Kitchens

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"

Preventing and Putting Out Fires in the Kitchen Your friends at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center (UAKC) want you to enjoy all your kitchen appliances - safely. By far the most likely cause of a fire in the kitchen is from cooking. Flare ups, grease fires, accidental spills, clothing, and flammable material catching fire are all possible reasons for cooking fires. Here are some tips that will help you prevent cooking fires from occurring, followed by some tips that will help you put out a fire in your kitchen. Fire Prevention 1. Check to make sure that you have an operating smoke detector in your kitchen. Change the battery annually as a matter of habit. 2. Stay in the kitchen while cooking. It may not be feasible to be in the kitchen for the entire time while your 21 pound turkey is cooking, but you shouldd to make it a practice not to leave the room while there is an open flame on your gas cooktop. 3. Whenever you step away from your cooktop, turn the pan handle away from the front of the cooktop. Brushing up against a handle can cause a pan to tip over resulting in a nasty burn. 4. Keep the cooktop surface and hood vent filters clean. Fires can easily occur where there is a buildup of grease. 5. Beware of loose fitting clothes near the flame. Also, dish towels, hot pads, and other cloth items are dangers near the cooktop. Keep lids on cooking

Updating Knob and Tube Wiring If you are doing some kitchen remodeling in a pre-1950's house that has not been previously remodeled, you will most likely have Knob and Tube Wiring. This is an obsolete form of wiring. Though it is not inherently dangerous, it is often considered hazardous, and you should seriously consider replacing it. Local codes might even require it once you open up the walls. Of course, you should always have electrical work done by a licensed electrical contractor. Knob and Tube (K&T) wiring is insulated copper wire which passes through holes drilled in studs. The wires are protected from chafing by porcelain tubes. Periodically, the wires are supported by and passed through porcelain knobs that are nailed down and keep the wire suspended. These are single copper wires so current passes through in one direction, the hot wire, and returns through a separate neutral wire. There is no ground wire.During the first half of the twentieth century, homes were wired with electricity primarily for electric lights. The only appliances found in most homes consisted of small appliances such as tea kettles or toasters. Therefore as refrigerators, televisions, and other electrical devices came along with their increasing electrical amperage demands homes often received a patchwork of modifications to their K&T wiring as each new device was added. Many of these modifications were improperly done, resulting in shock and fire hazards caused by reverse polarity, crossed neutrals, and overloaded

What is a French Door Refrigerator?There are four basic refrigerator/freezer categories. They are: Top-mount. This unit has the freezer on the top and a refrigerator below the freezer compartment. Doors are hinged to side swing from either the right or left.Bottom-mount. Bottom-mounts or bottom freezer configurations have the refrigerator on the top and a freezer below. The refrigerator door is hinged like the top mount, but the freezer may be either a side swing or a slide-out drawer.Side-by-Side. Side-by-Side refrigerators are a very popular configuration that have the freezer compartment on the left and the refrigerator compartment on the right. The doors are hinged on either side.French Door. These are bottom freezer refrigerators with a split-door in the refrigerator compartment that allows the refrigerator to be opened from the center. They have become increasingly popular in recent years.History of French Door refrigerators Some industry veterans may recall the short-lived appearance of a French Door model refrigerator from Whirlpool back in the '80s. It did not take with consumers, and was soon dropped.The Amana brand is well-known for its refrigeration and has been a leader in bottom freezer refrigerators for many years. In the late '90s Amana launched the first successful French Door refrigerators. Amana was acquired by Maytag in 2000, and shortly thereafter Maytag's premier Jenn-Air brand introduced a counter-depth French Door model which was a big hit. Soon all the major U.S. manufacturers had French Door refrigerator models. Not surprisingly, the Korean brands were quick to chime in with

Remember the last time that you visited a real honest-to-goodness newstand? My last time was several years ago -near the Picadilly Circus Underground Station in London. Come to Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center for your appliance needs and treat yourself to a bona fide newstand across the street. The five star rated Laurel Canyon News has a great selection of magazines and newspapers, and evidently has a way of getting them first. Don't worry about the time of day - they always seem to be open. And if you're in a hurry just pull up on the roadside of Ventura Blvd. and they'll bring the paper or magazine to you! Visit Universal Appliance first and you won't need to worry about parking. If there isn't space in the surface lot, you can use the underground garage. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center 12050 Ventura Blvd. Ste B-105 Studio City, CA. 91604 PH 877 696-2987

I recently heard a pundit comment that most major appliance purchases these days are "duress" purchases. That means that the old clunker quit working and you need to go get a new one NOW. Of course, the old one only quits when you're trying to scrape together the cash for junior's tuition, you just found out you owe the IRS thousands in taxes, and your insurance company rejected the claim for your facelift. I hate it when that happens! So here are three ways you can avoid appliance duress, and live the life that you've always wanted. 1. Don't wait! Shoot your tired old refrigerator now and put it out its misery. Seriously, waiting for disaster to strike when you're least able to handle it makes no sense. 2. Calculate how much you'll save (versus how much you'll spend) by acting now. You know that if your old washing machine is more than just a few years old it's gobbling up gas and/or electricity to heat the water and make all that noise. Don't forget to consider the money you're spending on clothes that are wearing out too soon because that rattle trap you call a washing machine is beating the heck out of your delicates. The point is that these savings are real and will help pay for your new appliance. 3. Set up a Christmas Club for your new purchase. It's a monthly deposit into a separate savings account to build a nest egg for your dream kitchen.