Countertop

The holiday season is the perfect time to gather friends, family and loved ones for some delicious home-cooked food, and Wolf appliances are sure to provide the power and quality you need in a busy kitchen. Wolf is recognized as an innovator in the premium appliance space, bringing commercial-quality products to the comfort of your own home. While the company is best known for its full-sized cooking appliances, Wolf also produces a host of impressive countertop appliances that pack exceptional features in small packages. Wolf’s products provide the very best in professional-grade home appliances, and this holds true in its selection of countertop appliances, which are specially designed to bring restaurant-quality dishes to your home. To help prepare your kitchen for the holidays, we’re providing an overview on some of Wolf’s best countertop appliances. Countertop Oven Your oven is one of the most heavily used appliances in the kitchen, but there’s only so much space in a single unit. If you’re planning a massive holiday feast, you may want to invest in additional oven space, and a Wolf countertop oven is sure to meet your needs. This premium appliance offers the precision and quality found in a Wolf wall oven in a compact design, boasting six cooking modes and advanced convection functions that help you achieve delicious results with each and every use. This appliance is ideally suited for caramelizing vegetables, roasting pork, broiling fish, baking small pastries and re-heating previously prepared dishes. Thanks to superior components and exceptional design,

3 Gift Ideas for MomYes you can give her an appliance for Mother's DayLet's get that old myth out of the way. IT IS OK TO GIVE AN APPLIANCE FOR MOTHER'S DAY! I was once told that a new dishwasher was just not romantic, and therefore inappropriate for Mother's Day. Nonsense.If you have an old broken down appliance, that she's been complaining about forever, there's no better time to replace it than now...Mother's Day. She'll be delighted. You might want to include a bouquet of roses or a box of chocolates, but the new appliance will be what makes the day really special.Here are three thoughts about what appliance you might want to consider: Buy something that is needed. If the old dryer shakes and rattles and is on its last legs (or leg), then it makes sense to replace it. Why buy something different, when that's what she really needs and wants? Buy something really special. If your thinking a new dishwasher would be great, but you really want to make an impression, and you're in a position to splurge consider one of the luxury European brands such as an Asko or Miele. Buy something unexpected. Does she like coffee? A new built-in coffee maker would be just the thing. Or, one of my personal favorites: a countertop convection oven from Wolf. What a great Mother's Day gift! Where could you go to find all of these neat gifts? Well, Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, of course. Call or

Buying an Appliance for Valentines Day?The question of the day is should I get my love a new appliance for Valentine's Day? Let's review.Is an appliance romantic? Not necessarily. A washing machine could make your loved one think of drudgery. On the other hand, a built-in coffee maker/espresso machine like this Jenn-Air might make your loved one's heart flutter. We can help you with that at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center.Should I add a Valentine's card or a ribbon to the gift? If you're surprising your spouse with a dishwasher, we'd suggest you start with a dozen roses and a box of chocolates to accompany the dishwasher. We've got just the dishwasher for you, too! Not just a dishwasher, but this Miele Dishwasher. It's an unbelievable price for one of the world's highest quality appliance brands.Wine is always appreciated. Get a bottle of his or her favorite wine, and accompany it with a new wine reserve like the Sub Zero below: Finally, a really top-notch countertop appliance, such as the Wolf Gourmet Countertop Oven might be just the thing to put a smile on the face of your significant other.If you're in a relationship, take it from me. Whatever you do, Don't forget Valentine's Day.Call or visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center today for relief from impending Valentine's Day distress.  

Get your countertop appliances at UAKCSub Zero Wolf is famous for their Built-In Refrigerators and Professional Style Ranges, but that's not the end of the story. Wolf also has a collection of top notch high-end countertop appliances. They're perfect for a Holiday Gift AND they're available at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center. Wolf countertop appliances include a countertop oven, 4-slice and 2-slice toasters, and blender. Here are just two of the collection: With the Wolf Gourmet blender and countertop oven working together, the possibilities are endless. Roasted vegetable soups, classic coffee cakes, hearty frittatas, savory pies, and streusel-topped muffins are just the beginning. Here's a recipe for Grandma's Apple Cake:BEFORE YOU STARTPreheat the oven to Bake 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with the softened butter. Set aside.PREPARATION METHODAdd 1 cup almonds and rolled oats to the blender. Select Manual/Lo and press start. Gradually increase the speed to Speed 8 and blend until almonds and oats are finely ground, about 20 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine. Set aside.Add oil, sour cream and apples to the blender in the order listed. Select Manual/Speed 5 and pulse until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and pulse to combine. Transfer dry ingredients to blender and pulse just until combined. Pour batter into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup sliced almonds evenly on top of batter.Bake until tester inserted into the center

Should you buy a trash compactor?Trash compactors first became popular in the 70's. Today, trash compactors are part of the lineup for most appliance manufacturers. The pros of buying a trash compactor include: 1) the convenience of having fewer trips taking the trash out, and 2) the benefit of a smaller footprint at our waste disposal sites by compressing your trash 5 times. However, there is the thought that recycle bins are more environmentally helpful. It's worth pointing out that these solutions are not mutually exclusive. In fact, if you typically recycle, you might consider using a compactor exclusively for recyclables. How trash compactors work.Trash compactors have a powerful motor that will compress trash as much as 5:1 when activated, compressing loose contents into a small package. Typically, compactors will fit in a standard depth 24" deep cabinet, and at 34 1/2" tall will fit nicely under a standard 36" countertop. The most common width is 15". Most compactors also have a deodorizer or charcoal filter. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center can help. UAKC sells all the major trash compactor brands, as well as the premium and luxury brands, from the popularly priced Whirlpool brand to a luxury Viking brand compactor and everything in between. One super-premium brand, Jenn-Air has just launched a new compactor. Below are the details on Jenn-Air's new compactor:Efficiently reduce your trash by up to 80% with the Jenn-Air® Trash Compactor. It's equipped with Anti-Jam and Tilt Sensors for smooth operation on large waste products. Features:5:1

Holiday Gift Suggestions at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterA dishwasher may not be a good Christmas gift.There's a saying, "When you're a hammer everything looks like a nail."For someone who spends their days, months, and years around appliances, bringing home a new dishwasher as a Christmas gift for your wife just makes sense right?....not! Take it from me, that's a lesson you'll never need to learn a second time.However, that doesn't mean that an appliance cannot be a good Christmas present under the right circumstances. For example, in my case, a nice wine cellar or built-in ice machine would be a gift that I'd love. For both of us, a built-in espresso machine would be a superb gift to ourselves.Think of what your spouse would really love to have in the house that would make this Christmas special. Hint: it may not be new washing machine (even a red one)! And by the way, if it is a new Wolf Countertop Convection Oven, show your good taste by topping it off with a long stemmed rose, accompanied with a gift card to her favorite restaurant! Theres still time. Stop by one of the Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center showrooms for more last minute ideas from our appliance and plumbing fixture experts.  

Wolf Countertop Oven With ConvectionEveryone knows Sub-Zero and Wolf as manufacturers of luxury professional grade appliances for the home. What everyone doesn't know is that Wolf now offers luxury professional grade countertop appliances such as toasters, blenders, and a convection toaster oven to die for (my favorite). Of course, all of these premium countertop appliances and more are available in time for the holidays at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center.Information below from Sub Zero Wolf Appliances. To learn more about the Wolf countertop convection oven and toaster click on the photo above.Culinary enthusiasts can now have the precision, quality and look of a Wolf oven in countertop form. Intuitive design and high-performance electronics deliver light, flaky pastries, caramelized root vegetables, restaurant-quality broiled salmon, and so much more. Six cooking modes let you create outstanding results for any meal you envision. Unique perimeter convection provides uniform heat surrounding and circulating the food, reducing cooking time by up to twenty-five percent. Cooking is a pleasure with a host of thoughtful features including integrated probe, spring-loaded door for gentle opening, and large selector bezel. Expect more consistent, predictably delicious results for your baking, roasting, and broiling for years to come.FEATURES Advanced convection function Integrated temperature probe Precision temperature control 6 Cooking modes 5 Heating elements Easy-glide rack Removable crumb tray Nonstick interior Includes baking pan with broiling rack Fits most 9” x 13” stoneware dishes 5 year limited warrantyIncludes: easy-glide oven rack, slide-out crumb/drip tray, temperature probe, baking pan and broil rack.Wolf Gourmet

DIY Kitchen RemodelingBeen There - Done ThatHaving remodeled two kitchens in the last 5 years, here's some advice for Do-It-Yourself kitchen remodels. Don't.Seriously, unless you're an electrician, a plumber, a painter, and a carpenter, who can lay tile, and install cabinets, and granite countertops you're going to need help. In my case, I wasn't any of these. For my first kitchen remodel I hooked up with a designer. She saved me a lot of money with some great ideas and connected me with a general contractor. He took care of the trades while I took care of the materials with an assist or two from the designer.I later sold that house, and moved into a small older home that was perfect for us, but needed a complete update. In this case, I didn't use a designer. We did a complete gut job, but there was not much design work - just remove and replace. New floors, new paint, etc. In the kitchen we replaced everything, but kept the basic layout. If you choose to go this way, get ready for a very long process. In hindsight, I would have done everything the same, except I'd have hired a project manager to inspect the work in process and keep the job moving forward in a more timely fashion. If you decide to manage your own remodel, I'd recommend at a minimum that you stick with professionals for the work you can't handle yourself. I had a handyman scrape the popcorn ceilings,

2 Main Decisions When Buying A New RefrigeratorTime to get a new refrigerator? Here are two fundamental decisions you might think about before you go shopping.1. Door ConfigurationsRefrigerators come with their doors configured in three fundamental ways.Top-Mount RefrigeratorsThe simplest refrigerator door setup is a two-door refrigerator with the freezer on the top. Otherwise known as Top Mount refrigerators, these refrigerators seem to have been around forever. They're commonly inexpensive entry level refrigerators, and often used in apartments.Bottom-Mount RefrigeratorsRefrigerators with the freezer on the bottom include models that have bottom doors that swing open, or more often, bottom freezer doors that slide out. Many people like the convenience of a wide refrigerator compartment on the top and freezer storage below.French-Door RefrigeratorsIn the 1990's, Amana introduced Bottom-Mount Refrigerators with a split refrigerator door referred to as French-Door Refrigerators. As they became popular, other brands introduced their own versions. In the late 1990's, Jenn-Air (a sister company of Amana), launched cabinet-depth French Door refrigerators.Today there are many versions of refrigerators with a top refrigerator split door configuration and bottom doors and drawers that serve various purposes.Side-by-Side RefrigeratorsDespite the popularity of various configurations of French-Door Refrigerators, the Side-by-Side Refrigerator still holds on to a large share of new refrigerator sales. Buyers say that they like having frozen foods readily available without having to search through a deep freezer bin to find things.2. Refrigerator type by depthYou will also need to choose not only the overall size of your refrigerator in terms of cu.ft., but

Ideas for Kitchen Lighting 4 Ways to Brighten Your Kitchen Your kitchen needs lighting. Natural lighting is wonderful, but most kitchens don't have much natural light. Even kitchens with abundant natural light are going to need lighting for dark nights and stormy days. Here's where to start: This kitchen has a combination of natural light, ceiling light, undercabinet lights, and hanging light. None would be sufficient on its own, but the combination works nicely together. Let's take a look at kitchen lighting options. Ceiling Lights It's very common for kitchens to have ceiling lights. However, ceiling lights tend to be harsh and they almost always need supplemental lighting. Undercabinet Lighting Lights positioned under the upper wall cabinets can be used to highlight the backsplash and/or to light the countertop workspace. This can be an inexpensive way to beautify your kitchen and add needed light at the same time. Hanging Lights Pendant or rope lights hanging from the ceiling are eye-catching and offer great spot lighting on work or eating areas. In this instance, the industrial looking hanging lights provide focus to the island and great lighting over the eating area. Appliance Lights Don't overlook the lights on your appliances. A range backsplash usually has a worklight, and a refrigerator dispenser may have a handy light that also can serve as a nightlight. An over-the-range microwave is assured to have lights that shine down on the range surface below. Regardless of what kind of range hood you have, you're almost assured