Best and worst things about your kitchen?

[41notTrendy]

A shameless attempt to get ideas
We are considering knocking our kitchen and dining room together, so would like to hear what others love about their kitchen, and what drives you mad.
I love that we have a big breakfast bar that doubles up as a worktop. I hate that there are 3 doors in our kitchen, 2 of which back onto each other and are always in the way.

[41notTrendy]

Ppeatfruit, your kitchen sounds lovely. Interested in the floor, not showing up the dirt sounds right up our street

[ppeatfruit]

It's nice and cool in the summer but would be good to have underfloor heating in the winter 'cos I have to wear 3 pairs of sox and soled slippers to feel warm

[confusedperson]

I love that is it big and spacious and we seem to spend most of our time there, cooking, eating, working on laptop, doing homework, playing, entertaining guests. For that reason we forget that we have a living room as well!
I hate that is big and spacious and we spend most of our time there, which means I am always near the fridge and cupboards and it makes me snacking non-stop!

[ppeatfruit]

IKWYM confused I have to get away from the fridge too! I don't buy unhealthy stuff but none of it helps (I'm on a WOE so I must ONLY eat when I'm hungry) with the weight loss!!

[fussychica]

I hate that it's small & very dated but I have to say it is very well planned. The worst thing is that when I do replace the units it won't be cheap despite the size as nothing "standard" will fit

[Ruffello]

I second the pull out larder & drawer units - absolutely brilliant!

[SecretSquirrels]

Best thing it's massive. Room for cooking, sitting area with sofa and dining area with table and chairs.
Worst thing - it's all very, very tatty and shabby.
I couldn'tface the upheaval of a make over though.

[BackforGood]

Panacotta - I've just been and measured it for you It's 16" by 19". I know when we ordered it the kitchen designer / fitter( he was the same person!) said you can either have a single, a double (ie 2 sinks next to each other), a 'bowl and a half bowl' (ie a sink then a 1/2 sized sink next to it) or what we opted for which was the 'bowl and a half sized single sink'.

HTH

[Pannacotta]

Thanks very much BfG.
Do you find it ok when you need to tip out dreggs/wash veg etc if you have washing up sitting in there?

We will be short of worktop space around the sink when we put in a new kitchen and cant get round this. Am pondering the best option for a sink and drainer...

[BackforGood]

Yes - that's what I love about it. Room for a washing up bowl and plenty of room to tip stuff down the sink while that's in there

[Pesephone]

hate the cream tiles on the floor it is impossible to keep clean and with three kids trudging in mud from the garden its a nightmare! Ditto the cream doors they are constantly grubby with coffee spills and mucky fingerprints. Hate the size its long and narrow and I feel claustrophobic as soon as there is anyone but just me in there. Hate not having a utility as piles of laundry take up precious space, hate the under the stairs pantry as the shelves are only on one side and they are narrow you can hardly fit anything on them. Hate not having space for a dishwasher, hate not having any worktop space. Can you tell I dislike my kitchen.

[Chewbecca]

I really regret taking my rads out and having underfloor heating only, our electricity bills doubled, it was never 'warm', only 'not cold', broke twice, 3rd time unmendable without taking whole floor up :(
We now have one oil fired rad on a timer and are saving up to put new rads in.
Love my range cooker (gas job, electric oven), very pleased with granite worktops (still enjoy being able to put a hot pan directly on 5 years on) but best bit is little area with 2 high stools under, visitors are always pulling up a stool for a drink and a chat.

[41notTrendy]

We had an aga on holiday which we loved, but decided was not practical for a 3 bed semi. I did wonder about a range cooker and many seem to be saying they are good. Especially if you can get gas hob and elec oven?

[ppeatfruit]

I forgot to say I love my new sink which is white 1 and half sink single drainer and the tap is the old fashioned style arched central one .That is great cos you can fill vases and such under it easily. Though it's still too small to get oven shelves into; why don't they make modern sinks wider??

[greyvix]

Love:
larder unit, magic corner, island, pan drawers, induction hob, pyroletic oven, warming drawer, roof lantern above table and loads of windows, underfloor heating.
Hate:
oak units- should have had painted; could have made kitchen more compact to give more living space so room for a chair; no thought to recycling so awful bin and dripping teabags drip over floor and clutter sink; distressed limestone floor with holes is a pig to clean, and has cracked.

[Sleepwhenidie]

I love my new kitchen, favourite things are the huge (3m x 1.2m) island unit, corian worktops, boiling water tap, big sink and having two dishwashers.

[ppeatfruit]

Cor you're lucky sleep I could do with ONE ! DishW; our old one died and we're thinking about getting a smaller one (the DCs have left home y'see). We have a utility room (which we've just had fitted with another sink something I've always wanted ) and it would go in there but it's also down 2 steep steps so only any use when there's loads of washing up like at
Xmas.

Doesn't anyone find that things get pushed down the back and side of those pull out larder cupboards? Or is it only my DH who does that?

[JackieLanaTurn]

Just marking my place. Got lots to do this afternoon, but am similarly looking for ideas for the kitchen conversion I'm looking to do in my basement :) Will check this out later!

[fossil97]

Best things: wardrobe style larder cupboard with spiceracks inside doors etc, deep big drawers with plates etc in, pull out unit under sink with all the recycling and bins hidden away. Bosch dishwasher. Choice of bright or low lighting depending on tasks. Room for a little sofa.

Worst: dining table is too small and doesn't extend, looks kind of mean like we don't want any guests. Generally table/chairs solution needs sorting ideally with a long bench. Underwhelmed by Stoves cooker, should perhaps have got dual fuel not all-gas. Still have old fridge freezer from pre-refurb which is white and dated looking!

[FishfingersAreOK]

Best thing....it is being fitted so nearly in after a 7 month renovation
Worst thing....it is being fitted and not yet in...

HOPELESSLY excited.....

[FishfingersAreOK]

And so far soooo relieved nothing in my kitchen plan has come up as a worst thing...so far....

[41notTrendy]

Two dishwashers?!?! Wow.
Loving the deep drawer idea. That's a definite.

[Sleepwhenidie]

Its great 41, if like us you regularly fill a dishwasher before the end of the day, means you never have dirty stuff hanging round while cycle is running as you just start filling the other one. Just think of it as an extra (expensive, but v clever) cupboard!

[pinotmonster]

I knocked the wall down between my kitchen and dining room 18 months ago - best thing I ever did!

My absolute favourite bit is the glass splashbacks rather than tiles - so easy to clean!! Closely followed by the silestone worktop, range cooker with induction hob ( hob is ace and no cleaning effort involved), island, cream gloss units and drawers that are so much easier than cupboards!

Only thing I would change is the stainless steel sink - pain to clean!

[amazonianwoman]

pinot which induction range do you have?