Read on to see what you need to look for in a Modular Kitchen and what some of the top brands have to offer.
Top of the Line
"A granite countertop is most suitable for Indian cooking as it is not porous and does not absorb stains or water," says Dean Almeida, Interior Designer of Grace Interior Design. He goes on to say that marble, being porous, is least suitable for platforms.
Though Corian comes in a variety of colours and can be moulded in different shapes, it stains quickly. So you need to be extra careful and quick to clean haldi (turmeric) or other food colouring spills. "Corian also gets scratched easily. It has to be polished every three to four months to retain the smoothness," Dean explains.
Avoid stainless steel counters… these make noisy worktops and get scratched easily.
Laminated counter tops can be used for service counters (dry counters) where you can place your toaster, grinder or microwave. Avoid laminate tops for the main counter or the area around the sink.
"The recommended height for kitchen platforms is 30 to 32 inches," says Joanna Gomes, Architect, Speciality Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. Main counters should be about 24 inches (2 ft.) deep while service counters can be about 16 to 20 inches deep.
Veneta Cucine and Kitchen World offer platform heights of only 35 and 36 inches, which are not ideal.
Tried, Tested and Treated
When choosing the base material for kitchen cabinets, always make sure that it is water resistant if not waterproof. "Marine ply is the perfect cabinet material for Indian kitchens," says Joanna. It lasts longer because it has greater resistance to water than any other material.
Kitchen Grace and Sleek Kitchens are the only modular kitchen brands that give a marine ply option for cabinets.
Solid wood cabinets need a lot of care and frequent polishing to retain the lustre. Also, constant contact with water may cause the wood to rot.
Contrary to what modular kitchen manufacturers claim, MDF and particleboard are not water resistant. In fact they are less durable. Dean explains that these varieties require high maintenance or else have to be changed every three to five years.
Most modular kitchen manufacturers use materials that have been machine-treated for termites. So that won't be much of an issue.
Mild steel kitchen cabinets are prone to rusting if not powder coated. Try and avoid using mild steel above or near the stove area. The cabinets will get very heated, making it difficult to open them.
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