What should I include/avoid in new fitted kitchen

[salsamad]

Having a new fitted kitchen in the near future and Ive never done this before.
I feel a bit overwhelmed with all the choices for cupboards, units, surfaces, sinks, appliances etc. I was wondering if any of you had advice of things we should definitely include or avoid.
We are not having an island and there will be units across 3 of the 4 walls.
We have a square window and also French doors out to the patio, so plenty of natural light and a four seater oak table & chairs are in the kitchen too.
We are keeping our reasonably new tiled floor so having to match in that for cupboard colour/work surface. (Have attached pic of our floor tile).
We are thinking smooth shaker style door fronts in Matt finish but can’t decide on colour - just know we don’t want a dark colour.
Quartz or laminate work surface? Is using an eye-level integrated microwave more dangerous than one on the work top?
Glass or acrylic back panels behind hob or tiles or something else?
Stainless steel or composite sink?
Cooker hood - does glass on it attract more grease?
Integrated pull out bin - do they make cupboards smell?
Induction hob - are they worth the extra money?
Should we consider one company does it all or buy separately & get a fitter?
Any ideas welcome and any advice on companies to choose or avoid too.

Have your dishwasher next to your crockery, glass and cutlery storage. So much quicker and easier when you unload the dishwasher. Avoid any sort of wooden worktop near your sink.

Boiling water tap
Drawers wherever you can
Integrated/planned in bins
Quartz worktops

This is a good point. Our dishwasher is now right next to where we store dishwasher safe crockery, and I can't believe how much difference it has made.

Quooker - saves so much time.
not tiles - so hard to clean grout. Glass is sooooo much better.
I have granite counter tops and as splash back too, (and shelves) so easy to clean. get a bit of a pattern so crumbs are less noticeable and you don’t have to clean all the time.
I have an Everthot (electric with induction hob and hot plate/simmer plate) again saves so much time.
Integrated bins are great, especially if you have pets. No trawling through bins by the dog.
my microwave is in a cupboard, I only use it for defrosting stuff or reheating hit drinks.
Big pan draws and tray draws are brill.
I know kitchen designers who would never put in dark cabinets, due to finger marks. We have them on our very used island and they don’t show up finger marks anymore than the rest of our cabinets which are white.

Agree that a hot tap is an absolute must!
Yes to integrated bins.
Get the best work surfaces your budget will stretch to. Definitely not laminate.
Use the same material as your work surface for upstands and splash back to hob for a high end look.
I’d recommend pan drawers too!

Separate pantry room, we only keep breakfast cereal in the kitchen cupboard.

have you tried "bar keepers friend"powder when i had a belfast sink it really shifted stains and i still use it on my sink now,tried them all and nothing else compares

Thanks so much to everyone who has commented and offered advice. ☺️
We are definitely having an induction hob now (currently have gas) and the integrated bins too.
I’m also leaning towards glass splash backs.
Still unsure on chest/eye level microwave. We wouldn’t have a boiling water tap as they use too much energy. I think it’ll be a grey composite 1.5 sink and probably laminate work surfaces.
I’m lucky that I’ve got a tall under-stair cupboard as you walk into kitchen from hallway . My DH wanted to get rid of it to give us more room in the kitchen but the gas meter is in there so any extra space would have been minimal and the cupboard is invaluable and holds the ironing board, airer, mop, hoover, coats, outdoor shoes etc.
I think reading everyone’s experiences and ideas has been really helpful.
Ive seen a cupboard/work surface design I quite like in dove grey and I’ve included a pic.
Thanks everyone.

That’s lovely

Love the kitchen in your pic OP

I am really struggling to understand how the fuck that happened? Surely they take out what was there, rewire and place new sockets where they need to go. If they don't know where to put them, surely they ask? Bizarrre.

I LOVE:
my quartz worktop with inset sink and cut in drainer grooves
Stretchy tap
Intergrated bin
Drawer under oven for oven trays
All drawers or pull out cabinets on bottom
Minimal cupboards on top
Cabinet for glasses
Induction hob is great - treated myself to a new le creuset stovetop kettle as it's so fast
larder cupboard

Integrated micro works fine. Glass hood is easy to clean. We went white doors , total pain I'm constantly wiping them. Wish we had got an integrated bin and a pull out spice rack. Laminate work top looks just as good and so much cheaper. Black sink, I love it.

Ours is shaker style and it is the first thing I would change, the ledges are a pain in the arse.

Things I like, integrated appliances for tidy look, drawer under oven for oven trays, integrated microwave, induction hob, small sink drainer as we rarely use it, deep drawers instead of bottom cupboards, extra tall upper cupboards (need a small step to get to top shelf, but excellent for storing things not used as often) space for a decent sized recycling bin. Removable oven doors and cooker hoods for cleaning. Soft close hinges.

Would you mind telling me what hob you bought?

That goes for everyone actually - I'm trying to buy my appliances independently to save money but don't want to compromise on quality. I'd be really interested to hear about the brands in your kitchen!

I’m another who prefers base units with drawers rather shelves. An eye-level microwave works perfectly for me. I have a tall pull out larder unit (300 wide) which is an absolute boon: metal shelves on a runner house many items and bear a colossal weight.
What I would change in my present kitchen: I wouldn’t have a extractor hood or in-cupboard lights as I seldom use them. I’d separate the hob and ovens so they’re not aligned.
Like my NDN, I’ve got my eye on IKEA. Our houses have an under stairs cupboard which she’s considering blocking off in the hallway and opening up in the kitchen as a pantry.

Avoid square sinks. I mean really angular ones. Mine is 1.5 bowl and really angular which makes it a nightmare to clean.

I have an integrated bin and love it, it doesn't smell.

If you like that Howdens one, try Diykitchens.com better quality and cheaper.

I love our pan drawers. Think about layout and how YOU use the kitchen- I spent absolutely ages working out where hob etc should go based on how I use the kitchen.

I love my stretchy tap.

Avoid wooden work surfaces

Place holding, as going through getting a new kitchen too. Not really a replacement, because the house was derelict but more starting new in an existing shell.

Several builders have said don't get a wren kitchen. One said benchmarx were ok.

I previously had a shaker style with a plastic wrap in a very small kitchen. The wrap near the oven warped and peeled over the years and the shaker groves became filthy. I'm now looking at solid wood painted doors without the plastic wrap. Also looking at modern shaker with a bevelled edge, not a 90' angle shaker. The bevel should make its much easier to clean.

I've heard the term 'appliance garage' used in similar posts. Have a think about what large and bulky appliance you need to store- slow cooked, pressure cooker, mixer, airfryer, bread maker etc and whether you have enough very deep drawers or cupboards to accommodate them.

Get more electric plugs that you think you'll need. The dark corner you have no plans for, might turn out to be a better place to use or charge XYZ.

For years I had a free standing microwave above head height, on top of the fridge/freezer without issue. The fridge was only maybe 155cm, with the microwave on top, so not 2m tall, but still above my head height at the top.

There are also microwave drawers, but that is a whole other rabbit hole to read up about. After investigation, there seems to be only 1 company that can even supply these to the UK, and other than a bespoke kitchen, have not found any brands which make a carcass to accommodate these. They seem a great idea though!