SENSIBLE STYLE – TIPS INSPIRED BY WRITING MY FIRST BOOK

My first book, New Kitchen Ideas That Work, (Taunton Press, 2012) is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com and will hit store shelves the first week of December. (You know all of those kitchen books at the front of your neighborhood Home Depot and Lowe’s store? Mine will be among them!) 

New Kitchen Ideas That Work - Look for it at a Home Depot or Lowe's near you
(Photo:  Taunton Press)

Here are some Sensible Style tips that you can find handsomely illustrated and explained in this full-sized, full-color volume. 

Layout enhancements 

It’s much more affordable to improve an existing layout than it is to change it entirely. Moving vents, electrical and plumbing often require permits, demolition and skilled trades persons. You can increase your storage potential, improve your appliance performance and update your style, all while keeping everything in its current place.     

• Increase your storage potential with cabinet accessories and backsplash organizers.
• Update your style with new hardware, refacing, paint and lights, all while keeping everything in its current place. 

A backsplash organizer adds storage without remodeling
(Photo: IKEA)

Fixture enhancements 

Do you have a builder grade kitchen sink and faucet? These are fairly easy to upgrade, unless your sink is under-mounted in stone tops. As so many older homes still have laminate counters, there’s a good chance you have those, too, and can easily upgrade your fixtures. 

• Improve your prep and clean-up efficiency with a modular, accessory-equipped sink. 
• Add convenience and reduce germ spread with a hands-free, sensor faucet. Multiple spray functions improve its usability, too. 

Enhance your clean-up zone with a hands-free faucet
(Photo: Moen)

Appliance enhancements 

Everyone wants performance appliances, but you probably don’t have the space for a 48 inch pro range. The good news is, you don’t need one to get better cooking capability. 

• Add another oven to your kitchen with a microwave that does more than reheat and defrost; it brings convection, warming and speed cook features to your home.
• Replace an inefficient radiant cooktop with an induction model. It will give you professional class performance with amazingly easy clean up and improved safety. 

Improve cooking performance with an induction cooktop
(Photo:  Bosch)

More enhancements 

New Kitchen Ideas That Work covers the entire kitchen, from ceiling light fixtures to flooring options. Here are some additional Sensible Style tips to consider for your home.

• Replace outdated incandescent track lights with LED-equipped versions for better style and energy savings. 
• Replace a worn, stained rug with an outdoor-rated version that will freshen the kitchen’s style and be a breeze to clean. 

Add style and low maintenance with an outdoor-friendly rug
(Photo:  Ballard Designs)

I'm proud to share that my first book has 224 pages of Sensible Style-inspired tips, 370 photos and 14 case studies of real kitchen projects around the country to educate and inspire you.

Four Favorite Cooking Myths Debunked - Chef Kyle of BSH Experience

I've had three wonderful opportunities to visit the gorgeous new BSH Experience in the last few months.  BSH is the parent company of Bosch, an appliance brand I watch, specify and blog about frequently.  The BSH Experience is an incomparable state-of-the-art showroom, teaching facility, living kitchen(s) and dining center in Irvine, Cal.  The space is gorgeous.  The appliances are gorgeous.  Even the chef is gorgeous!  

Jamie and Chef Kyle at BSH Experience Center

Chef Kyle is also greatly talented. So I couldn't resist asking this young talent to share his four favorite cooking myths for Gold Notes' Fourth Anniversary/Kitchen Week celebration.  In his own words then...


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As the executive chef of the new BSH Experience and Design Center, I spend my days inviting all kinds of people into the kitchen to prepare meals using Bosch appliances. As visitors step behind the counter to test out our complete line of German-engineered, beautifully-designed appliances, I’m often asked questions about how to get the most out of their kitchen.  To me, cooking is a lot like any art form—all of them offer unlimited creativity, but there are a few tips and tricks of the trade that can take your piece of art from ordinary to a masterpiece. 


I recently met Jamie at the Bosch Blogger event and couldn’t wait to read her blog. I really like her approach to design and as soon as I heard about her blog anniversary, I jumped at the chance to contribute to the celebration. An anniversary marks another year of experience and knowledge. As such, here are a few kitchen myths to keep in mind the next time you gear up to prepare a delicious meal. 

Myth: It’s OK to cheat (on preheat) 


Whether it’s working late at the office, running errands or rushing to get the kids to practice, there simply isn’t enough time in the day and many of us are always looking for the next time-saving trick. One area where many people cut corners in the kitchen is by skipping the preheat stage. But if you cheat on the preheat, you will sacrifice the quality, taste and texture of your food. This is especially true of baked items, which can suffer from uneven browning or consistency, sticking and insufficient rising when prepared in an oven that has not been properly preheated. When you step into the kitchen, start preheating your oven before you reach for your favorite cookbook or on-hand ingredients for a tried and true recipe and your oven will be your secret weapon to delivering an awe-inspiring meal. 

Even great equipment won't save your meals if you skip steps!

Myth: Salt makes water boil faster


Your mom might have told you to add salt to make your water boil faster, but this is more of a flavor enhancer than it is a time-saving solution. Salt actually raises the boiling temperature of water, which makes it take longer to boil. If time is an issue, consider switching from gas or electric cooking to induction. Induction cooks 50 percent faster than gas, resulting in a quicker boiling time. 

Salt won't make water boil faster but an induction cooktop will!

Myth:  Preparing a three-course dinner requires a black belt in cooking


The last thing a busy at-home chef wants to worry about is an elaborate cooking schedule to ensure their dinner is served piping hot. Think cooking orange-glazed salmon, roasted asparagus and chocolate chip cookies all at the same time sounds fishy? Think again. Genuine European convection in your wall oven allows for multiple dishes to be prepared at once without flavor or aroma transfer. So go ahead... Bake your savory main course and side dishes right next to your sweet after dinner delight and trick your family and guests into thinking that you spent the entire day in the kitchen. We won’t tell your secret. 

Time-saving true European convection is your friend!  

Myth: Guys stink (in the kitchen)… I simply need to vent! 


The kitchen is one of the most active rooms in your home—one that is filled with the delicious, mouth-watering smells of what’s cooking. But along with the good smells, comes the bad—smoke, steam and grease splatter, to name a few—and there is no way to drive the ladies away than with a foul stench that has settled into the air of your home. Ventilation is an essential, but often under-appreciated and misunderstood element of the well-designed kitchen. The fans in your ventilation system remove moisture, odor, grease, mold and unhealthy air to help keep your kitchen clean. Be sure to switch on the ventilation hood a few minutes prior to cooking so that the air can begin circulating. This will help remove odors once cooking starts and let the aromas of your finished product get all the glory when it’s time to eat.

Using an efficient vent hood will keep your kitchen fresh

I hope that these tips will help you feel at ease in the kitchen, but for even more great cooking tips, check out the new Bosch blog, Amy’s Kitchen Table. With a passion for putting a fresh twist on classic recipes, Amy’s Kitchen Table provides tips for preparing easy recipes that home cooks can proudly serve to their families and guests.


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Kyle Jakobi is the Executive Chef at the BSH Training Center in Irvine, CA. Born in southwest Germany and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Chef Kyle, as we visitors called him, is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Before coming to California, he worked at the Fairmont Resort in Scottsdale. 

PHOTOS:  Courtesy of Bosch Appliances