Steam Grill Microwave Oven by Panasonic

My old combination microwave, grill and convection oven by Panasonic  malfunctioned a week ago. To cut a long story short, I needed a new oven....

Panasonic has just launched its Cooking Magic roadshow this month at various venues within the Klang Valley. I happened to be at Ikano Power Center one day and Harvey Norman was having the roadshow showcasing Panasonic products (the roadshow ends 31st October 2010). There are many more roadshows and cooking demos scheduled for the rest of the year at different locations e.g. Carrefour & Jaya Jusco.

I decided to buy this particular model at RM899.00 (RRP: RM1399.00). I added RM159.00 for extended warranty of 5 years. It's the basic model with steam, grill and microwave cooking functions. No convection cooking function in this model but it's OK cos I already bought a built-in convection and grill oven. 

Since it's a roadshow, I received an ecobag, a Thermos jug and some notepads as free gifts. I can also attend a complimentary cooking class by The Cooking House just by showing my oven's warranty card. I've since called them up to register for a class "All About Pies". The class is worth RM120 and the duration is 4 hours.

INVERTER STEAM MICROWAVE OVEN NN-GS597M

• 1000W Microwave Power
• 1600W Heater Power
• 25L Oven Capacity
• Infrared Ray Sensor
• Stainless Steel Oven Cavity

• 4-Way Speedy Cooking
  1) Microwave Cooking
  2) Powerful Grilling
  3) Combination Cooking of Microwave/Grill
  4) Combination Cooking of Steam/Microwave/Grill
• Inverter Power Delivery System
• Auto Cooking Menu: 9 Categories
• Sensor Reheat (Infrared Ray Sensor)
• Desired Cooking Control
• Child Safety Lock
• Stainless Steel Oven Cavity
• Aluminium Face
• Accessories: Wire Rack, Glass Tray

Second Inspection

The defects rectification period took approximately 30 working days. Made an appointment today for the 2nd joint inspection of the condo unit. Everything was in working order! The entire inspection took less than 15 minutes. So now, we can submit our renovation plans and get things done soon! Gotta go bug my ID to hurry up with the drawings and such.

Granite in the Kitchen

Decided to install granite for my kitchen countertop only at the hob area. Absolute black granite at RM210 per foot run. So with that, decided to do away with the black high gloss doors. I will still have Corian solid surface for the rest of the other countertops.

Properties of granite :

1) Able to withstand heat

2) Very strong and durable

3) Highly scratch-resistant

4) Fairly stain-resistant

My Ikea Shopping List

Some of the items on my Ikea shopping list:

1) Brimnes Queen Bedframe with storage drawers in white : RM999.00

2) Bitig wall clock with noticeboard for the children's bedroom : RM69.00

3) Jall Ironing Board : RM19.90

4) Melodi pendant lamps (2 units) for the kitchen peninsula : RM26.90 each. 

5) Imfors coffee table : RM549.00

6) Kolja Mirror for one of the bathrooms : RM69.00

7) Rationell Pull-out Waste Sorting Tray :RM85.00

8) Antonius Laundry Bag with Frame and castors: RM55.90

GlassKote for Kitchen Backsplash

I've decided to order GlassKote for my kitchen backsplah. GlassKote is from Australia and has been in the Malaysian market since 2003. Glass is durable and easy to clean. There's no grout which is great! Everything in one piece. Glass is also non-porous hence it does not stain and is also hygienic. It works great in wet areas especially in the bathroom and as a kitchen backsplash. GlassKote has over 2000 colours and finishes to choose from. 

I recently met up with one of their sales executive and was given the colour samples above. Price is RM50 per square foot for solid colours. Colours with a * costs RM53 per square foot, ** is RM55 per square foot and *** costs RM57 per square foot. Pure white colour marked with a # costs RM100 per square foot. RM75 is charged to cut the glass to fit plug points. RM5 is chargeable per foot run to bevel the edges. I kinda like the white or silver color....

My Kitchen - finalised

Finally..... I've just confirmed my kitchen lay-out plan and design by Kuchenmatic. The kitchen is not divided into wet or dry. It's just THE kitchen and I plan to install some low height kitchen cabinets at the Yard so that I can use the free-standing wok base induction cooker and  'process' (iron/fold) the laundry there. It's just 7ft in length.

Finalised lay-out shown above with drawn by me! Getting aluminium handles as advised so that it won't tarnish. Price for all handles came just a little short of RM600! The pantry is first on the left and it's is just one tall unit but the drawing shows there's 2 units.... it's just a door front. Inside, there are shelves and also 3 Blum tandembox pull out drawers which costs RM350 each. RM180 for the door mechanism that lifts up to reveal the microwave combination oven. The roller shutter to house appliances costs RM1250. The pull-out spice rack costs RM195. Inside the black hi-gloss doors cabinet is the stainless steel wire pull-out baskets for pots and pans... total price for 2 baskets = RM490. There's another pull-out accessory in the right-most cabinet which costs RM320.

I initially opted for aluminium frosted glass doors for the wall cabinets but changed my mind. Decided to cut cost by opting for just normal doors. Aluminium foils placed at the base of the cabinets under the sinks cost RM65 each. The foils prevent water damage to the cabinets. I have a double bowl sink with rubbish bin and another smaller round sink. The taps are from Orion - complimentary from the developer.

All cabinets come standard with Blum door hinges. For Blum's Clip soft close mechanism, it costs RM20 per door. As for the drawers, I chose Grass soft close mechanism which is cheaper than Blum's. Only RM450 per set of 3 drawers. I have 3 sets of drawers for the entire kitchen. As for the cabinet doors, they are mainly thermofoil matte white with a rounded profile except for 2 which are hi-gloss black. Total price for cabinetry alone is almost RM10K. The Corian solid surface countertop costs the most - at RM220 per foot run. I will be ordering glass backsplash from Glasskote - approximate cost RM2500. 

There are also additional charges for installation of the undermount sinks - RM250 each. Oven installation costs RM40 and the hobs, RM50. My initial budget for the kitchen was RM40K but I am revising it to RM50K. This is for the cabinetry for the kitchen, accessories and electrical appliances.

Tankless Water Heaters by Stiebel Eltron

A tankless water heater heats water directly without the use of a storage tank. So, they do not need extra energy to 'standby' hot water in the tank or to boil water in the tank.

There are 2 types of tankless water heater : one which is powered by electricity and the other, gas. When cold water travels through the pipe into the unit, the electric elements or a gas burner heats the water.

Tankless water heaters are more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They also have a life expectancy of more than 20 years. In contrast, storage water heaters last 10 – 15 years.

I purchased 2 tankless water heaters by Stiebel Eltron at Ga Hing Trading, Off Old Klang Road. The larger one costs RM900 and the medium size one costs RM800. The water heaters will be used to heat up water in the bathrooms.

Mitsubishi Folio Multi-door Fridge

Mitsubishi Electric has a wide range of multi-door fridges. Folio is their premium range which is fully made in Japan. One of the latest models is the Z series - pic above - in crystal white. RRP is RM8299. Most stores are selling it between RM7299-RM7999. I am planning to get this particular model for my kitchen. I was keen on Sharp's double french doors fridges but this latest model by Mitsubishi has bowled me over!

Firstly, it's white and it has such a sleek modern design - perfect for my all-white kitchen and overall white home decor. It has the inverter-driven technology and is rated 3 stars for energy efficiency. It's also very quiet at 14 decibels. I like the way the compartments are arranged. Freezer at the bottom plus a separate ice drawer. Nett volume is 645 liters. 

There are 4 LED lights : 

1) LED i-see sensor - freezes food in their ideal condition sealing in the flavours

2) LED Sunlight - to increase the vitamin content of vege and fruits

3) UV LED Light anti-bac & active vio deodorizer

4) UV LED ice maker - creates ice crystals which lasts longer than the conventional ice cubes. Select between crystals or conventional.

There's also an eco mode which is energy saving when going outstation for holiday. The electronic control panel is hidden inside the fridge. Other similar multi-door fridges are available by Hitachi and Panasonic.

Ceiling Fans at Homedec 2010

When I first set my eyes on this fan the first thought that came into my mind was "It's my dream fan!" It's called the Haiku Kotuku ceiling fan - newly launched in Malaysia and making its debut at Homedec 2010. Priced at RM1250 each, it's pretty steep.... but it's design and outstanding features make it a good buy. I paid up RM200 deposit to book 2 units of the fan. Current special promotion price at Homedec is RM995 each. The Kotuku fan is only 6kg in weight with an award-winning design. Only 3 fan blades at 60" in length. Only available color is white. Comes with timer and sleep mode. 7 different fan speeds, the lowest speed only uses 4W of energy while the highest, 30W. This is very energy-efficient compared to other fans. I intend to place both my Haiku fans in the living and dining area. Delivery and installation are inclusive.

For my master bedroom, I've purchased a ceiling fan from Alpha, at a special promotion price of RM224. Only 3 blades and length is 56".  No timer/lights on fan. Quite a basic model.

For both the other bedrooms, I purchased 2 smaller fans for RM297 each. More expensive as there are more blades but they are shorter, 40" in length. It's sufficient as the bedrooms are only medium size. No timer for this model. All fans in white - to match my minimalist home decor. Installation and delivery inclusive, plus received 3 free golf umbrellas and a notebook. Took part in the Homedec contest again and hoping to win something!