If you've already renovated a kitchen or are just beginning the process, you know how overwhelming the details can be. Our Fittings and Material Spotlights are quick guides to basic kitchen fixtures to familiarize you with terminology, pros and cons, and relevant reader reviews. Today we look at chimney-style range hoods, both wall-mounted and island hoods. More

Do you wish your refrigerator looked like this? Clean? Shiny? Stocked with vibrant fruits and vegetables, nary a mysterious jar of crusted condiments in sight? Well, Real Simple would like to help you with that. They have a checklist to help you get from grimy to shiny in just 20 minutes. Ready? Go! More

A few months ago I moved into a new apartment. Although I love the space and the updated kitchen, it does have one big drawback: the refrigerator. I can't quite figure out how to space the shelves to fill the fridge optimally. So maybe I should give this trick a try. More

If you've already renovated a kitchen or are just beginning the process, you know how overwhelming the details can be. Our Fittings and Material Spotlights are quick guides to basic kitchen fixtures to familiarize you with terminology, pros and cons, and relevant reader reviews. Today we begin a series on range hoods:
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This past week marked a special moment in my life. After living with an extra-small oven for years, pushing it hard — using it to test an entire book about casseroles, with pans that barely fit into its little cavity — I'm now the proud owner of a 30-inch double oven. I lucked out and found the exact oven I desired (and couldn't afford at full price) for a fraction of its list price on Craigslist, barely used and with a 3-year warranty remaining. I can hardly wait to fire it up — cakes, ribs, casseroles, oven-cooked beans — this thing will handle them all. I'll tell you one thing I'm not going to be doing with this oven, though, and that's using the self-cleaning cycle. Why? More

"Preheat oven to 350 degrees." This may be one of the most common phrases in the cooking universe...and also one of the most misleading. If you fret over the accuracy of your oven's internal temperature reading, you're working too hard. Here's why: More

Q: My SO and I have a 22 cubic-foot side-by-side refrigerator that we would like (nay, love) to replace. I'm interested to hear from others who have "downsized" their kitchen refrigerator. Was it difficult to adjust to having less room? Any brand recommendations? More

While browsing Pinterest for interesting kitchen design ideas, we came across this photo: a kitchen stove set into what looks like a chimney opening. How unusual!
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Q: I'm looking for a new lower-priced grill, less than $250. I would like it to have high enough heat to sear steaks and cook evenly. A table top will not work, and electric grills seem to produce less heat. A smaller sized grill would be perfect since I normally cook for 1-4 people. Any suggestions?

Sent by Gail More

Ever dreamed of smoking ribs or brisket right in your own back yard? You may think it's out of your reach — buying a smoker may sound intimidating and pricey. But it's not! Even a cheap smoker can give you great results. Timothy of Charles & Hudson recently modified a cheap smoker for better performance — here's a peek at what he did! More