Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Silver's Book Not as Great as I was led to believe..., November 30, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design With Cooking in Mind (Paperback)
Don Silver's book was a well anticipated arrival, but alas much of a disappointment. As one who is designing a kitchen at present for a house to be built in the next few months, I was a let down by the book's content. Let's start with the good stuff. The first chapter on design basics is great, though Silver's makes a big deal about "breaking free of the kitchen triangle". As one who has lived for the past seven years with an island in the way of the refrigerator, I would have welcomed the "kitchen triangle"! While there are other workable solutions--and he introduces them--the old triangle has survived for a good reason and it is not as bad as he indicates, and is certainly necessary in some cases particularly where kitchen size is an issue or limitation. Silver introduces some great concepts such as the 30" deep counter, two sinks, etc. but spends far too much time on silly mundane issues like a cursory review of cabinets (visit a Home Depot and or pick up a few cabinet catalogs and you'll get much better and more detailed info) and a tired review of pots and pans (!) which should be very old hat for anyone going so far as to buy this book. More annoyingly, Silver consciously avoids mention of any brand names! It would be worthwhile to review some, particularly when he has such a penchant for separate "char-grills" (which I have yet to see in ANY appliance store). For example, I'd like to see a review of issues like flame spread and cleanability. My own homework revealed that while a Dacor gas cooktop looked great, the flame spread was too big for normal pots and pans; Viking's non-sealed burners looked "cheap", made out of stamped stainless and would be difficult to clean. Lastly, the illustrations for the most part looked amateur.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Want a functional kitchen? Get this book., July 30, 2004
I'll make it simple. Yes, the book is a little short and a little dated. It's not as detailed as I would like. But read the book. Put it down. Pick it up again a week or two later and read it again. After a couple of readings, the subtle ideas Don is trying to impart start coming across. If you are serious about cooking, and are designing a kitchen to cook in, you NEED this book. For example, one subtle theme is that the kitchen should be divided into three work zones: Prep, cooking, and cleaning. Each should have it own tools and appliances available where they are needed. And each should be able to operate without interfering with the other zones. As a professional chef, I can assure that this is the basic division that well designed professional kitchens use. But it is a revelation for home cooks. How many kitchen designers have the skill and guts to cook a meal for you in your new kitchen after it's built to demonstrate how well it functions? None that I have even heard of, except Don. After having talked to a bunch of Certified Kitchen Designers (CKD) after reading this book, I have decided that most CKD's are `wanna-be architects' who never bothered to get an architecture degree (because it's too hard?), and wouldn't know the difference between a sauté pan and a fry pan if it hit them in the head. I don't believe some of the negative reviews this book has received. One reviewer blamed Don/this book because the plumbing leaks, the drawers stick, and the circuit breakers keep tripping in her new kitchen. This is like trying to blame the designer of the Titanic for that catastrophe, because the steel was of poor quality, the captain was an idiot for wanting to set a speed record in April, there were no binoculars for the lookouts, there were no red flares aboard, (only the white practice ones), and the shipping line removed most of the lifeboats to make the ship look better. None of it was the designers fault. Another reviewer complained that there was still a `kitchen triangle' in the kitchens pictured in the book. The ultimate DUH is awarded to this reviewer. Why? The `kitchen triangle' is an area that is described by the fridge, sink, and range. Last time I checked my 8th grade geometry class, anytime you have three items, they HAVE to be in a triangular relationship, unless they are all in a straight line! As I said, if you like to cook, and are remodeling or building a new kitchen, get this book. It's not perfect, but it is money well spent.
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38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple, yet very sophisticated book, December 23, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design With Cooking in Mind (Paperback)
I purchased this book 3 years ago while planning our "dream" home, to be built in 2000. It has been not only an outstanding resource, but through it I contracted with the author to design our kitchen in our new home. We have just completed those plans and they are FANTASTIC. The kitchen is well laid-out for not only my wife and I, but we also entertain quite frequently with guests who love to help in the kitchen. If you contact the author (or visit his website at donsilvers.com), he will tell you his preferences on appliances. By and large, he distains any equipment from the major manufacturers (GE, Whirlpool, etc.) because they are prone to breakdown. He prefers Wolf, DCS, Dynasty, Sub-Zero, and Miele. The char-grill he mentions in the book is no longer made by Thermador, but several of the manufacturers listed above have built-in BBQ grills in their ranges and cooktops. We are very happy to have found this book and worked with Don Silvers. Bon Appetit!
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