Lori's Weekly Bella Bling- 3 Carat Knife Accessory

  Here is my selection for the last knife holder accessory we will be looking at, rated at 3 carats, the pullout knife holder.  I give it the highest rating because it fits in a 3”, 4” or 6” wide space.  Instead of designing a 3” filler, make the space accessible and usable.  The unit is also available as a pull out cabinet – 6” or 9” wide, further stretching the possibilities.  Place a 3” pullout on either side of the cooktop and you have easy access to the knives where they are needed most.

  

Dura Supreme's version of this pullout also offers four front decorative options.  An overlay (plain) panel, a ¾” thick column, an overlay that is styled like the cabinet door, or a pilaster/post.  Their unit is constructed of natural maple and pulls out on a full extension ball bearing system.  There are 18 slots for knives, varying in size, including a square hole for the sharpening file.  An added bonus, there is a small “tray” at top for excess knives, long meat forks, or short spice containers.  Again, all organized in as little room as 3”.

 I’m going to give you 2 disadvantages.  The first is that the slots are predetermined, so if some of your large chef knives don’t work, you are out of luck, unless you cut larger slots.  Second, if you have small children, I do not recommend placing knives in base cabinets that are easily opened.

Next week we will continue focusing on accessories for bases – specifically rollout trays.  

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling- The Knife Drawer

We are starting a new series of accessories this week and turning the focus to knife storage. 

My choice for the 1 carat rated knife storage is the carved knife insert from Dura Supreme. You order the wood insert and then the knife set. It is a good quality knife set – J.A. Henkel’s 8 piece Twin Four Star II knife set, but the insert lacks flexibility.

 What if you already have a favorite chopping knife? – will it fit in one of these already carved out shapes?  What if one of these matching knives goes missing? You will have to buy another one that fits into its “shape”.  I am not a gourmet cook by any means and I own 15 knives (a set of steak knives is included in this count), so this accessory would not work in my household. But, for that very neat, orderly person, the knives all match and have a “place”. This set made it on my “bling” list because of its great quality and a great way to organize in one convenient drawer. 

 

Next week we will move on to the 2 carat rated knife insert.  Again, it is one that fits into a drawer.

Diagnosis from the Kitchen Doctor

Ever notice how it’s the small things that bother us the most?  My world is designing spaces (especially kitchens) that work for the people that use them.   

The best place to start?  Letting clients tell me what they don’t like, what isn’t working for them. These answers give great insight into the scope of the project that can make a difference for them. In some cases it may be a brand new addition with a kitchen remodel, other times a new counter top makes the grade, but in many cases their issues can be addressed with some simple fixes. I had a recent client that didn’t like the hollow sound her cabinet doors made when they closed. Her problem was solved with a nominal piece of hardware she had no idea was available--total project under $100.

What’s bugging you? Poor lighting on a work surface, a door that doesn’t close, a drawer that doesn’t open (or is completely falling apart), your favorite pan that doesn’t fit, or the “Tupperware” cabinet…I won’t even go there. Maybe it’s organizing the spices, silverware, utensils or recyclables. We don’t have to throw out the baby with the dishwater.

Low profile LED under cabinet lighting can be installed to illuminate work surfaces. Cabinet doors can be retrofitted with soft close feature hardware, drawers can be replaced with glides that perform and give full access to the contents. Think you’re limited to the existing hardware pull sizes? Even laminate counter tops feature undermount sinks now. Decorative backsplash tile, new stools and maybe a glass accent door can round out your look. 

Don’t suffer in silence, see the kitchen doctor, make your kitchen the space you want to go home to tonight.

written by Dondi Szombatfalvy

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling

This week I am reviewing tray storage with a 3 carat rating. These dividers are very universal and can either be factory installed or job site installed.  When ordering, you can specify to Dura Supreme Cabinetry how many dividers you want, the spacing of the dividers and placement in the cabinet. Since these dividers can be installed at any time (available in kit form), it is very easy to retro-fit them into an existing kitchen. The partitions can go in a wall cabinet (shown in the photo), a base cabinet, or in the upper door area of a tall pantry cabinet.   

Added to this, the dividers can be placed in the entire wall cabinet above the refrigerator – which is usually a useless cabinet for storage. Put the dividers in, and you have an organized, useful area for all your trays, boards and platters.

This accessory has ENDLESS possibilities for flexibility in the amount of dividers based on the cabinet size and type of items you can organize in it.  Large platters, thicker muffin pans, thinner cookie sheets, jelly roll pans, cutting boards, serving trays and broiler pans to name a few.  OK, here is the icing on the cake; the dividers can be installed in a U channel that allows them to be removed for ease of cleaning.

Next week we will be moving on to accessories for knife storage.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling- 2 Carat Tray Storage

Continuing on the topic of the ever popular tray divider, I offer this week my 2 carat choice.  Dura Supreme offers a base pullout in either a 6” or 9” width.  It is a great option for organized tray storage in a small space and even fits muffin and bar pans.  The dowels shown can be moved up or down, depending on the height of the trays you wish to store. An added bonus is the small shelf above the pan storage for pizza cutters and spatulas, etc. (pizza pan is handy below it).

The pullout feature of this cabinet makes the pans visible, but it doesn’t give the best accessibility. With the door on the front and the shelf above it, the pans may be hard to remove. This is not an accessory that can be added easily to an existing kitchen and once installed it cannot be expanded.  The accessory does have an excellent use of space, convenient pull out, and flexibility with the dowel configuration.  That is why I give it a 2 carat rating. 

Next week, 3 carat tray storage…hint hint…ideal for the cook that has more trays and cookie sheets than shoes.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling

This week I would like to start discussing an accessory that can prevent a lot of frustration in the kitchen, tray storage units. Have you ever struggled trying to find your cookie sheets under the muffin pans? After several minutes, you finally pull all items out of the cabinet for that one cookie sheet. Fight with the trays no more!

Shown this week is my choice for the 1 carat rating – the fixed tray divider kit. Shown to the left is Dura Supreme’s tray divider kit, which can be installed at the factory or on-site. Shown to the right is Dura Supreme’s tray divider pull-out, which is installed at the factory and rolls out of the cabinet for ease of use. The width for both is fixed, thus giving it the 1 carat rating. This limits you as to how many (and what thickness of platters/trays) you can place in the unit. I included it on my bling list as it is a great way to organize all the cookie sheets, muffin pans, pizza stones and serving platters that may otherwise get lost at the bottom of a cabinet shelf or drawer. As an added bonus, this accessory can be ordered separately to retrofit it in your existing kitchen. 

Next week, I will show you another tray storage element that fits in an otherwise useless 3-6” space.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling- Base Pullout

Last time I gave the 2 carat rating for the base spice accessory to the island end cap unit.  This week is my 3 carat rating – the base pullout.  It converts a useless filler into a pullout, creating spice storage. The (2) two middle shelves are adjustable, enabling you to put larger oils in the unit. I personally have this unit in a 3” wide space, and keep all my spices in it. I leave it open as I am preparing the meal. Also, if you spend the time alphabetizing the spices, you can find them quickly.

In Dura Supreme, this unit is available in a 3”, 4”,  6” and 9” wide cabinets. They also make 12”, 15” and 18” pull out base units, that can store more food staples than just spices. For the smaller pull out units,the outside front panel comes in various options. It can match the door if the unit is 6” wide or larger. For the 3”, 4” and 6” units, you have a choice of a plain overlay where the edges match the door profile of the kitchen, a ¾” thick decorative column, or a Pilaster/Post option.

Because of it’s flexibility with the interior shelves and the options available for the front “panel” treatment, it deserves the 3 carat rating.

Next week we will move on to accessories available for tray, platter and cookie sheet storage.  Also, our cabinetry sales event is going right now check out our website for details.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling-Island Spice Storage

How many of you out there still have a spice rack nailed on the wall? Or, spices in various places throughout your Kitchen? Time to be current and get organized. Last week we rated the Spice Drawer Insert a 1 carat due to its lack of flexibility in fitting larger spice jars in the drawer. This week and next we will concentrate on spice storage in the base cabinets.

On the left you will see my 2 carat rating this week – the Island end caps that Dura Supreme offers. The island has become almost a standard in today’s kitchen.  It is the area where a lot of the prep and work tasks are done. Spice storage in the island is definitely convenient especially when it is facing the cooking surface. When looking at spice storage in the island end cap unit, we can order the cabinet with or without doors.  Do you want your spices exposed (organized and easy to get to), or hidden away? This unit has 3 1/8” deep shelves. The middle two shelves are adjustable. Got a lot of spices? Order more shelving loose with your order and pop them in. The end posts come in 2 sizes and MANY design styles to go with any kitchen style you prefer.

This unit gets a 2 carat rating. The flexibility is great for spices and oils, but it can only be placed on an island end or cabinet run. It makes the spices and oils accessible near the work/prep area. Take the time to alphabetize your spices in this unit and you will never be searching for a particular spice again.

Lori's Weekly Bella Bling: Drawer Spices

Item: Drawer Spice Kit       Rating: 1 Carat

Here is my choice for the 1 carat rating of spice accessories in base cabinets. The drawer spice kit. It can be factory installed when placing the order – or – it can be ordered later, as an accessory. Each angled “shelf” is loose and is placed into the drawer. Because they are removable, the shelves can be taken out of the drawer box and wiped clean.

The photo at top shows the unit as it is opening and the photo below shows the drawer fully extended, so spices in the back are easily accessible. I have this accessory in one of my drawers next to the cooktop. I also store nuts and dried fruit in glass jars and place them horizontally on a “shelf” in order for the drawer to close. The nuts and fruit are quickly accessible when I am making my summer salads.

But, think outside the box (in this case outside the drawer box). This accessory would be a great organization aide in the craft room storing ribbon, glitter bottles, paint tubes, the list is endless.

This accessory has ease of cleaning BUT only certain size spices and jars fit and thus gets only a 1 carat rating.