most useful kitchen household item

[hex]

We're planning a new kitchen and wondered what recommendations anyone might have regarding stuff in their kitchen. For instance, are those pull-out larders really good? Has anyone got a pull out ironing board (can you thread skirts over it to iron or do they get trapped?); is a utility room necessary? Any tips gratefully received

lucky you i'd love a new kitchen

We have a utility room and it's great. At this time of year it doubles as a larder as it's so cold.

would love a utility room.

Good space saver: metal rail on ceiling/wall for hanging pots and pans.

squirty tap thing

like this

it is fab

I love my untility room (and only wish I'd asked for it to be even bigger). We also love our island, the really deep and wide drawers under the hob, the downlights under the cupboards that shine down on the work surface.
And the thing we most regret NOT having..... the slow closers on the drawers so that they never slam shut. Reallt really wished we'd paid the bit extra for those.

the other thing, in the utility room, one of those old fashioned ceiling airers that you pull up and down with a string mechanism. Got if from ikea years ago. Very useful.

errr...cooker??

gordon ramsay

slow closers are great, inside cupboard thing for corners excellent but only if you get a really good quality one and they are bloody expensive. and i'd agree with cd on the suirty tap on a hose, makes rinsing easier as you take the water to the plate, iykwim? the only thing i miss in our small kitchen is two sinks... that's luxury. (but we do have two dishwashers...)

dishwasher

double sink w/nozzle tap

Me. I'm bloody useful in the kitchen (what with being the only one in our house who knows where it is ...)

Utility room
Dishwasher
Undercupboard lights

DH. Best kitchen item ever! I never let him out!

Sorry. That wasn't helpful, was it? Just feeling bitter and twisted 'cos I was promised a new kitchen over a year ago and I still have a hovel instead. Flooring, though: are tiles a nuissance because everything you drop on them breaks? (Or am I just particularly clumsy??).

Big sink - even with dishwasher. Usefull for so may things.

Dishwasher with extra internal height - can fit so much more in mine than my sister's.

Spend all you can on good quality appliances.

2 sinks, if you have room

Biiiiiig fridge! We have a built in one that is the size of a normal fridge and freezer and is wonderful (as nearly everything needs storing in the fridge nowadays). We also have the soft closers which are great. If you have room we have a "breakfast" type table built in with cupboards underneath to store all of the cereals which is fantastic. We have a utility room which is great for hiding away all the washing/dog etc.

Oh and LOADS of electrical sockets. Think about where you might need sockets for things like Coffee machine, breadmaker etc.

We don't have a fancy kitchen, but on the basis that every time I open our larder (a tall, deep cupboard really) something falls on my head, I'd say a pull out larder would be great! (Have used one at a friends and it was fab, nothing gets lost at the back.)

where i work we have a bin in a pull out unit thing under the island unit... its fab cause all of the crumbs made on the island unit get swept straight into the bin!

If you get an island unit definitley get a space for the bin built into it!

Cheers for all this. Me and dh are currently fighting over whether to have a utility room or not. He argues (and he's right) that it will significantly take off room from our planned kitchen extension. I hate having the washing basket around, overflowing with clothes waiting to be ironed. So, I wondered whether a big cupboard would be the answer - so we could stick a couple of baskets, the iron and board in there until the ironing gets done (which is practically never).

When I looked at the pullout larder things in mfi, they didn't seem very stable..what's the best manufacturer of units?

And lastly, has anyone got a 2 drawer dishwasher (saw one in mfi last weekend)..peykal and sthg?? (sp?)

under cupboard lighting - can see what you are doing better and can also light kitchen in a nice soft way in the evening.