New kitchen kit - which would you buy and NOT buy again?
Discussion
Wife and I are in the middle of a house renovation (I will try and do a thread for it at some point..).
Our current home and previous homes have always had fairly rudimentary kitchen 'kit'.
So now we're creating a kitchen from scratch - we can literally have anything we'd like.
I'd like to draw on the forum's collective wisdom for what kitchen items are "must haves". And are there any things you've incorporated (or seen regularly at a mates or relatives) that you've never used?
Steam ovens, boiling water taps, freezer drawers, etc etc etc. You know the form.
thanks in advance.
Our current home and previous homes have always had fairly rudimentary kitchen 'kit'.
So now we're creating a kitchen from scratch - we can literally have anything we'd like.
I'd like to draw on the forum's collective wisdom for what kitchen items are "must haves". And are there any things you've incorporated (or seen regularly at a mates or relatives) that you've never used?
Steam ovens, boiling water taps, freezer drawers, etc etc etc. You know the form.
thanks in advance.
Do not under any circumstances install the following
Any make (but normaly FISHER PAYKEL) integrated dishwasher drawers. They do't clean into the corners and they do block up the waste pipe.
You WILL thank me for the above, cause you won't be pulling it out every 6 weeks to unblock it
Neff American F/Freezer ........They only do one. Utter tat. Just had a job where one was replaced three times.Even the Neff tech couldn't get it to install.
Any make (but normaly FISHER PAYKEL) integrated dishwasher drawers. They do't clean into the corners and they do block up the waste pipe.
You WILL thank me for the above, cause you won't be pulling it out every 6 weeks to unblock it
Neff American F/Freezer ........They only do one. Utter tat. Just had a job where one was replaced three times.Even the Neff tech couldn't get it to install.
Pan drawers. We've just put in a kitchen and we had six very large pan drawers under the oven and hob. They are great and we get a lot more kit in there than if it were two cupboards. A lot easier to get to the stuff at the back as well.
We also fitted a Brita filter tap so there's one less thing on the worktop. Built in microwave as well for the same reason.
Good extractor with a large dia rigid vent to outside gets most of the cooking smells out (our room is open plan).
If you're going to tile the floor and have have an uninsulated slab like we do then I can recommend gluing down XPS before tiling on top. We can walk around with bare feet in total comfort (no underfloor heating).
We also fitted a Brita filter tap so there's one less thing on the worktop. Built in microwave as well for the same reason.
Good extractor with a large dia rigid vent to outside gets most of the cooking smells out (our room is open plan).
If you're going to tile the floor and have have an uninsulated slab like we do then I can recommend gluing down XPS before tiling on top. We can walk around with bare feet in total comfort (no underfloor heating).
onomatopoeia said:
What is XPS?
Expanded Polystyrene aka Styrofoam. I bought 10mm blue boards from this eBayer: http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/eatingrose789rugby They also do 6mm boards if height is a concern.They seem very lightweight but when I stuck them down with Screwfix Rapid Set Tile Adhesive they went rock solid. They were a very nice base to tile upon.
They are sold as underfloor heating insulation but I figured they'd work without the electric mat. I also used the same boards under the engineered wood floor which was fitted in the living room and hallway. No more cold feet!
tomw2000 said:
I'd like to draw on the forum's collective wisdom for what kitchen items are "must haves". And are there any things you've incorporated (or seen regularly at a mates or relatives) that you've never used? Steam ovens, boiling water taps, freezer drawers, etc etc etc. You know the form.
I wouldn't have bought a Siemens 500mm integrated microwave because it's only worth £100 not £400.I wouldn't have bought a dishwasher because it takes longer to load and unload than doing it by hand, and that's not including the 1.5-2 hours it takes to spray some hot water over some plates.
I'd have used the space for a water softener instead.
I'd have used the right sort of Polyx Oil on the wooden worktops - some bloke sold me the floor product and it's not greaseproof.
Other than that, still very pleased after 5 years.
Must have - induction hob.
Yes list...
Induction hob - safe, quick. Needs special pans though.
Quooker - fantastic, no waiting, does seem to be genuinely almost boiling, and you do use it for more than hot drinks. Cheaper Franke/Insinkerator equivalent was crap build quality.
Bin system in a pullout with a pedal to open it - both hands full, one foot kick opens bin, rubbish dumped, clean hands.
High level dishwasher - no bending.
Servodrive pan drawers - take clean plates/whatever from d/washer, carry to drawer with both hands, nudge drawer with knee, bung plates etc in. Ace. Easier to clean handle-less drawer fronts too.
Big extractor that extracts and doesn't just make noise. Some US ones have remote externally mounted fan units, so almost silent in the kitchen even on full pelt.
Iced water thingy on fridge - we don't have this and I think I'd drink gallons of the stuff if we did.
Proper stereo system!
No list...
Anything you can't clean - textured floor tiles, tiled splashbacks etc. Previous kitchen was impossible to clean. Smooth lines for the win.
Steam oven - we do use it, but not enough to warrant the cost.
Noisy washing machines in kitchens - if you can, locate it somewhere else.
Induction hob - safe, quick. Needs special pans though.
Quooker - fantastic, no waiting, does seem to be genuinely almost boiling, and you do use it for more than hot drinks. Cheaper Franke/Insinkerator equivalent was crap build quality.
Bin system in a pullout with a pedal to open it - both hands full, one foot kick opens bin, rubbish dumped, clean hands.
High level dishwasher - no bending.
Servodrive pan drawers - take clean plates/whatever from d/washer, carry to drawer with both hands, nudge drawer with knee, bung plates etc in. Ace. Easier to clean handle-less drawer fronts too.
Big extractor that extracts and doesn't just make noise. Some US ones have remote externally mounted fan units, so almost silent in the kitchen even on full pelt.
Iced water thingy on fridge - we don't have this and I think I'd drink gallons of the stuff if we did.
Proper stereo system!
No list...
Anything you can't clean - textured floor tiles, tiled splashbacks etc. Previous kitchen was impossible to clean. Smooth lines for the win.
Steam oven - we do use it, but not enough to warrant the cost.
Noisy washing machines in kitchens - if you can, locate it somewhere else.
SimonMaidenhead said:
Steam oven................ £1200 to boil an egg, never again
Coffee machine.............£lots, but used every day
Why not use it to steam vegetables, dim sum, bake bread, bake cakes, loosen stubborn caked on bits on pans, and for slow roasting stuff? Coffee machine.............£lots, but used every day
The steam oven is great for everything except egg boiling....
As for coffee machines, get a proper small italian chrome jobbie - make much better coffee and look beautiful!!!
Wozy68 said:
Do not under any circumstances install the following
Any make (but normaly FISHER PAYKEL) integrated dishwasher drawers. They do't clean into the corners and they do block up the waste pipe.
You WILL thank me for the above, cause you won't be pulling it out every 6 weeks to unblock it
Neff American F/Freezer ........They only do one. Utter tat. Just had a job where one was replaced three times.Even the Neff tech couldn't get it to install.
Hmm, not sure I agree with this mate, I've been selling fisher and paykel dish drawers for years, and never had that issue once, everyone love the ease of use it gives. I've got a double drawer in my own kitchen and it's been working fine for the past 3 years, and never once had to clear the drains out, and that's even with a waste disposal on the same system. Any make (but normaly FISHER PAYKEL) integrated dishwasher drawers. They do't clean into the corners and they do block up the waste pipe.
You WILL thank me for the above, cause you won't be pulling it out every 6 weeks to unblock it
Neff American F/Freezer ........They only do one. Utter tat. Just had a job where one was replaced three times.Even the Neff tech couldn't get it to install.
Still, we all work by experience!
I'd have a pyro cleaning oven, a coffee maker, a constant hot water tap, high output gas wok burner and a wine cooler!
Avoid, any make, any form of washer dryers! Especially Smeg ones!
A couple of people have already said about pan drawers, and they are right, too. Another advantage to big drawers is that they can be quite a bit wider that the widest cupboard door, which is usually 600mm, and this means that a) you don't need so many units and b) it can laying out a kitchen a lot easier especially if your supplier is able to offer a wide range of widths.
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