To ask what one thing you’ve done to a new kitchen that you can’t live without

[LaPampa]

Finally planning our first kitchen and looking for ideas from people who’ve done it before - What’s the best thing you put in or chose in your kitchen? (Or indeed, the worst)

USB plug sockets. Not just for the kichen but the whole house too!! Lots of USB things now come wothout sockets and it frees the sockets up. Best things ever!!

Also we have the induction hob on the breakfast bar without a filter hood. I dont think hoods are always needed. We've had no problems so far after 2 years.

Pull out pan drawers, pull out crockery drawers,( they are brilliant-I’m short and we have only one wall cupboard due to low beams etc) pull out larder unit. Lots of uncluttered work space. Enough sockets. We have a tea making zone ( away from the main cooking /prep zone) which works well. Hate my integrated fridge - it is too small and leaks so needs drying constantly or the unit will be damaged.

@Ginmakesitallok you are getting rid of your dishwasher?! Why?!

Dishwasher - by a mile....

Pullout bin under sink - kitchen compost caddy also fits there. I hate fancy kitchens with a bloody Brabantia bin shoved in a corner. Thousands spent on the kitchen and you don't hide the bin (which always seems to have bits of food/crumbs dropped around it).

Pull out spice /oils cupboard. Ours is only 300mm wide but fits a lot in. It was an addition we made and I'm so glad we did!

Wide pull out drawers under hob for saucepans/big dishes.

Dishwasher!

Dishwasher.

Favourite thing is a ceiling level extractor as the old chimney hood was a total nightmare and I used to bang my head on it all the time.

Next is my Joseph Joseph Totem bin. Section for rubbish, bottom section for recycling. It rocks.

Third is the custom bookcase covering a pipe box which stores my recipe books

Posh dishwasher - door opens automatically to let the steam out which massively improves drying of plastic stuff.

Last is the "appliance garage" with a sliding door so I can hide the toaster, kettle & kenwood chef if I want to.

Slightly disappointing things - 600mm two bowl sink is quite small & it is awkward to wash oven trays in.

My kitchen has two of everything: two dishwashers, two islands, two ovens. Built-in coffee machine would be my husband’s favourite feature, and mine would be subzero refrigerator drawers built into one of the islands.

I cannot believe people are not including dishwashers?! What's the fun in washing up? Why would you do that to yourselves?

Anyway, rant over. I love my little strip of LED lights. Economical and enough light for making tea etc

• larder cupboard.
• ice/water function on fridge.
• pull out drawers for spices/oils/vinegars by the hob.
• appliance cupboard to hide things away.

Things I would not repeat:

• combi microwave and oven: I really wish I had got a separate microwave. The combi one isn’t as good and someone invariably uses it as an oven right before I need to use it as a microwave (then it is far too hot).
• white granite worktops - look gorgeous but mark really easily.

And all I want is a potato ricer and I can't find one anywhere...…...

The walk in pantry. Best decision ever as I refused to have wall cupboards. There is an under stair cupboard there as well, and that’s where all my kitchen gadgets live.

@Ladiva1971 Ikea? www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/cookware/kitchen-utensils/idealisk-potato-press-stainless-steel-art-76114285/

All cupboards fitted with drawers. I don't have to bend down and fish around in the cupboards, just pull out the drawers. They are all sizes so I have some for big things like the slow cooker and sandwich toaster, some small for cutlery. Even the bin is in a big drawer with a lid on it.

That's exactly what I want but they never have them in stock at my local Ikea, will have to order online :P

I didn't include a dishwasher because it is quite an ordinary one and no-one has put washing machine or tumble drier which are also absolute musts.

The room faces east so I had French windows and sky lights put in.
In the summer, it takes seconds to eat outside, and now it’s dark in the mornings I can sit in peace with my first cup of coffee and watch the sun come up. Bliss.

I was away for 2 years and so missed my dishwasher. I detest washing up.
Just ordered my dream range cooker.
Really want a spray tap.

Totally baffled by the concept of designing a new kitchen without a dishwasher! I'd never in a million years buy a house without a dishwasher (or at least room/plumbing for one). I'd say they were a standard item in newer kitchens?

We have teeny tiny galley kitchen, so when we redesigned ours we put in double-height wall cupboards. We need a step to reach the top shelves, but tripled our storage space.

These cupboard organisers are great too:
www.lakeland.co.uk/24405/Caddy+Stack+Food+Cupboard+Organiser+Shelf+

And we can’t live without 1.5 sinks. Or pan drawers. We’d love an American fridge with an ice dispenser, but we don’t even have space for a freezer or dishwasher so that is out. I’d also love a massive stacked washing machine and tumble drier rather than our integrated washer-drier - they work so much better.

Stpancras not all kitchens are big enough! Ours is 2.5x1.5m with an inconveniently-placed floor-to-ceiling window, so it was either a dishwasher or a washing machine, we couldn’t fit both.

Here is our kitchen when we moved in.l (looks much nicer now). I’m standing in the doorway, window to the left, sink and fridge to the right. There is no floor space left for anything else!

Gazelda, I too am quite short but have had wall cupboards fitted and can't reach to top shelves. I put all my hardly ever used stuff there and have a small folding step under the sink if I need to reach them when my tall OH isn't available 😂
If your kitchen is small, try having the wall cupboards in a light colour and paint the walls the same colour so they blend in more. Also, have plenty of lighting put in under them so you're not always working in your own shadow.

Ladiva1971

Potato ricers here and here.

Check IKEA's delivery charge before ordering.