More on Rushing the Design Process

Kelly Morisseau, over at her Kitchen Sync blog, has posted on the angst of consumers who wish they had taken more time or spent their money a little differently AFTER they have completed their kitchens.

Read Kelly's post Rushing the Design Process and then come back and read the rest of this.

Kelly advises her clients and readers that the process of planning a kitchen well and thoroughly takes about three months, and I agree. But there are some caveats that are unknown to the designer and the client when they are just beginning the process.

Kelly, and I, or any other experienced designer; can do the work and take our clients through the process of selection of products for a kitchen in three months, and produce a well thought out finished product. Sometimes we can even do it faster. But we never know up front how decisive the client is going to be.

I have had clients who, when presented with a choice of cabinet dealer, cabinetry manufacturer, door style, wood and finish; made their selection and moved on to the next decision in one day. Others may take weeks to decide the same question. The same goes for all the other myriad choices that are part and parcel of our work as kitchen designers.

My point is: To design a kitchen efficiently, we need choices efficiently. Hundreds of them; from the very big, to the minuscule. And we can't proceed, efficiently or otherwise, until we have them.

In fact, I make it a practice to not even ask for choices that come toward the end of the design process until they are needed. Because so many choices are predicated on other choices that must be made before. And I don't want to overwhelm my client with too many decisions at once.

So, to make a long story short, I tell my clients to give the process three to six months. Just in case they are among those who have a hard time making up their minds or (worse) change their minds when they see something they didn't know existed in a showroom or friend's home.

Better to give the process the time it needs than to feel pressured or rushed. The journey, from beginning your work with your designer to the day your new kitchen is finished and ready to use, will be a lot more enjoyable if you don't also have to deal with the "time factor".

Peggy

Quick Guide to HVAC Efficiency Ratings

When purchasing a furnace, heat pump or air conditioner, ALWAYS ask about its Efficiency Ratings. They will tell you will tell you how efficiently your heating and cooling equipment uses fuel (gas, oil or electricity). These ratings and standards are determined by the Environmental Protection Agency and other government and industry authorities, and all new heating and cooling sold today must meet certain efficiency rating minimums.

The most-frequently used efficiency ratings are:

• SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio): This ratio tells you the amount of cooling your system will deliver per dollar spent on electricity The SEER rating of any unit can range anywhere from 13 to 17. The higher the SEER the more efficient the system will be and the less it will cost in the long run to own and operate.
  
• HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Factor): Similar to SEER,it is a measurement of efficiency of the heating portion of a heat pump. HSPF ratings range from 6.8 to 10; high-efficiency units have efficiencies of 7.5 HSPF or above.
  
• AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratio): A measurement of the percent of heat produced by a furnace for every dollar of fuel consumed. The higher the AFUE rating, the lower the fuel costs. All furnaces manufactured today must meet at least 78%. Older furnaces (10 – 15 years or older) may fall below this minimum. Furnaces with AFUE ratings from 78% to 80% are considered mid-efficiency; ones with AFUE ratings above 90% are considered high-efficiency.
  
• MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value): Not a former talk show host. MERV is a filter rating system relating to the size of the holes in the filter that allow air to pass through. The higher the MERV rating, the smaller the holes and the higher the efficiency in capturing contaminants. MERV rating range from a low of 1 to a high of 16.
  
• ENERGY STAR: An Environmental Protection Agency designation attached to HVAC products that meet or exceed guidelines for high-efficiency performance above the standard government minimums.

If you have a furnace, air conditioner or heat pump that's 15 years or older, there's a good chance that it falls below the recommended ratings. If so, the chances are even higher that you're using too much energy and paying too much on your utility bills. You may want to consider upgrading to a more modern heating and cooling system that meets or exceeds today's recommended energy efficiency ratings and standards.



Look For The Label

When shopping for new HVAC equipment or any electrical appliance, look for the EnergyGuide label, which should come with the equipment's paperwork or be posted on the appliance at retail stores. The EnergyGuide will help you compare the energy use and efficiency of a particular model relative to other available models with the appropriate ratings listed above.

The federal government requires manufacturers to affix the label to the following products:

• Furnaces
• Boilers
• Central air conditioners
• Room air conditioners
• Heat pumps
• Water heaters
• Pool heaters
• Refrigerators and Freezers
• Dishwashers
• Clothes Washers and Dryers

ENERGY STAR-qualified models will have the ENERGY STAR mark on the label or somewhere on the appliance.

More About Efficiency Ratings...

• SEER, AFUE and HSPF Ratings Explained

Oats-Fiber Adai

Hey ya!!!! Long time No Blogging!!!! It was a Hectic Month, Busy Sight-cing, Cooking, showing off my Culinary Skills to In-laws. :)  My In-laws Left for india last week. So Back to Blogging. 

Oats Aadai, healthy, low-cal snack, u can have it as a breakfast or as an evening snack. You can Prepare the dough early and refrigerate it. Tastes good with Simple Tomato Sauce.

Ingredients

Oats - 1 cup

Fried Gram Dal - 1/4 cup

Peanuts - 1/4 cup

Raw Rice -1/2 cup

Red Chillies - 4 nos

Medium Sized Onion - 1, Finely Chopped

Green Chillie - 2 nos, finely Chopped

Ginger - 1 small piece, Shredded

Hing - a pinch

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Salt to taste

Method

Grind Oats, Fried Gram Dal, Peanuts, Rice and Red Chillies to Rava Consistency in a Mixie. In A  Big Bowl Mix Onions, Green Chillies, Cury leaves, Hing and the Grinded Ingredients, Add Enough Water and salt, make a Dough. The Dough shouldnt  be soft or too tight. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into small lemon-size balls.

Heat a Non-Stick Pan, take a ball, u can press it directly on the tava or else flatten it on a plastic paper and transfer it to the tava. Cook both the sides in a low flame.

Need some patience, as it takes some time to cook. :) Serve Hot with Tomato Ketchup.

Sending this post to MLLA-20 hosted by Rachel of The CRISPY COOK, Event Started Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.