Kitchen Appliance Specification: How to Get It Right in a Luxury London Kitchen

Kitchen appliances are the components that get used every day. They are also the components most commonly specified incorrectly — either because they are chosen for brand name rather than function, because the kitchen is designed before the appliances are selected and the dimensions do not work, or because the appliance specification is delegated to the kitchen company rather than considered independently.

Here is how to approach appliance specification properly in a luxury kitchen renovation.

Why appliances must be specified before the kitchen is designed

This is the most important principle in kitchen specification: appliances must be chosen before the kitchen design is finalised. Not after. Not concurrently. Before.

The reason is dimensional. Every built-in appliance — oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, wine cooler — has specific dimensions that determine the cabinet built around it. Column refrigerators, American-style fridge-freezers, full-height wine cabinets, combi steam ovens: each has precise height, width, and depth requirements. If the kitchen is designed to a standard module size (600mm units) and the chosen appliance is 902mm wide, there is no resolution other than returning to the drawing board.

The kitchen designer who designs a kitchen before the appliances are confirmed is designing to guesses. When the guesses are wrong, the redesign costs time and sometimes money.

Cooking appliances

Range cookers vs built-in ovens: A range cooker (a freestanding or range-style appliance with oven(s) and hob in a single unit) gives a very different aesthetic to built-in ovens with a separate hob. In a period London kitchen, a range cooker — Aga, Lacanche, or Falcon — is often architecturally appropriate, occupying the chimney breast in a kitchen-diner. In a contemporary minimal kitchen, separate built-in ovens and an induction hob give a cleaner, more integrated result.

Hob type: Gas, induction, or ceramic. In London's prime residential market, induction is increasingly dominant at the quality end, for reasons of performance (faster, more controllable), safety (no open flame), and kitchen design (the hob surface is seamless with the worktop when not in use). Gas retains a client following among serious cooks who prefer the visual feedback of a flame. Ceramic is the budget choice and rarely appropriate in a high-specification kitchen.

Hob extraction: The extraction system must be specified at the same time as the hob. A high-output induction hob (5+ zones, high power) generates significant steam and cooking vapour. Extraction options: ceiling-hung hood over an island hob; periscope extract above a wall hob; recirculating downdraft (built into the hob itself or a pop-up unit at the rear). The extraction capacity (m³/hour) must be matched to the hob output. An undersized extractor is a constant source of frustration.

Oven specification: Single or double oven? Steam combi (combination steam and conventional oven — the highest-specification domestic cooking option, used in restaurant kitchens)? Warming drawer? Microwave? The oven configuration should reflect how the kitchen is actually used. A client who does not cook extensively and primarily needs a standard oven and grill does not benefit from a Miele steam combi at £8,000.

Brands worth knowing: Gaggenau and Miele at the top of the market; Smeg, Bertazzoni, and NEFF for quality at a lower price. Lacanche and Aga/Rangemaster for range-style cooking.

Refrigeration

Integrated vs freestanding: Integrated refrigeration — where the appliance is behind a cabinet door matching the rest of the kitchen — is the standard in a well-designed kitchen where visual consistency is important. Freestanding refrigeration is appropriate where a particular appliance (a Sub-Zero column refrigerator, a wine cooler) is intended to be a visible design statement.

Capacity sizing: Refrigerator capacity is consistently underspecified. A kitchen used by a family who shops weekly and cooks regularly needs 350–450 litres of refrigerator space and 150–250 litres of freezer space. A single 200-litre integrated fridge is inadequate and leads to the addition of a chest freezer in the utility — the worst of both worlds aesthetically.

Wine storage: A dedicated wine refrigerator (or column wine cabinet) should be specified for any client who maintains a wine collection. Standard refrigerators are held at 4°C — too cold for wine storage. A wine cabinet at 12–15°C is a separate appliance. The positioning should allow access without disrupting kitchen circulation.

Dishwashers

A single integrated dishwasher is standard; two dishwashers are appropriate for a larger household or a kitchen that entertains regularly. A dish drawer unit (two independent drawers) is a practical solution for households with varying loads.

Dishwasher placement should allow the door to open without obstructing the kitchen circulation and without the open door creating a tripping hazard. The door swing should be considered in the kitchen layout.

Laundry in the kitchen vs utility room

In London properties where a dedicated utility room is not possible, laundry appliances (washing machine, tumble dryer) are often located in the kitchen. This is a practical compromise, not an ideal. If the renovation includes any possibility of a utility room — even a small one — it should be taken, and the kitchen kept as a kitchen.

If laundry appliances must be in the kitchen, specify them integrated (behind matching cabinet doors) and locate them away from the cooking zone.

The M&E coordination required

Appliances drive significant M&E requirements:

• —Induction hobs: Require a dedicated high-current electrical circuit (typically 32A or 40A). The electrical specification must include this from first fix.
• —American-style refrigerators: Require a plumbed water supply (for ice maker and water dispenser). A copper supply must be run at first fix.
• —Steam ovens: Require a plumbed water supply and a drain.
• —Extraction: External ducting should be run at first fix to the external discharge point. Retrospective ducting through a finished kitchen is expensive and disruptive.
• —Gas: Gas supply to a range cooker requires a gas safety-rated flexible connector and a gas isolation valve accessible from the front. The gas supply pipe must be sized for the appliance output.

All of this must be coordinated during the design and first-fix stage of the renovation. Retrofitting any of these services into a finished kitchen is very expensive.

Specifying vs purchasing

In a high-specification kitchen renovation, the kitchen designer or contractor will typically supply and install the appliances as part of the kitchen package. This is convenient but not always the most cost-effective option — kitchen companies typically mark up appliances significantly.

The alternative is to specify the appliances independently (agreeing the exact models with the kitchen designer for dimensional and aesthetic coordination) and purchase from an appliance specialist. The saving can be 15–25% on the appliance cost, which on a kitchen with £20,000 of appliances is a meaningful number.

ASAAN's approach

ASAAN coordinates appliance specification as part of the kitchen design and build process. We require appliance specifications to be finalised before kitchen manufacturing begins, and we manage M&E first-fix requirements to match the confirmed appliance positions.

If you are planning a kitchen renovation, contact us to discuss specification and design coordination.