Live alone? Tell me about your kitchen

[buckingfrolicks]

I'm having a new kitchen. I live alone and will do henceforth.

So do I really need ...

1. A big fridge freezer
2. A dishwasher
3. A tumble dryer
4. A double sink

Kitchen designers keep telling me I do, but I'm not convinced. It's a small kitchen and I want it as spacious as possible not rammed with stuff I don't use.

But I also don't want to regret not having eg a double sink!

I live alone and I currently have:

1. slimline dishwasher- do not use as I either don’t fill it enough or if I batch cook it doesn’t fit the large pans!
2. 1 1/2 sink: perfect, would keep this.
3. Large fridge freezer: fridge is usually half empty and definitely too big but the freezer is well used; love having a variety of ice cream choices in just for me, a frozen loaf, batch cooked food, baking cakes and then freezing most of them for later.
4. Washer-dryer combi: obviously use the washer all the time, the dryer function is rubbish. Have plenty of space to hang clothes to dry but am often really busy so if I had space for a dryer, would use it. Wouldn’t give up cupboard space for it though, I definitely don’t have enough of that!

The one thing I want that I don’t have currently is drawers! I think I would replace the dishwasher with a stack of drawers, but I may change my mind on that when my boyfriend moves in later next year!

I live alone and have a tiny kitchen.
I second a slimline dishwasher and no need for double sink.
I have a giant fridge freezer though with the freezer slightly bigger than the fridge. I freeze almost everything - sliced bread for toast, reduced bargains, ice cream, ice for drinks, left overs, value meat packs broken down into individual portions and have a lot of frozen veg for ease of meal prep.
I also have a tiny tumble drier that takes just 4 lbs. Great for doing my pants when it's too wet to dry outside.

4 kilos not lbs

Whether a dishwasher is useful depends more on how much you cook than how many people live there. If you cook from scratch every day, I'd get one, but if you live on ready meals, cereal and eating out, not so much.

1.5 bowl sinks are useful.

I would have some sort of fridge freezer unless you need undercounter only, perhaps if worktop space is limited.

If you have space for an airer, you can probably easily do without a tumble dryer.

I live alone and had my (smallish) kitchen re-designed recently. Of the four you've mentioned, I'd definitely have a dishwasher put in - it keeps a small kitchen tidy, apart from anything else. I know you said you don't cook, but a good sized freezer section on a fridge freezer has been incredibly useful for me as a way of saving money, and eating a good and varied diet - you can buy food in "normal" sized packs, and freeze half for the future, you can put sliced bread in there so that you don't waste half a loaf etc etc. As well as a built in oven, I had a small convection oven/microwave put in and that has been invaluable - in fact I frequently use it instead of the main oven to just heat up a small meal. So, I'd put that on the list if it isn't already!

I have:
A one and a half sink
Slimline dishwasher (use two or three times a week, but invaluable if I have visitors)
Built in under counter fridge and separate freezer (as height limited ceiling)
One and a half oven
Induction hob

My washer/dryer lives in the bathroom, suitably installed and concealed.

It’s the nicest/best equipped kitchen I’ve ever had.

Yes to everything except the American FF

A 1.5 sink is very useful
DW - I chuck everything in so it fills up at least 1 a day
TD - yes yes yes, I assume you wash bedding and washing hanging about the place is annoying. Get a good one with a delicates cycle. Or a good inter frayed WM TD as the time taken between loads isn’t an issue fir a single/couple like it is with a family.

And like PP says a good freezer is super useful if you live on your own

You will regret not having a tumble drier. Even if you produce less dirty clothes to wash/dry, it will still look messy around the place. Despite what anyone says, those heated Airers are no substitute.

I love my TD - it’s raining right now - bedding, done. Towels - done. Wash load of my clothes, done on a delicates dry.

My place would look so crappy having all that draped about.

Not everyone is bothered by clothes on an airer, especially if you have a spare room.

We have a dryer but only use it in winter and not everything can go on it. Many clothes are ruined in the dryer and anything at all comes out a creased mess.

I have a very small kitchen. I have
one and half sink which is really useful for rinsing etc if sink is full
Tall fridge-freezer. I keep spare milk, bread, etc. ice cream, a few ready meals, frozen veg, plus I sometimes batch cook to save weekday prep time.
I had a washer-drier from my last flat so brought that, which is useful to dry bedlinen and towels instead of draping round small house.
My luxury purchase when I moved in was a table top dishwasher. It keeps the kitchen tidy looking until it's full to run, rather than washing up sitting in the sink or having to hand wash after every meal and drink.
I also have a combi microwave which is great for oven cooking for one. I wouldn't be without it.