General Appliances Features Guide

The following features are all features you can expect to see when looking around at any kitchen appliance. For more machine specific terms then please see the following pages:

• Laundry Appliances
• Cooking Appliances
• Extractor Hoods
• Refrigeration Appliances

General Terms

Freestanding

Simply put there are 3 types of appliances, freestanding, integrated and semi-integrated. Freestanding machines are appliances that come complete and just need to be stood in place in your kitchen then once plugged in are ready to go. They don't require any additional fascia or doors attached to them before they are ready for action.

Integrated / Built-In

Integrated and built-in mean the same thing. It is how you describe an appliance that needs to be built in to a kitchen unit in order for it to work and look correct aesthetically. These machines will normally come without a finished front to them and you will need to attach a door from your kitchen unit to the front of the machine and then install it in place. These are growing in popularity as they provide a completed and consistent look to your kitchen, hiding appliances behind the same furniture doors.

Semi-Integrated

The most common type of semi-integrated appliance is a dishwashers. They are machines which are built in to the kitchen unit's similar to a fully integrated appliance but at the same time will have the fascia of the appliance showing.

Energy Consumption

The energy consumption will show you how much energy the specific appliance consumes on average. This will either be marked as a per cycle, per year number or on a per hour basis depending on which appliance you're looking at.

Noise Levels

This is the maximum noise level of the appliance makes and is measured in decibels (dB).

Child Safety Lock

This is a feature that can be found on a variety of machines. On a washing machine it would be in reference to the door which will be locked when in use so that a child can't accidentally open the door. Alternatively when featured on a hob it would be referring to locking the controls so that they can't be accidentally turned on which could cause harm to the child.