Twenty years ago, when we began
our kitchen cabinetmaking business,
there were just a few simple design
rules for appliances: Provide openings
of 33 inches for a refrigerator, 30 inches
for a freestanding kitchen range,
and 24 inches for a dishwasher.
Those days are gone. In recent
years, the trend is toward sophisticated
built-in appliances that have more
demanding installation tolerances
than the freestanding equipment of
the past. As sophistication increases,
so do problems. It seems like every
time we open a new appliance crate,
the manufacturer has thrown us a
curve.
As an example, our installer once
had to fit a slide-in range with a minimum
height requirement of 357/8
inches into a countertop that was
353/4 inches high. To