Cleaning Tips for the Garbage Disposer

Cleaning your garbage disposer regularly is an easy way to have your kitchen smelling fresh and your sink drain working properly.

You can opt to buy a disposer cleaner to eliminate odor-causing bacteria – if so, choose a non-corrosive, biodegradable foaming additive to clean your disposer and drain for a clean, refreshing scent. The alternative is to “go natural” and use the do-it-yourself baking soda cleaner mixture:

1. Turn off disposer and disconnect power supply.
2. Place stopper in sink opening and fill sink halfway with warm water.
3. Mix 1 cup (240 ml) baking soda with the warm water.
4. Turn on disposer and remove stopper from the sink to wash away loose particles. This will flood the inside of the disposer to wash away particles loosened during this cleaning operation.

It is important to remember to only cold water when operating your disposer. Cold water hardens greasy substances, which makes it easy to grind them into tiny particles. Cold water also keeps grease from sticking to the drain lines. It is okay to drain hot water into the disposer between grinding periods. For the best selection for garbage disposers, trash compactors and other kitchen appliances visit your local BrandSource store. We offer all the major brands and we’re your source for low prices, large selection and personalized service.

Back to Top

Drawer Dishwashers – Your Little Helper

It’s a dirty word in many households and if you are like most people, once dinner is over you dread facing these guys in the kitchen. Yes, you guessed it – I’m talking about the dishes. You end up stacking, packing and re-arranging them in your dishwasher hoping that everything gets clean in the end.

The latest trend in dishwashers are space-saving drawer dishwashers that slide in and out rather than the traditional box dishwashers that open downward. Drawer dishwashers function independently but can also be used in tandem with each other thus offering flexibility not only in design but also function.

For example, if you want to avoid bending over install one unit at an appropriate level for your height. For single homeowners or on the weekends when you have a smaller load, use only the top drawer. This means running the unit only when you need to so you won’t waste time, energy or money on partial loads. When you throw a party, breathe easy and know that your wine glasses and dessert plates are being washed safely in one drawer, while the pots and pans are in another.

BrandSource is THE source when it comes to choosing a new drawer dishwasher. Our network of stores include neighborhood appliance stores, electronics stores, furniture and mattresses store, floor covering stores, and some stores that do it all! Please use our convenient store locator at the top of this page to find the store closest to you with the product category or service you need.

Back to Top

Electric Cooktops

We hear a lot about the pro-like performance of gas cooktops and there’s a lot of buzz about induction cooktops, but what about electric? What features should you consider in an electric cooktop when shopping for a new unit?

When shopping for an electric cooktop, you have the option of an electric coil element which has been around for years, and is said to provide an even heat distribution. The coil element plugs in and can be easily removed for cleaning just as the drip pans which get placed underneath each coil.

The other heat element option is a smooth radiant surface, typically glass ceramic offering consumers a seamless look. This surface heats quickly and many come in adjustable sizes to accommodate various pots and pan sizes. The ceramic top is sealed so any spills won’t drip under the burner

An appeal of electric cooktops is the variance of heat output; get low level heat for very delicate cooking like melting butter and then high level heat for boiling large pots of water for pasta. Electric smoothtop cooktops also have beneficial features like: variable-size elements, warming zones and bridge elements (distributes heat between two burners for long pans or griddles).

Our knowledgeable in-store experts at BrandSource will help you every step of the way, whether you need to replace an old cooktop or if you’re remodeling your entire kitchen. Our professional delivery and installation experts will assure that your new products arrive safely, are installed properly and that any questions or needs you have are handled promptly.

Back to Top

Energy-Saving Hints for the Refrigerator

One of the more expensive appliances to run is the refrigerator. Here are a few tips on reducing refrigerator costs:

• Keep the seals on the door clean and check for cracks. Replace anything that’s less than par.
• Clean the condenser coils. Use a vacuum then wipe gently with a rag.
• When purchasing insist on the Energy Star Label. Older refrigerators tend to use more electricity especially if they’re in your garage holding sodas.
• Don’t set the temperature too low in the refrigerator. The colder it gets, the more it costs to run. Leave room around the food for air to circulate

There’s many ways to reduce refrigeration costs and still chill. BrandSource stores offer all the major name brand appliances and electronics. We’re your source for low prices, large selection and personalized service. BrandSource combines the purchases of all member stores and that means you get the best value every day. Be sure to ask about our promotions and special financing options when you visit your local store.

Back to Top

Gas Cooktops Bring Out Your Inner Chef

They say to “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” so why can’t that reasoning apply to your kitchen and the type of chef you aspire to be? In this scenario, we’re talking about cooktops; particularly gas cooktops. Gas cooktops are the choice of most professional chefs with their instant response to heat and precise temperature control. Simmer settings allow you to cooks food gently at a low temperature for those delicate dishes.

Most gas cooktops have professional grade cast iron burner grates instead of a smooth surface; however some gas-powered cooktops have a gas-on-glass cooking surface giving them the seamless look of an electric cooktop. Many grates are coated with a non-stick finish and are dishwasher safe for easy cleanup. Continuous one-piece grates provide a similar feature as an electric cooktop allowing you to use a variety of pot and pan sizes when cooking.

The electronic flame ignition feature on most models ensures that there is no need to have contact with an open flame. This is also appealing to many consumers because it in turn saves you energy because no gas pilot is constantly burning as with older gas cooktops.

Our knowledgeable in-store experts at BrandSource will help you every step of the way, whether you are shopping for a new gas cooktop or if it’s time to update your entire kitchen. Our professional delivery and installation experts will assure that your new products arrive safely, are installed properly and that any questions or needs you have are handled promptly. Be sure to ask about our promotions and special financing options when you visit your local BrandSource store.

Back to Top

Induction Cooktops Are Hotter Than Ever

Induction cooking, is high frequency magnetic fields, has been around since the early 20th century. Yet, it seems to remain a mystery to modern women on the go. Too much trouble, you say. I don’t get it, you object. Who has time to learn a whole new way of cooking, you wonder aloud?

Well, a couple of quick answers: no it’s not, you will get it and yes, you do. You see the ins and outs of induction cooking are really quite simple: a coil of wire is mounted underneath the cooking surface of an induction stove. Then, that wire interacts with the cookware itself, typically stainless steel or cast iron to produce the heat which cooks the contents within.

This interaction that occurs is actually a flame-less type of cooking: it provides rapid heating, great thermal efficiency, plus the same degree of controllability as gas. It’s a fascinating, environmentally-friendly, utility-bill-lowering type of cooking method that is one to consider.

Plus, your cooktop will not be hot, therefore it’s safer – only the cookware will get hot and it will do so immediately. What’s great is there is less to worry about if you’ve got little hands hanging around the kitchen.

Discover a new culinary option. Use the store locator for your neighborhood BrandSource store for installation, delivery and financing options.

Back to Top

Kitchen Island Appliances

Visit many of today’s kitchens and you’ll see that the island is the focal point of the room. Islands are great for food preparation and serving, but the trend seems to be “go bigger and better.” And by better we’re talking about enhancing the island with appliances to make your life easier and maximize existing kitchen space.

If you like to entertain, consider installing an under-the-counter beverage cooler to keep wine and other beverages at perfect temperatures and close at hand. Many models come with unfinished wood fronts to be finished to complement surrounding cabinetry for a custom look. After the partying is done, you always seem to have too many dishes to fit in your traditional dishwasher. The solution – add one of our drawer dishwashers to your island to handle the overflow.

Is your family one that seems to be always on the go? Add a warming drawer to your island and it will allow food to be kept warm for up to an hour, giving you some flexibility for everyone’s different schedules. Or, consider installing a trash compactor to reduce your family’s trash volume up to 80% and take fewer trips out to the smelling garbage can.

Visit the Inspiration Gallery to view our imaginative designs because a custom island can add needed flair to your kitchen.

Back to Top

Kitchen Oven Shopping – What To Consider

You’re going to make Grandma’s famous meatloaf. Or host a holiday meal. Or make little Johnny’s first birthday cake. What oven should you trust with your culinary treasures? Choosing the right oven for your lifestyle can be daunting. There are so many options do you want, built-in, a single unit, double oven unit or convection. Who knew!

First, you need to know gas or electric, plus look at a convection oven. Second, consider size and space. Ovens come in two forms: built-in and freestanding. Remember the 24” ovens are dated these days – consider a contemporary choice of a 27” or even 30". Third, if you have space for a built-in how about a double oven? Finally, be prepared for all the features. Decide whether you’ll be cleaning this new addition, or you’d prefer a self-cleaning oven that does the work for you. Before you trust your beloved recipe to your new oven, take a few moments to pick out the one most suited for the job – and for your lifestyle.

Our knowledgeable in-store experts will help you every step of the way, whether you need to replace an old appliance or television, need a new mattress set, floor covering, furniture, or if you’re remodeling and need an entire home full of new brand name products. Our professional delivery and installation experts will assure that your new products arrive safely, are installed properly and that any questions or needs you have are handled promptly. And, of course if service is required in the future, you can rest assured of the same dedication to prompt professional assistance as well.

Back to Top

Kitchens That Work

These days our lives are more hectic than ever before, where everything needs to be done faster and more efficiently. Time spent in the kitchen is no exception. Whether you’re whipping up 4 dozen cupcakes for your son’s 4th grade class or getting dinner on the table before the baseball game, you need a kitchen that works for you.

Choosing the right appliances to fit your needs and lifestyle is crucial in achieving a kitchen that works. Boil a pot of water in 90 seconds and perform 40 percent faster than gas or electric cooktops with an induction cooktop. These innovative cooktops use an electromagnetic field to heat the cookware making food preparation fast, easy and even energy-efficient.

For another “fast-food” option, consider upgrading to a convection oven. When using a convection oven to roast meats you can cook up to 25 percent faster. And for cupcakes, bake on two to three racks at one time, depending on the unit.

If you entertain, installing an under-the-counter beverage center to keep wine and beverages at perfect temperatures and close at hand is a wise choice. These little gems are also great for soda and water overflow from your refrigerator.

We are often multi-tasking while spending time in the kitchen cooking, baking or entertaining so if there’s a way to make your kitchen work more efficiently, wouldn’t you do it? Let the professionals at BrandSource help you determine what kitchen appliances best fit your needs. We have the top name brands on induction cooktops, convection ovens and beverage centers you’re looking for at the competitive prices you want. Be sure to ask about our promotions and special financing options when you visit your local store.

Back to Top

Loading Tips for the Dishwasher

To most people it may seem like a fairly easy task, but do you know the proper way to load a dishwasher?

1. Remove leftover food, bones, and other hard items before you put dishes in the dishwasher. No need to rinse before you load, unless you have baked-on food.
2. The top rack is designed for cups, glasses and smaller items. To avoid chipping, do not let stemware touch other items. To properly clean and drain items, place open ends face down.
3. The bottom rack is designed for plates, large dishes, pans and utensils. Put pots and casserole dishes with baked-on food in the bottom rack facing down toward the sprayer arm.
4. Load dishes so they’re not stacked or overlapping. Make sure pot lids, large platters and cookie sheets do not prevent water from reaching other dishes.
5. When loading silverware, mix items in the baskets with some pointing up and some down to avoid nesting. Water spray cannot reach nested items. Always load sharp items pointing down.
6. Certain foods may be hard to remove if they’re left to dry. Run a rinse cycle to keep dishes moist if you’re not running a full load immediately.

Doing the dishes doesn’t have to be a dirty word anymore when you follow these simple steps. If you’re in the market for a new energy efficient dishwasher one of the drawer dishwashers to handle some of the overflow when you entertain, consult one of the professionals at your local BrandSource store. We are your source for name brand kitchen appliances at low prices.

Back to Top

Oven Performance Tips

Make sure your oven lives us to your family’s lifestyle: shop BrandSource to find the kitchen of your dreams – with sophisticated oven designs from our leading manufacturers, you’ll be baking in no time. Once you find the oven that works for your lifestyle, check these important items to ensure the best performance from your new appliance.

• Make sure to preheat.
• Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is the correct temperature.
• For even cooking, rotate pans from front to back.
• When the oven is crowded, increase the temperature by 25 percent.
• For the restaurant touch, warm your dinner plates at 200 degrees for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Once you find the best oven for your family, and follow a few basic rules, your dinner table is in for some treats. Our knowledgeable in-store experts will help you every step of the way, whether you need to replace an old appliance or television, need a new mattress set, floor covering, furniture, or if you’re remodeling and need an entire home full of new brand name products.

Our professional delivery and installation experts will assure that your new products arrive safely, are installed properly and that any questions or needs you have are handled promptly. And, of course if service is required in the future, you can rest assured of the same dedication to prompt professional assistance as well.

Back to Top

Refrigerator Design Styles, Beyond Stainless…

Part of the fun when remodeling or upgrading a kitchen is selecting the new appliances that will live in the space for years to come. Nowadays when choosing a new refrigerator, you no longer have to sacrifice style for function.

Today’s refrigerators have a wide range of options to fit any décor and lifestyle. For example, Fisher & Paykel’s scratch-proof, fingerprint-proof stainless steel refrigerator. Their EZKleen finish provides an invisible protective layer that won’t alter the luster of stainless steel, but enables easy clean up with warm soapy water.

Got kids? Then you know how much they LOVE to draw. Whirlpool brings the best of both worlds with their refrigerator door panels covered from top to bottom with a white dry-erase surface. Easily wipe away anything from your child’s latest masterpiece to Friday’s grocery list as long as all are applied with dry-erase markers – no Sharpies allowed!

Lastly, is a side-by-side refrigerator from Whirlpool that comes with a removable digital frame that displays photos without magnets and features Fast Fill Technology for a cool exterior. The interchangeable interface allows you to plug in a digital photo album, a DVD/CD player or an MP3 player for maximum entertainment and style.

Knowledgeable BrandSource in-store experts will help every step of the way, whether you’re remodeling your kitchen or replacing a refrigerator. You’ll find everything related to the home you love at BrandSource, a name you can trust.

Back to Top

Refrigerator Trends

Even if you’re not easily wowed by new kitchen appliances, you can’t help falling for these trends -each provide an aspect of the newest evolution in refrigerator design.

• Built-In Beverage Center: dedicates a space for drinks right in the door – using the extra cold air from the freezer. You won’t believe the chilled beverages you’ll be enjoying.
• Refrigerator Drawers: if you’d like to expand your home’s space for refrigerated items, these new drawers are the ones for you. For versatility and convenience you can install them anywhere in your kitchen with features for special fruit and veggie baskets as well as wine and two-liter bottles.
• Condiment Caddy: Just take the ketchup, mustard and relish and go. No more collecting separate bottles when friends show up for hot dogs.
• French Door Refrigerators: Where do we begin with all the freedom this new design provides? A bottom mount freezer drawer slides out so frozen goodies are easily uncovered, plus, with these stylish French doors, you’ll be treated to wide open access on both sides of the door.

The traditional refrigerator has transformed into a sophisticated, chic part of your home decor – one with features to keep your culinary inspiration thriving for years to come.

BrandSource has knowledgeable in-store experts that will help you find all your new brand name products.

Back to Top

Self Cleaning Ovens Making Life Easier

Self cleaning ovens aren’t a new concept to anyone but there are some new features incorporated into today’s ovens that make cleaning even easier for the messiest and busiest of families.

First a quick refresher on how self cleaning ovens work. Self cleaning ovens use an extremely high temperature cycle to burn off spills leftover from cooking/baking. A self cleaning oven is designed with an automatic lock which activates once the cleaning cycle starts to prevent burns. The door stays locked until the oven completely cools.

For a smart approach to self cleaning ovens, the CustomClean™ feature allows you to match the oven’s cleaning level to the amount of soil build-up in the oven for more efficient use of the self-clean cycle. If the oven is lightly soiled, the cleaning time is less than for normal or heavy soil.

Save time and have two cleaning choices with the Speed Clean™ and Maxx Clean™ options. With the Speed Clean function, you can attack those lighter soils 33% faster. Maxx Clean™ is meant for heavier soils, like Grandma’s famous lasagna that bubbled over while baking and it provides 25% more cleaning power.

See what’s cooking in self cleaning ovens in our online selection of appliances and electronics. Then visit your local BrandSource store for more details on financing, delivery, installation and extended warranty coverage.

Back to Top

Side-by-Side Refrigerators – The Best of Both Worlds!

Side-by-side refrigerators are twice as nice. Beautifully designed for narrow spaces – and great for function with through-the-door cold, filtered water and fresh ice on tap.

The manufacturers offer freestanding, cabinet depth or built-in side-by-side refrigerators to accommodate your kitchen space and feature black, white, bisque and stainless steel to match perfectly with your décor. The Inspiration Gallery shows off the various finishes and installation options available – browse the assortment of inspiring kitchen designs to help you decide!

While many households prefer to hire a technician to install the water line (which supplies the water to the dispenser), if you have the tools and want to save money, it can be a do-it-yourself project (always follow manufacturers instructions).

Consult a BrandSource appliance expert about all of the options available, they will help you select side-by-side refrigerator of your dreams! With the best selection of trusted name brand appliances – at the best prices – BrandSource is your source on everything for the home.

Back to Top

Ventilation: Modern designs are now available

With proper ventilation you capture grease, steam, smoke and odors at the source using a ventilation system that either draws grease and odor upward through metal pipe or one which re-circulates filtered air. Factors such as the size of your cook surface, whether you cook with gas or electric, and even your local building codes come into play when choosing the right range hood or downdraft ventilation system for your kitchen.

Manufaturers have combined the ventilation system with the ranges and cooktops they sell, it works either as a backsplash or a built-in downdraft system (more common to gas appliances than electric). Since you’ll see it every day, consider getting a range hood or downdraft solution that you’ll love to look at. Modern designs are available that look like teardrops or even helix configurations.

Often consumers are looking to fill both needs at once – a peak-functioning exhaust fan and a gorgeous focal point for their living space. Use our store locator to find the perfect solution with both style and function at your nearest BrandSource store today!

Back to Top