How to Choose Kitchen Appliances for a Remodel

Appliances feel like something you shop for near the end of a remodel. In practice they are among the first decisions, because every cabinet next to an appliance is drawn around it. This page explains the order to decide things in, the installation types you will hear about in a showroom, and what to read on a specification sheet before anything is ordered.

Why appliances come before cabinets

A cabinet shop builds to the drawing. The drawing takes its numbers from the appliance: the width and height of a wall oven cutout, the depth a refrigerator needs behind its doors, where the gas stub or the electrical box has to sit so a range can slide all the way back. Two models sold in the same width class can differ in each of those numbers.

So the sequence is: settle the layout, choose the appliances by model, then finalize the cabinet drawings. If you are still deciding on a layout, it is enough to know the type and width class of each appliance. By the time the cabinets are ordered, your designer needs a model number and an installation sheet for every one.

Width classes: a starting point, not a measurement

Appliances are sold in nominal width classes that line up with cabinet widths. They are useful for early planning and unreliable for final drawings.

Treat every figure above as a category. A "36 inch" refrigerator is rarely exactly 36 inches wide, and its height, hinge clearance and depth matter as much as its width. Always work from the installation sheet for the specific model.

Freestanding, slide-in, built-in and panel-ready

These words describe how an appliance meets the cabinets. They change the look, the cabinet work and the cost more than most features do.

Panel-ready appliances deserve a closer look before you commit. The panel has a maximum weight and exact dimensions set by the appliance maker, the handle has to suit a door that seals against a gasket, and the toe kick has to line up with the cabinets on each side. JDI's article on panel-ready refrigerators walks through what that involves, and the guide to appliance finishes covers the alternatives if you want appliances that are visible but quiet.

What to check on the spec sheet

Every appliance has an installation guide or specification sheet, published by the manufacturer and usually a free download. Read these items on each one:

• Cutout or opening dimensions. Width, height and depth of the space the cabinet shop must leave, including tolerances. This is not the same as the appliance's overall size.
• Overall depth, with and without doors and handles. This decides how far the appliance stands proud of the cabinets.
• Clearances. Space required at the sides, top and rear for air, and from a cooking surface to anything combustible above it.
• Door swing and hinge clearance. How far a door must open to pull out a drawer or rack, and what it will hit: a wall, an island, another appliance.
• Electrical. Voltage, whether it is cord-and-plug or hardwired, and where the box or receptacle must be located. Hand this page to your electrician, who sizes the circuit. The kitchen electrical code page explains which appliances need their own circuit.
• Gas. Where the supply stub must sit so the appliance can slide fully back.
• Water and drain. A supply line for a refrigerator with ice or water, a steam oven that is plumbed, a dishwasher's supply and drain route.
• Venting. Duct size and outlet position for a hood, and whether a built-in appliance breathes from the front or needs open space behind.
• Weight. A large range or built-in refrigerator may need a path into the house planned in advance.
• Anti-tip and securing hardware. Ranges and tall built-ins ship with brackets that have to be fixed to the floor, wall or cabinet.

Energy labels in one paragraph

ENERGY STAR certifies refrigerators and dishwashers, among other products. As a reference point, a standard-size refrigerator has to use 10% less energy than the federal minimum standard to earn the label. The dishwasher criteria are covered in the dishwasher buying guide. Whether any of this earns money back is a separate question, answered in the FAQ below.

Ordering and delivery timing

Decide early, order with care, and take delivery late. Appliances that arrive months before installation have to be stored somewhere dry, and damage found long after delivery is harder to resolve. Appliances that arrive after the cabinets are in can hold up the countertop template if the range or cooktop is not on site to measure against.

• Order once the cabinet drawings are approved, and ask the dealer to hold delivery until your contractor calls for it.
• Unbox and inspect each piece on delivery, even if it will sit for a few weeks.
• Keep the model and serial numbers together for warranty registration.
• Ask who installs what. Some dealers deliver to the garage only. Gas, hardwired and plumbed appliances need the right trade.

The page on how long a kitchen remodel takes shows where appliance ordering sits among the other long-lead items.

Who should choose which level

• Keeping the layout and watching the budget: freestanding or slide-in appliances in standard width classes. They are the simplest to fit and the simplest to replace later.
• Cooking daily and remodeling to stay: put the money into the cooking appliances and ventilation first, then the dishwasher. Start with gas, electric or induction.
• Wanting a furniture-like kitchen: built-in and panel-ready pieces. Plan for more cabinet work and less freedom to swap models.
• Short on floor space: narrower width classes and shallower refrigerators. See the comparison of refrigerator types before giving up counter length to a wide one.

Budget and next step

In JDI Construction's published planning ranges, a new appliance suite adds $8,000-$25,000 to a kitchen project before sales tax. That is a planning range, not a quote, and it does not include the electrical, gas or plumbing rough-in the appliances need. The full set of ranges is on the Vancouver kitchen remodel cost page. During design our team collects the installation sheet for each model you choose and draws the cabinets to it. See how we approach kitchen remodeling in Vancouver.