Must haves in a new kitchen

[vbrown38]

Hi all, I am about to fit a new kitchen. I have no idea where to start!

What would you say the must haves are in a kitchen? Including tiles, sink material, worktops etc

Thank you!

I love my integrated dishwasher. It is pretty much silent when on

I agree with integrated.

I also spent a lot of time researching the dB ratings of appliances to ensure they would be quiet as I didn't want to hear the dishwasher running when I was in the room above or next room if washing or dishwasher were on.

I mostly chose my kitchen on aesthetics.

So I went with a simple granite sink with no drainer grooves (in a hard water area and the drainer grooves never stay pristine around here)

I went with all integrated appliances to keep it streamlined.

I went with induction hob (that I love) and is so easy to keep clean

I went with oven below hob as I had the choice of fridge freezer at eye level or oven at eye level.
Fridge won.

I went with all matching cabinet dimensions to keep symmetry.

What I didn't do -

I didn't get two dishwashers as I didn't have space (would have loved to)

I didn't bother with hot water tap as I have an induction alessi kettle which is a beauty to have out on the side

I didn't have space for an island so didn't have that to consider

I made sure I ended up with more storage than I had before

I didn't however, maximum wall cabinets as I didn't want all my wall space taken up with them.

I went with engineered oak floor suitable for use in wet areas as I wanted a warm feel to the floor in the mornings and to minimise slip hazards.

If I had chosen tiles I would have ensured underfloor heating was put in

I don't have a microwave.
I may regret that but so far so good

I don't like it when a run of units is broken by a bit appliance, so our fridge freezer is at the end (before the units start) and the only other appliance is integrated. We have a range cooker which is obviously freestanding, but I think cookers are a bit different to white goods.

Check storage for random shaped stuff eg long handled broom, trays, recycling.

Spend money on areas you use often eg we have a lovely larder cupboard with pull out shelves. The corner cupboard has no pull out but it is full of seasonal stuff so rarely used.

Sunlight.

Non integrated appliances but put all to one side or corner so it doesn't spoil the look.

Check what will be blocked if the dishwasher is open, fridge open. Can others still walk past, reach the sink etc.

Dishwasher near mug/glass cupboard. This is my biggest regret! Unloading is a faff, 4 glasses at a time.

I'd never have integrated appliances. Replacing them is always a problem and they are often smaller inside than free-standing.

Make sure any cooker hood has an easy-to-access filter. Mine is stuck closed and oil drips out at random from the corners/screws/switches onto the hob and counter.

Electric sockets! Barratt Homes decreed that my kitchen should have the lordly total of four sockets - when you've got kettle, toaster, microwave, coffee machine all plugged in permanently it's a real pain to use a blender, rice cooker, slow cooker etc. Go for as many as you can fit.

Aircraft-style storage lockers on top of the cupboards (if there is space) for things you don't use often.

Cupboards for mops , ironing board etc. Huge floor to ceiling cupboards with no pull out bits just shelves. I now have too much storage !! I echo the Blanco composite sink praise especially as ours is large enough to wash very large pots. Somewhere to hang towels etc. Large deep drawers for crockery an pans. I was sceptical about these before we had them but they are fantastic, especially for pans. We also have an extra wide fridge freezer with one rather than two doors. It is also deep so we can fit large pots and huge bottles.

I think integrated appliances are worth the teeny bit of extra hassle when they break for how sleek and crisp they look the rest of the time.

I have a hot tap and lots of hidden internal drawers. A massive sink on the island and a washing up dispenser fitted into the worktop next to the sink so we don't always have to have a bottle of fairy out. Shelves and lots of plants to add green and life! I have tall floor to ceiling larder cupboards full of drawers from eye level down and then a shelf for the rarely used microwave inside the cupboard so you don't have to see it or have it out.

Under plinth lighting and other mood lighting is worth considering it can make such a difference.

A safe design !
So anyone designing themselves Please get your design safety checked by a credible pro before you order anything !!
(Regulars know I'll happily safety check a fellow mumsnetters design for them if they get in touch !)

OnePlan
What makes a kitchen design unsafe out of interest?

My requirements are so much more basic! I would say you need;

• a bit of work surface next to the sink area for dirty crockery
• an area of work surface next to cooker for food prep
• nothing in the way of your movement between fridge/cooker/sink and bins
• a place for your bin and recycling
• a cupboard in mind for everything you want to store. Write down everything you currently have in your kitchen and make sure you plan a place for each thing in your new kitchen
• a place for tea towels in use

That's all I can think of right now!

I went for integrated units for the look. Dishwasher, oven and microwave are exactly the same interior size as free-standing, fridge is a teeny bit smaller which was slightly annoying but we've got used to it.

Also second the integrated bins :-) I've got a two bin one, so one for recycling and one for the rest - no more odd piles of recycling waiting by the back door.

We have got a vinyl floor in a warm oak look because we couldn't do underfloor heating so needed something that felt warm - also I didn't want any kind of laminate because I use a steam cleaner.

We are in a victorian house so I was able to have extra height cupboards which I use to store seasonal stuff I hardly ever use. Because of that I now have an empty wall unit...oh dear...that means I've got room to get more things...NO...must. not. re-clutter. must..resist...Ikea....trip.....

I also spent lots extra on Silestone quartz work tops and they are gorgeous.

Dangerous placement of cookers and hob either in bad location i.e. Infront of windows or too close to built in cabinetry or ovens set too high etc - trip hazards between hob and sinks - too much distance between hob and sink - too little space infront of appliances you need to crouch infront of the list goes on !

What appliances do you have to crouch in front of?

I crouch in front of my oven waiting for pizza!

Until Mumsnet I didn't realise so many people wanted an eye height oven. I'm still not sold to be honest.

Lots of sockets
Bin and recycling space or hide in a cupboard
Towel rail, hanger for tea towels
Good lighting
Decent floor

Two ovens (one small, one standard size) - makes cooking a roast dinner much easier.

Pan drawers.

Pull-out larder cupboard - it's full height and at the end of the run of cupboards. You can fit lots of stuff in a fairly narrow space. I love it almost as much as the dishwasher

One question about "Dangerous placement of cookers and hob", can an induction hob be placed on a worktop over any appliance washing machine/dishwasher/dryer/freezer?
Also can a sink/induction hob be placed on worktop over cupboard containing electric fuse and meter?

Just did ours and I love it. Bits I love best are:

2 sinks- both big enough to hold a roasting pan. One is by the dishwasher and one by the stove.

Big island with loads of storage underneath

2 ovens (would have loved a warming drawer as well but didn't have space but one does have a warming setting)

Walk in pantry/larder where I keep all food and also all appliances. Has a sliding pocket door so doesn't impact the kitchen

Best granite countertop I could buy - bought a slab (used remnants for everything else in the house). It is a thing of beauty.

Loads of outlets

Sliding drawers rather than shelves

slowclosing drawers/doors

At the risk of sounding like I'm being paid, I also love my Neff self-cleaning oven...It literally cleans everything, including the glass door, and leaves a little pile of dust - unbelievable!

(It also has a meat probe )

Duel fuel range. Preferably gas and wood
Island unit
That's about it

What's your budget OP?

I think the "must haves" in a 30k kitchen are very different from the "must haves" in a 5k kitchen. Stick a granite worktop and a duel fuel range in a 5k kitchen and you're unlikely to get much else in there!

@Polly2345 I hate bins in cupboards! Think about how many times you put things in the bin - then think about all the unnecessary actions you make a million times a day because you have to open ad close the cupboard to get to your bin.

A nice big but nice looking bin whit foot pedal is the answer.

this is such a good bin

I have the dual compartment version of that - one side landfill, one recycling

The internal bins and a wine cooler were the same price. Guess which I went for?

Under cupboard lighting! Couldn't live without it now.