101 Ideas: Kitchen terms explained

Choosing a professional kitchen appliance these days is like visiting a foreign country: If you don't speak the language, you might get burned. We've defined some of the most common technical terms to help you to avoid purchasing pitfalls and start talking like a pro. Listed in alphabetical order:

-- All refrigerator or all freezer

The appliance is either solely a refrigerator or solely a freezer, not a combination of both.

-- Auto defrost

The cooling element in a refrigeration or freezer appliance temporarily heats to prevent ice from forming. Appliances with this technology use more energy, and any food inside will experience the temperature change.

-- BTU (British thermal unit)

Describes the heat value of fuel for appliances -- the higher the BTU, the more heat available for cooking.

-- Catalytic

A kind of surface found in self-cleaning ovens that helps break down food spills and splatters.

-- Convection

A cooking method that circulates hot air around food to cook it faster than conventional ovens.

-- Dual fuel

The appliance comes with two kinds of fuel for cooking: gas and electric, for example.

-- Flame failure safety cut-out

If a gas flame blows out, but the gas is still on, this feature will stop the flow of gas to the burner.

-- Fully integrated

For dishwashers, when the controls are completely hidden behind a door that matches the kitchen cabinets.

-- Hob

Another name for the cook top or burners, like gas, induction or ceramic.

-- Induction

A cooking method that is faster and more energy-efficient than a traditional cook top, but requires the use of a ferromagnetic pot (look for "ferrous cookware"). The cook top itself is flameless, not hot to the touch and will not burn skin; only the pot is heated.

-- LPG jets (liquefied petroleum gas)

LPG is a product of crude oil distillation mostly containing propane. A jet is a small screw-in cap with a drilled hole that installs into a cook-top burner. LPG jets have holes twice as small as those for natural gas because LPG contains more energy.

-- Semi-integrated

For dishwashers, when the control panel is visible on a door that matches the kitchen cabinets.

-- Trivet

Metal or ceramic structures above burners that hold pots above the cooktop flame.

Courtesy Caren Baginski on hgtv.com