Must haves in your kitchen

[whatsadentist]

There was a thread a while ago about things you would definitely have in your new kitchen, I swear a saved it but can’t find it ☹️.

so hit me with your must haves, I will be replacing my kitchen (it’s about 3.5mx4m) - just so I don’t miss anything vital!!

Deep drawers for storage over cupboards where possible.

And dedicated storage to hide bulky items like the hoover, ironing board, clothes horses (assuming you don’t have space elsewhere in your house for this)

All the basics really, but good durable quality. A decent sink with draining board, preferably porcelain. A cooker with at least 5 rings and two ovens. Plenty of space for a fridge freezer and dishwasher. Plenty of work surface space so three people can work at the same time. Breakfast table for 4.

Lots of light. My kitchen has French windows facing east, and sky lights so glorious in the mornings. Outside seating.

A utility room for the boiler & laundry stuff, and the microwave.

I'm not bothered about gadget taps or built in appliances because they invariably cause more hassle than they are worth, and they date.

Boiling water tap, the thing I never knew I needed until I had one. Makes life much easier and is the most used thing in my kitchen. If you have corner cabinets, the pull out fixtures are great and mean you can get to the back of the cupboard without fuss.

Integrated bin with at least four compartments for recycling.

Somewhere for chopping boards and trays.

Flow! Fridge next to kettle below mugs cupboard. Dishwasher next to sink but not under. Bin next to sink but not under. Kettle/coffee/glasses not interfering with hob/food prep area.

Definitely think of flow. My dishwasher is next to the sink. The cupboard for mugs and glasses and the cupboard for plates are within reach, I can unload the dishwasher, wash and dry any handwash items all within two steps - makes cleaning up very quick and easy. The fridge sits opposite the longest run of worktop with the pantry cupboard beside it, I can reach everything I need for cooking within a couple of steps of the oven and the hob. Don’t put the cutlery drawer underneath the hob - it’s the one thing I got wrong in my kitchen and it drives me crazy.

Integrated bin

In our last kitchen we cut out a slot in the kickboard and the robot hoover lived in there, hidden and then came out to vacuum automatically every night! Totally brilliant and I'm having a socket installed for this in our new kitchen too

Wow! Genius! Just to add there is only the two of us and we are retired and this is (hopefully) our final move.

has anyone had an ironing board in a cupboard so it drops down? I loathe the palaver of dragging the board out and putting it away.

A flat splashback for easy cleaning. I wanted tiles all round but knew cleaning them at the hob would be horrendous so I installed a clear glass splashback over the tiles.

Not quite the same, but my regret is getting wide drawers. As soon as a second person is in the kitchen someone is in front of the one you need! I’m happy with the regular width ones.

White granite counter top and splash back, and a stainless steel sink were my must haves for easy cleaning. We also have a Belfast sink for laundry things. The more sinks the better!

I have a full height pull out larder unit which houses so much I’d be lost without it.
I am a total fan of induction hobs.
We stayed in an Airbnb which had narrow pull out units containing herbs and oils either side of the oven. They didn’t heat up and I found them very handy.

Boiler tap.
integrated bin.
wide, deep drawers.
tall cupboard that fits a regular sized ironing board.
a pantry cupboard.
sockets everywhere.
if you’ve got a high level oven, get one of those where the door folds underneath so you can access the oven easily. That’s my biggest regret - I have to stand on tiptoe or to one side to get anything out of the oven.
big, big fridge/freezer

.

Lots of drawers, with different depths.
2 dishwashers and 2 sinks.
Big cupboard for electricals.

Bin drawer, double oven if possible, pull out shelving, pull out tap.

Drawers , including one big enough to hide the airfryer , mixer etc
I love my Quooker tap , and bin cupboard

Yes to the folding Oven Doors , I don’t have them and have a combi oven on top of the main oven and thank my lucky stars that I have long arms !

Think about your groceries - where will you store a 6 pack of water/soft drink bottles and the giant sized box of corn flakes, or whatever you’re currently tripping over?

I love my pantry will pull out drawers, so I can pop new items in behind older ones without playing jenga, and see exactly what I have.

Undercounter drawers are a game changer and give so much useful storage because you can easily access it all. I just wish I’d made them kick-open (not sure what that’s called)

I also love my high cabinets where I store Christmas stuff and other things that get used once or twice a year.

If it’s an option, an appliance garage (stupid name) which allows you to close a door on the toaster, kettle and other counter clutter is really lovely. I was talked into this by my kitchen designer and I love it so much.

I had the electrician install the electric sockets upside down under the kitchen island which gives me a couple of extra inches of cord on appliances, and charging points on the sockets come in handy when I’m following a recipe on my phone or iPad.

Dishwasher at waist level saves a lot of bending, if you have the space.

Probably not helpful, but plenty of sockets to plug in electrical items!

I’d quite like a space on worktop for my Food processor and blender where you can pull a shutter down to hide it and a larder cupboard

Of you have an island a one tin/jar deep cupboard on either side- so you know exactly what's in the pantry (and what the husband has used and not put on the list) in one easy glance....
Again somewhere for the robot mop/vacuum to live
Ensure that the flow of cupboards work- it doesn't currently in ours and it drives me mad. . also that all normal cupboards are the same width- we have some annoying short ones mixed in which drives me nuts because I can't put trays in a sensible place ...

I love my wall unit which houses a plate rack and shelves for my recipe books.

A space for hot drinks that isn't under your feet. (So a no to hot taps from me, unless separate to your sink)
Moving the washing machine upstairs so no washing in the kitchen.
Drawers every where, with inbuilt drawers for cutlery, spices, chopping boards.
No corner cupboards.
Tall cupboards to the ceiling, but no wall cupboards.
Induction hob.
Inbuilt oven.
A space for recycling.

Things I wish I had space for but don't...
A pantry cupboard
A separate freezer

I don't have appliances or even a microwave, but if I did, I would have them in a cupboard as I hate stuff on the counter.