Posts tagged Pasta

As I have mentioned in many of my blogs and “ezine” articles, in the past few weeks, more and more of the homes being built and remodeled, today, are including things commonly found in commercial kitchens. First it was the large “Sub Zero” type refrigerator, then the commercial styled multiple (up to 6) burner gas ranges, double ovens and heavy duty and sometimes multiple dishwashers. At this point I should say that many of these features are wonderful even for the small home especially of you enjoy cooking and entertaining. I don’t fall into that category, the best thing I make for dinner is reservations.

I lived, for over 8 years during the 1980’s, in Los Angeles. While there one of the homes I owned was a large (10,000 sq. ft. , that’s large to me) house in the Hollywood Hills that was built in 1929. Before I bought it, a complete remodel of many of the features of the house had been undertaken. Not only did it have a Sub Zero refrigerator it had 2 that were built side by side. I’m a poor boy from the south. After coming up with the money to buy the house I didn’t know how we would ever have enough groceries to fill both of those fridges. The kitchen also included Corian countertops, (the state of the art in solid surface materials at that time), double dishwashers, multiple sinks all over the kitchen, 3 wall ovens and 2 countertop gas 4 burner cook tops for a total of 8 burners. These things were rare and only found in the larger homes. Although at the time I bought the house I could have never envisioned needing all of that, during the time we lived there we held a wedding for close friends with over 300 guests (the bride also wanted live swans swimming in my pool. . . that’s where I drew the line) and at least one July 4th party at which we welcomed over 200 of my “closest friends”(that’s California speak for any and everyone you know or have ever met). It was then that I realized why people who do a lot of entertaining want and need the big kitchen. Even if your home is only the designated holiday destination for your families, the convenience of having the extra room and additional appliance capability can be worthwhile. By today’s standards that big old house of mine would not even phase most people and in fact would have probably been completely torn out and remodeled in the last 5 years to bring it up to date.

The modern day version of this house would have replaced the Corian with granite or something even more exotic, large commercial ranges, elaborate faucets and fixtures and now the pot filler faucet can be added to the list of things that are starting to become mainstream in kitchens. A pot filler faucet is a great idea for your kitchen. Large pots fill quickly. The pot filler faucet swings out of the way when not in use. These articulated arm faucets save your back and eliminate probably 50 percent of the work when it comes to carrying water from the sink to your stove. With a pot filler faucet over your stove, you never have to carry a pot full of water again saving wear and tear on you. Water is actually heavy. One gallon weighs a little over eight pounds. This means you might need 2 or 3 gallons or maybe 20 lbs of water to boil a large pot of pasta. During holidays, the last thing you want is to be worn out from hauling water from the sink to the stove leaving you plenty of time to work out in your private gym or to go out and run that habitual holiday marathon race, or maybe just give you more time to spend with your guests and families. As a conformed bachelor for some 30 years I depend on Fran Byrd from the National Builder Supply home office for a woman’s opinion. She rarely gets credit for her help and many quotes, so today I’m going to pass on a woman’s opinion not just mine, of the pot filler faucet. . . “As far as pot fillers go, they are wonderful. Especially for those big stock pots. You know how heavy those things can be empty but you fill it with water and you need to call for help just to get it over to the stove. I am sure you know that the pot filler is mounted above or in the deck of the counter beside the stove and hooks to the cold water (since we all know cold water boils faster) then you can fill that big ole pot right there on the stove”. My response…what’s a stock pot???.

 Most plumbers would have no problems installing a pot filler faucet, if he does its time to get a different plumber.  Most pot fillers require only one cold water supply line. This line can usually be installed in 30 minutes or less in most homes under construction. It may be more difficult when remodeling an existing kitchen depending on accessibility to existing water lines and the wall behind your stove may necessitate some cutting and patching. Many times the water lines can be run through the back of the existing cabinets (like ice maker lines are retrofitted). The location of the pipe that feeds the pot filler faucet is very critical. If this pipe is not in the correct location, the faucet may be too low or it might not fold back completely against the wall. You will need dimensions, such as the height of the cook top burners above the finished height of the countertop and the height of your tallest pot. When added together, these dimensions tell you the minimum height above the countertop the tip of the faucet must be then add another inch to be safe.

Now its time to choose the faucet you want. Style, finish, price, etc are all things to consider. You should also make sure the faucet you choose has two separate on and off valves to prevent any damage that might be caused by a drippy faucet and remind your plumber that you want a separate shut off valve for the water line to the pot filler. Once you’ve made your choice make sure the dealer or manufacturer provide all of the technical info you need and provide instructions for installation. Then you’re ready for the installation and all set to cook your first pot of pasta, or grits if you are at my house. Ill have mine with cheese, butter and maybe some diced ham, thank you. A recipe for good southern grits can be yours for the asking.