Family friendly kitchen appliance packages

When you're designing a family-friendly kitchen and are buying new kitchen appliance packages, you need to consider safety and size. Here's what to look out for when it comes to buying an oven, refrigerator or dishwasher.

Oven: If you have a young family, then safety has to be a consideration when you're choosing an oven. The main thing to consider is how hot the glass panel on the door gets, because little hands and piping-hot ovens are not a good combination. Luckily, a number of brands are supplying the market with ovens that have kiddie locks for the door and ventilation systems that are designed to keep the glass as cool as possible.

Sizewise, there are a couple of things to consider. Remember that not all ovens – even when they're the standard 600mm size – are endowed with the same cavity space inside, so it pays to do your homework. 

For a large family, installing a double oven can be a good idea, because you wind up with two fully functioning ovens. This usually means installing them into a wall space rather than underbench, so your layout will have to be able to accommodate this feature. 

Fridge: Size is probably the biggest consideration here, as there's no point installing a smallish fridge if you have a growing family. Large, double-door fridges can be useful if you need plenty of fridge and freezer space, but remember that the bigger the fridge, the more it costs to run. 

A good compromise can be to opt for an 'upside-down' style, where the freezer sits at the bottom rather than the top. Not only does this make fridge access easier, it will also provide a tad more freezer space, which can be valuable to large families. 

Remember that you'll need to plan the space for your fridge, so get your measurements right before you go shopping. And if your preference is for stainless steel, just remember to pay the little bit extra for a fingerprint-resistant finish.

Dishwasher: Energy and water ratings are always important when you're buying a dishwasher, but if you have a big family and plan to use your machine frequently the ratings are crucial. Remember, the higher the star rating the better.

Also take care to purchase a machine that's big enough – at least 12 place settings – or you may decide that a double-drawer-style machine would work best. For a family, this means that even when one machine is mid-cycle, you can still get the dirty dishes off the bench by loading up the second machine. 

So finding the right combination with kitchen appliance packages can be as simple as talking with a specialist in your area today: