Kitchen & Bath: The Trouble With Appliances

Twenty years ago, when we began our kitchen cabinetmaking business, there were just a few simple design rules for appliances: Provide openings of 33 inches for a refrigerator, 30 inches for a freestanding kitchen range, and 24 inches for a dishwasher. Those days are gone. In recent years, the trend is toward sophisticated built-in appliances that have more demanding installation tolerances than the freestanding equipment of the past. As sophistication increases, so do problems. It seems like every time we open a new appliance crate, the manufacturer has thrown us a curve. As an example, our installer once had to fit a slide-in range with a minimum height requirement of 357/8 inches into a countertop that was 353/4 inches high. To