What is the best thing in your kitchen - or what you wish you had done?

[CMOTDibbler]

We will be having an extension built this summer, massively increasing the size of the kitchen and also adding a massive utility/storage/laundry room on the side.
I have a floor plan, but no more idea than that currently apart from the concept of an island (without sink/hob etc on it, but wine fridge and seating area included) no real ideas. Not a kitchen /diner and without french/patio doors so lots of wall space to play with, the former utility room we think we'd like as a pantry area, then the long thin utility on the side.
So if you had all that to play with, what would you absolutely do, and what would you avoid doing? We are not neat and tidy people, and I'm keen to give us the best chance of being organised in the future

Aren't usb being phased out, I'm sure my phone and iPad are usbc, the small attachment thing, DHs phone might be usb

I hate them because they’re slow, and just use an iPad charger to charge my phone. It’s much quicker.

I wonder if yours are USB rather than USB3? The voltage of a plug must (?) support the latter, and the charge should be very quick (it is here, fwiw).

Yy to many sockets!

@M0RVEN the architect has done the design, and he knows what he would do with the kitchen but he wouldn't necessarily think about the spice drawer or laying out the laundry end of the utility room for instance. We absolutely don't want a kitchen/diner or big doors in the kitchen (which the architect was desperate to put in) as we have that in the separate dining room. Lots of windows though.

@ImAnOmelette the extractor fan/hood is a subject of much swearing in our family as it is at eye height for dh and ds, so the current wish is an inset extractor.

There is a large, separate utility room (incorporating the side of the wrap around in the kitchen would have cost a bomb in structural steels) so lots of things like the breadmaker will move out into there as well

Obv we will do sessions with kitchen designers as well (one booked in for Saturday) but this is the first time I've ever got to choose a kitchen and I want more than just cupboards and a few drawers

Stainless steel work surface. Like an industrial one. Perfect.

The very best thing in our kitchen is the waste disposal unit.

Waste disposal unit.

A slimline sink similar to this with an insinkerator hot tap on the run with my cooker on. Perfect for drinks and for draining veg etc.

www.sinks-taps.com/shop/acute-01-versatile-half-bowl-kitchen-sink-.html

Full height corner pantry unit (pic not mine but pretty much identical to ours). Such a ridiculous amount of space inside and solves the awkward corner/ dead space issues

Plugs and usb charging in the island.

A walk in pantry. Holds an unbelievable amount

Big larder. All ambient foodstuffs in one space. Makes shopping easy.
Tall skinny cupboard with plug in it for charging cordless vac.
We also mounted wall cupboards higher than standard so that prep worktops don't feel like they are stuck under a shelf.
Extractor with filter that goes in dishwasher
Swishy pull out tap

Best thing - little shelves under the wall units on either side of the hob, I keep spices, bottle of sauce etc on them, always in grabbing distance when I’m cooking.

Worst thing- tiny under sink bin. It fills up so quickly and has never really swung out properly.

Pull out bin. Stops it messing up the place. Balked at the price but worth every penny.

mmm...eye-level oven. Nigel Slater has one, and I would like one too!

OP, didn't mean to sound snide about a kitchen extension. I'm sure one would improve our kitchen (and house) but we can't push out the side return (conservation area) and without that, there wouldn't be much point. We do have an adjoining 'breakfast room' which is where additional storage (the good wine glasses, serving dishes, vases, cookery books) and a dining table goes (there's another dining room), so we get the kitchen-diner/kitchen-family space/kitchen-homework/project space and the kitchen itself is pure function. But we will need to replace in a few years time (by which time, I will be sooo ready to leave London) so I am always interested in the kitchen threads.

Sorry, really didn't mean to come across as if I thought kitchens were a. waste of money.

I have a pop up socket in the island and waste disposal in the sink. Love them.

Must haves :
Boiling Water tap.
90cm wide oven and induction hob ( Wolf ) .
Never ever want to clean a gas range cooker again nor cook in a standard size oven.
Still dreaming of an Aga and walk in pantry.
Marble ( Calacatta ) work tops , daily joy, so tactile and beautiful.
Dreamt of them forever, my favourite part of the kitchen.
Huge larder cupboard.
USB sockets.
Never again:
Extractors and wall cupboards , so
pleased I got rid of them.
Our grandparents had no extractor fans either.

Huge larder cupboard.

Two dishwashers
Built in microwave
Built in coffee machine
I'm a range cooker person
French door American fridge freezer (didn't know until this thread they are called that)
Extra undercounter freezer for pet food
I have a prep sink on the island with a boiling water tap. I wasn't convinced about having either of those things but so so glad now.
Drinks fridge
Upstand and splashback made from same material as worktop

All isolator switches in one cupboard.
Double height wine fridge
Quooker
Slide and hide ovens
Oversize single utility sink
Pan drawers
Additional fridge
Powerful extractor
Pull out hoses on the taps
Glass splash backs rather than tiles
Much more cupboard space than you think you will need!

A pull up / retractable plugtower in the island. So useful and hidden away when you are not using it.

I'm surprised how many charge their phones and stuff in the kitchen, which would really annoy me. We have a charging area in our dining room and there are usually loads of things there which use batteries, charging and my iPad sits next to me by the sofa on a side table and charges there on a long lead so I can use it.

We spent a lot of time in the kitchen as do guests so it’s handy having the phones charging in there.

Bin in Cupboard is great.

Lots of great ideas here

I would add Dishdrawers rather than a dishwasher - one drawer can be on whilst other being filled and they look better alongside other deep drawer units

Definitely a drawer or pull out next to hob and as well as spices/herbs I keep oils, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, stock cubes etc in there

Maybe a tambor pull down if you have lots of appliances - mixer, panini maker, toaster etc.

Massive larder and separate full height fridge and freezer as well as double wine fridge for separate temperature zones for red and white

Lots of separate lighting for different effects - under worktop, plinth, overhead, in/under cupboards

Wall cupboards right up to the ceiling so no dust/grease on top. Keep a little stool in one of the base cupboards!

Deep oven tray drawers under eye level ovens and pan drawers under hob

Crockery & cutlery storage in island and glasses in glass fronted cupboards (frosted or clear depending on content!)

Thank you all for so many things to think about. DH rolled his eyes at the thought of 2 dishwashers, then suggested whether we have two, but one in the utility room and a slimline in the main kitchen.
I love Agas/range cookers, but due to my disability, getting things out of low level ovens is a nightmare, so we are doing eye height ovens/grills and I plan on those having the slide away doors

I've got pull out shelves on the bottom cupboards and a pull out spice cupboard.

Love my granite worktop.

Hidden bins and then a customised cupboard where the bins used to be. Also getting the builder to make the cupboards over the fridge freezer deeper which gives so much extra storage.