*This post was sponsored by Bertazzoni
Before I even get started on this deep-dive into everything you need to know about our Bertazzoni Heritage Series suite of appliances, I would just like to thank Bertazzoni for this dream partnership, and for building this stunning landing page on their site, which does an absolutely wonderful job of highlighting our kitchen renovation. Please also note that live links to each appliance are embedded in the Title of each section below (or can be found on the Bertazzoni landing page featuring our kitchen).
When I started planning the design of our kitchen renovation, I was only sure of two things: 1. it would require a complete gut job and 2. I wanted to use Bertazzoni appliances. I had first come across Bertazzoni when we tackled our 2019 kitchen renovation in our Long Island home, and deeply regretted not choosing Bertazzoni for that renovation. We had opted for lower-end appliances to save money, without quite acknowledging that when opting for budget appliances that need to be replaced every few years, you’re not really saving in the end after all.
So, what was it that drew me to Bertazzoni, and why did we choose their Heritage Series line for our 2023 kitchen renovation? Well, we chose Bertazzoni because of their stellar reputation for cutting-edge engineering and quality. We knew we didn’t want to cut corners with this kitchen renovation, and we wanted to choose pieces and appliances that would stand the test of time in both style and durability. I loved, too, that Bertazzoni is a family-run company, committed to their local people and economy in the Emilia-Romagna and Guastalla region in Italy. As a smaller company than most appliance giants, Bertazzoni dedicates more attention to customer service, quality control, and all the details that matter most.
So, why the Heritage Series line? I think if I could summarize my own design style in just a few words it would be “a marriage of modern design principles and historically-rooted aesthetics.” Well, it turns out that the Bertazzoni Heritage Series epitomizes exactly that. Aside from possessing both cutting-edge engineering and timeless beauty, we also loved that the Heritage Series line allows for aesthetic continuity throughout the entire suite of appliances, as well as offering panel-ready options in the Heritage Series refrigerator and dishwasher.
I also wanted to wait at least six-months after owning these appliances to write this blog so that I could offer a genuine review of each piece we own in the Heritage Series line. A lot of you have been asking about these stunning appliances and many of you told me you decided to order a Bertazzoni Heritage Series product after seeing them in our kitchen (would love your thoughts, too!). So, here is what I think of each piece in the Heritage Series suite:
____The 36″ Heritage Series Induction Range____
I wasn’t aware that it was possible to fall in love with an inanimate object such as a kitchen range until I laid eyes on this beauty. The dual-toned handles, the deliciously creamy avorio color, and the vintage-inspired silhouette are just a few of the features I fell in love with on the Heritage Series range. While I would be lying if I told you aesthetics aren’t important to me (they definitely are), the thing that was most important to me was that the range would be durable and high-performing. Gorgeous brass handles are always nice to have, but ones that twist to precision temperatures was tantamount.
Gas vs. Induction
The other major consideration was whether to go with the gas range, or their newly-minted induction range. There is just something so classically beautiful about gas burners, and I love the way they blend with the vintage-inspired design of the Heritage Series range. Still, the induction offered a more practical, and undeniably more eco-friendly alternative to gas. Truth be told, I sincerely struggled with this decision, and embarked on a deep-dive of induction range research to make as well-informed a decision as possible.
Extra Perks
It turns out that induction heats more evenly, cooks more quickly, and is really just an overall better choice for both the environment and cooking. And while I thought I would ultimately miss that gas burner look, I actually love the sleekness of the induction top. An additional bonus that I hadn’t expected is that the induction top actually functions as an extension of the counter when not in use (great for chopping with a cutting board on top of it, or displaying that charcuterie board for guests). I’ve been incredibly impressed with its performance, and I am so relieved to be sure I made the right choice going with the induction. It even comes with a cast iron skillet to make pancakes, eggs, or whatever your heart desires (it is removable and can be stored when not in use).
Size Considerations
The oven cooks beautifully and evenly, and comes with a rotisserie attachment. With our last oven, I went with a 48″ that had two stoves and eight burners. This time, I decided to pare back to the 36″ and I’m glad we did. I made that choice for three reasons:
- We literally, never once, had all eight burners in use at the same time. In fact, I think our record was maybe three burners running at once, so the five we have now feels more than sufficient.
- We did love having the tiny side oven that would heat quickly, but the larger oven was actually smaller than the 36″ range size, and we often found it was too small for our needs. We will be adding a smaller wall oven in our pantry space to have access to two ovens when needed (we do find this to be very convenient when entertaining and cooking for holidays/special meals). The 36″ range allows affords us more room, while still heating very quickly on the Bertazzoni range.
- Our kitchen is by no means small, but it also isn’t enormous. The 48″ range took up so much space and after living with it for three years in the last house, this time I opted to take back that extra counter space and storage below it. I never needed eight burners, but I often wished I had an extra foot of counter space and more room in our cabinets. Also, as mentioned above, we love being able to also use the induction top as extra counter space when needed.
Induction Performance
As I mentioned earlier, I did a lot of research about induction cooktops before deciding to switch to induction from gas. One thing a lot of people I talk to don’t seem aware of is that an induction cooktop is QUITE different from an electric cooktop. Yes, they both plug into the wall and use electricity, but unlike electric cooktops, induction uses magnets to heat the cookware, and is much more desirable than the former. This is both a good and a bad thing (but mostly good). Why?
Well, we did have to buy all new cookware because our old set was not induction compatible. This was an added cost that we weren’t entirely stoked about, but it was well worth it. It’s a good thing because the magnetism is exactly what makes the induction top so brilliant. I can literally bring a 2-pot of water to a boil in two minutes. The cookware heats incredibly evenly, so no more burning your chicken in one half of the pan, while the other half is barely cooking it at all. It’s also much more safe and kid-friendly because the induction top/heat can literally not even be turned on unless there is a conductive, induction-compatible piece of cookware on top of the burner.
Aesthetics
If you know me well, you know that aesthetics are really so very important to me. I love-hate that about myself. I wish I could care much less about how everything around me looks. I have a quick anecdotal story to tell on this front. It’s a story that will almost certainly make me seem like an enormous snob, but I am going to be brave and share it.
When I was in graduate school, I went to a lecture by Linda Nochlin (a very famous feminist art historian). She started the lecture by saying that, ever since she was a little girl, she was very affected by her surroundings and would even get nauseous when confronted by a (what she felt to be) ugly space. I LOVED that she said that out loud and, for the first time, I really felt seen. I have vivid memories of literally getting nauseous as a very young child for this very same reason. I was always very ashamed of it, actually. I still hate that about myself (because it still happens). But hearing Linda Nochlin say that out loud made me realize that some of us are just more sensitive to our surroundings and it really is just in our DNA. As an added aside, while my own mother certainly has very good taste, it’s not like I came from some super privileged background. How do you think I learned to thrift so well?
So, all of this is to say, I DO care about what my appliances look like, and I have never laid eyes on a range that felt so “me.” I love that the white option is not stark white, but a timelessly beautiful creamy Avorio (there are three color choices on the Heritage Series Range). The decorative details, like the knobs and handles can also be customized to fit your kitchen’s aesthetic. I opted for the gold “Collezione Metalli” collection (you can always choose Copper or Black Nickel) and I love that there are still stainless steel elements on the range. I always insist on mixing metals in a kitchen (having them all match falls flat for me), and I love that even my appliances have this beautiful dimension to them with the two-toned metals. The Collezione Metalli handles are also exactly what brings the entire suite of appliances together so beautifully, as they all are adorned with these same beautiful handles.
____The 36″ Heritage Series Wallmount Canopy and Base Hood____
I didn’t expect to get so many questions about our range hood, but I think the number of questions about this piece have eclipsed the questions I’ve gotten about maybe any other piece. And I get it, this piece is stunning. It’s certainly not your basic range hood, and here’s why:
Aside from offering optimal performance, with a 600 CFM motor that turns on to four different powers, it also has a light to highlight what you’re cooking. Still, one of my favorite features of the Heritage Series Hood is the Collezione Metalli bar that hangs on it that you can then hang your cookware from (a feature that is included with it). My other favorite feature is that the vent grills easily come off, and are dishwasher compatible for easy cleaning.
Of course, it also blends seamlessly with the range and other appliances, which gives the entire kitchen a very sleek, collected look.
____The 36″ Built-In French Door Refrigerator____
To say we were excited to get the Heritage Series refrigerator would be the understatement of the century. Upgrading from our previous fridge wasn’t hard to do (it was from probably 1970 and was broken in more than one way). Still, this felt like a very major upgrade that we are beyond grateful for. So, what was it that we were so excited about?
Panel-Ready Front/Collezione Metalli Handles
I’ve always dreamed of having a panel-ready refrigerator and once we knew we’d be getting this one from Bertazzoni, we decided to design this entire wall of cabinetry around it. We severely lacked cabinetry in our last kitchen, so making sure we had ample storage in this new kitchen was tantamount. We loved the idea of building this Bertazzoni fridge into a wall of cabinetry to make it seamlessly blend into not only the wall, but the rest of the kitchen. The fact that the Bertazzoni Heritage Series fridge was panel-ready allowed us to do exactly that.
I also love how the stunning, two-toned metallic handles match the rest of the Bertazzoni appliances in the rest of the kitchen. If we ever tire of the gold finials on them, we can always swap all of them out for the Copper or Black Nickel.
Size + Performance
This fridge boasts 14 cubic feet of volume, while the freezer has an ample 5.6 cubic feet of space. Having this large amount of storage space in both fridge and freezer has allowed us to stock up on staples and not worry about where we will keep things cool when entertaining for larger crowds.
I love that this fridge also has an electronic touch-control LED interface to easily control temperature settings, as well as one Fresco drawer that is kept at an even 32° F.
All of our food has been lasting longer, with even temperatures (unlike our last fridge that used to freeze half our food, while letting the other half rot).
Water Dispenser + Ice Maker
We also always loved having a water dispenser on our fridge that will readily provide not just filtered, but chilled water. So, we must be lacking that with the panel-ready front you might ask? Actually, we not only have one, but it’s my favorite one we’ve ever had. The internal water dispenser is so small and non-obtrusive that it doesn’t take up any of the storage room in the fridge (unlike those clunky ones that seem to take up more than half of one of your fridge doors). It’s just this tiny little thing on the left-hand side that dispenses the most fresh and crisp water.
The ice maker is also so quick and comes with a nice large scoop in it, so no dirty hands have to reach in and grab ice from the bucket. I love that there is still ample room in the freezer, despite having this nice, large-sized ice maker.
This is hands-down the nicest, highest-performing and largest refrigerator we have ever owned, and the fact that it is so very beautiful, on top of being high-performing, is like the cherry on top.
____The 24″ Professional Series Panel Ready Dishwasher____
When I told you our old refrigerator was broken, our dishwasher was equally, if not more, broken. After living with essentially no dishwasher for nearly two years, it was a major relief to be getting a new one at all, but the Bertazzoni Heritage Series dishwasher definitely surpassed all expectations.
Aesthetics
Like the refrigerator, this dishwasher came panel-ready, allowing us to add our cabinetry to the front for a continuous and cohesive aesthetic throughout the kitchen. And, like all the other pieces in the Bertazzoni pieces we have in our kitchen, the dishwasher also boasts that stunning Collezione Metalli handle.
Another added aesthetic bonus to this dishwasher is the control panel is on top of the dishwasher panel, with many options hiding from view for a sleeker look. On top of this hidden control panel, the dishwasher has a tiny light that emanates from the bottom that is red when the dishwasher is in the middle of a cycle, and green when it is complete. The dishwasher can also be put in “stealth mode” where there is no light at all.
Size + Performance
This dishwasher is a powerhouse performer and is the quietest dishwasher, with the largest loading capacity Bertazzoni has ever offered. It holds up to 16 place settings, and offers eight wash cycles, and seven different wash options. It’s Energy Star rated, as well as certified by the National Sanitation Foundation for eliminating 99.99% of common household bacterias.
I truly would never know this dishwasher was running if it wasn’t for the tiny light that emanates from the bottom because it is so, so quiet. It also cleans our dirty dishes SO WELL. I have never had a dishwasher such as this one and now that I do, well, I’m feeling very spoiled and getting more work done than ever since I am spending much less time on dishes in general.
Final Thoughts
I’ve been dreaming of owning Bertazzoni appliances for quite a while now and sometimes when you dream of something for so long, it can feel like a let down when you actually have it. Almost like you’ve set your expectations too high for too long, and the real thing can never live up to that picture you have in your head. Well, I can honestly say that owning this suite of Bertazzoni appliances has exceeded even the lofty picture I had in my mind.
The induction range is an absolute powerhouse and not only cooks and bakes beyond my wildest imagination (I never thought it was an earthly possibility for water to boil so fast or eggs to cook so evenly), and it’s also even more stunning in person. We’ve owned it for six months now and I STILL wake up every morning, walk into the kitchen and just smile. This induction range is just, well, HAPPINESS for a food-living aesthete such as myself.
And that fridge! The space, the performance, the beauty of it…I can’t even tell you how nice it is to not be replacing rotten food and frozen eggs like I had to all the time with my old fridge, but this Bertazzoni fridge is larger and more beautiful than even my wildest expectations.
The dishwasher and the range hood are both incredible team players, assisting that gorgeous range and my poor overly dried-out hands like absolute champions. The fact that they look absolutely fabulous as they do the heavy lifting for the kitchen is a major added bonus.
And last, but certainly not least, those Collezione Metalli handles. I have gotten so many questions about them and so many compliments on them, and they really are absolute showstoppers. Not only do they look fabulous, I love that they can be swapped out for different metallic finials down the road, and also are exactly what makes this suite of appliances feel so cohesive in our kitchen.
I’ve been getting lots of questions in DMs on Instagram about our Bertazzoni Heritage Series suite of appliances and if you still do have any questions, feel free to drop a comment here, shoot me a DM on IG, or email me at katepearcevintage@gmail.com
