NGKUR: People who like their kitchens, come in. All welcome!

[requiressnacks]

MH and I are doing a full kitchen remodel in January. We are gutting our existing 1950's kitchen (buh bye!!) and starting over with brand new shit. Nowadays, there seem to be a million options for cabinets, faucets, gadgets, etc.  For the people who like their kitchens, is there anything that you LOVE? Anything that you HATE? Help me.

Right now the only thing I really want is a small cabinet that holds my spices, like this:

When we are done, kitchen will look something like this (White cabinets, light counters, peninsula, a little bigger than this pic):

[fem]

When MIL redid her kitchen a friend recommend big drawers for pots and pans instead of cupboards. It's her number one tip now for people.

[joy]

I hate those soft close cabinets and drawers. No, thank you.

Sometimes, you gotta slam something.

[kayladawn91]

I hate my peninsula. If you have room for an island, I would choose that instead. That's what I want. Just my two cents.

I love the spice cupboard idea. So cool!

[LadyNymeria]

Dec 23, 2015 10:43:36 GMT -5 joy said:

I hate those soft close cabinets and drawers. No, thank you.

Sometimes, you gotta slam something.

I love my soft close!!

[ceejay]

Dec 23, 2015 10:44:59 GMT -5 kayladawn91 said:

I hate my peninsula. If you have room for an island, I would choose that instead. That's what I want. Just my two cents.

I love the spice cupboard idea. So cool!

Haha, I was coming here to say the opposite! I love my peninsula and would not want an island.  

My kitchen layout is basically identical to what you have in that picture, requiressnacks. It's very functional and works well for us.

[JustJudy]

We have pull out shelves in a couple of the lower cabinets and they're amazing! I wish all of them had that feature but I didn't design this kitchen.

[kayladawn91]

Dec 23, 2015 10:51:59 GMT -5 ceejay said:

Dec 23, 2015 10:44:59 GMT -5 kayladawn91 said:

I hate my peninsula. If you have room for an island, I would choose that instead. That's what I want. Just my two cents.

I love the spice cupboard idea. So cool!

Haha, I was coming here to say the opposite! I love my peninsula and would not want an island.  

My kitchen layout is basically identical to what you have in that picture, requiressnacks. It's very functional and works well for us.

Our kitchen layout is also identical and I don't like it. To each their own!

[TheEleventhHour]

Dec 23, 2015 10:43:36 GMT -5 joy said:

I hate those soft close cabinets and drawers. No, thank you.

Sometimes, you gotta slam something.

Oh my god joy, I love you. 

Also following this thread for ideas because I absolutely despise our kitchen. It is late 70s/early 80s style (barf) and our oven is older than me. We are hoping to remodel next year. requiressnacks you will have to post before and after shots when it is done. I love house remodeling stuff! 

[daisy818]

Our kitchen was remodeled in 2006, so we are sticking with it for a while. I love the setup for the most part. One thing I really like is the swing-out pantry - it makes it easy to have a lot of stuff in the pantry but still be able to access it (rather than have cans that get shoved to the back of a deep shelf, never to be seen again).

It looks something like this:

[joy]

Dec 23, 2015 10:49:25 GMT -5 LadyNymeria said:

Dec 23, 2015 10:43:36 GMT -5 joy said:

I hate those soft close cabinets and drawers. No, thank you.

Sometimes, you gotta slam something.

I love my soft close!!

I feel like they're chastising me every time I shove it closed and then it stops and softly closes.  "No, no, Joy.  We do not get mad in this kitchen.  EVER."

[rooskie]

Dec 23, 2015 10:51:59 GMT -5 ceejay said:

Dec 23, 2015 10:44:59 GMT -5 kayladawn91 said:

I hate my peninsula. If you have room for an island, I would choose that instead. That's what I want. Just my two cents.

I love the spice cupboard idea. So cool!

Haha, I was coming here to say the opposite! I love my peninsula and would not want an island.  

My kitchen layout is basically identical to what you have in that picture, requiressnacks. It's very functional and works well for us.

I think we are the same person. My kitchen is set up the same but with the fridge at the end of my peninsula. It huge with tons of counter space and I love it. I think I would feel like an island would get in the way, but I'm constantly with cats under foot so I like having more space.

[LadyNymeria]

Dec 23, 2015 11:04:27 GMT -5 joy said:

Dec 23, 2015 10:49:25 GMT -5 LadyNymeria said:

I love my soft close!!

I feel like they're chastising me every time I shove it closed and then it stops and softly closes.  "No, no, Joy.  We do not get mad in this kitchen.  EVER."

Hahaha, that is probably the best description/explanation (I can't seem to think of the word I really want to use) of them I've ever heard. I almost never cook so if I'm slamming something it's generally not in the kitchen. Maybe that's why I like them!

[peaseblossom55]

We remodeled our kitchen last year. We did not touch the cabinets or the structure really. The way our kitchen is laid out I'm not sure there could have been much we could have done.

When we put in our granite countertops, we ordered and extra wide sink, it's so roomy and washing certain items we don't put in the dishwasher is so much easier.

[sleepymonkey]

I hate my dark cabinets so good choice getting white. I like the way the espresso color looks but they scratch easily and show dirt and fingerprints a lot. I love my e-granite sink. It is so much easier for me to clean than the traditional stainless and looks nice. Mine is a double sink that has a very lower seperator so easily put pots with handles in it and you have the option to fill it up like a big single sink.

[sleepymonkey]

So I know that the trend is to not have an over-the-range microwave but can someone tell me why? I can't imagine having to take up valuable counter space with the microwave.

[teraiin]

I love my island... however I do feel like I hip-check it approximately 4936734 times a week. Mostly because I'm clumsy.

A kitchen reno is on my dream list also, so I'll be taking notes.

[spicysalmonroll]

This is probably going to sound really stupid but I bought my house 3 months ago and it's the first time in my life I've had a garbage disposal, and it's fucking awesome. Like it's the smallest/ cheapest thing to add in a kitchen yet I'm super in love with it and not having to empty food scraps from my stoppers into the garbage.

I would kill for one of the water faucets that comes out of the wall over the range for big pasta pots.

[spicysalmonroll]

Dec 23, 2015 11:18:30 GMT -5 sleepymonkey said:

So I know that the trend is to not have an over-the-range microwave but can someone tell me why? I can't imagine having to take up valuable counter space with the microwave.

I think they are stupid. I like having a more powerful vent in that spot. I like being able to SEE food in the microwave so I can see if it's overboiling or whatever. And if it breaks it's going to cost you double the price of replacing a countertop one.

[kayladawn91]

Dec 23, 2015 11:18:30 GMT -5 sleepymonkey said:

So I know that the trend is to not have an over-the-range microwave but can someone tell me why? I can't imagine having to take up valuable counter space with the microwave.

I love my over-the-range microwave. But my kitchen is very small and I don't have any extra counter space whatsoever.

Eta: my kitchen opinions are very unpopular today though so...

[Deleted]

I love having big drawers for my pots and pans. I'm also in love with my mom's idea to have all of the spices and basic baking ingredients right beside the stove in an upper cabinet.

I really like having book shelves on the back of the Peninsula. I keep all of my cookbooks on them.

[teraiin]

Dec 23, 2015 11:24:46 GMT -5 spicysalmonroll said:

Dec 23, 2015 11:18:30 GMT -5 sleepymonkey said:

So I know that the trend is to not have an over-the-range microwave but can someone tell me why? I can't imagine having to take up valuable counter space with the microwave.

I think they are stupid. I like having a more powerful vent in that spot. I like being able to SEE food in the microwave so I can see if it's overboiling or whatever. And if it breaks it's going to cost you double the price of replacing a countertop one.

My problem with them is that I'm just too short. Granted, I think whoever did our kitchen must have been a giant.

(Mine isn't technically an over-the-range, there is a cubby designed for a microwave above the range)

[sleepymonkey]

Dec 23, 2015 11:24:46 GMT -5 spicysalmonroll said:

Dec 23, 2015 11:18:30 GMT -5 sleepymonkey said:

So I know that the trend is to not have an over-the-range microwave but can someone tell me why? I can't imagine having to take up valuable counter space with the microwave.

I think they are stupid. I like having a more powerful vent in that spot. I like being able to SEE food in the microwave so I can see if it's overboiling or whatever. And if it breaks it's going to cost you double the price of replacing a countertop one.

I can understand those reasons. If I had a larger kitchen, I could see having a countertop microwave but I hate the idea of losing counter space when I feel like it's already tight. I like to spread out when I cook. But nice vent hoods do look cool.

[requiressnacks]

Thanks ladies!!! I wish we had room for an island, but we really don't so I'm sticking with peninsula.

I never really thought about soft-touch cabinets or not, but from talking to my cabinet maker soft-touch seems to be the standard now.

And NOTE on the drawers for pots/pans. I want that.

Any thoughts on the faucet that you don't have to touch? Someone here had it and didn't like it. I can't remember who!!

[spicysalmonroll]

requiressnacks, re: touchless faucet: I could see my cat fucking with that all day.....

[joy]

Dec 23, 2015 11:49:11 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

Any thoughts on the faucet that you don't have to touch? Someone here had it and didn't like it. I can't remember who!!

My parents have it.  I don't understand the point, I guess.  Whenever I touch something yuck (like raw chicken), I soft scrub the whole sink and faucet handle when I'm done anyway.  The on/off for our faucet is easy enough to do with the side of my hand when I'm just sticky.

I dunno... I'm weird about these "must haves" that people put on their lists these days.  I don't need any of 'em.

[singingsea]

Dec 23, 2015 11:04:27 GMT -5 joy said:

Dec 23, 2015 10:49:25 GMT -5 LadyNymeria said:

I love my soft close!!

I feel like they're chastising me every time I shove it closed and then it stops and softly closes.  "No, no, Joy.  We do not get mad in this kitchen.  EVER."

SNORT. Tea seriously came out my nose. My parents have those special cabinet hinges and they fuck with me majorly. I do like the silent closing toilets.

[diamondsndaisies]

Dec 23, 2015 10:54:39 GMT -5 JustJudy said:

We have pull out shelves in a couple of the lower cabinets and they're amazing! I wish all of them had that feature but I didn't design this kitchen.

My new kitchen (I didn't design, just refinished) has pull out drawers and I LOVE them. I hated having to dig to the back of my cabinets for crap. The drawers make things so my more accessible. 

[teraiin]

Dec 23, 2015 11:49:11 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

Thanks ladies!!! I wish we had room for an island, but we really don't so I'm sticking with peninsula.

I never really thought about soft-touch cabinets or not, but from talking to my cabinet maker soft-touch seems to be the standard now.

And NOTE on the drawers for pots/pans. I want that.

Any thoughts on the faucet that you don't have to touch? Someone here had it and didn't like it. I can't remember who!!

Anecdote:

My in-laws have one. They were so excited. Now they hate it with a fiery passion and are going to switch it out ASAP.

I'm not sure if this is standard or not, but apparently there's has a 'battery' in it? Whenever it dies (which it doesn't warn you the battery is low) you can't get water. In their case there is no 'manual' option. Which means they need to replace the battery. So like, need water ASAP? Better hope that battery doesn't die.

I really don't know if all of them are like this or if it's just the one they have....

[lgraceh]

+1 to drawers or slid out tray for pots and pans, the e-granite sink, and pot filler. Pot filler is definitely more on the frivolous side, but would be cool.
Oh, and a double oven. Is that possible with your set up? I'd kill for it. Haha.