# Cottonwood Arizona Observations (so far)



## Kraffty (Jun 19, 2019)

So now that we’ve lived here a little while I have to say that our assumption that the small town life would be just fine seems to be pretty accurate. Before moving we reasoned that for the most part we shopped, ate-out, found entertainment or visited friends all in about a 5 mile radius from home. On the occasion we’d travel further for a concert or for a getaway type weekend it always seemed like it was at least an hour drive but more often a couple of hours of travel. In addition, Lori’s parent’s house in Lake Havasu was a 5-1/2 drive compared to a 4 hour drive from here. As small as it is, the city does have the shopping necessities covered - Sears outlet, Home Depot, WalMart, 3 grocery stores and at least 3 full western outfitters and a Tractor Supply. I think we have a better assortment of restaurants than our neighbors in Sedona, we have a couple of golf courses and I don’t know how many wineries and breweries existing and popping up. For more needs than that we have Flagstaff 50 miles north, Prescott 40 miles west and Phoenix 90 miles south. 

The transition from Los Angeles area to Cottonwood area living has been surprisingly seamless. We don’t offer up the fact we’re just in from California to everybody but we have accidental slip ups from time to time. I refused the suggestion to go through the self check out at the grocery store because I had beer in the cart, the clerk laughed, saying it’s ok in AZ unlike CA. A lot of the people we’ve met are transplants from other states and the vast majority of people we encounter are by far more friendly, outgoing and helpful than what we’re used to dealing with in So. Cal. We’re having to relearn our standard “don’t look any stranger in the eyes” procedures. We’ve traded in our SoCal Casual Attire for the most part for jeans and boots. There does seem to be a bit of a Twilight Zone thing here where a suspicious amount of the men have matching grey hair, pony tails, goatees and wear Tee shirts with bands from the 60’s displayed on the front which cover their beer bellies of varying size all the while driving an assortment of very similar pick up trucks and wearing cowboy boots (the more worn the better). I have to admit it’s not that much of a morph for me to slide into that formation except for the ponytail, the wife has put her boot down on that idea.

Finally, local entertainment and engagement. We’re joining in, enjoying and embracing what there is to offer. You don’t want to compare size or scope of events because it’s just not the same thing. I’ve never liked crowds. L. A. county fair grounds can easily have 100,000 people in attendance at any time. We’ve been there for the Fair, Home shows, RV shows and even Car or Horse Races and as much as we’ve wanted to enjoy the events the crowds make it just miserable. A couple of weekends ago we went to the Verde Valley Home Improvement Show. The Fairgrounds are 1.1 miles from the house. There were approximately 40 to 50 vendors and probably 100 visitors there at 11:00 on Saturday. We talked in depth with 10 or 12 local companies, bought a couple things and even got a lead for the foundation guy we’re using from a couple with a countertop company (probably use them too). I also got to meet Stephanie who handles the building permits for the County where we’re building and ask a bunch of questions ahead of meeting her at the office. Just take a look at the attached flyer, we’ll be there for the 4th and I’m sure, have a blast. Also heading over to the Prescott 4th of July Rodeo on the 6th of July to meet friends. In September Thunder Valley Rally happens with motorcycles downtown, food, drinks, music, contests all about 1/2 mile from home. $15.00 covers all weekend events including concerts at Riverfront park which is about 1/3 mile behind us, I think we’ll walk to that one. Headline bands this year are 38 Special and Great White. I keep mentioning the costs of things because those low numbers are so new to us. The Prescott Rodeo is $20.00 for admission, by comparison I paid $25.00 just to park during our last visit to the L. A. Fairgrounds. We have local Farmer’s markets all around selling local produce and beef with business hours spread out from week nights to weekends with none overlapping. There are Downtown walk around evenings where the wineries and restaurants take their goods to the sidewalks to share. We haven’t even begun to explore the historical aspect of the area. Mining, Indian Pueblo Ruins, National Monuments and Parks, Railways and much much more.

I imagine some of you members here from smaller communities laughing at the majority of this post and me sounding so awestruck but I’ve only ever lived in the greater San Francisco or Los Angeles areas and the perspective here is 180 degrees from all of my previous experiences. I didn’t plan on writing a tourist info promotional brochure for the city but we are really happy here and haven’t come up with a single negative aspect of living here so far.

If I run into Barney, Opie, Andy or Aunt Bea on 4th of July at the fairgrounds I’ll be sure to post a picture…..


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## ibglowin (Jun 19, 2019)

Sounds like your acclimating just fine to the Southwest. Now the only question left is. Red or Green?


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## Kraffty (Jun 19, 2019)

Funny you ask that, I was just getting ready to roast these up to make a green sauce to cook up some chicken for tacos tonight. Just picked them from the yard.
Smell awesome, first cook of the season.
Mike


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## Trevor7 (Jun 20, 2019)

Shhhh.... You don't want to expound on the great points of leaving SoCal.... you want to keep the new life a secret!


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## ibglowin (Jun 20, 2019)

Our oldest daughter and SIL live in Burbank. Our granddaughter goes to one of the nicest daycares in the area over in Pasadena which is about 2 blocks from where SIL works. One child full time is ~$18K a year. They are currently working on another. Cost for two children full time is ~$32K a year......

Cost of living out there is insane.


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## Kraffty (Jun 20, 2019)

I agree, I'm beginning to look at So. Cal. and LA like the planet Krypton. If you can survive the gravity and prosper then eventually escape to anywhere else you'll basically have the superpower of laughing in the face of living expenses and have almost unlimited spending powers. Your kids are probably setting themselves up for a very comfortable future. 
Mike


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## ibglowin (Jun 20, 2019)

SIL is born and raised in LA (90210) I think they would like to not raise a family in LA but our daughter is actually the larger of the two bread winners and she works in Post Production (Executive Editor) in TV. New Mexico is killing it in the film industry these days with huge deals with Netflix and just last week NBC Universal as well as countless other smaller studios and TV series. But that is Production, not Post Production. They film out here and send the footage off either FedEx overnight or through that series of Tubes that everyone uses these days back to beautiful downtown Burbank (still the post production capitol of the free world). They could currently sell their place in SoCal and buy a McMansion in ABQ free and clear. They would just need to find some gainful employment either in the industry our outside of it.


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## mainshipfred (Jun 20, 2019)

Glad you are enjoying you new area. I should consider myself lucky living where I do in Northern Virginia. I live in the suburbs although each year it's getting more urban so I have this, but an hour West or Southwest I'm in a different world. Forests, mountains, clean rivers and lakes, small towns you name it. Maybe a little over an hour to the East I have the Chesapeake Bay with their many small towns. Even Annapolis has the quaint small town atmosphere. We won't talk about Baltimore although it does have a very nice aquarium.


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## Boatboy24 (Jun 20, 2019)

Kraffty said:


> I agree, I'm beginning to look at So. Cal. and LA like the planet Krypton. If you can survive the gravity and prosper then eventually escape to anywhere else you'll basically have the superpower of laughing in the face of living expenses and have almost unlimited spending powers. Your kids are probably setting themselves up for a very comfortable future.
> Mike



That's what I keep thinking about being here in DC. Almost as bad as SoCal for traffic and cost of living. Aside from the traffic and busy lifestyle, we like it here. But slightly quieter places are calling me and I could retire earlier if we make the jump. Seems you two are getting quite comfortable already. Glad things are working out.


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## balatonwine (Jun 21, 2019)

Kraffty said:


> for the ponytail, the wife has put her boot down on that idea.



I had a pony tail when my wife married me. So she has no say in that. 

But, after 7 years, I did agree to cut it from waist length to shoulder length. Everyone must compromise in a marriage.


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## joeswine (Jun 21, 2019)

I myself like the southwest, been to Santa Fe 3 times, çousins in Phoenix,sadona 3 times Utah once.
Time slows down ,and so does the body.
Gong back next year, don't know we're but definitely the southwest.
Short trip to Charlotte Va then to Williamsburg lover it there. Sorry got carried away.


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## Kraffty (Jun 21, 2019)

Joe, if your travels bring you near here give me a heads up. You've got a place to hang out, enjoy a meal and a bottle or two with us anytime.
Mike


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## joeswine (Jun 21, 2019)

Thank you sounds great, I'll be retirrring next year looking forward to more travel then I already do.


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## Kraffty (Jul 4, 2019)

So beginning monday this week we got back to going out walking to start the mornings. Monday we did laps around and through the RV park, Tuesday Riverfront park, Wednesday visited the cottonwood community garden and this morning walked the cottonwood cemetery. Had a nice visit with one of the local gardeners and I'm thinking I'll lease a garden plot, a 16x16 plot costs 40.00 a year and that includes all the water and mulch you want. The cemetery isn't one of those old west kind but does date back to 1892, is mostly rock and sand and dirt, has an interesting history and is still actively used. Saturday should be fun, we plan on walking to Old Town, being at Crema restaurant when it opens and having a bloody mary for breakfast. I haven't had one yet but they're huge and are topped with bacon, a bit of waffle and a boiled egg (perfectly acceptable breakfast if you ask me). Then a slow and easy 3/4 mile stagger back home! Happy 4th of July to all!
Mike


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## joeswine (Jul 4, 2019)

What are your plans for your wine making?


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## Kraffty (Jul 4, 2019)

I'm hoping to throw in with my future neighbor for this years crush but as of yet I haven't shared that bit of information with him. Then hopefully back to my California Reds in 2020 when the house is done. It would be educational to get a chance to see the differences between the two states processes.


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## joeswine (Jul 4, 2019)

My limited experience with Arazona wines there were on the sweet side 
Jerome and Phoenix actually, sodona also .not to many wineries out there are there?


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## Syrah-volution! (Jul 15, 2019)

Wife and I spent 4 days in Cottonwood a few months ago. Damn what a great time we had! Visited a couple monuments, did some good hiking and relaxed. Absolutely loved the Italian place Bocce. We went there two nights in a row, just fantastic. We ended up joining AZ Stronghold and Chateau Tumbleweed clubs'. Tumbleweed's single vineyard cabs blew me away. Also enjoyed bottles from 4-8 Wineworks, Caduceus, Merkin, Bitter Creek and Carlson Creek. We would go back in a heartbeat. You're lucky you get to live there!


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## jswordy (Jul 17, 2019)

@Kraffty and @Boatboy24 - Your discussion of So. Cal. and DC life prompted some thoughts. A refugee from Illinois and then Williamsburg, Va., I live in the country near Huntsville, AL, which is a HUGE magnet for DC refugees as well as a NASA and defense behemoth. The town has a lot of transplants. Many transplants arrive here after retirement. They sell their houses in DC and come here to buy a house that's three times larger, or else buy a smaller home to keep two-thirds, and then they enjoy the cost of living, which rates about a 92 overall when compared nationally.

Huntsville SMSA is about 500,000 and it has the largest number of doctorate degrees per capita in the nation, so it's a Smart Place to Live, Work and Play - as the Chamber keeps telling us.

I live on a small farm in nearby Fayetteville, TN. It's Mayberry in very many ways. So I get the small-town life and also, nearby, the intellectual stimulation and salary I require. To be completely honest, I like everything about the area except the politics. But my experience is that there's always an "except." If there is only one "except," that's pretty good.

The beauty of living in the high tax states is that they also are the places typically producing the highest wages. If I were counseling a young person, that's what I'd tell them. If you are not tied firmly to the place of your birth and childhood, then move to the high earning places first and move to cheap places to live later in your life, once you have made your savings and investment money. That's what makes the move to lower tax areas work. 

We recently sold my Dad's estate house, a small home on a lot. The property taxes we paid in Illinois for six months would have equaled three years of property tax for my entire farm in rural Tennessee. And, if you work in-state, Tennessee has no income tax (I work in Alabama, so I pay it there).

After we arrived here 29 years ago, I was fortunate to land a Huntsville job with a national company for 19 years, which gave me a salary much higher than Alabama jobs typically pay. When that job sunset, I was in position to join the university at lower pay, in order to extend my working life and preserve my investments from drawdown. It's all working out pretty well.

Kraffty, enjoy Arizona! I understand what you are experiencing. Jim, do consider a move when it's time.


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## joeswine (Jul 17, 2019)

I was thinking of retirement in Williamsburg ,at one-time I even put a down payment on a house in New Kent.
Oh well I'm stuck here in NJ and having a hard time closing down my business. I really want to ⁿ


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## jswordy (Jul 18, 2019)

joeswine said:


> I was thinking of retirement in Williamsburg ,at one-time I even put a down payment on a house in New Kent.
> Oh well I'm stuck here in NJ and having a hard time closing down my business. I really want to ⁿ



I loved my seven years there, but that was 29 years ago. I am sure it has changed a lot!


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## Kraffty (Jul 18, 2019)

@ joeswine - Exposing my ignorance once again but is NJ also a place many people want to escape from once they retire? Never occurred to me to be that way.
Mike


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## jswordy (Jul 18, 2019)

These have changed some but not a lot. I know Illinois is #7 now, for example. Still high!


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## jswordy (Jul 18, 2019)

Here we go, a link to 2019 figures.

https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-highest-lowest-tax-burden/20494/


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## joeswine (Jul 18, 2019)

Very much so, I've watch my customers move South over the past 20 years , anywhere south or southwest. Tax's here are the highest in the country ( real a state ) that is.gasoline not that far behind.. and yet housing values in the southern part of this state are stagnant.


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## Kraffty (Aug 21, 2019)

Never say never..... Plans to build may have come to a screeching halt! Our agent just showed us a house that meets pretty much every Check on our list and at a really nice price. We're going to make an offer tomorrow A.M. A couple of pics from the zillow web site. It has a walk out below that has approx 150 sq. feet already enclosed and air-conditioned and then another 3 or 4 hundred sq. ft. that can be set up however I Like. Patio/Deck is around 300 square feet, completely covered and an awesome view of the red rocks. Wish us luck, I'm guessing this will have many offers. (it's the house with the tan roof)
Mike


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## mainshipfred (Aug 22, 2019)

Kraffty said:


> Never say never..... Plans to build may have come to a screeching halt! Our agent just showed us a house that meets pretty much every Check on our list and at a really nice price. We're going to make an offer tomorrow A.M. A couple of pics from the zillow web site. It has a walk out below that has approx 150 sq. feet already enclosed and air-conditioned and then another 3 or 4 hundred sq. ft. that can be set up however I Like. Patio/Deck is around 300 square feet, completely covered and an awesome view of the red rocks. Wish us luck, I'm guessing this will have many offers. (it's the house with the tan roof)
> Mike
> View attachment 56089
> View attachment 56090



Good Luck!


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## ibglowin (Aug 22, 2019)

Good luck Mike! Is that in Cottonwood still or closer to Sedona? Corner lot to boot!



Kraffty said:


> Never say never..... Plans to build may have come to a screeching halt! Our agent just showed us a house that meets pretty much every Check on our list and at a really nice price.


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## Kraffty (Aug 22, 2019)

Still in Cottonwood but Northern section closer to where we rent now. Much greener and a little higher than our original lot.
Tossed and turned all night, excited and anxious at the same time. Guess we wait now.


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## joeswine (Aug 22, 2019)

Outstanding view, love Arizona . Especially Sedona.


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## Kraffty (Aug 23, 2019)

Looks like we're not homeless anymore! Multiple offers but ours was selected at list price (slightly less than other offers) because we were so well qualified. Actually put all the equity from the CA house as the down and only had to borrow a small amount to avoid touching savings. Scheduled to close mid September but might be a lot sooner, hope hope hope. Anyone want to buy a lot, I'll throw in testing reports and custom designed house prints and materials quotes.
Mike


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## ibglowin (Aug 23, 2019)

Congrats! Looks like there is room for a few rows of grapes on the east side of the property. You still thinking about planting any vines at this point?


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## sour_grapes (Aug 23, 2019)

Congrats, Mike!


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## Boatboy24 (Aug 23, 2019)

Congrats, Mike!!


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## Johnd (Aug 23, 2019)

Nice work!! Nothing wrong with getting out of the house building effort, looks like you guys have a great place!!!!!


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## jswordy (Aug 23, 2019)

Congratulations! You won't have to mow that yard, either!


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## Kraffty (Aug 23, 2019)

Thanks all, I appreciate all the support and I'm honestly not feeling let down about not building in the least. We are planning on tearing out all the carpet and putting down hardwood and also replacing all the kitchen cabinets so we can install our new appliances before moving in. Look forward to showing that part off once we get there in a few weeks. Mike


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## mainshipfred (Aug 23, 2019)

Way to go, building new is exciting but always more work than expected. 

Can I have your sign


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## Chuck E (Aug 23, 2019)

Congratulations. Nothing like putting down roots.


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## Kraffty (Sep 25, 2019)

Well it's official, we got the keys monday and promptly set out to demolish the kitchen and possibly the master bath before we move in. While the house is in great shape, it was built in the mid 90's and looks it. Monday afternoon I tore out the upper cabinets, Tuesday the countertops, lower cabinets and removed the appliances. Today I just about finished taking all the baseboards up in the entire house in preparation for the flooring people to come in to tear up all the vinyl and carpet. This time I plan on paying for most of the work versus mostly DIY as I've done in the past but I can prep a lot of the stuff in order to save time down the road. New cabinets are on order, 2 slabs of a marble/granite hybrid sort of stone called fantasy brown satin granite picked out and setting at the fabricators and flooring contract signed today so that the material will be on the installers floor once the cabinets get installed. I am doing that part myself to get it done quickly because everything else is on hold until they get installed. I should have about 2 weeks before the cabinets arrive so I can add a fresh coat of paint, re-install/recycle all the old cabinets in the garage and winery and start moving stuff from our rental to the garage and basement so once the flooring gets installed we can move in. Also have to move gas lines, electrical and vents for new appliances and buy all the sinks, appliances, stuff and things and whatchamacallits that we don't already have or don't know that we don't have yet. Scheduled move in is end of October, should be about the fastest 4 weeks of our lives. Winemaking looks to be back on the horizon for me very soon. Pics of when we bought, now and future (roughly) plans.


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## ibglowin (Sep 25, 2019)

Was the installer on the vent a hood blind? LOL


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## Kraffty (Sep 26, 2019)

I think so, they also took 3 or 4 tries on a lot of the screws holding up the cabinets, guess they didn't have stud finders back then. At least the holes allowed me to see where the 220 wire was and where it heads up to the ceiling. Will post progress pics as it progresses.


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## joeswine (Sep 26, 2019)

Sounds like you like the retirement plan have fun ,be safe give me your address and I'll send you a couple of bottles of wine for final move in day


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## joeswine (Sep 27, 2019)

Let me know when the move in date is and I'll send you some vino for the house opening


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## Kraffty (Sep 27, 2019)

I'll take you up on that offer Joe, will pm the address in a bit. You could always bring it out yourself and hang out for a couple of days. Standing Invite.
thanks, Mike


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## joeswine (Sep 28, 2019)

I'm thinking of taking a trip to St. George area next spring, 
You never know what can happen on a road trip.


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## balatonwine (Sep 29, 2019)

Kraffty said:


> So now that we’ve lived here a little while I have to say that our assumption that the small town life would be just fine seems to be pretty accurate.



I have lived in many small towns. And from that experience I can say it take between 3 to 5 years to really know the place. To really learn small town people, politics, gossip, etc. That all takes time to experience. That is, unless you live in a bubble, Which some people do, for a long time (or forever). And bubbles are fine. I like my personal bubble. It is huge. But bubbles should not be confused with local reality. Just saying.


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## Trevor7 (Oct 11, 2019)

A little late here, but congrats! Love the view - and yes, building would have been a LOT of work for you, even with a contractor doing it all.


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## Kraffty (Oct 20, 2019)

Thought it was time for a little update pic. While still not quite finished the kitchen is very close now. Fridge and Dishwasher were delivered yesterday so I can finish screwing and setting the cabinet for the Wall oven and fridge in place tomorrow as well as adding the grey panel across the back of the cabinets that make up the peninsula. Flooring is supposed to deliver tomorrow and install is scheduled to start Wed. Thursday they measure for the countertop and install the following Wed. Pictures of the kitchen as of yesterday and one of the two slabs for the countertop.


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## ibglowin (Oct 20, 2019)

Looking good! Who did you go with on the Cabinets?


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## Kraffty (Oct 20, 2019)

We ended up buying from the RTA store. Saved a bunch of money but spent about 5 days assembling and hanging them ourselves. Total was around 5,700.00 and they arrived in about 7 days. Seem pretty comparable to mid grade home depot American Mark Cabinets in quality.


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## ibglowin (Oct 20, 2019)

LOL I hear you. We have been looking around at cabinet makers for some time. IKEA as well as CliqStudios. You can save some big bucks over the Big Box stores but you do have "some assembly required" usually......


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## sour_grapes (Oct 20, 2019)

You can also get high-quality, fully custom, but IKEA-style RTA, from a few outfits. I used Scherr's.


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## Kraffty (Oct 20, 2019)

I'm pretty sure you're right on that Paul. It seems RTA is more of a rep that helps layout your design then pull stock cabinets from warehouses throughout the states. There's also a company called wholesale cabinets that seemed comparable in cost and services.


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## Kraffty (Dec 20, 2019)

I'm basically done with the kitchen! I do have to grout the backsplash this weekend but here is some of the finished product and a before pic for comparison.


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## ibglowin (Dec 20, 2019)

Excellent looking remodel Mike!


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## sour_grapes (Dec 20, 2019)

Very nicely done!


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## Boatboy24 (Dec 20, 2019)

Great job, Mike! I like the cast iron collection too.


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## sour_grapes (Dec 21, 2019)

Boatboy24 said:


> I like the cast iron collection too.



Me too, but I would have a hard time paring mine down to that few!  I just counted, and I am at 7 cast iron pans and 8 carbon steel. I could/should jettison a few, but how can you get rid of a nice pan?


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## Kraffty (Dec 21, 2019)

Paul,
I've been considering trying a carbon steel pan. My understanding is they take the same care as cast iron and become as stick resistant also over time. What's the advantage, quicker reaction to heat or being lighter?


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## CDrew (Dec 21, 2019)

For me, the carbon steel pans made it a lot easier to pare down the cast iron! Most of our cast iron went to the kids as they were moving up and out. I kept an ancient Wagner skillet, and old Lodge skillet I bought in college around 1980, and a Griswold popover pan that's 80-90 years old and still in service! Otherwise, it's deBuyer carbon pans!

Kitchen looks great. I really like the cook top.


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## CDrew (Dec 21, 2019)

Kraffty said:


> Paul,
> I've been considering trying a carbon steel pan. My understanding is they take the same care as cast iron and become as stick resistant also over time. What's the advantage, quicker reaction to heat or being lighter?



You do care for them the same way, but they are not as fragile with with temperature change, they are somewhat lighter but not as much as you'd think. The real advantage is the long handle. They are much easier to handle. The steel pans get dark and seasoned over time.


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## montanarick (Dec 21, 2019)

well done


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## joeswine (Dec 21, 2019)

You cannot brat the effect of a cast iron pan..I love mine and use them almost all the time except when I'm making sauces of course.


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## sour_grapes (Dec 21, 2019)

Kraffty said:


> Paul,
> I've been considering trying a carbon steel pan. My understanding is they take the same care as cast iron and become as stick resistant also over time. What's the advantage, quicker reaction to heat or being lighter?



As you say, they are quite similar. For me, main advantages are the two you mentioned. You can get them in different thicknesses to fine-tune the weight vs. thermal response characteristics. (Two of mine are too thin, and I should probably just get rid of them.)

Also, it is easier to make steel into different shapes. Although I do have a slope-sided CI pan, my CS one is a bit better for flipping eggs. Also, one of my CS pans is a huge chef pan, and another is a huge sautee pan (both by de Buyer). You pretty much couldn't heft those if they were CI.


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## balatonwine (Jan 4, 2020)

Gas Hobs? Interesting. 

Not a critique of your choice, just saying we are moving on from gas due to our experiences. After so many years of the mess and cleaning required (especially if things go wrong -- eventually things will go wrong), we are moving to induction.


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## pillswoj (Jan 4, 2020)

balatonwine said:


> Gas Hobs? Interesting.
> 
> Not a critique of your choice, just saying we are moving on from gas due to our experiences. After so many years of the mess and cleaning required (especially if things go wrong -- eventually things will go wrong), we are moving to induction.



I went induction for our range as we don't have gas in our area, I would not get another one. Induction cooktops may be ok but ranges end up thowing errors due to the heat from the oven. Our $4k Electrolux started doing it after 4 years and in researching replacements the reviews for every single brand talk about the errors. Like I said cooktops may be different. Considering gas with a propane conversion for the next one.


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## balatonwine (Jan 5, 2020)

pillswoj said:


> I went induction for our range as we don't have gas in our area, I would not get another one. Induction cooktops may be ok but ranges end up thowing errors due to the heat from the oven. Our $4k Electrolux started doing it after 4 years and in researching replacements the reviews for every single brand talk about the errors. Like I said cooktops may be different. Considering gas with a propane conversion for the next one.



Thanks. I always appreciate input from people who actually have experienced a product. Our only oven is in our wood stove. and not near our range area.So heat should not be an issue.

But, yes, electronics do fail. Annoying.

But, my wife, who grew up with electrical stoves in Switzerland, puts a tiny pan on the largest hop, with the highest flame, because gas is actually the most inefficient way to heat a pan. And she wants to get things warm fast. And tends to go outside when the phone rings to get better reception even when cooking. So we have a lot of melted plastic pan handles and over spill when unattended soups boil over a bit. She is a really *great* cook otherwise -- what she creates is ambrosia (best soups I ever had despite the spill over). But it is a little tiring to have melted pan handles. So we will still move to induction. Despite the down sides, still should be the best option for her cooking style needs.


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## ibglowin (Jan 5, 2020)

Mike @Kraffty is that an electric or gas GE double oven? How do you like it? We purchased a new LG smooth top electric range 3 years ago. Had 4.5 stars somehow. Mrs IB absolutely hates it. Its beautiful to look at but the oven and cooktop has been a nightmare. If you even bump a knob ever so slightly it will turn a burner on. The oven won't hold a steady consistent temp even after calibrating it. For Xmas this year Mrs IB purchased a Wolf counter top (convection) oven. It cost almost as much as the LG. I suspect she is done with the LG.......


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## Kraffty (Jan 7, 2020)

Mike, we bought electric for the oven. Seems more popular just based on Elec. VS Gas models available. I also figured all I wanted was consistent temp and so far I'm really pleased with the choice. I didn't consider the broiler but fortunately it's design makes it work better than the gas ovens I've had in the past. Lastly it weighs in at over 300lbs, mostly insulation I'd guess, and doesn't vent outside yet somehow you can run it at 500 degrees and the glass, sides and top stay at room temp. There's a slight warm breeze that blows from the bottom and that's it. Temps are accurate and stay consistent, they've even coated the shelves so they don't discolor while running the self cleaning mode (instead of having to remove them). I don't have a single complaint so far.
Mike


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## ibglowin (Jan 7, 2020)

Thanks Mike. I like the GE Profile look. Good reviews as well.


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## jswordy (Jan 15, 2020)

We're looking into dual fuel for the stove when we redo the kitchen.


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