Refrigerators: How to Make Them a Bit More Environment Friendly?

Modular kitchens in Kochi, and other places have owners who have started thinking in terms of environment friendliness now. They are either opting for more eco-friendly options, or looking for ways to make an eco-friendly option out of what they already have.

One of the most commonly found appliances, which also happens to be an energy hog in itself, is the refrigerator at your home. They account for at least 9 percent and can go upto 15% of the total electricity use at a place. So, how do you make your refrigerator a more energy efficient one?

One, you can look at the Stars!

Not the stars above, but the Energy Stars put on a label on the fridge. These Stars are the government’s way of advising you for or against a fridge, based on the energy standard. While this is an essential step in buying a refrigerator, you should know that not all of the appliance models with same Energy Stars have the exact same efficiency. One is always better than the other, and so on. And so we come to point number…

Two, size plays a role too.

You know how we Indians love to introduce the concept of ‘jugaad’ in everything we do; well, in the case of refrigerator, there are so many people who buy a small one and hog it up with every bit of food they can find. They are pleased at their jugaad which allows them to not let any piece of food go bad, while also not spend on a bigger fridge. But what they don’t realize is, they’re making the fridge work harder than it’s intended to, forcing it to use more energy than needed. Size of the refrigerator, therefore, matters - but it solely depends upon how you’re going to use your fridge. So choose carefully.

Three, you can’t overlook the configuration.

There are a number of refrigerator models available in the market today. Some have the freezer on the top, some have a bottom freezer, and then there are some with side-by-side freezer units. As far as the usable space is concerned in a fridge, the top freezer models give about 80%, the bottom ones 67%, and the third kind 63%. On the top of it, the side-by-side fridge models also consume about 20% more electricity than its counterparts. And again, if your refrigerator is of an even advanced configured model, chances are it will consume more energy. For example, if it has a water and ice dispenser, and the ice maker, and such other features, you will find your fridge using up around 10 to 15% more energy than it normally would.

Other things that you could do to save energy, and therefore some money as well:

➔      Do not place your refrigerator too close to any source of heat; so basically, keep it placed away from the stove or oven.  Otherwise, your fridge will have to work extra hard for no reason at all.

➔      Don’t put any food item that is too hot, directly in the fridge. Let it cool first, and get itself to the room temperature, and then proceed to put it in the fridge.

So, modularkitchens in Kochi, or wherever they might be, we can still make them all a little more conducive to a healthy environment!

How Would a High Tech Solid Surface Make a Low Maintenance Kitchen Countertop?

Everywhere you go, owners of modular kitchens kochi, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and so on, are trying to keep up with the ongoing kitchen trends. And one of the hot trends that has grabbed everyone’s attention is, getting a high tech solid surface countertop for the kitchens.

Now, why would that be? What is this synthetic material being deemed as one of the cutting-edge countertop materials?

To answer these questions, let’s begin with the basics.

How Is It Made?

It is a perfect team up of acrylic or polyester resins, pigments, and powdered fillers that when further heated at 60°C  or more, then cured, and finally cast into various shapes while being sanded on either one or both the sides, makes a solid surface kitchen countertop. To make a countertop worthy of a beautiful modular kitchen though, it would need to be more than just robust. It would have to be design worthy as well. And therefore, an acrylic-modified polyester solid surface can be given different effects, appearances, and be molded into various design figures to embody the perfect look before getting installed in a kitchen.

What Makes It So Special?

Did we tell you how they can be easily injected into a mold of your choice, to give you the design of your choice? The unique shapes and configurations that you can get with this material make it one of a kind amongst the crowd of countertop materials available in the market today.

But of course, the primary reason for choosing this synthetically made countertop is, the durability of the material, and its being non-porous. The latter quality especially helps in the surface being easily maintained; the reason for that is, it doesn’t let any bacteria or mildew in, as well as doesn’t get stained very easily.

Solid surface manufacturers are always quite keen on getting their GreenGuard approval; for that would mean, in an officially certified manner, that their countertops are a healthy and indoor-friendly choice, owing to their non porous nature and emitting chemicals at a lower level. That again makes it a very sustainable choice for any modular kitchen.

Where Could It Go Wrong?

Heat sensitivity is the weak spot for this countertop material. Unless you have the mixture for making the solid surface get heated at about 160°C and immediately cooled thereafter, the heat sensitivity of the material is nowhere better than its counterparts. Also, it is not scratch free. Working in a kitchen, knives and cutting board become your buddies for life; but you would need to keep a check on your buddies, knowing that they could do some irreversible damage to your high tech solid surface countertop.

Also, while there is a way to make solid surfaces more eco-friendly, right now the majority of these are being made from materials that we get from non-renewable resources, such as petroleum, aluminium trihydrate, and so on. The negative impact that it has on the environment is a bit worrisome; but not too much, as it can be taken care of.

Last, But Not the Least: How Easy Is It To Maintain It?

Very easy. You would not need anything more than soap and water to clean the surface on a daily basis. The only thing to take care of, is to dry the surface properly, every time you clean it. Otherwise you would be left with a countertop demonstrating a dull finish. Also, if you have used a darker color for your countertop, you won’t have too many easily seen fingerprints to clean as well.

Modular kitchens Kochi, Ahmedabad, and every other city today is moving towards a more stylish and easily maintainable future. We spend so much time in our kitchens on an everyday basis, that we need it look good and that too, always. That is why we want our kitchens to be as low maintenance as possible.

That’s the reason, with a solid surface countertop, you won’t be disappointed!

What Makes a Modular Kitchen Have a Contemporary Look?

Modular kitchen in Kochi 

One of the secrets to building a warm and contemporary kitchen, is to have a hold on all the shapes that embody the kitchen. These shapes could take the form of cabinets, their handles, or the countertop, the tiles that you use in the flooring, and so on. After having a visual idea of the shapes you’d like to include, would come the materials and colors that you choose. A warm ambience is also about how you combine various shapes, colors, and dimensions; how balanced and proportionate does the space look in the end.

We have here a list of basic shapes and elements that could give a contemporary,and more importantly, a warm look to your modular kitchen.


Start with Your Cabinets

Cabinets form a huge part of any kitchen, and they have a major role to play in deciding on the ambience of the space. You could go for white and glossy, or you could choose flat and matte in terms of color and finish. Using wood, or even something from a range of laminates available would work beautifully. Including a slab door, either over the cabinet, or set into the cabinet frame, would give your kitchen the contemporary touch you’re looking for.

Move on to Cabinet Knobs

The right cabinet handles, pulls, or knobs can make all the difference. Today, designers even making use of press-touch technology, so you don’t have to add any more hardware, keeping it clean. Otherwise, a matte black or stainless steel cabinet pull could offer a much decorative yet elegant look. Whether your cabinets open towards the left or to the right, go for horizontal orientation; that gives a more contemporary air to the kitchen space.

Island Kitchens - The Most Contemporary of All

Island modular kitchens in Kochi , Kerala are probably the most contemporary and modern looking of all types of modular kitchens today. Unsurprising in high demand, island kitchens can be made even better, if you have your countertop material continuing down the short edge of the island - giving it a look also called waterfall edge.

Keep Flooring on a more Subtle Side

You have to go for a concrete flooring to make your kitchen look like it is keeping up with times. If not concrete, then something that looks like concrete. It’s not to say that no other floor type would work at all, but this is probably the best option amongst all. The key here, is subtlety. Instead of going for something that is evidently too rustic or heavily patterned, or even vintage, try to keep away from those. The pattern in your flooring should be almost non-existent. A hardwood floor would probably look good too, as would oversized tiles in porcelain.

A Contemporary Countertop

Instead of making your countertop and backsplash from the same material, you could try something different this time. Don’t let your countertop material have a lot of pattern on it, that is refrain from using natural material. For example, as popular as granite is in terms of a sturdy countertop material, sedom does it ever lend a contemporary look. Use engineered quartz, instead. It’s both sturdy and good looking. And for backsplash, maybe use glass tiles with clean lines , or even ceramic tiles would look great.

So many ways to make your modular kitchen look contemporary - from island modular kitchens, to something as simple as a cabinet pull, to having a different countertop and backsplash. Which of these ways do you think would work for your kitchen?