New kitchen everything - any must haves?

[monkeysmama]

My lovely shiny new kitchen should be finished in the next few days . It is quite small and I am not a fan of cluttered spaces. However we gave/threw everything apart from pots and pans away and are starting from scratch!

We need everything from a breadbin to plates, cups, cutlery, knife block.

It feels quite exciting but daunting knowing where to start. Should we just head to Ikea with a list?

Also, any kitchen musthave suggestions?

TIA.

Ooh, a kitchen thread

God, I'm jealous. Would start by looking at ideal home kind of magazines and getting ideas. Ikea catalogues too!

We replaced as we went along. Can you afford Habitat/ Conran Shop/ Heals? If not look at their websites for ideas. I splashed out years ago on plates from Habitat and they still look like new and have even been dropped on floor and not broken.

My kitchen must have would be to buy the best knives you can afford.

Sorry if I've depressed you. I'm skint at the mo and dream of shopping all the time!!

Thanks for suggestions so far.

Have a decent budget but don't want to spend money if we don't need to iyswim. I'm not sure what to splash out on and vice versa.

Any knives suggestions?

Magazines are a good idea I didn't think of - thank you.

I have been building up a little collection of Global Japanese ones. I love them and love sharpening them too!

Kitchen Direct ...think that's the name... has good website with loads of stuff, good prices too.

Fired Earth has lovely inspirational brochures and website.

Happy hunting.

Have you heard of Pampered Chef? Their knives are brilliant! You can order online from them.

I am a bit new to kitcheny things. It's very exciting though and am storing all these suggestions for a big Internet session tonight.

Global knives, and one of those magnetic strips to hold them.

Habitat Brighton cutlery is lovely and won't date

Eva Solo knife rack - v neat looking but so flexible and easy to keep clean.

Ikea crockery and glasses seem to chip way too easily but haven't tried their utensils.

TKMaxx is good for random bargains - got some great silicon utensils and baking trays in there v cheap.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Planning an Ikea trip but am going to Habitat this weekend so will have a look there too.

Lion Sabatier knives are brilliant - we got ours when we got married nine years ago and they are still superb.

Denby crockery - good quality and dishwasher/microwave safe.

Above all, however, I would advocate Le Creuset saucepans/ casseroles - I got my first on my 18th birthday (15 years ago ) and it is like new despite being used all the time. Great investment pieces. If you live near Bicester there is a Le Creuset outlet shop.

I love my Denby - I nearly cried when they emailed me to say it's been discontinued .

Knives and pans are the things I'd invest in, although if money was no object I'd love a Dulite toaster - so pretty.

I couldn't live without my electric steamer.

Le Creuset stainless steel pans are fantastic, but I think you said you already had pans?

Oh yes, Denby crockery. The only good thing to come of DP's first marriage

Emma Bridgewater

Garden Trading both good hunting grounds.

Cannot help re kni*es, have a phobia and don't own any.

This is my kitchen must have.

That and a magnetic knife rack (available in Ikea for about £3)

I love to have things wall mountable, and also put hooks on the doors inside all my cupboards for hanging cloths, mugs, all kinds of other useful stuff in a more organised way.

I also highly recommend vertical storage for baking pans/cookie sheets etc... It's really easy to DIY it. Just install some dowels in the cupboard that the pans slot between, and then you'll be able to get the one you want in and out without all of them falling on you every time!

ooh, great idea gracie.

Any other tips I can steal?

MrsSB; you don't own a knife? Did I get that right? How do you cook/eat, in all seriousness? I can't get my head round it.

Monkeysmama, a couple of timers, a couple of nice bins, on for rubbish, on for recycling, a good cutlery rach/sorter insert for drawer.

A drawer divider for all those odds and sods, packet clips, scissors, pens, stuff you have in that kitchen drawer. (everyone has one, right?)

Do you have a TK Maxx?
I bought all my knives individually from there, got some really good solid steel ones for a third the rrp.

Have to say my knives were quite expensive, but not as bad as some.

We got a victorinox set from john lewis when we got married (£70) and they are the only knives (apart from cutlery set) I have ever needed in 5 years. Still amazingly sharp, although I never bother sharpening them (BiL does everytime he visits)

Having a good set means you don't need hundreds everywhere and you can get a shorter knife rack, which you can mount in a cupboard so it's not visible to intruders (yes - I am paranoid!!)

I also got glasses racks from ikea (about £2) which you mountunder shelves in cupboards to hang all your stem glassware from so that you don't get dust inside the cup bit.

Same again with bottle racks (I hung these under the cupboard) so that wine, fancy oils etc... Are neatly stored under the overhead cupboards and not sat on my worksurface.

I'm a bit of a geek about home organisation

There's a Denby sale on at Dawsons Department Store - and they stock some of the discontinued stuff. www.dawsonsdepartmentstore.co.uk

Thanks for all these suggestions. Will look at all the links. Gracie really keen on the hanging things idea. Yes, MrsBean how do you cut things? Hope it isn't a problem to ask (having had many year's phobia counselling (not for knives) I know even the word make me start to shudder)