What are the things you can't live without in your kitchen??

[HannahSE23]

Hi lovely forumites! I remember there being a similar thread before but I can't find it... so... we're about to order a new kitchen and I'd love to know some of the things you have in your kitchen that you couldn't live without...

I'm thinking soft closing drawers, pull out waste bins, pull out corner units, clever space saving ideas, that type of thing. Let me know your 'must haves' and those things where you think 'I wish we hadn't bothered'.

Also I've survived with a standard sized single oven and four ring gas hob for more than 15 years... will a 90cm range cooker with 5 rings REALLY revolutionise my life?

Thanks so much in advance!

[Ann]

A double oven/microwave stack, genuinely didn't think I really needed one but love it. Have a four point 90cm induction hob which is fine for me.

Never had a range cooker but happy with my lot!

[midivydale]

Wine! 😉

[Pugwash]

Split level oven and hob. Gas hob but electric double ovens. Top oven at shoulder height and main oven at waist level. Lifting heavy pots out of them so much easier.

[snowboarder]

We had our kitchen done a couple of years ago - things I love: breakfast bar area for the kids to eat, high level cupboard mounted microwave, hot water tap, American style fridge. Things that are nice to have but not necessary: wine fridge, big range oven (I do like separate double ovens but don't like maximising worktop which they don't do. Wish I hadn't bothered: pull out bin (too small never use, have a big freestanding recycling station), pull out larder cupboards - precarious and hate them.

The other thread was good - and there's some fab mumsnet threads on kitchens!

[Belle]

re larder, I actually ended up with a brilliant one - it's not pull/swing out - but has shelves/racks on the inside of the door plus racks in the actual carcass (if that makes sense) and it is a godsend. It's basically like a really good cupboard (not like the one SB has I think, which I saw when we were looking around).

Agree re breakfast bar. I cant' remember the last time my kids ate at the table - they love the bar so much, and I use it to sit and work at!

also the huge fridge is a massive bonus.

We have a very slim pull out spice rack cupboard which actually is useful... we have tonnes of deep pan drawers which are good, and we used dividers in some of them - has revolutionised tupperware drawer (god, I sound so sad).

Didn't bother with hot water tap...

Got the poshest B&Q cupboards (so quite cheap still) and splurged on a quartz worktop sourced through Bell's, but made by Jetstone. Really happy with it all. I think in the end you can overthink it - we had to make decisions very fast as we were mid massive build/refurb so the builders had to know v quickly what was needed/where - and I think that helped, as otherwise I would have dithered for months.

[apenn]

Less is more - there are lots of gadgets to be tempted with but you can always add after. I once lived in a place with a separated job and oven. There was a large drawer beneath the job for the pots and pans - brilliant. I don't have room fur that kind of set up in my current place so we're going for a range.

On the corner cabinets be careful. The doors swing out and can slam into and damage the cabinets next to them. That's what happened in the IKEA kitchen we moved into. I'm replacing with doors that push in and then revolve with the carousel. I think it's called a revolution door. My mother in law has them and they're great.

I have a cupboard section for standing up cutting boards and slim trays which I also find really useful.

Good luck!

[amydown]

We have just put in a second dishwasher in our kitchen - when husband suggested it a while back, I thought totally unnecessary. However, now I couldn't live without it. It's amazing!!

[uncleglen]

Garlic crusher

[Monkey]

Induction hobs coupled with two gas ones and oven and microwave at standing height - no more need to bend over...

[Piaf]

Hot water tap (space saving as no kettle and quick)

Induction job with big drawers underneath for pans etc

Double oven waist height and above with microwave inbuilt

Pantry cupboard like Belle has

As many drawers as you can afford (not as many as I would like!)

Integrated but full size fridge and freezer (latter really useful if kids)

We also have this cupboard which has a pull out extension table thing which has the magi mix already plugged in and set up. Dinky!

Spent on Quartz composite worktop but saved by having scrubbable washable paint splash back instead of tiles or glass

Good luck!

[redjam]

This thread is depressing me. Has no one else in ED got a bog-standard gas stove, electric oven, microwave and normal fridge? And (whisper it) laminated worksurfaces? God, I'm going to have to move; I'm singlehandedly bringing down house prices what with my single dishwasher and lack of breakfast bar.

On the other hand, I do have a husband that cooks like he's on Masterchef and does all the food shopping and cooking, which means I don't actually have to spend much time in the kitchen. So perhaps I'm the lucky one...

[goldilocks]

We have virtually all drawers - we only have a couple of cupboards (under the sink and above and below the cooker). Theyre' much easier than trying to find stuff in the back of cupboards. Also have a full height fridge and freezer which is great. If we had the space I actually think that 2 dishwashers would be amazing, but wouldn't work in our kitchen. We don't have a breakfast bar and I don't wish we did - although we do have a kitchen table so it would have felt like doubling up. Also a vote for induction hobs - takes a bit of getting used to and very (very) occasionally I miss gas, but every single time I clean it I remember why its amazing.

[Dodo1]

Large dishwasher/ dark work tops.

[bawdy-nan]

taps! hot water! cooker! fridge! food!

[bawdy-nan]

oh, and tea-towels,cling film, foil, spoons and pans!

[Bajanbelle]

Serious First World Problems!! So funny

[*Bob*]

Solid gold wok ring.

Diamond-encrusted ladle.

Money scales.

[HannahSE23]

Bajanbelle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Serious First World Problems!! So funny

Thanks everyone for those genuine responses so far. I really appreciate it.

To the others that think my original post came across as a 'first world problem'... I have lived with a kitchen that was installed in the 1970s for almost seven years because we haven't had the money to replace it until now - I would just like to get it right without wasting hard-earned cash on things that are unnecessary. Frustrating that I feel the need to defend myself!

[redjam]

Sorry, honaloona, don't think anyone is attacking you for your OP. I guess it's just slightly unfortunate phrasing that you asked for things people 'can't live without' in their kitchen and the replies included a second dishwasher and Quartz worktops. I freely admit this all boils down to jealousy: sadly I will have to struggle on living with my Tupperware being un-revolutionised a bit longer. But good luck with the refurb and don't let a bit of mickey-taking stop you enjoying it!

[Convex]

but its a saying isn't it,

'cant live without' = 'things you are really glad you have and would choose to have again'

perfectly reasonable OP. people get new kitchens sometimes.

[Saffron]

I thought the comments were funny, not offensive. It's good to be able to laugh at ourselves.

I'm in an overpriced rental with subpar kitchen... can't even change it! Would love to have an in-sink disposal, and replace oversized worktop microwave with smaller cabinet mounted version. I'm glad I've got gas hobs, can't stand induction ones. But the cheap gas oven never heats evenly, and stuff always comes out undercooked in spots. Definitely not my dream kitchen, but at least I've got a dishwasher!

Hope you find what you need. xx :)

[Jules-and-Boo]

a large tall fridge - the undercounter one I had would tend to keep things in tha back at the bottom I could never reach.....

an eye level built in over and a fast washing machine (with dryer built in)

lots of workspace

a double sink

dishwasher (can't believe I never thought you could actually have two - so thanks for that tip!)

[buggie]

Definitely an induction hob - wasn't sure I'd cope w/o gas, but am completely evangelical now!!

Don't think there's such a thing as too much storage especially pan drawers!

[BeccaL]

A friend of mine had drawers put into the bit where the kickboards go, so basically shallow in height but the depth of the unit. She swears by these for tupperware, cling film, foil, etc - and I wish we'd known about them when we'd done our kitchen. Really good use of otherwise wasted space. I think hers came from Howdens...