddle and CharbroilerThe PowR Oven™ provides 40% faster preheating and 30% increase in oven efficiencyGentle 130° simmer burnerIntegrated wok cookingExtra-large oven with True European Convection and 1850° infrared broilerAccommodates a full-size commercial 18" x 26" baking sheetHandcrafted in Pennsylvania since 1880Bluestar Range BurnersBuyers often choose Bluestar for the classic open commercial grade burner design described below: Powerful 25,000 BTU BurnersThe new PrimaNovaTM burners deliver an intense 25,000 BTU flame for maximum high, concentrated heat, perfect for achieving unmatched searing and an ultra-rapid boil.Bluestar Range OvensIn addition, serious chefs love the BlueStar oven for

Choosing Appliance FinishesStainless steel appliances are de rigueur these days. It seems that whether you live in a tract home or a mansion, you're going to end up with stainless steel. Everyone will tell you that you need stainless steel for you home's resale value, and there may be some truth in that. In addition, in some more exclusive brands, it appears that stainless steel is all that they offer.It wasn't always this way, but stainless steel gradually took over when people started expressing an interest in restaurant or commercial style appliances in their kitchen. Here are some of the other reasons homeowners give for choosing stainless:Sanitary "hospital" cleanliness.Doesn't rust or stain (Duh - it's stainless).Appealing, shiny appearanceEasily wipes offDurable finish - can't chipenhances resale value of houseSome products are available only in stainless (eg. built-in coffee maker)While stainless steel is not going away soon, there are many alternatives. White and black are still standard finishes for entry level brands. Frigidaire has a version of stainless steel that doesn't show fingerprints -really, it works. GE has a slate finish which clearly isn't stainless, it's a dull grey finish, but works for a faux stainless look without the disadvantages of stainless. It accepts magnets and doesn't require the polishing.Most premium brands will also offer white and black appliances with stainless upgrades, though I've heard of at least one brand offering customers a choice of only black or stainless appliances. Moving up to luxury brands, color

The Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center ExperienceYou deserve more. And that's what you'll get at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterWatch this brief video and you'll see why UAKC is a different appliance place. For all your major appliance and plumbing fixture needs call or visit the professionals at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center 

New French-Door OvensFrench-Door ovens for the home have been in various stages of planning for the past 10 to 15 years. They've existed in commercial kitchens for some time, and features from commercial appliances often migrate to the home appliance category. So, it was no surprise to see Viking and GE Monogram introduce French-Door wall ovens last year.Among other high end specialty cooking brands both BlueStar and American Range have introduced French-Door wall ovens. Today, we're going to showcase the latest offering in this category: GE Café's new French-Door wall ovenWe've written about the GE Monogram French-Door wall oven before (New GE Monogram Oven). GE is now also introducing a French-Door wall oven in its Café appliance line. Here are the key features of the new GE Café French-Door wall oven:Self-Clean with Steam-Clean optionYou are probably used to having a self-clean oven so you may be surprised to learn that most of GE's competitors in this category do not offer a self-clean oven even at a much higher price than GE Café. On top of the self-clean feature you can save time and save energy by using GE's Steam Clean feature.True European Convection with Direct AirThere are different types of convection. This GE oven delivers True European Convection which includes a rear convection fan surrounded by an additional convection heating element. The Direct Air feature adds heated air distribution from the top of the oven for the best in even heat, a GE exclusive.Wi-Fi ConnectWith Wi-Fi Connect users can remotely

More Appliance Choices for Small Spaces Small homes and condos can find more room in the kitchen with space-saving appliances. Fortunately, the field of smaller appliances has expanded greatly with appliance brands from Europe entering the field. Full size appliances in Europe are made to fit 60mm (24") cabinet widths rather than the 30" dimensions for most U.S. brands. In addition, many "apartment-sized" appliances have typically been de-featured and low-end models. No more. You can now choose from a wide-spectrum of brands from entry level to luxury brands made in more compact sizes. For example, standard dishwashers are designed to fit in a 24" space. However, there are a number of dishwasher brands that offer full-featured dishwashers that fit in an 18" space, such as the Bosch dishwasher. Click on the link below for a full description: Bosch 18" Dishwasher For those, that can't accommodate a full height dishwasher, Fisher & Paykel, as well as others, offer a space-saving dishwasher drawer. In cooking appliances, there are even more choices. Standard widths for ranges are 30", but choices abound in 24" or even 20" sizes. Here's a Bluestar range built for a 24" opening. Many cooktops, and ovens are 30", but here again there are many choices in 24" cooktops and ovens. UAKC, can even help you with a 2 burner cooktop if needed. Take a look at this Italian made Bertazzoni oven and cooktop made to fit a 24" opening. Click on the links below: Bertazzoni 24" Oven Bertazzoni 24"