Kitchen maintenance is probably the last thing that is on your mind as you are hustling and bustling around your holiday kitchen. Whether you’re trying to stock your refrigerator and freezer full of food for your Christmas party or you’d like to fit a few more dishes into your dishwasher, keeping up with kitchen maintenance can be a challenge during the holidays. This year, why not organize your refrigerator and freezer BEFORE your guests arrive (I know these are often overlooked and not thought about!)? Is it possible you can save some water and energy if you loaded your dishwasher correctly? This season I partnered with American Home Shield to help you get organized and help you ensure your kitchen appliances will look and perform beautifully throughout the season – whether you’re holiday entertaining or not. Take a look at how you and your kitchen can shine throughout all of your holiday festivities, so you’re not stuck with any unexpected costly breakdowns.

Organize your Refrigerator and Freezer Before You Start Cooking: 

I will tell you that you really underestimate your refrigerator until it breaks down. Earlier this year we had tell tale signs that our refrigerator was not going to make it much longer, and it needed to be replaced sooner rather than later. Now that the holidays are here, we don’t have to worry about our refrigerator dying on us. What we do need to think about is organizing our food in the refrigerator and freezer, so we will be organized.

Next to your stove and oven, your refrigerator and freezer could be the hardest working appliance in your kitchen. It’s continually running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and when the holidays come around, it gets stocked full of food, leftovers and family recipes. This Christmas holiday, why not learn how to organize your refrigerator so it can properly cool your food and make it easier for you to get in and out to move on to your holiday cooking.

1. Start out with clean refrigerator/freezer: One of the biggest mistakes heading into the holidays is piling new food on top of older food. Start off with a clean refrigerator by taking all items out and disposing of what is old and questionable! Use a mild detergent and warm water and clean the shelves, the inside walls and doors. Have you ever wondered how to get crumbs and dirt out of your refrigerator seal? Take a look at this American Home Shield refrigerator video:

Dry the refrigerator before placing food back inside.

1. Organizing your refrigerator/freezer: Now that you have a clean refrigerator it’s essential to use the manufacturer’s suggestions for placing food in your refrigerator. A good clue is to look at how drawers and shelves are labeled. Fruits, vegetables, lunch meats and cheeses generally have drawers or bins marked with appropriate labeling. Drawers and bins keep produce fresher, while also serving as a sorting system away from large drinks and shelves. Adjust shelves so you can fit larger casserole dishes according to their size.

As you cook throughout the holiday season ensure you clean up spills immediately. This will help your refrigerator stay clean, and will prevent mystery surprises right before your holiday party. 

Keep your Dishwasher Running Smoothly All Season Long:

Throughout the holidays I always find it comforting to know that regardless of how many dinner parties, cookie recipes and holiday get-togethers I have, my dishwasher always seems to take all of my loads of dishes! Well, until I realize that maybe the way I’m stacking my dishes is the reason why I’m having to run the cycle 2 and 3 times! If I’m not the only one who has this problem, take a look at how to keep your dishwasher running smoothly throughout the season.

1. Scraping food off your dishes can help: Before you load dishes into your dishwasher remove food and scraps so that your drain in the dishwasher doesn’t get clogged. Scraping also allows for the detergent to clean your dishes more effectively.
2. Load your dishes correctly into the dishwasher: Believe it or not, the way you and your family load in your dishes and flatware could be affecting how well they are getting cleaned.
3. Your hard water could be causing more problems: If your dishes stay dirty, the culprit could be your hard water. Try using a teaspoon of vinegar in the rinse cycle of your dishwasher if you continue to have issues. When I guest posted on the AHS blog I gave these 5 Tips for Getting the Most of your Dishwasher.

Take a look at this AHS video to see how loading correctly can save water, time and space.

How to Load a Dishwasher Correctly Video:

Keep your Stove Range Hood Looking & Performing Beautifully

Your stove and oven go through a lot of use throughout the holidays. From heat, steam and even the occasional venting out burned casserole odors, ensuring your range hood works properly is essential. Your range hood vent removes grease and smoke from the air as you cook. If you don’t clean the vent regularly it can stop performing effectively.

Here’s the best way to clean your stove range hood:

Locate the range hood filter: In most hoods there is a latch where the filter is located. Refer to your manufacturer’s directions if you can’t find it. Remove the filter with rubber gloved hands. This won’t be a job you enjoy!

1. Soak your filter: Fill the sink or a basin with a few teaspoons of baking powder, hot water, and a degreasing solution. Soak your filter for 10-15 minutes. This will help breakdown the grease and will reduce the amount of scrubbing.
2. Rinse and let filters air dry: Let your filters air-dry once you have rinsed off all residue and greasy water.

Take a look at this video to learn how to clean out your grease filter:

This holiday season is meant to be enjoyed by you and your family around the kitchen. Ensure your kitchen maintenance for your refrigerator/freezer, dishwasher and stove range hood are all working as they should so you can create holiday memories while cooking family recipes and enjoying festive cheer this season!

For more kitchen ideas on Stagetecture take a look at our kitchen archives.

When is the last time you took your recipes to the next level? When I say “next level” I mean expanding the capabilities of your appliance with accessories for your cooking surface that create unlimited options for your meals. You and I both know your cooktop surface can make all the difference in your culinary experience. That is why I’m excited to partner with ILVE to showcase their “9 Ways to Cook” accessories. Whether your recipe calls for steaming, grilling, basting or stir-frying, these exclusive cooking accessories from ILVE can take your culinary experience above and beyond the norm.

ILVE Cooking Accessories: Creative Ways to Enrich your Culinary Ideas

Photo by Nancy Elizabeth Hill

What are your favorite recipes? The ILVE Cooktop Accessories will enhance them:

Whether you enjoy recipes that have been passed down through generations or are trying out new ones you found on Pinterest, ILVE’s accessories for their one-of-a-kind cooktop surfaces will help you conquer them with restaurant level success.

A brief history about ILVE’s iconic ranges, cooktops, ventilation, and accessories:

ILVE’s rich Italian heritage stems as far back as 1952. Manufactured near Venice, Italy, ILVE’s handcrafted appliances are custom made and built to order to the consumer’s specification. Every appliance is truly a work of art!

Take a Look at ILVE’s not so standard accessory options included with most of their ranges and cooktops:

Photo Courtesy of ILVE USA

1. Stainless steel griddle: Do you love homemade pancakes for the kid’s on Sundays? The griddle cooktop accessory instantly turns your ILVE cooktop into a diner-style griddle with full or half-size griddle plates. The removable griddle works alongside the other burners so you can cook multiple dishes at once. The best part is, once you are done you can easily remove the griddle and have your traditional burner back.
2. Simmer plate: Are you looking for a lower level BTU for more delicate recipes? The ILVE simmer plate can be used for cooking soups, sauces, and chocolates, at a perfectly low temperature when used in conjunction with the inner flame of the dual triple ring burner.
3. Wok ring: Do you love to stir-fry vegetables and meats but have problems with evenly distributed heat? The wok ring is an easy solution. The ring is placed over the cooktop grate to cradle the wok and help evenly distribute heat around the wok’s curved bottom surface.
4. Oblong burner: Commonly known as a fish burner, this long grated burner helps to evenly heat oversized stockpots and long pans – a much better option than the uneven heat of two adjacent burners. If you love to poach fish and cook large pots of gumbo or chili, you will love this standard burner on your ILVE cooktop surface.

Photo Courtesy of ILVE USA

Try one or all of them in conjunction with the ILVE griddle-top models to change your recipe making into a true experience:

1. Barbeque grill
2. Griddle top dome
3. Steam basin
4. Steak pan
5. Bain Marie warming basin

Watch this Video to see the 9 ILVE Cooktop Accessories in action (prepare to be awed):

When you are preparing for entertaining guests at the holidays or just enhancing your culinary skills with new dinner ideas, look to the ILVE brand of Italian ranges and cooktops to assist. There’s nothing better than seeing your cooking ideas come to life!

For more kitchen ideas on Stagetecture, visit our kitchen archives.

Essential Tips to Know When You Need Appliance Repair

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Refrigerator Repair

One of the first signs that your refrigerator is wearing down is when you can hear it running, especially if you hear loud rumbling sounds. Excess condensation or puddles in the fridge may indicate a sealing problem, a blocked drain tube, or a problem with temperature maintenance. Condensation or puddles under the fridge may point to a leak. If your refrigerator won’t cool, any number of problems could be causing the issue.

Dishwasher Repair

One of the clearest signs that your dishwasher needs repair is if it’s not cleaning your dishes properly. If you always have to rewash or hand wash dishes after they’ve gone through the dishwasher, it needs to be repaired. Another sign is that it’s not using hot enough water to sanitize the dishes. If your dishes aren’t piping hot immediately after the wash cycle has ended, it’s not doing its job. A poor dishwasher seal could lead to a kitchen flood, and pooling water at the bottom means that it is not draining properly and could rust.

Washing Machine Repair and Clothes Dryer

A washer that shakes a lot could need repair. Unusual sounds from the washer usually indicate a strained motor due to overloading or improperly balanced wash loads. Water fill problems, including a clogged filter, twisted hose, and failure to agitate, should also be repaired. If the dryer does not get hot enough to dry the clothing within one cycle and you have not overloaded it, it may need repairs. Unusual belt noises or a failure to turn also indicate a problem.

Other Home Appliances

Other home appliances will also show signs of wear and tear due to regular use. Any appliance that makes unusual noises or fails to function efficiently or as designed will need repairs. Similarly, if it is past the service period, if you haven’t used it in a while, or if you purchased a used appliance, you may need to get it repaired.

A broken and unusable appliance reminds you how much you depend on it and just how expensive it was. If you get it repaired right away, you may be able to extend its life so that you don’t have to replace it right away. Inspect your appliances regularly and call on professionals for assistance with repairs. A professional technician can inspect and repair any issues long before they become a serious and costly problem.

For more appliance tips on Stagetecture, search our archives here.

Your fridge freezer is an essential appliance required to keep your produce chilled, frozen, and stop items from going off. However, while these appliances are essential, they can also be very costly to purchase. With this in mind, once you have purchased your fridge freezer, you need to make sure you take proper care of it, to minimise problems and keep it running efficiently.

There are many different makes and models of fridge freezers you can choose from, including leading brands. However, no matter which make or model you opt for, you need to take into consideration some basic maintenance steps to ensure that the appliance remains in good working order and continues to run with efficiency.

Image via: Barton Woodworks

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Five tips to caring for your fridge freezer
There are a number of simple yet important steps that you need to take in order to take proper care of your fridge freezer. Some of the key steps you may need to take include the following:

Take care of the door seal:

It may seem like an insignificant part of the appliance, but the door seals on your fridge freezer are hugely important in terms of keeping the appliance running properly. Without proper care and cleaning, the seal can warp, which enables cold air to escape. You can minimise on risks by keeping the seal clean. If your seal is already damaged, you can buy a replacement one for a pretty low price.

Defrost your freezer compartments:

It can save you a lot of time and hassle to opt for a frost-free freezer model. However, if you have a standard one, you need to make sure you regularly defrost the freezer compartments. Do not let the ice become any thicker than 1.5cm, otherwise your appliance will start to use more energy.

Image via: Kiyohara Moffitt

Keeping the coils clean:

The cooling coils at the back of your fridge freezer are vital in keeping the running of the appliance efficient and effective. You should vacuum these a couple of times a year in order to keep them free from dust and debris, which can ease the strain on them, thus keeping energy usage down.

Don’t overload your fridge or freezer:

It can be tempting to cram as much as you can onto the shelves of your fridge or into your freezer. However, this can put increased strain on your appliance and could lead to the cracking or breaking of shelves and compartments.

Image via: The Sky is the Limit Design

Effective placement of heavier items:

Most of us keep heavy items such as bottles of liquid in the door compartments of the fridge. Try and place these close to the end where the door hinges are, as this will mean less strain on the hinges of your fridge freezer.

With proper care and some common sense, you can get the most from your fridge freezer and minimise on the cost of repairs and replacements.

For more kitchen ideas on Stagetecture, click here.