Please help me choose a low maintenance kitchen

[WellTidy]

Obviously I would like my new kitchen to look nice, but I am all about practicality really - I need a worksurface that is easy to clean and keep looking clean, and one you can put hot things on. Whilst I am fairly careful, DH and the DC (one of the DC loves to cook) and not, so it needs to work for all of us. I also need cupboards which will cope with knocks ands scuffs caused by exuberant careless use of the sweeping brush, DC on their ride-ons etc. And a floor that dries quickly after mopping and can cope with spills and things accidentally being dropped on it.

The kitchen is dual aspect (north and west) and fairly big.

Please advise me on colours, finishes, materials etc.

Amtico tile flooring, copes with anything. I've got wooden work surfaces, look lovely, I'd NEVER get them again. Big brushed steel sink that can take a big bowl rather than two dinky ones, and not one of those fitted underneath ones that are really hard to clean where they meet the worktop.
Basically clean lines so nowhere for gunk to build up. Induction hob for same reason.

Also interestes to know which worktops you can really put hot pans onto.

We went for a “wood look” worktop because it is low maintenance instead of real wood. It’s brilliant, and quite convincing. I haven’t put a really hot saucepan on it yet, so can’t comment on whether extreme heat would mark it.

Noted about the sink and the flooring, thanks picking! I definitely won't do a wood worksurface then, much as I like the look of them.

What would be best do you think on the walls as a splashback - tiles? glass (Perspex?)? stainless steel?

Stainless steel (my extractor hood) is an absolute pain as it grips grease and smears when cleaned. Dark tiles are easy to clean and cover a multitude of sins between cleaning.

I’ve got tiles, a mid/dark turquoise colour and a lovely metallic splashback which I got from a local glass merchants and cost a fraction of the amount anywhere else wanted to charge.
Under counter pull out bins have been great as you literally sweep everything off the counter tops into them.

I've got tiles too, really easy to clean. My extractor hood is s/steel, it's ok to clean with an e-cloth, but I wouldn't fancy it as a splash back. Oh, and big wide drawers to keep crockery in. Love them.

If you want easy to clean, don’t go for white glossy cupboards. Every. Single. Fucking. Fingerprint. Shows. (Seriously, we’ve lived here less than a fortnight and I hate it with every fibre of my being.)

Ok. Thanks very much, this is great to know. So far I have:

Amtico tile flooring - any views on what is a practical colour please?
Tiles as splash back - views on matt or shiny finish v welcome
Not glossy cupboards, so I assume that leaves me with eithe4 a wood or painted finish? —clueless—
Brushed steel sink that is inserted over the top of the worksurface
Induction hob
Under counter pull out bins - just Googled these and they look great.

I had a stone coloured floor, neutral, not too light or dark, hides a multitude of sins 😉

Also I have gloss cupboards and they're easy enough to clean, but I don't have small children mucking them up every five seconds. Luggage, I feel your pain! Op, why don't you wander round an IKEA kitchen department (they don't pester you) and see what looks you like. Take photos. Look at the room setups, it might inspire you. You might not want an IKEA kitchen, but I'm sure you'll come away buzzing with ideas.

We have an amtico floor in a stone colour wood effect finish and it really doesn’t show the dirt. It’s easy to clean.
We also have glass shelves and glass above the hob - they need constant cleaning to look good .
Have had a lot of stainless steel in other kitchens and when it got stained and covered in fingerprints I couldn’t get it clean.
We also had black granite work surfaces and although they could withstand any heat they were a nightmare to keep looking good - needed wiped , then washed with special cleaner and then polished up . Never again - although may be much better if you have more of a pattern/ fleck through it .

Induction is usually glass top but easy to clean with glass cleaner.

My dad dropped a heavy casserole pot (Tesco version of Le Creuset) on my parents’ induction hob it needed replaced. This was after more than 10 years though and the newer technology now meant they could get a better hob.

I’ve heard that having 2 deep drawers rather than one cupboard can be useful as it stops things getting lost at the back.

Would bins inside cupboards help? Get storage for cleaning supplies in easy reach to clean up spills.

Trip to IKEA is a good plan. Have been known to go and play kitchens with the DC just to entertain them on a wet bank holiday. Trying out the different options with them really does give you an insight into what works and what's totally impractical.

I do think your family need to respect a new kitchen. You really should not put dishes out of the oven into any work top. Teach them that. Provide stands for hot dishes. If you are all so slap dash, an induction hob won’t last long either, so maybe an Aga?

Try using a vacuum cleaner. Amtico is fairly indestructible unless you have indoor sparklers! Wood Work tops with end up with heat ring marks.

We have glass for a sink splash back and the hob is on an Island, so doesn’t have one. We have a granite upstand and no tiles. Don’t need them. If I had to have a splash back for a hob, I would have large format tiles.

However, look after your kitchen and you’ll love it forever.

Yes to crockery draws and built in waste bins - 3 these days (paper, general waste and recycling).

Do not get gloss units or glass splashbacks, bane of my life, they forever look smeary!

If you've got the budget there's a matt-ish quartz concretey looking worktop which hides crumbs beautifully - can leave it un-wiped for days and it looks fab. Stainless steel and chrome on the other hand shows up lots of dirt and scratches, whilst white (especially matt white) cupboards need wiping every-gippin day - sooooo wish i'd not gone for those! Grey'd be a much better choice.

Our kitchen is a grey colour. It came from Magnet, and was designed by them. Great service, and a decent price! I went for wall mounted ovens and an extra large hob, not induction. Also has a tall larder unit which holds lots, and drawers for crockery and pans.
Good luck with yours. It seems to involve a hundred decisions, but it’s worth it in the end!