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AIBU?

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Original poster

New kitchen

113 replies

rainbowstardrops · 20/02/2025 18:11

This isn't really an AIBU but it kind of is at the same time.

The situation is, we're having a new kitchen very soon. Our old kitchen is being ripped out completely and being replaced (except for the white goods/fridge freezer etc)
What with levelling the floor, plastering the walls, new fuse boxes and then the whole refitting etc and it therefore means we're not going to have any sort of functioning kitchen for about three weeks (that's if there are no hiccups along the way). I'm dreading it.

We are lucky that we have two downstairs rooms but we obviously can't use the larger room when the floor is being levelled etc because we have to access it through the kitchen. But this room is where the fridge/freezer and all of the kitchen will be boxed up, plus the new kitchen units etc will have to be stored. I honestly don't know where we're going to put it all!
Anyway, I will have a slow cooker, an air fryer and a microwave in the larger room (somehow).
My AIBU is, how awful would it be to order a shit load of takeaways, or more importantly, what can I cook with my very limited cooking options?
It's me and two DC and an H that comes home at about 10pm
We usually rely on pasta etc but I won't have a hob.

I just need ideas for some meals please, or a thumbs up that we can all just eat shit for three weeks!
Joking. Obviously. Kind of.

OP posts:
MissHollysDolly · 21/02/2025 06:54

We did it for 3-4 weeks. The cooking wasn't the hard bit the cleaning up and prep was annoying!!!!
Instead of pasta, try microwave rice or cous cous (just add boiling water)
You can then do curries, tagines etc (cook sauce and meat in advance, freeze and reheat)
You can do pasta bake in the slow cooker
Air fryer opens up a world of possibilities.
You'll be fine!

SoftPlaySaturdays · 21/02/2025 06:35

Can people flip their day around? Get a hot meal at nursery/school/work and just have cold stuff at home? Cheese and crackers, sandwiches, M&S deli selection for a treat.

I'd also be eating out at the pub a fair few times I think! No washing up then.

Original poster
rainbowstardrops · 21/02/2025 06:17

That's what I'm thinking @Thewholeplaceglitters!!! I'm trying to think of creative meals but then another part of me thinks 'sod it'!
Please don't tell me it takes longer than three weeks 😩

OP posts:
Original poster
rainbowstardrops · 21/02/2025 06:15

@mumofoneAlonebutokay thanks for that link. They're not as expensive as I thought! Definitely something to consider.
I don't think we'll have running water downstairs for a while, as they're moving the washing machine etc. Can't wait to wash up in the basin upstairs 😵‍💫

OP posts:
SnippySnappy · 20/02/2025 19:24

Will you have access to a fridge or freezer at all or is that out too?

DilemmaDelilah · 20/02/2025 19:13

We just had a microwave and a kettle. Just two of us - no kids, and it was summer, but we mostly had microwave ready meals or cold food, with some takeaways.

Changepassword · 20/02/2025 18:50

We managed with just the air fryer, microwave and slow cooker, you can cook and freeze pasta, once it's defrosted, stand it in a pan of boiling water from the kettle to heat through, same with rice, cook it freeze it, maybe even in individual portions and microwave when needed.
We even managed a roast dinner, microwave veg, ready made mash, roasties in the air fryer and meat cooked in the slow cooker(I do this most of the time anyway)

Sk1sk0 · 20/02/2025 18:46

We had this a few years ago but it was summer and could bbq every night! Also had a rice cooker which you could look into? As you can also do pasta in there. But lean into the takeaways for a while too, it’s part of the renovation experience!

WiddlinDiddlin · 20/02/2025 18:41

We managed with air fryer and microwave in our living room for the few days the kitchen was totally inaccessible.

The floor really will only be inaccessible for around 12 hours, possibly less if the house is warmer, they should use a rapid set self levelling compound. We had our hall floor done, early Feb last year and no heating which slowed it down, but it was put down at 4pm, and we could walk across it by 8pm.
I've also seen people have it done half and half, leaving access through one side whilst the other sets and vice versa, but its obviously not ideal and won't work everywhere.

YANBU to get takeaways though, its bloody stressful having builders in and some rooms out of action and not really a time you want to be cooking if you can swerve it!

Thewholeplaceglitters · 20/02/2025 18:35

We got an Ikea plug in induction hob for our kitchen Reno. I was so prepped for doing loads of cooking in the little temporary kitchen I set up. In reality, we basically ate out / takeaway or at the most microwave meals the entire time (& it was a lot longer than 3 weeks). 7 years on the dc still talk fondly about ‘the time we had fish and chips and McDonald’s all the time’.

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 20/02/2025 18:32

rainbowstardrops · 20/02/2025 18:29

@mumofoneAlonebutokay I thought about getting some kind of camping hob type of thing but it's maybe more effort than it's worth I think?
To be fair, my DC aren't little and would LOVE a takeaway every night. Me? Not so much!
And they wouldn't be paying!!!

I've used one before, cheap and simple enough, and will save you money

😭😭 I can imagine the dc's would love a takeaway every night 🥰

Here's a link to a cheap one

Edit - will you have running water downstairs?

https://www.currys.co.uk/products/pifco-204776-double-electric-hot-plate-white-10244948.html?istCompanyId=bec25c7e-cbcd-460d-81d5-a25372d2e3d7&istFeedId=4d7eb93e-055f-499d-8ee5-1cdcc50d67d1&istItemId=lxpimrppx&istBid=t&srcid=198&cmpid=ppc~gg~0131+(Shopping+Ads)+SDA+SBRE+-+All+Products+-+PMAX~~Exact~71700000118672395~&mctag=gggoog7904&kwid=GOOGLE&device=m&dskids=&tgtid=0131+(Shopping+Ads)+SDA+SBRE+-+All+Products+-+PMAX&&gadsource=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwtu9BhC8ARIsAI9JHaktcPq1mXxU3z7x2ArJEgfoWYDHJik7BIfyNhcN2enfrU9VCd24saUaAhirEALwwcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Original poster
rainbowstardrops · 20/02/2025 18:29

@mumofoneAlonebutokay I thought about getting some kind of camping hob type of thing but it's maybe more effort than it's worth I think?
To be fair, my DC aren't little and would LOVE a takeaway every night. Me? Not so much!
And they wouldn't be paying!!!

OP posts:
mumofoneAlonebutokay · 20/02/2025 18:21

You can buy a cheap temporary hob unit - two hobs that can be plugged in anywhere, for your pasta

Yanbu at all to buy takeaways though as long as it isnt too expensive xx

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