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New kitchen tips
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
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What would you do differently if you were getting a new kitchen now, what appliances would you recommend and which would decide you don't need.
I'm trying redo my kitchen with perfect appliances, and I'm pretty sure I would like (need) a hide and slide oven but not a warming drawer.
What would you recommend or not recommend? Under unit lighting, combined washer dryer or separate ones, Combination microwave/oven grill?
Anything you'd wish you had done or wish you hadn't? |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Not an appliance but a big spice/herb rack.
You can stop using sauces and mixes from jars and packets then 
Wish I’d learned to cook and make my own stuff sooner rather than getting everything from a jar |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Not an appliance but a big spice/herb rack.
You can stop using sauces and mixes from jars and packets then
Wish I’d learned to cook and make my own stuff sooner rather than getting everything from a jar"
Tbh the sauce made with fresh herbs is likely going to be better than your home made with dried herbs.
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I've just had my kitchen done! It's awesome now. Fresh and modern.
I have cool corner cupboards with pull out mechanism so you can get at the stuff in the corner without getting on your hands and knees...
And pull out larder units next to the hob with all the spices and stuff for frying etc. I LOVE them
And under unit lighting which changes colour to suit the mood
However, we put the built-in microwave over the built-in cooker and it was too high for anyone not 6'!!
Spot lighting which you can angle to suit.
Upstands instead of tiles.
The possibilities are endless these days - I went mad!
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Iv always had a washer dryer, it's great way to make your house damp if you put wet clothes on your radiators. Definitely fit an extractor fan hood above your hob and vent it to the outside.
If I had the room I might be tempted to get a dishwasher also. I like the ambiance of under cabinet lights |
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When I het my kitchen done a dishwasher is going to be a definite.
Friend has just had to get his built in microwave taken away to be fixed and it was a right ball ache.
I like the idea of an island, but think it might be one of those things that looks dated in a few years.
Double drainer sink is going in.
Plus a wine fridge. |
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
hiding from cock pics. |
"Not an appliance but a big spice/herb rack.
You can stop using sauces and mixes from jars and packets then
Wish I’d learned to cook and make my own stuff sooner rather than getting everything from a jar"
I want to start cooking a lot more fresh and healthy stuff than I do currently.
I don't really know where to start with herbs, I use only the basics at the moment plus one or two extra favourites...the best being smoked paprika. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Induction hob, immersion switch in kitchen, instant hot water tap, island if room, integraged appliances, more sockets than you think youll ever need because you will and finally ...Sonos architectural speakers and amp for class music |
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I've never had a new kitchen but we supply spares for white goods and when you've got integrated appliances like hobs make sure you get the model number off it before fitting because if anything goes wrong it'll be a right pain to take it back out to find it for suitable spares... that's my only tip.
Good luck with your kitchen bet it will look great when it's done.. |
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Hide and slides are great in a tight space like a galley kitchen. If you have more space, don’t bother.
Warming drawers are great if you can afford one made by Miele, since you can “properly” cook using them.
The one thing that you never turn off is your fridge freezer. You can have the best oven ever, but if you got a cheap fridge freezer you will give any meat stored inside freezer burn and it will be ruined from the start!
And yes - as another poster mentioned, check height! It amazes me the amount of microwaves I have seen set above chest level... so dangerous.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Not an appliance but a big spice/herb rack.
You can stop using sauces and mixes from jars and packets then
Wish I’d learned to cook and make my own stuff sooner rather than getting everything from a jar
I want to start cooking a lot more fresh and healthy stuff than I do currently.
I don't really know where to start with herbs, I use only the basics at the moment plus one or two extra favourites...the best being smoked paprika. "
I just started buying a few every time I went shopping. Having a good stock of dried herbs/spices is super convenient and they’re always on hand.
Even for seasoning rice, the more obscure ones like star anise make it taste fantastic. I tend to keep a stock of fresh garlic & ginger etc but I’ve got tiny kitchen which is taken over by baby items at the moment. So it makes keeping pots of fresh herbs like the ones you see at the supermarket impractical. |
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By *oodmessMan
over a year ago
yumsville |
The way energy efficiency is going, you really need to be either conscientious or loaded. Think of what you use, what's for show or what will be out of date in a few years. A washer dryer will cost a fortune to run as opposed to air drying. Under counter lighting is a bit of a fad. It's only an example but I replaced a washer recently - the choices are endless but one running at 230kw vs one at 150kw, means a difference in running costs of £900 vs £1300 plus better water consumption. |
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
hiding from cock pics. |
I'm torn between induction and gas, I have gas at the and really love it, but the induction looks smooth and easy to clean by comparison. But I wouldn't like my food to suffer.
That is a great tip about making sure that the microwave is not too high for safety and to reach. |
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"I'm torn between induction and gas, I have gas at the and really love it, but the induction looks smooth and easy to clean by comparison. But I wouldn't like my food to suffer.
That is a great tip about making sure that the microwave is not too high for safety and to reach."
I would recommend induction every time. However, you need to make sure that you are able to get the correct power supply to it, and also that you have the correct cookware to work efficiently on it! |
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"I had to buy a whole new set of pans and frying pans. Wish I hadn't bothered with it."
Yes, you do have to have the correct pans for one. It’s weird that it’s either burning everything to buggery or not cooking it at all though, I’m trying to think why it might be doing that. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I'm torn between induction and gas, I have gas at the and really love it, but the induction looks smooth and easy to clean by comparison. But I wouldn't like my food to suffer.
That is a great tip about making sure that the microwave is not too high for safety and to reach."
I love my induction hob. Heats faster, is as responsive as gas plus very very safe if you have kids because they can't accidentally turn it on. (Needs a saucepan on it to actually work)
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I had to buy a whole new set of pans and frying pans. Wish I hadn't bothered with it."
You shouldn't have had aluminium pans in the first place :p
Carbon steel all the way |
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By *isaB45Woman
over a year ago
Fabville |
Just be aware of hidden costs when budgeting.
Your actual kitchen units/ appliances etc may cost £10,000, for example, but that cost is unlikely to cover any other work such as plastering, painting, tiling, ceiling lights etc that would be done by your fitter. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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My mother in law had her kitchen done last year and it’s fucking amazing!
Island with built in wine fridge (must in her house)
A fandangled fridge freezer where you can open up just the front to get the essentials
Crazy under unit lights that are perfect for kitchen discos
A hose for the sink that has instant really really hot water (not just normal hot lol)
Cool radiators that look like bits of art quite frankly!
And power sockets that can come up through the island when you need them.
It’s all grey and sparkly, I believe her splash back for the cooker (massive thing) is meant for showers but it’s all glittery and shiny.
Love her kitchen! It’s massive now.
Danish x |
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
hiding from cock pics. |
"My mother in law had her kitchen done last year and it’s fucking amazing!
Island with built in wine fridge (must in her house)
A fandangled fridge freezer where you can open up just the front to get the essentials
Crazy under unit lights that are perfect for kitchen discos
A hose for the sink that has instant really really hot water (not just normal hot lol)
Cool radiators that look like bits of art quite frankly!
And power sockets that can come up through the island when you need them.
It’s all grey and sparkly, I believe her splash back for the cooker (massive thing) is meant for showers but it’s all glittery and shiny.
Love her kitchen! It’s massive now.
Danish x"
That does sound amazing |
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
hiding from cock pics. |
"Just be aware of hidden costs when budgeting.
Your actual kitchen units/ appliances etc may cost £10,000, for example, but that cost is unlikely to cover any other work such as plastering, painting, tiling, ceiling lights etc that would be done by your fitter."
Thank you, I am trying to budget properly but I know these things always go over budget! |
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Had my kitchen done last year so I can recommend:-
Undercupboard lighting. Looks great and cosy.
Combo microwave. Read reviews for the best. Mine is a Panasonic. It acts like a mini-fan oven saving time and energy.
Used to have a washer/dryer and the drying part was useless compared to outside clothesline. Just went for a washing machine. Extra spin in winter.
I got lucky with the fitter as he project managed the whole thing as well as doing most of the work. Needed new flooring and plastering as well as plumbing/electrics. He had contacts for the plastering and electrics. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I would have built in ovens (one full size, one half size) that's not at floor level, easier to clean. I'd have the draining board on the left not the right.
Splash backs not tiles for easier cleaning.
Built in spice rack.
Soft close doors/drawers.
Completely smooth gloss doors for easy cleaning.
An island.
My kitchen is huge so not likely I'll ever afford a new one unless I win the lotto.
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Don’t get an overhead extractor (if you use one) they get in the way. There are new ones flush with the hob that suck it down.
Never a combined machine, short life.
Everything at a level that the most used stuff eliminated the need to bend or stretch.
Consider having wall shelves instead of cupboards.
Consider noise levels of appliances on the rest of the house.
Consider a fridge just for drinks. |
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
hiding from cock pics. |
I've only just found out that I can't have an under mounted sink with laminate, makes sense I guess at the water would perminate the laminate.
So tips for a non staining think that looks good, I don't feel much drawn to the stainless steel ones they remind me a little bit of school for some reason! |
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"I've only just found out that I can't have an under mounted sink with laminate, makes sense I guess at the water would perminate the laminate.
So tips for a non staining think that looks good, I don't feel much drawn to the stainless steel ones they remind me a little bit of school for some reason! "
There are some really slim top sinks available which look much more modern - have a look at the Franke Maris sink |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Not that long ago we got our kitchen done. We used Ikea but would not recommend their Appliances but kitchen cupboards and cabinets are a great price and good quality.
I think it’s worth getting cheaper cupboards and then adding a more expensive worktop. We have a Quartz worktop and it makes our kitchen look a lot more expensive than it was. |
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By *litterbabe OP Woman
over a year ago
hiding from cock pics. |
"I've only just found out that I can't have an under mounted sink with laminate, makes sense I guess at the water would perminate the laminate.
So tips for a non staining think that looks good, I don't feel much drawn to the stainless steel ones they remind me a little bit of school for some reason!
There are some really slim top sinks available which look much more modern - have a look at the Franke Maris sink "
I will, thank you,
I would love quartz worktops but they just are pricing up way above budget. I do think it would be worth it though if I can manage it |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Talking about worktops, we've just had porcelain ones fitted, with matching splash back's..
Only 10mm thick so we can't stand on them but they clean up very easily, no worries with scratching, acidic products, hot pans or yellowing..
Agree with earlier posts about microwave being too high, a side opening door would help though..
Mr x |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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This all sounds way too modern and complicated for my tastes 
My dream kitchen consists of an Esse log burning range for cooking and heating, free standing solid wood units and lots of natural light. |
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but remember the working triangle.....I prefer gas can't get on with electric..... good luck