Creating a commercial design in your kitchen involves much more than adding stainless steel appliances and a large convection oven.

There also are warming drawers to consider and ornate vent hoods and islands with sinks for rinsing vegetables and European cookers that use radiant heat. "I think everyone wants their kitchen to look like it's a gourmet, high-tech kitchen," said John Dalbis, owner of Showcase Kitchens and Design in Geneva, IL.

As home owners continue their search for the kitchen worthy of entertaining Emeril Lagasse, manufacturers are tapping into the market for commercial appliances and designs. The result is an abundance of choices for those who want to add a little commercial appeal to their kitchens.

The key to designing such a kitchen is to think about how you -- or a real cook -- would use the kitchen. Then add features to simplify those activities and enhance the cooking process. Adding the stainless steel is the easy part.

Why a Commercial Oven?

Commercial ovens have become popular because they allow cooks to prepare several components to a meal in the same appliance. In convection ovens or those heated with radiant heat, a turkey, a loaf of bread and a cake can be cooking at the same time, for example. Each is placed in a different section that cooks at a different temperature.

Not only is this convenient for one cook, but it makes life easier when several people are working in one kitchen or when preparing food for parties.

What About the Fridge?

When selecting a refrigerator, think about a built in unit that is flush with the adjacent cabinets and countertop. In many instances, the door is made of stainless steel or a style of wood that matches the cabinetry.

Or, consider several refrigeration components that are located throughout the kitchen. This approach makes cooking more efficient. A cooling drawer in an island, for example, can be used to store shrimp for entertaining or sandwiches for children's meals. A wine cooler could be added in an island or a butler's pantry along one side of the kitchen.

The Convenience of an Island

If you are adding an island, it should be close to major appliances and have enough room around it for easy access. Key features to add:

·         a prep sink

·         a cook top

·         small appliances, such as refrigerator drawers, warming drawers or wine coolers

"If you're chopping vegetables in the island and have the refrigerator drawer with all the vegetables in it, you just reach down and pick out the vegetables and you don't have to walk around the island to the refrigerator," Dalbis said.

A sink in the island also will allow a cook to rinse vegetables, fill pots with water, and wash hands without leaving the island. A separate pot filler spout could be added on the wall behind the oven for filling large pans with water and putting them directly on the cook top.

Storage Options

Renovators also are storing pots, pans, and utensils in exposed cabinets with drawers that can be pulled outward. This mimics the storage found in a restaurant and saves time during meal preparation. While pot racks have been popular for awhile, a more recent trend is open storage. In a true commercial kitchen you don't cover up your utensils and tools.

The Cost

All this commercial style can be costly, however. Renovators often spend five times as much on commercial appliances than the more traditional appliance packages. You can create a kitchen with nice appliances for $4,000 or add commercial appliances for $20,000 to $25,000 and more. Let your budget be your guide!