Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Which appliances useful in your Common House Kitchen?

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

On Apr 27, 2009, at 5:49 PM, Susana Michaelis wrote:

> At a minimum I gather that we need one stove, one fridge, one
> dishwasher. How many washers and dryers, if about 6-10 households  
> use them?
> Any recommended brands?

We have a double oven which is very helpful. I'm always surprised how  
many people come to potlucks with food that needs warming or to finish  
cooking. Or cookies to  cook. And they always need different  
temperatures.

We have a large commercial dishwasher. Several to many of us would  
prefer one or two normal dishwashers mounted higher than dishwashers  
are in homes so they are easier on our backs.

DEEP SINKS. Ours are shallow. we have a deep sink as part of the  
commercial dishwasher but it is awkward to use for pans, which don't  
go in the washer.

Definitely get large commercial washers and dryers. We had Sears  
residential high-end, but they were gone within 2 years and many  
service calls. I don't know the brand. And I'm not sure how many  
households use them but they are often busy. We have two of each. 43  
households, maybe 6 on a regular basis but others use it for large  
items, when theirs are broken, etc. Many more used them when we first  
moved in. Contrary to cohousing theory, our people do not hang out in  
the CH when they do laundry. They go home.

We have coin-operated potential but don't use it. We keep 4 quarters  
in the room (a high place or they disappear) to  use for the dryers --  
you put them in but they are returned.

Check out the soap dispensers. The major reason our washers stop  
working is because the dispensers are stopped up. We have a member who  
has learned to take them apart and clean them. Tell people how much  
detergent to use in tablespoons, not cups. Many people cannot measure  
1/4 cup accurately. 3 tablespoons is easier.

> Do you use household appliances, commercial, heavy duty or other?

Ours are high-end residential -- normally sold as "professional."

> Some people think we need 2 stoves, maybe a deep freeze or even 2
> fridges. Realistically, how often are these appliances used?

We have one cooktop and I think it is enough. The problem -- pay  
attention to this -- is that the burners are too close together to use  
all of them because the pots and skillets are too large. AND the  
burners are too close to the knobs so they melt. Very bad design. The  
first one has a glass top!!!! That lasted less than two years. So we  
have 5 burners but not all of them can be used at one time. Take a pot  
to measure when you shop.

Many of our people cook at  home then bring their dishes over. We also  
have a large rice cooker which is used often. The two ovens are  
important.

Our freezer is usually full, often with ice for holidays and big  
dinners. We have a large residential fridge with a bottom freezer.   
Left over ice cream is a big item -- some have purchased it in bulk.  
We also have a small fridge locked up in the workshop for beer, wine,  
etc. Parents didn't want open access for teenagers in an unsupervised  
CH.

It's really hard to tell what you will need until you know how active  
your meal program will be. In one sense, just like you need just as  
much basic stuff to go away for the weekend as you do for a two week  
vacation, you need enough to cook a meal for most of your residents. I  
think we had a discussion about this a few years ago and only 1/2 to  
2/3 of members will come to meals at any one time. For us, it is less  
than than half, and sometimes significantly less. But on holidays,  
with guests, there are many more.

> When responding, it would be helpful to know how often a meal is  
> cooked
> in the Common House kitchen.

Once a week with one potluck or brunch is pretty much average. We also  
have spontaneous gatherings of people with children who bring meals or  
take out to the CH or piazza in the summer.

> We don't want to have excess appliances in order to cook a Christmas
> dinner!

We have the turkey that takes up one oven. Most other dishes are  
cooked at home and brought in. Some need to be warmed so the second  
oven is full. Sometimes more go in when the turkey comes out to rest.

Remember that if you aren't doing something now, you are not likely to  
do it in cohousing. Gardening and cooking and exercising aren't any  
easier to do in cohousing than they are now. Changing habits takes a  
long time and by then you will ready to remodel.

Setting aside money for additions to the kitchen might be a good idea.  
Then you can see what you need.

Sharon
----
Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing,Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org