What would be in your ultimate fitted kitchen?

[McDreamy]

I am getting a new kitchen and apart from wanting a range cooker I have no idea what other exciting things I could get! It's a result of having to put up with years and years of married quarter kitchens which, shall we say, are a little dated

Two sinks. When we were getting our eye wateringly expensive kitchen they wanted us to get a regular sink and a veg prep one on the island unit. We scoffed. I regret it every day. It would be fab. Black granite worktop; looks lovely, bugger to clean!

Omg where to begin? I'd love a full height corner cupboard with twirly shelves. That seems such a great use of space to me and no poking about trying to find stuff.

Basically though as many cupboards as you can get to keep the kitchen worktops clutter free. That way it's easier to clean and easier to use. (Oh I am so )

Waste disposal unit = no maggots in the bin every summer. Dh has banned our caddy.

Boiling water tap = never have to wait for a kettle to boil. We have one at work.

Smooth splash back not tiles.

Cold water tap on your dominant hand side. I have thought about this before as you can tell.

We have a Villeroy and Boch porcelain sink with extra quarter bowl. It is the best thing we got for our kitchen. It's something like this and is beautiful, has done almost 10 years already and when it's cleaned up (which doesn't happen often and doesn't need to!) it's gorgeous!

A chef and housmaid.

Gino Di Campo.

Narrow pull out larder cupboards. 2 dishwashers - you don't unload the clean one you just use it like a cupboard.

Plate warmer.

No tiles - glass or something without grout is much easier to clean

Plenty of storage space for your recycling

Consider an area of extra deep worktop so you can have toaster and kettle along the back and still have full depth in front.

Lots of worktop

A cupboard with enough height for broom, mop etc (doesn't have to be in kitchen)

It is nice to dream of gadgets and things, but if you are going to be in that house for a good while it is worth investing in good solid bones of the kitchen. Strong well fitting cupboards and a hard wearing floor.

Oooh yes, if money were no object, I'd be having an Amtico floor - they're lovely.

Underfloor heating. Lights in the back of the cupboards so you can see what's in there. Fitted coffee machine. Double oven. Range hob. Recycling bin thingy. Really, really good dishwasher. Wine fridge. Beer fridge. Glass cupboards with lights in for my best glasses. Little spaces in the drawers for special gadgets and cutlery. Deeeep drawers that pull out. Corian surfaces.

I've given this some thought.

2 dishwashers

just building a house at the mo and have just finilised our kitchen....we have gone for 2 ovens side by side ...induction hob (very excited about this !!) with 5 rings, american larder style fridge , pull out larder cupboards either side, tubular extractor.......can't wait , have been cooking in a static caravan since August ;-(

Pan drawers instead of cupboards where ever possible. Much easier to get to and therefore much better storage.

Microwave that is not on the worktop

Decent prep space ergonomically laid out

Wardrobe-style larder cupboard

Really good accessible base and corner units with pull-outs

Effortlessly stylish looking (not sure how I will achieve this one)

Space for a squashy armchair - you need somewhere to sit when waiting for things to cook! A high breakfast bar with extra comfy high chairs for when friends drop in for a natter. A flat screen tv visible from over the hob/sink, nice bookcase for receipe books, integrated speakers for iPod, iPod dock...

Would love a flat screen tv in the kitchen!!!!

Great ideas. I was going to go for a range but I think I might also do the 2 ovens side by side and an induction hob (which also means new pans!). Fla screen tv - now there's an idea!

Have my new kitchen of 2 months.....these are what I love.

Waste Disposal Unit ( a controversial one as many don't like them - I love the fact that my smelly waste disappears down a big grindy place and there are no drippy slops in my bin).

A well worked out workspace where you can empty a dishwasher with only a few movements (I have mugs / cups/glasse above it and two large "pan" type 800 mm drawers behind with all my crockery - it's marvellous). And a lovely big workspace area for cooking. My island unit is my saviour

An induction hob - fantastic. They heat water quicker than a kettle, look nice with one easy wipe when done and I am loving it. You say you're having a range so this won't probably won't be your cup of tea. I did have to buy new pans but got a good deal off Amazon for a basic Stellar set (about £100 for 5 pans including a new saucepan) - my newer items (a Jamie wok etc) all worked and the induction works with any Le Creuset - I have several casseroles so would have been gutted if these didn't work there.

Double oven (well a one and a half one is a cooker and one a combi) - at a convenient height - (ie not at floor level and not too high up - I'm quite short). Having them side by side is popular but I have a bank of units across a wall with a fridge freezer, larder, ovens with cupboards above and below and , larder

My most favourite item though is the two larder cupboards with pull out metal shelves - you can store the most amazing amount of stuff in those things and actually see everything easily. I absolutely love them. If I had room for a larder walk in cupboard I might have considered that but some sort of larder cupboard where it's easy to view everything so your cooking/shopping is easier - no rooting around the back of a cupboard to find a tin you lost 10 years ago.

Underfloor heating if you have tiles...is a must - cold feet gives you achy legs and make sure they position the hot spots where you stand the most to prep - my clever builder worked all this out !

My kids love the island unit which doubles as a breakfast bar - they sit up there and eat (when we're not eating as a family at the table.) whilst I can chat with them and do stuff like make packed lunches/stuff for DH's dinner/unpack the dishwasher etc - it's nice and sociable and when my friends come round they sit up there with coffee....

Space for a table in the kitchen if you can manage it.

Thanks for your ideas/tips Braoadwalk. I think I am going to ditch the range idea and go for 2 side by side self cleaning ovens and an induction hob. I didn't know Le Cruset worked on induction hobs, that's great news for me as I have quite a few of their pans and I thought I would have to ditch the lot and start again.

I would love an island but the kitchen part of my kitchen is too narrow so we are thinking of having half a breakfast bar.

I am moving my fridge to another wall with a larder cupboard beside it with pull out drawers rather then pulling out the whole thing (IYKWIM).

I hadn't considered waste disposal, will add that to my list.

Our floor is already tiled, it's good quality (according to kitchen man) and neutral so we aren't going to replace it although if I did I would put underfloor heating in as it's a bit chilly in winter.

The room is a kitchen diner so I already have my table in the diner bit, that can stay!

We're getting under unit fan heaters so at least you get the warmth where you need it!

We could get underfloor heating but my friend's is expensive to run and takes ages to warm up etc.

I am tempted to get 2 induction rings and 2 gas - am paranoid about power cuts!

Cargirl my friends floor is the same, she has to put it on 24 hours before she wants a warm room although she has been tld she she is using it incorrectly. She should have it on all the time very low that way it's always warm and cheaper than turning it on and off all the time. I don't know enough about it to know if this is right though.

yes I know but I don't want my floor heated 24/7 - it would be too hot most of the time just enough to take the chill of on the winter mornings when I get my cup of coffee first thing!

UNDERMOUNTED SINKS!!!!

They look soooo cool

Depends on whether your underfloor is electric or connected to the central heating. We had our heating system re-done completely when we had our house renovated and the kitchen is in our new extension with the underfloor heating.

That underfloor system is central heating (not electric) but it's on a different system from the rest of the house with a different thermostat and timer. What I do is have it on from 6.30am to 10pm at night and there is a constant "warmth" in there - the tiles heat up so even if you then turn the thermostat down the floor is nice to walk on as they retain the heat. I turn the stat down low during the day and up again at night. I haven't ever had to turn up past 20 degrees and generally it's on about 15/16 - if you saw the room you'd think that it would be cold as we have lots of windows but the kids run round without their clothes on in there.....And a friend of mine who came the other day who always has more than enough jumpers on - actually took one off (shock, horror)

The rest of the house heating is off which actually works for us as we tend to live in the extension. The bathrooms have underfloor heating which comes on for an hour or so at bathtime and the bedrooms are lovely a chilly for snuggling under the duvet ! I'll be interested to see how our heating bills come out in the next few months but that's what we do anyway.

Floor heaters and a pair of slippers will do nicely if the underfloor heating is not possible now !! (despite my long spiel above waxing lyrical about the benefits of underfloor heating)