Stainless Steel

A kitchen with no major appliances is basically a blank canvas. When you install new appliances, you can add more character to your kitchen, but this is not an easy decision. Each appliance finish has different characteristics and will bring a different ambiance to your kitchen. So, here we’ll explore the most popular appliance finishes to help you to choose the right one to complement your kitchen design. Contemporary Stainless Steel Stainless steel has become the go-to appliance finish for many homeowners. This type of finish goes well with everything, carrying the power to make any kitchen cabinets feel more modern and new. Today, stainless steel appliances tend to be fingerprint resistant, making them a great choice for homes with small children that may leave little finger marks all over. Stainless steel can add contemporary sophistication to any kitchen decor, providing a safe option for your kitchen decor. Bold Black If you want to create dramatic appeal in your kitchen aesthetic, bold black or black stainless steel could be the perfect choice for your appliances. This is an intense hue that can be paired with almost any other color to create a vivid contrast, particularly with white. If you want to make a stylish statement, black is undoubtedly a bold choice, but if you have a smaller kitchen, it may not be the right option for you. Having a great deal of black in smaller areas can make the space look crowded and even smaller. This finish is best avoided

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

More thoughts on Black Stainless SteelChoices about at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterIt looks like almost everyone has jumped on the Black Stainless bandwagon when it comes to appliance finishes. KitchenAid introduced a Black Stainless Steel refrigerator only a couple of years ago. Since then, Samsung has launched an entire line of Black Stainless Steel, along with LG. However, Dacor, a Samsung owned company, appears to be the only luxury brand to enter the Black Stainless fray with their new Modernist collection.Frigidaire appears to be jumping into the Black Stainless appliance pool with a full-line offering. Parent company, Electrolux, has yet to announce its intentions with their premium Electrolux offering. Similarly, Bosch has introduced a dishwasher in Black Stainless, presumably to be followed with a full line. However, Bosch's high end brands, such as Thermador, and Gaggenau have not made a move in this direction.It seems clear that this finish has a definite appeal for Millennials, and will find a home not in the entry level, but in the upgrade offerings of the popular brands GE, Frigidaire, and Whirlpool; as well as the Korean brands Samsung, and LG who have carved out a strong offering for Millennials.Notably, Whirlpool's super premium brand, Jenn-Air does not have Black Stainless, nor does GE's luxury brand, Monogram.Here's the good news. Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center is your headquarters for major appliances regardless of brand or finish. They carry all the major brands as well as most of the specialty brands, and an interesting selection

Get the Latest Appliances at UAKCSee the Newest Appliances at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterIt seems like there is a long time between trends in appliances, and then suddenly everybody has something new going on. Now is one of those times when new trends seem to be taking off. Here are two big trends that could be with us for a while.Black Stainless Steel We've written about Black Stainless Steel before (see link below). It's got a good chance of being successful. It's very doubtful that it will replace Stainless Steel, but that doesn't mean that it won't carve out a niche of its own. Probably the biggest downside is the lack of consistency among brands. KitchenAid's Black Stainless Steel is a true black finish on metal. Samsung's Black Stainless Steel has a shiny luster (seems like a clear coating). LG's Black Stainless Steel looks more like a gray than black. Nevertheless, consumers seem to like these finishes. Time will tell.NEW APPLIANCE FINISHESConnected (Smart) AppliancesIt's happening folks. Smart appliances are here. There isn't just one solution, but a whole range of features available on appliances that "connect" our appliances with us or other devices and perform a variety of functions. Unlike a new appliance color or finish, there is less of a need for brands to adopt a common platform (though it would be nice). We're seeing appliances that connect with your smart phone, appliances with cameras inside, and appliances that will email you if you leave the door open.

Review of the Latest Appliance FinishesChoices of Appliance Finishes Abound at UAKCThe last half of the 20th century began with most appliances having porcelain enamel on steel cabinets. Porcelain was durable and easy to clean, but the manufacturing process was expensive, porcelain was subject to chipping, and was not environmentally friendly. Eventually, porcelain enamel disappeared in appliance cabinets to be replaced by steel with powder coat painted exteriors or stainless steel. In the last decade, we've begun to see some different choices in appliance exteriors. While painted surfaces remain a standard for base appliances, more expensive stainless steel is enormously popular. In recent years, we've seen new smudge-proof Frigidaire and fingerprint resistant stainless steel in Maytag brand and others. They're still stainless steel, but they have properties that eliminate or greatly reduce the possibility of smudges and fingerprints. European luxury brand, Miele, has introduced a fingerprint resistant steel called CleanTouch, as a replacement to stainless steel.Even more recently, Black Stainless Steel has hit the appliance market and appears to be taking off. Black Stainless Steel is essentially stainless steel base metal with black painted finish. KitchenAid was the first to Black Stainless Steel, and it seemed to take off slowly. But now, it is available in more brands and seems to be rapidly taking hold as an alternative to the shiny stainless steel we see everywhere. Here are some of the brands that are now offering Black Stainless Steel appliances:Brands offering Black Stainless SteelKitchenAidSamsungLGDacorMaytagFrigidaire

Latest Appliances at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterBlack Stainless SteelA quick look around the major appliance displays at the January 2017 *IBS/KBIS confirmed that the new color/finish Black Stainless is THE big trend in appliance colors. Of course, stainless steel is not going anywhere. In a recent survey, 72% of respondents opted for stainless steel. Truth is, there are tons of appliance colors out there. The custom high end range company BlueStar offers several hundred colors, many of them quite stunning. Luxury appliance brands such as Viking, Bertazzoni, La Cornue, and others also offer their appliances in a variety of colors. But for many of us these brands might not be realistic options, and the bright colors aren't for everyone.Voilà! Black Stainless is here to save they day. It's new and it's different. It really looks classy, but I wouldn't call it bold or risky. After all, it's a combination of the two most popular appliance colors. As near as I can determine KitchenAid was the first major appliance brand to offer Black Stainless steel. Recently, Samsung jumped on the Black Stainless bandwagon, followed now by Whirlpool, Frigidaire, GE, Electrolux, and LG. I do know that some supplementary brands are on board with this new finish such as Sharp (microwaves) and at least one of the vent hood manufacturers, Zephyr.I think Black Stainless looks good in the photos, but even better when you see it and touch it. Believe it

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

Outdoor Grills at UAKCBest Grilling Brands in Southern California Caliber - Dacor - Wolf - Viking - DCS - Lynx - Coyote - AlfrescoThese are among the best outdoor grills available. You can find them all at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center. What are the most important features to have on a grill? It varies from customer to customer.Power? That's very important for some people. For them, the higher the BTU rating, the better the grill.Size? Some folks like to grill for a big crowd. They want the biggest grill they can get. Invite the whole neighborhood!!Precision? Turn that sucker down to a low, low simmer - then fire it up so that it heats the entire back yard. For me, when I first saw the new Dacor grill (some years ago) I saw a grill feature that I'd never seen before, and I became a Dacor grill fan immediately - even before I even knew about all the great features on Dacor grills. LightingI often grilled at dusk or later, and it annoyed me that my patio lighting didn't illuminate the grill area. What a pain!! - standing there with a flashlight trying to check the doneness of the steaks. Dacor grills come equipped with lights. To me - This was a great idea!!Dacor GrillsHere's the rest of the Dacor grill story right from Dacor:Dacor‘s Discovery built-in outdoor grills feature professional-grade Epicure styling and come in stainless steel with chrome trim. Available in 52- and 36-in. models, fuel options include

A Legendary Brand ResurfacesCommercial Quality Washers and Dryers at UAKCSpeed Queen traces its origins to 1908 when Joe Barlow and John Seeling began tearing down hand operated washing machines with the idea of creating an automatic version. By 1911 they had added an electric motor to power the machine, and began selling automatic washers. By 1939 Speed Queen introduced a Stainless Steel tub, a feature that identified the brand, and is still used today.Speed Queen continued to grow both as a home brand and in commercial and coin-operated laundries. The company became part of McGraw-Edison, Raytheon, and eventually Alliance Laundry Systems. The largest commercial laundry company in the U.S., Alliance re-launced Speed Queen as a residential brand for home several years ago. It's built with their commercial quality, and includes many of Speed Queen's signature features including an industry-leading warranty. Here's what they have to say about their warranty and a run-down on a featured Speed Queen laundry pair.THE LONGEST LASTING WASHERS WITH A WARRANTY TO MATCHThe best top load washer on the market also comes with the best warranty. Our industry-best 5-year warranty covers all parts and in-home labor on electronic control models. That’s right. We stand behind both our product and your purchase. 15-year limited warranty Transmission Lifetime warranty Outer drain tub and the stainless steel wash basketSpeed Queen Washer AWNE92SP113TW01 Galvanized Steel Cabinet Porcelain Steel Outer Drain Tub Stainless Steel Wash Tub Top Load Tuff Guard Coated Top White Color FinisWashing System 1/2 HP Motor 2 Speed

July 4th at Universal Appliance and Kitchen CenterSave $500 on Frigidaire Professional AppliancesThis is really an excellent rebate offer. At their current prices, Frigidaire Professional Appliances represent one of the best values out there on Pro-Style appliances. This lineup has an authentic stainless steel finish, the big dowel handles we associate with professional appliances, and the Frigidaire Professional badge. So, considering the fact that these appliances are such a good value on their face, the $500 rebate makes a great offer even better.Since there are only a few days left, you'll need to act quickly. Get a great deal on a Frigidaire Professional kitchen and get a $500 rebate direct from Frigidaire. Here's how it works:Purchase four or more Frigidaire Professional appliances from these categories. Must purchase at least one appliance from each product category.Category 1 Refrigerators All Refrigerator All FreezerCategory 2 Ranges Cooktops Wall OvensCategory 3 DishwasherCategory 4 Microwaves Range Hoods For a complete list of model numbers and more details on the rebate click on the link below for all UAKC rebates, and navigate to "Frigidaire Professional Get Back 500" selection.Frigidaire Professional Appliance RebateOf course, you're going to have questions. Call or visit one of our two Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center locations below for expert advice on saving money on your appliances or decorative plumbing fixtures.