Kitchen

[house_cat]

I love House Hunters International. I love the glimpses of life in other parts of the world, especially the kitchens.

So often, they find a great home and turn it down because it has no oven.  Don't these people know about QVC, lol?  There are so may countertop ovens available. Need an oven.... QVC can hook you up!

What surprises you about kitchens in other parts of the world?

[lolakimono]

@house_cat

When I lived abroad, in the apartment there was a stove without an oven.  In the part where the oven would be, there was a propane tank.  It was always a surprise to be cooking and run out of gas, so we had one extra tank to swap out.  There was a delivery service for propane tanks.  

[Kitlynn]

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@house_cat wrote:

I love House Hunters International. I love the glimpses of life in other parts of the world, especially the kitchens.

So often, they find a great home and turn it down because it has no oven.  Don't these people know about QVC, lol?  There are so may countertop ovens available. Need an oven.... QVC can hook you up!

What surprises you about kitchens in other parts of the world?

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I love to watch and yes they are shocked a lot by no ovens and the small size of the kitchens. I think the same thing you do just buy a countertop oven. I think the problem with ordering from QVC is the outlet situation is not the same but maybe QVC in the UK would have the right ones.

[traveler]

We lived in an apartment in Germany. The oven was small and in Celsius. Fitting a turkey in was an adventure. Then there was the flash water heaters in the kitchen and bathroom.

[proudlyfromNJ]

I lived in Turkey in the early seventies. My kitchen was the size of a big closet. I only remember one cabinet and a shelf on the wall.

We did have an oven as my husband was in the service and purchased it on base. We also needed the propane tank. Also needed one to heat water. So you only had hot water when he fired up the propane to heat a hot water tank.

I boiled a pot of water on the stove and put dish liquid in it to wash dishes and rinsed in cold water. Had a fridge purchased on base but had to put it in the dining room.

[froggy]

The thing that surprised me the most was that many have the washing machine in the kitchen. After thinking about it I theorized that a lot of apratments or old houses did not have sufficient plumbing to put the washer elsewhere. I would hate having my washer in the kitchen. We are so spoiled. If I were looking for a house now, not having a separate laundry room (and I don't mean the garage!) would be a deal breaker.

[Vivian]

Househunters International is one of my guilty pleasures. I really enjoy the adjustment that Americans have to make when buying property overseas. The huge, open kitchens of the US do not exist elsewhere. No oven, no dishwasher, certainly no island with multiple seating arrangements...to say nothing of the tiny bathrooms where, if you’re lucky, you may find a washer/dryer.

These are the realities that Americans must face up to when buying or renting properties elsewhere. I admit I get a kick out of watching their reactions. I’ve visited Europe many times and I am familiar with the differences between there and here. It’s surprising that many people featured on Househunters International seem to be clueless when it comes to understanding a culture or a way-of-life other than our own. These are people who are not just visiting but planning to live in these new locales. It may be exaggerated for dramatic purposes but I do believe that we need to know a bit more about how people live in other countries. 

[Tigriss]

I'm a bit grossed out by the bathrooms practically being in the kitchen. Just like the washers and small water heaters only in the kitchen and bathroom, it is about where the water lines are ran. Most places overseas are far older than any of our places, so modernizing them to include indoor kitchens and bathrooms was an undertaking especially with old stone walls. They ran only as much plumbing as the could along with electricity and gas lines. Their homes are also generally much smaller with smaller rooms that what Americans are used to. We also have a heightened sense of privacy and rights than they do. Their fridges are also what our college dorm fridges are since they shop for groceries daily. Something we have gotten out of the habit of oding.

[Kachina624]

When I see the living conditions in other countries, I have no desire to live there.  What's with the lack of ovens?  Don't they bake?

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@froggy wrote:

The thing that surprised me the most was that many have the washing machine in the kitchen. After thinking about it I theorized that a lot of apratments or old houses did not have sufficient plumbing to put the washer elsewhere. I would hate having my washer in the kitchen. We are so spoiled. If I were looking for a house now, not having a separate laundry room (and I don't mean the garage!) would be a deal breaker.

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@froggy.  My sister in law lived in Queens NY and her washer was in the kitchen.