The Stone-Cold Truth...

Marble and granite are both popular, but which is the best all-around and why? There are two issues here, hardness and durability. Harder than a knife, more powerful than a locomotive, able to…well, harder than a knife and able to resist chipping due to bumps, is one key element. Granite, which is composed of silicate minerals, silica and oxygen, is pretty tough stuff, while marble made of calcium carbonate is much softer than, say, a steel blade. Round one to granite.

The second determining factor is chemical resistance. As we said before, marble is made of calcium carbonate, the same stuff that limestone caves are made of, and will dissolve in water after a relatively short span of time. Granite on the other hand, composed of silicate minerals stands up to the test. The winner and champion, rocking the competition by a landslide, is granite! No pun intended of course.

Authored by Matthew Knee (Guest Author)

Poggen-who?

Nevermind. All you need to know is that these folks are in the business of creating kitchens. Not just any kitchens; these are a mish-mash of modern purism and classicism for the style-conscious individual who "knows what counts." If you like to cook, and you can't stand your white formica kitchen any longer, Poggenpohl's for you.

For more information, visit http://www.poggenpohl-usa.com. That's a rap...a nice sundried tomato wrap, with roasted turkey, sprouts, avocado and honey mustard. Time to get cooking.

This Just In: President Elects New World Cabinet...

Founded in Italy in the early 1980’s, Valcucine cabinets immediately distinguished themselves by refining the design and quality of their product and thereby revolutionizing the standard for residential kitchens. With over sixty styles available you’re sure to find something that is not only fine-looking but functional. Their trademark Lift-up Door wall cabinets are a great space saver as they can be attached to walls or hang freely over center islands. Or, for something more traditional, their “Ricicla” cabinet doors are made of all recycled materials and use only 1/10 of the resources needed in other types of doors.

Valcucine is dedicated to ensuring that their products don’t endanger the health of anyone, from those who make them to those who use them, they don’t’ use formaldehyde or synthetic varnishes. Valcucine is also a supporter of Bioforest, an association dedicated to biodiversity and the regeneration of natural environments.

One of the most notable purchases, perhaps of Valcucine kitchens, and a testament to their fine quality was by the Extell Development company for use in one of their flagship buildings, The Orion Condominium. Soaring sixty stories above Manhattan’s west side and appropriately nicknamed “Hell’s Kitchen,” is one of the finest examples of craftsmanship and design I have seen in a long long time, and oh yeah some of the nicest kitchens I have seen yet.

For more about Valcucine, visit http://www.valcucine.it.

Authored by Matthew Knee (Guest Author)

Renovating your kitchen?

Not without an RFID refrigerator. Well, at some point in the near future, at least.

This techno-monument to food preservation can purportedly send a shopping list to your cell phone or directly to the supermarket when it detects your milk, juice, eggnog, or assortment of critical condiments are reaching dangerously low levels. It is also designed to track each item's expiry date and display information about its nutritional value. Moreover, it can provide recipes for dishes that can be prepared with the ingredients in the fridge. Antennas will transmit signals to products with embedded RFID transponders and retrieve important information about the product. The only thing this uber-fridge can't do is cook for you - but I'll bet that's not too far off. Move over Sub-Zero.

More to come as the RFID fridge hits the market...