How to plan a sustainable kitchen

From using local produce to avoiding food waste, there are many ways to be more sustainable in the kitchen. Sustainable thinking can also be applied to kitchen design: whether you are looking to plan a completely new kitchen or are looking for ways to upgrade your old kitchen, we have some tips and ideas to make it more sustainable.

Materials

Could you upcycle your existing furniture to create a fresh new look? Sometimes the existing cabinetry can be reused and you could just replace the doors for a fresh new look. You can also integrate sustainable materials in your kitchen by using for example local renewable wood or recycled materials. In our Sustainable Kitchen you see here, we have reused existing steel cabinetry and added fronts made from a combination of birch plywood and an ash face veneer, two woods that originate in Europe, where this particular kitchen was photographed. The use of quality wood gives a well-loved and well-used kitchen much needed longevity.

Energy consumption

When planning a new kitchen and you are including new appliances, look out for energy ratings of the appliances in question. The good news is that appliances have been getting more and more efficient in recent years. In addition to energy ratings, it also pays off to look at the functions of your new appliances.

Integrated Dishwashers - Did you know?

54 billion bacteria cells

A study found just a suger-cube sized piece of kitchen sponge contains 54 billion bacteria cells.

Remove the need for a sponge on your countertop and let the dishwasher take over.

Hotter than the Sahara Desert

Selected dishwasher cycles use water as hot as 70 degrees that your hands can't tolerate. Such high temperatures make light of tough baked-on stains and helps to kill bacteria.

Save water, save money, save the planet

NEFF Dishwashers do not completely fill up with water. In fact, they are so efficient they can use as little as 6.5 litres for an entire cycle

Quicker than you think

Not all dishwasher programmes are between two and four hours long. NEFF appliances include a range of quicker programmes to fit in with your needs.

Quick 45 and 1 hr programmes, and VarioSpeed Plus option which can shorten a programme by up to 66%.

Clean and dry

Modern dishwashers are capable of drying as well as cleaning your dishes. Zeolith technology is a naturally occurring energy efficient method of adding warm air to the dishwasher to perfectly dry the load.

AquaStop

Did you know that a leaked BSH dishwasher damaged the valuable carpets of a Schweinfurter directors office and that this event was the reason for the development of AquaStop?

The AquaStop is a BSH invention!