Matt Lihou from DCS / Fisher & Paykel explains the features of the Dynamic Cooking Systems ovens and cooktop. Lihou starts with the warming drawer underneath that doubles as a fruit and meat preserver. The traditional oven above is extremely deep and features heavy-duty racks in addition to an infrared broiling system for quick searing to retain meat juices. Above the traditional oven is a convection and microwave combination for cooking and crisiping in one. The island cooktop arrives on site with five gas burners for chef-quality cooking in a residential kitchen. The stainless-steel cooktop features a dual-flow system with two flame rings for precision cooking whether for high-temperature searing or low-heat sauces and melting. The highest heat is delivered through the center burner, while the outer burners feature low simmer capability. These cooktops are priced to fit a gourmet budget at around $3,800, which is below the cost of commercial gas cooktops for residential use.

The kitchen is set for company, but the counters are clean and uncluttered. Appliances in white complement the adjacent living space in this open-plan apartment. The Whirlpool double-door refridgerator in white, with lots of storage and features, blends with the oven and cooktop, also from Whirlpool, and the Energy Star dishwasher with high-end features like wine-glass racks and special wash cycles. Bob challenged the crew to outfit the kitchen completely by shopping online from Sears.com. Juicers, pots, pans, blender, combination microwave-convection oven, coffee grinder and brewer, were all selected, delivered, and tucked away in this getaway kitchen designed for easy entertaining.

David Masher and Jeanne Sanviti-Masher meet with Bob for a tour of the interior of their Rowley, Massachusetts, Victorian home. They show Bob interior space that was opened to make the living space larger. The marks on the ceiling show where the partition wall once stood by the staircase. Bob remarks that old homes always tell their story. The Mashers then show Bob the enclosed porch that once housed a beauty salon. Bob notices the older two-over-one windows that were original to the home and moved to the porch when it was constructed. David Masher points out that they will install custom two-over-ones to restore the original look of the home. French doors will lead from this space to the side yard when the project is complete. The Mashers then show Bob the existing dining room that will become part of the new, expanded kitchen space. The window will be replaced by French doors leading to the deck, and the radiators will move upstairs to provide heat for unheated bedrooms. The existing mudroom will bump out five feet, provide a new entrance, a closet, and a door into the adjacent full bath. Bob and the Mashers review the cabinets that will be replaced with additional storage. They discuss the location of appliances, the traffic pattern, new counters, cooktop, and island that will be added.

Bob tours the completed kitchen at his Cambridge home. The Sub Zero refrigerators have been customized in one area using the same bead board design as the kitchen walls and in the breakfast area refrigerator drawers to match the wood cabinets. Two Jenn-Aire digital convection ovens and a cook top from Brown Stove Works allow for a truly impressive cooking operation. Most of the kitchen is commercial grade with stainless steel. The exhaust vent stove backsplash and the countertops flanking the stove were made by a restaurant supply, stainless steel fabricator in the Boston Area. The counters were fabricated on site from soapstone quarried in Brazil. Soap Stone if cut upon can dull a blade so hard rock Maple butcher blocks from Eastern Butcher Block are laid on top for food preparation.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. In the world of cooking appliances, the least expensive purchase can be the most expensive to run. Standard electric ranges, while they cost less to buy and install, are slower to heat up and much less energy-efficient. Electric is only half as efficient as gas. But induction cooking is 85 percent energy-efficient, which is why it s been so popular in Europe and Asia for years. Induction election cooktops are powered by electricity, but instead of radiating heat to the pan, the burner works like an electrical transformer. Coils generate an A/C current which, when it s met with a pot or pan containing iron, heats it by magnetic friction. The pan essentially becomes its own heat source, but nothing around it heats up. You can actually put your hand on the ceramic glass cooking surface after lifting the pot without burning yourself. And since nothing will cook onto the surface, it s a breeze to clean. Because it s not really hot to the touch, an induction cooktop is safer around kids and can be controlled more rapidly and precisely. You do need to have iron or steel cookware. Aluminum, Pyrex and all-copper cookware won t work, but Grandma s old cast-iron frying pan, for instance, is perfect. Basically, if a magnet sticks to it, it ll work for induction cooking. And if it s the heating power of a restaurant-style gas stove you crave, look no further. A 2,000-watt induction range delivers as much heat as a 15,000 BTU deluxe gas range. Since induction cooktops are available up to 3,700 watts, you re covered. Induction cooking is expensive upfront. Four-burner cooktops can cost $3,000 to $4,000 and your home needs to have 220V electrical service, which could mean an upgrade. But imagine using half the energy for the same if not more cooking power. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. It s important to make your home energy-efficient by sealing all gaps and insulating thoroughly. But don t overlook ventilation. Vent fans in the kitchen and bathrooms are required by code in most states, and they re a good idea everywhere. They help protect indoor air quality and get rid of excess moisture from cooking and bathing that can lead to mold problems and structural damage. In the kitchen, range hoods now come in all shapes and sizes to go with your cooking surface and d cor. They can be ducted through a ceiling or exterior wall. This often requires tearing out plaster or drywall and it s best done during a remodel. If you don t want a large hood, consider a cooktop with a downdraft vent ducted through the floor. Either way, ventilation fans should always be ducted to the outside, never into an attic or crawlspace. Bathroom ventilation fans have come a long way, too. Energy Star-certified models with built-in ceiling lights can do double-duty and save you money, especially since these are so often accidentally left on. And they re much quieter, too. Some installers recommend the roof-mount type of fan. The fan and motor are installed on the roof and ducted to the interior space. In some homes, this can make installation and service easier since the unit s out in the open instead of built into the ceiling. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Bob talks with Jim Azerome who installs a granite countertop and Mike Burk who installs the kitchen cabinets and drawers.

The Silestone island countertop arrives in the newly updated Rowley kitchen. The cooktop cutout was done on site, since it is not a polished edge. E-counters.com specializes in custom fitting countertops through their Internet service that matches customers to their dream counters fhrough local fabricators.

Bob tours the restoration on the governor's mansion in VA and visits the "first kitchen" where Todd Graves with GE appliances shows Bob the Halogen oven.

Brece Rupolt of Northern Marble & Granite meets with Bob to discuss the countertop template that needs to be made before cutting. Brece makes his template from a sheet of polystyrene plastic, which is flexible and can be rolled up for easy transport. He then stiffens empty spaces with steel yard sticks to continue the straight surface and measure the countertop. First he locates the sink opening and faucet holes. Walls are rarely square, so next he cuts to fit the walls. He takes the ruler and measures the difference from one end to the other and makes a cut to fit the wall. At the other end her marks on the bottom where the finished end will be and adds a radius at the corner to soften it up. Next Brece makes an opening for the under-counter double Kohler sink using a paper template. He cuts out the template on the cutting line with a utility knife and transfers the outline of the paper template to the plastic. Using his knife and a straight edge, he cuts out the opening for the sink. This is the traditional method of making a template. Next Bob meets with Paul Hansen of E-Template to discuss how a template can be made electronically. Paul places markers on each straight section of the tops of the cabinets to outline where the countertop will go. He also places other markers to identify special sink cutouts. Many times a sink or stovetop manufacturer will provide an electronic template to add to your custom e-template. Paul also uses a scale of a known length to help define the precision of the countertop. Then he takes two or more digital photographs from different angles. The photographs are downloaded into a computer aided design program to create a template and then cut by machine.