The Pros and Cons of Integrated Kitchen Appliances

Integrated kitchen appliances are the ultimate solution for anyone that wants their kitchen to be the embodiment of sleek simplicity. By combining appliances together for maximum space efficiency integrated appliances maximize your kitchen's functionality. They can also give it a cool look by accentuating minimalist design features and reducing clutter.

Integrated kitchen devices work with all styles and so can be easily made to fit any aesthetic tastes. But you may wonder if you even need to go for integrated devices, and if so, which devices can be fully integrated? If these questions have left you stumped, wonder no more as we delve into a number of insightful pros, cons, and info on integrated appliances for the kitchen. 

Why Go Integrated? 

Integrated appliances add style and functionality.

Integrated kitchen appliances are designed to sit flush against the walls and fixtures of your kitchen, thereby giving a clean look composed of straight lines and crisp edges. Integrated kitchen appliances can therefore increase your kitchen’s versatility as well as make it more stylish.

To top it off, integrated appliances for the kitchen help you save space because they only take up as much room as the appliance requires and therefore do not waste space. This high space efficiency gives you more room for storage and that’s especially good for kitchens with less square footage. 

Which Integrated Appliances Should You Choose?

There is a wide range of integrated appliances available.

Fridge/Freezer Combo

Integrated fridge freezers are the most common examples of integrated kitchen appliances. This simple innovation vastly increases the practicality of the appliance and makes the whole setup much cleaner and simpler. Setting the fridge and freezer combo flush with kitchen cabinets creates a sleek and beautiful kitchen design. 

Built-in Double Ovens

Built-in gas ovens can also be set into cabinetry and can even be installed at a custom height so that they are usable without the need for bending over or standing on your tiptoes. This not only makes the layout more streamlined but can also be handy if you want a more accessible kitchen layout. 

Cooktop

Both electric and gas ranges can be designed to be inset into the worktop, preventing the stovetop from protruding awkwardly. As with built-in double ovens, setting the cooktop at a custom height can also help make your kitchen more accessible. 

Integrated Dishwasher 

Integrated dishwashers are sleeker because they are built into the cabinet design. This allows the integrated dishwasher to be hidden away until it is needed. Without this design, the white plastic body of dishwashers can protrude in a way that clashes with the kitchen’s styling.  

Cool Extras 

There are plenty of smaller home gadgets that you can add for increased practicality and functionality. A coffee machine, for example, can be integrated into your kitchen design so you don’t always struggle to find a proper place for it. Likewise, cutting boards and other unusually shaped kitchen implements are much easier to install in an integrated form.  

Pros

Eye-level-mounted appliances are much easier to use.

There are two main pros to getting integrated appliances for your kitchen. These have to do with the amount of space you’ll be saving in addition to the uniformity you can achieve.

Space Saving 

In any kitchen, space is usually at a premium. That’s no surprise when you consider how much stuff you need to keep there. From pots and pans to foodstuffs and spices, there’s no shortage of kitchen essentials that need a place to be stored.  You can maximize space efficiency by having integrated kitchen appliances, allowing you to make full use of whatever storage space your kitchen has. 

Beautiful Uniformity 

There’s also something to be said about the neat look that comes with an integrated kitchen. Clean, smooth lines and minimal clutter exude a sense of sophistication that can only come with simplicity and minimalism. 

Cons

Integrated appliances are harder to maintain.

Of course, that isn’t to say that there aren’t some cons to integrated kitchen appliances. As with any other design philosophy, this one has a couple of setbacks to keep in mind. 

Hard to Maintain

The major downside of having your devices built into the kitchen layout is that it's harder to maintain them. This is due to the fact that the appliances are by necessity built into the layout, meaning that repairs require more time and labor to complete. Of course, choosing quality reliable appliances means you can avoid this disadvantage. 

You Can’t Take Them With You 

If you move homes, tearing out all of your devices can be a very expensive and time-consuming affair. Once that’s done, you’ll also have to spend more money and time reintegrating your appliances into a different kitchen. This can be quite difficult and may not be feasible in most cases. 

Integration vs. Freestanding? 

Freestanding appliances are often more affordable than integrated ones.

Having taken stock of these pros and cons, you may be asking yourself if you should go with integrated appliances for kitchens or choose freestanding appliances instead. At the end of the day, this will depend a lot on how your kitchen is designed. Smaller kitchens stand to benefit the most from integrated designs since they are most in need of the space-saving hacks that this design philosophy can provide.

Smaller kitchens will also benefit a lot more from the clutter reduction that integrated design allows, making your small kitchen “feel” bigger. If you are a fan of the chic minimalist look, an integrated design will help you to realize that in your kitchen, regardless of size.

Old-style kitchens tend to be full of dials, buttons, protruding doors, handles, and other design elements that add to the clutter and impracticality. For this reason, a kitchen remodeling project that focuses on integrated appliances can vastly improve the whole look.

Of course, freestanding kitchen appliances are in general much more affordable because they require less labor to install and the devices themselves cost less. To gain the maximum practicality, value, and design aesthetic, you may want to consider using a combination of integrated and freestanding kitchen appliances.     

Best of Both Worlds 

A combination of freestanding and integrated appliances makes the best of both worlds.

Because freestanding appliances are easier to move around, resetting them as part of changes in your kitchen layout is much easier than with integrated kitchen appliances. You won’t get as sleek a finish, but you will gain extra versatility come time for a remodel or whatnot. Servicing is another clear advantage freestanding devices have over integrated ones. A freestanding refrigerator, for example, will be much easier to repair than one that has been built into your layout.

For these reasons, a combined design setup just might be the best solution for your kitchen needs. By keeping certain devices freestanding and upgrading others to be integrated, you can still enjoy some of the space-saving benefits of integrated appliances. At the same time, any kitchen appliances that you do not want to be fixed in place will be easy to move around as you require — and will be easy to repair as well in the case of a malfunction. 

For instance, you may not want to integrate your microwave combination oven or regular oven, and can instead get a freestanding version. This way, if you decide that you want to rearrange your kitchen, you will still be able to easily move these devices without having to do some carpentry to get them out first. By contrast, any device that you are fairly confident will never need to be moved — such as a coffee machine — can be integrated into the design in the most easy-to-reach place.