Features to Look for in Prosumer Appliances

OVENS

Do my restaurant-quality creations need to stay piping hot for diners who eat at different times, or do I usually rev up the microwave to make Lean Cuisine after work?

The warming drawer is a pro-quality feature that's ideal for homes where a quality home-cooked meal may be ready before everyone's ready to eat. Ken Dempsey has one in his own kitchen and says, "If you have a schedule-crazy household like me, once you have one, you'd never want to live without it again. It keeps food at the ideal temperature, without drying it out and without cooking it more."

Do I like the look of stainless steel because it reminds me of watching my favorite chefs on television, or do I endure the look so I can get pro-quality cooking features?

If you're just putting up with stainless steel when you'd prefer a pro-grade stove with some color, consider Lacanche's double-oven commercial stoves. "They have excellent features you wouldn't find in the typical American oven, like dual fuel and a warming oven for people who really want to cook," says Linda Applewhite, an interior designer in Sausalito, Calif. "Here on the West Coast, we're seeing a trend towards French stoves and one of the reasons is that they're professional-looking and also come in all these great enamel colors."