IKEA Kitchens - what's useful and what isn't?

[Roset190]

We're about to install an Ikea kitchen. There are so many draw inserts, pull outs, clever extras, etc.

What have you found useful from Ikea Kitchen fittings and what has been a waste of time?

Can't add to this, but I'd like to follow!

Just commenting so I can watch along as this is where we will be getting ours from.

I like the little pull out ironing board, and the kickboard drawers, so hopefully they come recommended

Ooh hadn't spotted those drawers. On my list now!

We had an IKEA kitchen fitted about 18 months ago which I absolutely love. Some of the best bits:

Pan drawers - we’ve got two lots. One for pans and one for Tupperware.

Spice drawer - we’ve got two drawers under the hob. The tops one is for spices and the second for tea towels and foil

Laundry basket - We’ve got a cupboard with a hidden drawer which hosts the “messy drawer” and a fabric laundry basket - we’ve not got a utility so this is handy especially with kids.

Pull out “filler” drawer. We’ve got a slim pull out drawer which we use for trays on the bottom and squash at the top

The great thing we found with IKEA is that they had loads of good ideas for the space in the kitchen and all of the drawer inserts so that everything stays in place.

We wanted to have a freestanding American style fridge and IKEA built a fitted united encasing this, our oven, microwave, oven tray drawers and a shelf for cookery books. It looks really smart and very expensive (but wasn’t)

Marking place! We’ll be ordering ours soon.

@HermannlovesPauline
Any chance of a picture as that sounds just like what I’ve been trying to persuade my OH we need in our new kitchen!

I mean the unit to encase your fridge

Drawers everywhere. High sides for the bottom. In drawer utensils holder for your pan drawer. So convenient.

@gassylady

Here you go:

Top cupboard is the cereal and flour section, then microwave, then oven, then pan drawers, we use these ones for frying pans and baking dishes.

This is the bodbyn range.

I have a dishwasher, so didn't really want a sink with a draining board, but still needed one. There is a draining board in the cupboard above the sink, it's really handy. Also have a slim pull out cupboard next to my hob which has all my spices in, so handy as well.

Spinning corner cupboard s ok, as in the pull out shelving on the floor, but suppose you lose some space inside, depends what you can fit in your kitchen.

I wish we had used the IKEA fitters, as the robbing bastard recommended by a friend builder/joiner who did it did the worse job and I am currently saving to replace his bodge job.

Thank you that’s very smart just the sort of thing I’m after

I got an IKEA kitchen done a couple of years ago. @AdditionalCharacter I used IKEA's fitters and they did the sloppiest, most thoughtless job ever. It was awful and I cried. I complained at the time and in writing to them and to IKEA (they don't fit themselves, they just link you up with their recommended fitters) and heard nothing back other than a 'sorry to hear that, speak to the fitters' from IKEA. I had to pay 4 different trades to put it right and I'm still cross every time I look at the state of the flooring.

Anyway, breathe... I really like the kitchen itself. Bits I like:

• spinning shelves in the corner cupboard. I wanted the pull-out version but there wasn't space. The spinning one is fine.

• the cupboard above the built-in fridge-freezer. I bring massive bags of rice and pasta up there but it's also a great size for boxes of cereal.

• lots of deep drawers for pans, mixing bowls, the blender etc. I have one cupboard with shelves that I keep plates and bowls in, another for cupboard bits and the rest are all drawers. Works beautifully.

• the very shallow drawer under the oven where I keep baking trays.

• the drawers-within-a-drawer. It looks like one big drawer but has mini drawers inside. Makes everything look neat.

• the pull-out bins under the sink make sorting rubbish and recycling really easy.

• the under-cupboard lighting is great for work surfaces.

I wanted a tall, thin cupboard for spices but sadly there wasn't room.

The only thing I don't like (except for the floor ) is the induction hob. It works brilliantly but is a beast to turn on. It won't recognise that I'm pressing the unlock button until it's turned itself off again a few times, the moon is in the east and Jupiter is in the 5th quadrant. I often feel sweary at it.

What are the kickboard drawers called? I can’t find them.

The pull out bins are brilliant. Definitely the softeners so doors close gently. Draining board hidden in cupboards over double sink. I love the base units with 5 different size drawers, so useful.