New Kitchen Advice

[williamalex1]

Got a Howdens consultant coming round next week to measure up and discuss our needs for a new kitchen. Was going to also look at Wren but don’t think I’ll bother. Our builder will install…he has a long and good working relationship with the Howdens branch we are using. Have been thinking taps and 1) don’t see the point of the ‘professional’ style 2) Quooker boiling water tap…my Mrs is very wary…plus the outlay and ongoing costs given our water is very hard…really? Nah. Got a lot of other stuff we need to sort ahead of such an extravagance.

Existing Howdens kitchen has lasted well. Still to decide on worktops (current from Howdens is wood) and appliance brand, as not over enamoured by our Lamont fridge and freezer…though our Bosch oven and ceramic hob are fine. But will def look at alternative brands…suggestions (Neff etc?) welcome ?

I thought you guys were thinking of moving back up north in the near future.

 

[CliveW]

We have recently moved a fairly new build house and it has a Howden's fitted kitchen and utility room. I do not know if Howden designed the kitchen, but it just does not work well. The quality of units are great, but the island unit is too close to the sink/dishwasher so the seating is so close that you cannot sit at the island and have folk walk past or use the sink. The other side of the island, where the cupboards/drawers are, is too far from the cooker so makes it difficult to use for food preparation. It also has a range cooker with the ovens at low level which are difficult to use and clean. Luckily the units are still available from Howdens so we have ordered an eye level built in oven with additional oven/microwave and an induction hob from an independent fitter and we will also have the island moved closer to the cooker.

 

[cliveb]

Got a Howdens consultant coming round next week to measure up and discuss our needs for a new kitchen. Was going to also look at Wren but don’t think I’ll bother. Our builder will install…he has a long and good working relationship with the Howdens branch we are using. Have been thinking taps and 1) don’t see the point of the ‘professional’ style 2) Quooker boiling water tap…my Mrs is very wary…plus the outlay and ongoing costs given our water is very hard…really? Nah. Got a lot of other stuff we need to sort ahead of such an extravagance.

Existing Howdens kitchen has lasted well. Still to decide on worktops (current from Howdens is wood) and appliance brand, as not over enamoured by our Lamont fridge and freezer…though our Bosch oven and ceramic hob are fine. But will def look at alternative brands…suggestions (Neff etc?) welcome ?

Taps: those spray heads are very useful. Never appreciated that until we bought a house which had one. Wouldn't be without, now.

Hard water: get a softener. Really worthwhile. Gone are limescale issues on things like shower heads, toilet bowls, etc.

Wooden worktops: avoid. Stupid idea. They may look nice, but are utterly unsuited to the job.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I thought you guys were thinking of moving back up north in the near future.

We were and still are, but given our experience of value of living v close to our daughter through the pandemic and since, plus the use we made of our garden and the park at top of our road which goes directly onto open countryside, my Mrs has decided she doesn’t want to move until she sees our daughter settled and progressing well in her career and with her partner ‘the golf pro’ - could be up to 5yrs.

So we are doing a significant reconfiguring of our downstairs and doing a couple of extensions for what we have always rather yearned for in our house but never did as always thought we’d move. We won’t lose out financially, though we don’t need return on investment and aren’t doing it for that reason, within 5 yrs what we spend should more than return outlay if and when we move. So kitchen will be cut in half with existing Howdens kitchen staying where it is but in a new utility room, and new (probably) Howdens kitchen in our new kitchen.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We have recently moved a fairly new build house and it has a Howden's fitted kitchen and utility room. I do not know if Howden designed the kitchen, but it just does not work well. The quality of units are great, but the island unit is too close to the sink/dishwasher so the seating is so close that you cannot sit at the island and have folk walk past or use the sink. The other side of the island, where the cupboards/drawers are, is too far from the cooker so makes it difficult to use for food preparation. It also has a range cooker with the ovens at low level which are difficult to use and clean. Luckily the units are still available from Howdens so we have ordered an eye level built in oven with additional oven/microwave and an induction hob from an independent fitter and we will also have the island moved closer to the cooker.

We are probably not going to have an island for reasons you have given. As much as they can be great, we see too many examples of kitchens in which an island dominates and determines and limits how the kitchen space is used. Advice re eye-level oven and second oven is good, bending down for me is easy, straightening up less so ? And built in microwave to reduce clutter on work top is prob what we’ll do as even though we are working on a blank canvas our worktop area will not be huge.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Taps: those spray heads are very useful. Never appreciated that until we bought a house which had one. Wouldn't be without, now.

Hard water: get a softener. Really worthwhile. Gone are limescale issues on things like shower heads, toilet bowls, etc.

Wooden worktops: avoid. Stupid idea. They may look nice, but are utterly unsuited to the job.

Will look a a softener - I guess we could put one immediately where cold supply/riser comes in. And yes, as much as our wooden worktop looks great it has marked. And as much as I haven’t minded rubbing it down and recoiling it…

And will think on the ‘springy tap’ - not sure I see why a spray head would be useful on what is mostly for very utilitarian needs.

 

[BiMGuy]

I didn't say fit a crap worktop. There are good looking alternatives to quartz and granite are there not?
We need to replace our kitchen, thankfully it is small. But, the thought of a few grand just for a worktop is scary.

Why is spending money on quality items scary?

 

[Golfmmad]

Got a Howdens consultant coming round next week to measure up and discuss our needs for a new kitchen. Was going to also look at Wren but don’t think I’ll bother. Our builder will install…he has a long and good working relationship with the Howdens branch we are using. Have been thinking taps and 1) don’t see the point of the ‘professional’ style 2) Quooker boiling water tap…my Mrs is very wary…plus the outlay and ongoing costs given our water is very hard…really? Nah. Got a lot of other stuff we need to sort ahead of such an extravagance.

Existing Howdens kitchen has lasted well. Still to decide on worktops (current from Howdens is wood) and appliance brand, as not over enamoured by our Lamona fridge and freezer…though our Bosch oven and ceramic hob are fine. But will def look at alternative brands…suggestions (Neff etc?) welcome ?

We had AEG ovens and induction hob, very pleased with both and I think are a bit cheaper than Neff but just as good.
As an aside, we bought waste and recycling bins which are attached to the door of a base unit. German make, expensive, but really good quality. Three bins, one general waste, two food waste and larger for recycling, also a sliding tray above where Mrs keeps washing powder tub, which helps keep smells down.
Still going strong after 4years!

 

[CliveW]

Advice re eye-level oven and second oven is good, bending down for me is easy, straightening up less so ? And built in microwave to reduce clutter on work top is prob what we’ll do

Should have explained better. The built in microwave is actually a second oven/grill with a combination microwave. There is also a slide out warming drawer under the main oven.

 

[cliveb]

And will think on the ‘springy tap’ - not sure I see why a spray head would be useful on what is mostly for very utilitarian needs.

Being able to direct the spray exactly where you want it is helpful.
You can adjust the power of the spray until it's quite forceful, which is sometimes useful.
It makes any kind of rinsing so much easier.
Difficult to appreciate until you've used one. If you can find a friend or neighbour with one ask if you can have a go.

 

[cliveb]

Should have explained better. The built in microwave is actually a second oven/grill with a combination microwave.

We had an AEG combi oven/microwave in our previous house.
It was a nice small oven.
But as a microwave it was absolutely useless, with hot spots. Once tried defrosting something which ended up burnt on one side while still frozen solid elsewhere.
And the bloody thing cost about a grand.

AEG's response to our complaint? "Oh you need to rotate the food and move it around while it's in there".
And here was me thinking that the point of a microwave is that it's supposed to be convenient.

We ended up buying a countertop microwave - which has a turntable and doesn't need us to faff about.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

All excellent tips and suggestions - thanks. Any more ‘must haves’ or ‘don’t does’?

 

[Rooter]

Being able to direct the spray exactly where you want it is helpful.
You can adjust the power of the spray until it's quite forceful, which is sometimes useful.
It makes any kind of rinsing so much easier.
Difficult to appreciate until you've used one. If you can find a friend or neighbour with one ask if you can have a go.

We have one, such a handy thing.

 

[Rooter]

All excellent tips and suggestions - thanks. Any more ‘must haves’ or ‘don’t does’?

Do question the planner. Our guy said "you cant do that, you cant have this' we did and it works perfectly.

EG. We have a drawer directly under the induction hob. It does not as he said it would, heat up the cutlery.

We got our worktops from a worktop specialist in slough (I can dig out their name if you want) Wren said we could not have that big a worktop for our island. We did and it looks awesome. It seats 4 people with ease. Will post a pic if its clean...

Don't trust their measurements, measure again yourself. They Messed up with the gap for our American Fridge. Note, Not all American fridges are the same height!!! We had to heavily modify our above fridge cupboard and god forbid our fridge breaks and we need a new one!! Measure everything yourself TWICE!

 

[Rooter]

 

[fundy]

Do question the planner. Our guy said "you cant do that, you cant have this' we did and it works perfectly.

EG. We have a drawer directly under the induction hob. It does not as he said it would, heat up the cutlery.

We got our worktops from a worktop specialist in slough (I can dig out their name if you want) Wren said we could not have that big a worktop for our island. We did and it looks awesome. It seats 4 people with ease. Will post a pic if its clean...

Don't trust their measurements, measure again yourself. They Messed up with the gap for our American Fridge. Note, Not all American fridges are the same height!!! We had to heavily modify our above fridge cupboard and god forbid our fridge breaks and we need a new one!! Measure everything yourself TWICE!

just sounds like a list of reasons to use a competent company rather than Wren to me that Scooter

 

[Rooter]

Last thing, think about lighting early!! I regret not putting in better lighting above the sink. You end up washing up a bit in your own shadow..

 

[Canary_Yellow]

All excellent tips and suggestions - thanks. Any more ‘must haves’ or ‘don’t does’?

My advice would be, and apologies if already covered elsewhere, is that howdens kitchens are good, we're very pleased with ours (fitted one year ago), but don't buy anything other than the units from them. The other things they sell are expensive for the quality.

We've got a quartz worktop that we got from a specialist worktop man, bought sinks and taps from elsewhere, and would buy appliances elsewhere too. Howdens sell taps under their brand, but if you shop about you'll find the same ones for less elsewhere even if you did want one howdens sell. We bought our appliances from AO. We do have a lamona fridge in the utility room, but they through that in for free, otherwise we'd have bought a different brand.

 

[Rooter]

My advice would be, and apologies if already covered elsewhere, is that howdens kitchens are good, we're very pleased with ours (fitted one year ago), but don't buy anything other than the units from them. The other things they sell are expensive for the quality.

We've got a quartz worktop that we got from a specialist worktop man, bought sinks and taps from elsewhere, and would buy appliances elsewhere too. Howdens sell taps under their brand, but if you shop about you'll find the same ones for less elsewhere even if you did want one howdens sell. We bought our appliances from AO. We do have a lamona fridge in the utility room, but they through that in for free, otherwise we'd have bought a different brand.

Oh the same, we bought Siemens stuff (Don't bother, its the same, just more expensive than Bosch/Neff). We bought 2 ovens, Integrated Mic and hob, from 3 different shops. Hughes electrical, Appliances direct and Currys. Saved about a grand all in!!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

All excellent tips and suggestions - thanks. Any more ‘must haves’ or ‘don’t does’?

To quote Kirsty Allsop, 'pan draws, you can never have too many'. Draws that slide in an out, meaning nothing gets stuck at the back, you can see everything and you no longer have to bend down awkwardly. Kirsty knows her kitchens

Plug sockets. Get extra to how many you think you need. You always need more. I stayed in a holiday cottage that had pop up sockets in the island, inc usb points. I loved that. Ideal for charging phones, tablets, smart speakers etc.