Appliances!

It’s kind of crazy how many devices we need. But here goes. I’ve pretty much got all the electronics I’m going to own, but as for household appliances, I’ve got nothing. I’ll need a…

Toaster: Originally I wasn’t going to have one because I’d like to go gluten free, but I’ve given up on that for the moment because I just love toast. I’ll look for something small to go with the rest of the house.

Toaster oven: I use our toaster oven a lot and I don’t need a full size oven for one person. There are some great toaster ovens out there that you can bake full size pizzas in as well as batches of cookies.

Fridge/freezer: I don’t want to have an under-the-counter fridge. I want more space and a decent freezer. I’ve got my eye on this one: http://www.homedepot.ca/product/45-cubic-feet-2-door-mini-refrigerator/832063 but maybe I’ll look for something energy star rated. I still have to figure out electrical and all that.

Stove top: I don’t really want a drop-in stove top because that means I permanently lose that counter space. What I want is a double burner stove-top that I can move and store. I spent quite a few hours the other night researching options, and here’s what I’ve come up with: hot plates are slow to heat, and ironically, don’t get hot enough. Then there’s electric, which would be ideal, but I haven’t been able to find one that isn’t a drop-in version. I was reading about induction stove tops, which are very sleek looking and there’s a great little portable one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0045QEPYM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0045QEPYM&linkCode=as2&tag=tinhoulis-20. The thing with induction stove tops though is that they only work with magnetic cookware. That isn’t really a problem for me because I don’t have any cookware that I’d have to replace, but from my research, it’s difficult to find the right kind. Plus I like the cheap non-stick pans that we have now. Lastly, I’ve been considering a denatured alcohol stove, specifically this one: http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|2276204|2276209|2276214&id=60257, but it’s more like a camp stove and I don’t want to have to worry about running out of fuel while trying to make a quick meal before work.

Dishwasher: A lot of tiny housers opt to not have a dishwasher, but I think it will save water. And, if I load it as I use dishes, I’ll never have a counter full of dirty dishes. There are slim versions,  or there’s a counter top version that I’ve thought about, although that defeats the purpose of saving the counter from being full of dirty dishes. I’m planning on getting one that’s 18″ wide rather than the normal 24″. And I might not get one right away, depending on what money’s like at that point.

Washer/dryer: Laundry machines are another thing tiny houses usually don’t have, but I want my tiny house to have everything I need. I like to do laundry in the middle of the night and leave it in there for 12 hours, so a laundromat is not for me. There are 2-in-1 washer/dryers, so I could save a lot of space with one of those and still be able to do my laundry at home.

Have I mentioned that I love lists? A lot of my posts are just me getting all my thoughts down. Also, I’m interested to look back and see what changes.

Oh, and I’m not going to have a microwave. I much prefer to heat my food on the stove or in the toaster oven and have it take longer, rather than radiate it. And I find the stove and oven heat more evenly and don’t make food mushy.