After the cabinets, I think the oven, hob and hood are the next most important purchase for any kitchen…But, I might be wrong. As I recently learn, some places priority in refrigerator and microwave. Hahahaa… So, it really depends on your lifestyle. For me, I love to cook and bake. So, these 3 items are pretty important to me.

First thing you need to decide is what are your requirements for each of the items? Some might have higher need for the hob while others the oven or hood. So, it really depends on everyone’s individual needs. (e.g. if you have an open kitchen concept, then, you definitely need a really good hood. But, if you are planning to roast turkey, then, you will definitely need an oven which can fit the turkey in!!!)

I have dream of having a free standing oven / cooker since…. forever. I love how these standalone looks and also the capacity I get on the oven. As for the hob, I didn’t have much requirement except that it should have at least 3kW flame and a triple ring burner (Chinese cooking needs fire power! Hahaa..). The hood should have minimum suction of 1000m3/h. I didn’t need a super big suction hood as my kitchen is fully enclosed with window for ventilation.

The first free standing that I was so in love with are from SMEG. These are really beautifully made and it feels really solid. Unfortunately, the prices for one of these are crazy. I was quite keen to stick to my budget for the oven, hob and hood. After browsing around, I came across K’s blog (http://the-malaysia-project.blogspot.com/search/label/Oven). Her post on oven really helped to provide me with the stepping stone I needed with my freestanding cooker hunt. Hub was also glad that I got over my fixation on getting a SMEG. Hohoho…

After months of searching, I finally made my decision to grab the Delonghi freestanding oven cooker and hood during the HomeDec fair. The package price for the freestanding oven cooker, hood (inc. installation), delivery and a free 32cm frying pan was right below my budget too! Yay!!! (Got the picture from the Australian Delonghi website. You can check out the range they have there. The Malaysian model number is slightly different.)

A very important thing to check is the power source required by your appliances. Most of the heavy duty appliances like built-in ovens need higher electric capacity. No point getting your appliances in and then realized that you don’t have the right source! Save yourself the nightmare of hacking, re-wiring and patching. (It will be even more messy if your kitchen is TILED !!!)

Ta-Da, Chulet’s kitchen is finally done. 🙂 It’s exactly like the 3D sketch which I posted previously, except that I remove the top cabinet above the fridge. (Why?! because I have BIG plans for my fridge in future. Muahahaha !!!)

I love my freestanding oven so much. And, my kitchen island counter too…. (sighing in bliss…. )