If you’ve had a new kitchen in the last few months

[Rogerstreasures]

What do you wish you hadn’t bothered having fitted? Is there some gadget you wouldn’t be without now? I’m having a new kitchen fitted in the next couple of months so I’m doing a bit of research.

The only thing I’d change about mine is to have all drawers rather than cupboards, or at least have those pull-out wire shelves. I’ve got ‘le mans’ style units in the corners, which are brilliant, and one small, pull-out cupboard next to the cooker but I wish everything was pull out. It’s much easier to see things.

Things I love are my Neff slide-and-hide oven and the under-plinth lighting. It’s just bright enough for me to make a cup of tea in the evenings without having to put all the lights on.

Are you me? 😱

My new kitchen, finished week before xmas, is like this. The more cupboards you have the more crap you hide at the back of them.

I have a larder cupboard for food - basically a giant wardrobe with drawers at the bottom. Brilliant.

A drawer for crockery, one for mugs, one for oven pans and lids. A kitchen odds and sods drawer with a built in cutlery tray on top. Cupboards next to the oven to hold oven trays, dishes, kitchen foil etc. A corner cupboard, with baskets that automatically pull out, for large bowls, Tupperware etc. The actual pans for the hob are hanging on a rack next to it.

Open shelves on the top level with plants, jars of nuts, beans, flours etc (vegan) and the nicer looking bits of tableware like jugs.

Took all the stuff that I never use to the charity shop before xmas. Did have a bit of a pang when I saw my lovely old ceramic utensils pot on their shelves - but I now only need the ONE pot which I kept, as who needs 3 slatted serving spoons ready to use ?

Seriously, @Rogerstreasures be ruthless, unless you are a big household - who regularly needs to feed 15+ people - you probably don't need a lot of the stuff you already have.

I LOVE my open shelves - they just make the (small) kitchen feel so much bigger, but the larder cupboard (with racks in the door ) is my pride and joy.

I didn't go for the hot tap - frankly, for me, it's one more appliance to potentially go wrong. ExH was fond of a kitchen gadget and our last kitchen was a wasteland of "seemed like a good idea at the time" equipment.

This time I kept it simple, clear work surfaces, minimal clutter, bliss.

I would not be without my 'space tower', bin drawer, large storage drawers, sockets beneath breakfast bar, tall wall cupboards and 'le mans' corner storage to maximise space.

Nothing I have that I wished I didn't.

Not very good at gauging measurements to be honest but I’d say approximately three metres by five metres? Don’t really fancy the idea of open shelves, I prefer everything to be behind a door.

I wish I had a deep enough drawer to stack baking trays sideways.

We got the insinkerator boiling water tap and I'm not overly impressed because it is not hot enough. I like my tea very very hot and this isn't...

I'm glad we spent a decent amount on bosch oven and 2nd oven/microwave all built in. I also got way more cupboards than I tallied up to need and have used them all so another good move if you can.
The bins in the cupboard are a bit of a pain, expensive and the door of going to fall off soon due to constant opening and the kids swinging the door back on its hinges.

Drawers instead of cupboards - fab, especially the deep ones that house chopping board, baking sheets etc standing up.
Tall larder cupboard with pull out drawers - very fab
Quooker cube - only I wanted it. We al love it and loads more water now.
Fridge freezer with deep full width drawers under double door fridge - so much better than those with full length doors.
Bin drawer - great way of keeping bin, recycling and compost bag hidden away.
Half a cupboard doorless for microwave - I would now have another shallow one for Amazon show to keep it off worktop.
Two full sized sinks so much better than a 1.5 one - hardly used half sink when we had one.

Couple of add-ons from Ikea/Amazon that have been good - magnetic knife rack, bamboo extendable drawer dividers for organising utensil drawers, stick on spinny hooks on which you can hang several spatulas, whisks etc - they really help to keep worktops clear while having essentials to hand.

Under cabinet lights waste of money for us.

We chose to have no wall cupboards at all. We have all drawers, a mix of deep and shallower and just the one cupboard with pull out wire shelves.

It is so much better with just drawers. You open the drawer and you can see what is in there unlike opening a cupboard and you can't easily see the things at the back. Plus you have to reach into the back of cupboards to get things which you don't have to do with drawers.

We have a Neff hide and slide which we love and a Neff microwave above it.

We had thought about getting a hot water tap thing but having used my sister's when we stayed with her we didn't think much of it so decided against it

I love my cupboards to the ceiling. My one thing I would change is that the utility room sink isn't big enough. It's standard size, but I really wanted to be able to fit my oven shelves in it to wash, and my big BBQ grill. But even though I was worried about it being too small, I didn't properly enquire about getting it changed at the design stage, and I should have. The deep drawers are brilliant, and I also have a really shallow "pantry cupboard" in the utility room that is perfect fitting packs of flour, pasta, tins/jars etc. I love that too.

Recently finished and my thoughts are:

Hot water tap - I had it to save counter space but perhaps controversially I don’t love it. It’s convenient but I don’t think it makes as nice a cup of tea as water from a kettle. Handy to fill pans though.

Tall wall cabinets - extra space but now I need a stool in the kitchen to reach the top shelves.

Integrated microwave - had this before but would definitely recommend

Integrated bin - love it

Quartz worktops - love, love, love

We've got a boiling water tap...I love it! Oven built in and high so no more leaning down to get things in and out .

Things I love

Boiling water tap
Swing out shelving thingy in corner cupboard
Lots of deep drawers
Pull out spice rack cupboard

Boiling water tap I wouldnt be without now, big drawers for storing crockery and saucepans etc rather than floor cupboards. Mistakenly chose a sink without the small middle section and it annoys me daily 😂

The quooker &cube , I couldn't live without that.
Double ovens as Christmas proved.
A pantry to hide the microwave oven and vegs, glasses etc
I haven't used my wine fridge as yet even though it has wine in it.
Insinkerator has been a blessing.
An extractor fan with an external motor has been fabulous for cookathons, especially if I'm making a 12hr bone broth .

I wish I'd gone with a slide and hide oven over a double oven. I use my air fryer more than the oven now and the odd time I do use the top oven, I burn myself getting things out of it.

What make did you get? Maybe I need a different brand. Is it hot hot hot 🤣

So I hate bright lights and use the under counter lights all day every day ! 🤣

Not about gadgets but - I’ve always loved a real stone worktop. In my previous kitchen I was too nervous to go for it as heard they’re prone to staining. This time round I did some research and found a stone that had a colour and markings that would ‘camouflage’ any stains, and I’m so happy with it (and no staining yet) - it’s pricey, but worth it if you have the budget. (Taj Mahal quartzite)

I also decided to get the whole kitchen installed before choosing the tiles as last time I regretted my choice. This way I can see how the samples look in the actual new kitchen with the new worktop.

Lastly, we got the units from DIY Kitchens. Our kitchen fitter said the quality is the same as more expensive brands. Just make sure the fitter is good as that makes all the difference.

Some brilliant advice there, thanks everyone.

Ours has just been done. Only small so no gadgets but I am happy that we have used every little space rather than covering over them with a fascia like the designer wanted!

timbre worktops - already stained and that’s with being careful. We’re not staying here long term so no point putting in granite/quartz. Dh is a laminate snob.

Love our pull out spice rack next to range.

Where did you get your pull out spice rack? We're currently talking to the JL kitchen designer and they don't seem to have one (!!!).

@MerelyPlaying @mydogisthebest how is the steam cooking with your slide-and-hide? I would like one but the steam functionality seemed so much fiddlier than the Bosch ovens...

I love my double sink (not 1.5), my pull out floor to ceiling larder and having more drawers than I thought I would like. My quartz worktop is such a happy place.

I decided against an insinkerator and and a boiling water tap. Still glad about that decision.

@Paperbagsaremine my oven doesn’t have a steam function 🥲 my friend has a fancier version that does steam, but mine is more basic. It cost enough as it was, I reckon I can put a tray of water in if I need steam! I do love it, it’s got a dough-proving function, various different ways of heating (and most of the time I only use one) and it is self cleaning.

The Neff oven was the only thing in the kitchen that I knew I wanted. I let the kitchen fitter design the rest of it, and I’m really happy with what he did. I’m terminally indecisive! I didn’t have integrated cupboards for the washer and dishwasher, I have only floor cupboards no wall cupboards, and I went for a cheapish laminate worktop. I love cooking and spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and it’s more important to me that it’s functional rather than looking stylish. It wouldn’t suit everyone, but I absolutely love it.