Rating: 
Summary: This Book is a Gem!
Review: "The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design With Cooking in Mind" has been extremely helpful. My husband and I are both cooks and love to entertain. We are updating our smaller kitchen and need to make it work for both of us to cook together. This book is key for functionality. It has been our bible during this tedious process.The photographs and illustrations have been extremely helpful in planning our layout...plus everything from start to finish was covered. My husband and I debated over cabinetry, appliances, and finishes. The book has guided us to agree upon our decisions. This book is a gem!
Rating:
Summary: This Book is a Gem!
Review: "The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design With Cooking in Mind" has been extremely helpful. My husband and I are both cooks and love to entertain. We are updating our smaller kitchen and need to make it work for both of us to cook together. This book is key for functionality. It has been our bible during this tedious process. The photographs and illustrations have been extremely helpful in planning our layout...plus everything from start to finish was covered. My husband and I debated over cabinetry, appliances, and finishes. The book has guided us to agree upon our decisions. This book is a gem!
Rating: 
Summary: Self promotional book that reads like a infomercial
Review: Better information is available in current magazines on kitchen design. Most of the book is devoted to promoting his services; promotional brochures should be free. He suggests you make detailed lists of where to locate everything in the kitchen, and then suggests not having a built-in processor/ blender because it isn't moveable. Doesn't stand to reason that if all ingredients are at your finger tips you wouldn't have to move your blender? Found much of the information common knowledge for 2004 (2 sinks and dishwashers) and too general to be helpful for specific design. I returned the book!
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Summary: Designing a Large Kitchen
Review: Do not design, or let anyone else design, a large kitchen (over 180 sq ft) without reading this book. Don Silver has got it right. The rules change as the kitchen grows, and everything functions differently. Don's experience in commercial design is very transferable to the large home kitchen. We used his principles to design a 224 sq ft kitchen, incorporating preparation and cleanup areas with proper entrance and egress to and from the dining room. The results are spectacular. Yes, guests still congregate in the kitchen, but this becomes one of the design parameters.
Rating:
Summary: Kitchen Design With Cooking In Mind
Review: Don Silver's book is an excellent guide for both new kitchen and remodel kitchen designs. Every chapter is informative, for example, storage - a very important factor in a "clean" kitchen. Good cooks have a collection of pots, dishes, tools, etc. Mr. Silvers shows you where to put it all so that it's convenient to use but not in the way. The fact that the author was a professional chef is another plus. Cooking is the key factor and this book explains how cooking for one or a crowd can be done efficently in beautiful surroundings. With the help of this book, I now have a clear idea of what we can and cannot do with our existing space for our remodel. The color photographs were especially helpful in clarifying the points made in the book. Kitchen Design With Cooking In Mind is a MUST READ before starting any kitchen work.
Rating:
Summary: Kitchen Design With Cooking In Mind
Review: Don Silver's book is an excellent guide for both new kitchen and remodel kitchen designs. Every chapter is informative, for example, storage - a very important factor in a "clean" kitchen. Good cooks have a collection of pots, dishes, tools, etc. Mr. Silvers shows you where to put it all so that it's convenient to use but not in the way. The fact that the author was a professional chef is another plus. Cooking is the key factor and this book explains how cooking for one or a crowd can be done efficently in beautiful surroundings. With the help of this book, I now have a clear idea of what we can and cannot do with our existing space for our remodel. The color photographs were especially helpful in clarifying the points made in the book. Kitchen Design With Cooking In Mind is a MUST READ before starting any kitchen work.
Rating: 
Summary: Silver's Book Not as Great as I was led to believe...
Review: Don Silver's book was a well anticipated arrival, but alas much of a disappointment. As one who is designing a kitchen at present for a house to be built in the next few months, I was a let down by the book's content. Let's start with the good stuff. The first chapter on design basics is great, though Silver's makes a big deal about "breaking free of the kitchen triangle". As one who has lived for the past seven years with an island in the way of the refrigerator, I would have welcomed the "kitchen triangle"! While there are other workable solutions--and he introduces them--the old triangle has survived for a good reason and it is not as bad as he indicates, and is certainly necessary in some cases particularly where kitchen size is an issue or limitation. Silver introduces some great concepts such as the 30" deep counter, two sinks, etc. but spends far too much time on silly mundane issues like a cursory review of cabinets (visit a Home Depot and or pick up a few cabinet catalogs and you'll get much better and more detailed info) and a tired review of pots and pans (!) which should be very old hat for anyone going so far as to buy this book. More annoyingly, Silver consciously avoids mention of any brand names! It would be worthwhile to review some, particularly when he has such a penchant for separate "char-grills" (which I have yet to see in ANY appliance store). For example, I'd like to see a review of issues like flame spread and cleanability. My own homework revealed that while a Dacor gas cooktop looked great, the flame spread was too big for normal pots and pans; Viking's non-sealed burners looked "cheap", made out of stamped stainless and would be difficult to clean. Lastly, the illustrations for the most part looked amateur.
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Summary: Author has great concepts, but contractors can't execute
Review: Don Silvers is a great concept designer. Our kitchen reflects his thoughfull analysis and is attractive. But, even using contractors he recommended to execute his design, we've been through a nightmare. 12 months and it still does'nt work. Light switches in wierd locations, breakers that pop, drawers that stick, plumbing that leaks and leaks and leaks. Even though Don has been involved nothing ever gets done right. My advice: read this book, hire a real designer who can put together a detailed design and specifications, prepare a contract that gives you some leverage to get the job done to your specs on a reasonable schedule with penalty clauses for failure to perform. Don's book doesn't cover detailed design, design to meet local code, contracting and contracts nor does he understand these life impacting aspects of remodelling. In summary; use the book for ideas, but engage real professionals before you start to rip up your kitchen..
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Summary: Loved the revised edition
Review: I am currently designing a new house and was completely stumped when it came to the kitchen. After reading the revised edition of Donald Silvers "Kitchen design with cooking in mind" it all fell into place. I learned everything from what appliances to buy to where to put them and after reading the book I have a new view of the kitchen and how it should work.I especially loved the color photography in the book. This book is great for someone designing a kitchen or simply trying to make an existing kitchen function more smoothly.
Rating:
Summary: Loved the revised edition
Review: I am currently designing a new house and was completely stumped when it came to the kitchen. After reading the revised edition of Donald Silvers "Kitchen design with cooking in mind" it all fell into place. I learned everything from what appliances to buy to where to put them and after reading the book I have a new view of the kitchen and how it should work.I especially loved the color photography in the book. This book is great for someone designing a kitchen or simply trying to make an existing kitchen function more smoothly.
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