It Was The Best of Devices, It Was The Worst of Devices - Kitchen Must Have or Run Away Now

• 

  Jimothy Wongingtons on 27/02/2025 - 13:15

  +2

  renovated warehouse

  maybe a bit off topic but wow i love the aesthetic

  the air fryer head for the InstantPot probably wasn’t the best option. I would get a separate airfryer if starting again.

  good tip, my SiL swears by her instant pot as it replaces pressure cookier, air fryer etc…but i was always skeptical about a 'do all' device.

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 13:19

    +1

    What I love about the aesthetic is this is a thirty year old kitchen and it hasn’t really dated that much.

    The airfryer lid works for small things but the footprint really is no smaller and it doesn’t function as well.

    • 

      Jimothy Wongingtons on 27/02/2025 - 13:20

      +1

      To contribute to the discussion - I just ordered a delonghi Eletta explore, arrives tomorrow, hopefully changes my life as much as I hope it will. Will update Saturday.

      • 

        try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 13:29

        Thanks.

• 

  El cheepo on 27/02/2025 - 13:18

  +2

  The old workbench

  I didn’t see a bed in your kitchen?

  On a more serious note, that is a cool space.

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 13:28

    +1

    Ahh, now that is a whole ‘nother ball game. If I swung the camera across a bit further you would see the couch that coverts to a bed in the same area. We created a bedsit snug area that means we only have to heat a small area of the place in Winter; it doubles as a guest bedroom year around. The curtains behind the bench are thermal ones I created during lockdown. Two flat queen sized sheets with a king polyester Doona between. We have a reverse cycle air con unit in that area. The other side is currently a laundry with separate toilet. Looking to convert to laundry/bathroom.

    • 

      El cheepo on 27/02/2025 - 15:53

      It is a really nice setup, but i would need at least the bench top or workbench completely clear for my little OCD brain to feel comfortable.

      I can’t stand appliances or items taking up workspace in a kitchen, even if it doesn’t affect me or has deep benches 😂

      To each their own though.

      • 

        try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 16:02

        Very true. In my case the pasta maker sits in the pantry and it drives me nuts having to take it out and put it back. I’m all about the most convenient way to use something. The depth of the bench means we can pull them forward as needed and slide them back afterwards.

        • 

          El cheepo on 27/02/2025 - 16:08

          +1

          @try2bhelpful: Fair call.
          I would need some secret compartment hiding it up on the bench (taking up bench space) to make it mentally acceptable for myself 😂

          • 

            try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 09:37

            +1

            @El cheepo: Maybe deep bench with drop downs option for appliances. Pop them up when needed. 😃

          • 

            eyeballz2770 on 28/02/2025 - 16:56

            +1

            @El cheepo: In my youth I saw someone had an "appliance garage" in their kitchen. They added 12 inches to their benchtop and had the appliances stored behind a roll-down shutter. The larger appliances had their own shutter, so it wasn't one door that had to be lifted to expose all the appliances.

            It's always been my dream to do that should I ever build out a kitchen.

            • 

              El cheepo on 28/02/2025 - 17:07

              +1

              @eyeballz2770: Thats exactly what i envisioned when thinking how to hide those appliances.

              My other thought was a sliding door compartment so you could still keep the same look while hiding the appliances.
              Also super easy and convenient to access them as needed.

            • 

              try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 17:22

              +1

              @eyeballz2770: Something like that would be well worth investigating. Doesn’t work for us because of the window. Just make sure you put in a power point as well.

              • 

                eyeballz2770 on 28/02/2025 - 17:28

                @try2bhelpful: The same house with the appliance garage had power points at hip height throughout the house and I will be doing that in my future house, too. They also had their electricity and water pipes available for repair because they were hidden behind removable decorated panels in the room walls. This was in the 80s and I'll never forget that house.

                • 

                  try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 17:52

                  @eyeballz2770: Access for maintenance should always be considered. I also believe you should always have plenty of power points. Solid brick, weatherboard and brick veneer all come with pros and cons that need to be considered when buying or renovating.

• 

  Gdsamp on 27/02/2025 - 13:31

  i never previously considered hwhat i thought an OzBargainer's residence would look like. Thank you for sharing

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 13:40

    +1

    No probs. I hope I give some people things to think about if they are doing a kitchen renovation. I love to look at adverts for houses for sale to get ideas.

  • 

    Jimothy Wongingtons on 27/02/2025 - 13:46

    +7

    I always imagine two extremes, mini McMansion with royal staircase that leads down to waterfall feature , maybe something like this, or like, a tent pitched in a council park with strategic access to neighbours power point, a free wifi hotspot, and council bbq and water.

    • 

      try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 13:51

      +2

      Love the link. Being fortunate enough to spend some time in business and first class lounges makes me feel like that. Strictly on points, no way I could do that otherwise.

      Unfortunately with society we do seem to be polarising to those two options.

    • 

      Lastchancetosee on 28/02/2025 - 08:07

      +1

      Those were the days for classic posts. Seems to all about cars and indignant consumers now.

• 

  stickingly on 27/02/2025 - 13:54

  +2

  Nice kitchen, but having all that stuff cluttering up the benchtops (rather than packed away in a cupboard) would drive me crazy!

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 14:55

    You should see what is in the cupboards. We have a pretty good amount of useable bench space so the clutter doesn’t drive me nuts. I like having things like chopping boards, knives, etc close at hand. The same with the appliances. It is so much easier pulling things forward than dragging them out of cupboards.

    • 

      stickingly on 27/02/2025 - 17:29

      To each their own! My kitchen is quite similar, except that pretty much everything is white.

      For aesthetic reasons, I like to have clear benchtops and see out of the large window splashback (with everything easily accessible in cupboards and drawers). Unfortunately, my wife is of the other persuasion so stuff builds up (until I sneakily put it away)

      • 

        try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 09:43

        +1

        I can’t live with things being dirty but a bit of visual clutter is OK. If it impedes usage it has to go away though. In our case the glass bricks can’t really be seen through and there is a car park on the other side. It is purely for light.

• 

  stuffandthat on 27/02/2025 - 13:59

  +1

  Best thing I've bought in a while is the InstantPot. We now do our mash potatoes, and steamed rice in it weekly. I'm keen for some cooler weather for stews etc. We've been able to get rid of couple of appliances because of it.

• 

  mskeggs on 27/02/2025 - 14:01

  +2

  A couple of inexpensive kitchen things that have worked out well:
  - a couple of kiwi mid size knives. Cheap, super sharp and no concerns about mistreating them
  - 4 or 5 of the little victorinox serrated knives. Pretty coloured handles and razor sharp.
  - oxo tongs, very tough quality
  - half a dozen little $2 silicon tip tongs.

  All these were about getting multiple of the things I use all the time so I'm not always rinsing/washing half way through.

• 

  barge-in hunter on 27/02/2025 - 14:26

  Looking at a kitchen reno soon and noticed you have an 'integrated fridge'.

  Love the sleek look of just cupboards, but for the life of me can't find anything close to a reasonable price on one. Anyone know why they cost soooooo much more than a regular fridge?

  https://www.appliancesonline.com.au/filter/refrigeration/fri…

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 15:11

    +2

    Yeah, that is a tad of a trap. We went with an integrated fridge but really didn’t give it enough venting room in the cupboard carcass. We then had to cut the back out to provide enough venting room. If we did this again I would go quite a bit deeper to hold the fridge. The other trap is if you go for a fridge/freezer combo in one unit aligning the cupboard doors to the right height is a pain if you replace the fridge.

    Our current fridge isn’t actually an integrated one. We went with a shallow Miele fridge that we took the handle off. We attached the fridge/freezer wooden doors then just open the wood door and then the fridge door by the door edge. Much more adaptable. We have a stand-alone freezer in the garage.

    With our first integrated fridge we got it at a scratch and dent sale at Andi-co. They are still going but I don’t know if they still do those sales. Might be worth a phone call. Otherwise look for sales of demo models at retail stores. Best of luck.

    • 

      barge-in hunter on 27/02/2025 - 16:16

      Sounds like they might be more trouble than it's worth. Appreciate the advice

      • 

        try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 16:38

        +1

        In all honesty a fairly shallow standard fridge behind a door gives you the same aesthetic with less headaches but you need enough venting room. If you allow venting room at the back and above you will probably be OK.You also need magnetic catches to hold the door closed. Have a chat to a good cabinet maker.

    • 

      kiitos on 28/02/2025 - 10:06

      Good point about door alignment when replacing a fridge freezer combo.

      Do you find having to open and close 2 doors each time annoying?

      • 

        try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 17:24

        We have to open the wooden door and the fridge door. We don’t have to open two wooden doors because we got a piece of metal with two holes and created a bridge between both wooden doors.

        It isn’t optimum but it isn’t that annoying either.

• 

  godofpizza on 27/02/2025 - 14:44

  love your flooring op. Are you able to tell us more about it?

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 15:16

    +2

    The floor is Jarrah almost all throughout, including the treads on the stairs. Unfortunately I put carpet in the bedroom which I’m deeply regretting now. If someone knows a good place to put Jarrah into my bedrooms I would be grateful.

    Jarrah is gorgeous and hard wearing. I probably destroyed a forest and cost me a bomb but it was a brilliant decision. We do need to get if repolished after 30 years but it means emptying the house of furniture. An absolute nightmare.

• 

  valuer on 27/02/2025 - 14:59

  Lots of fiddly stuff, and a pain to clean properly each time.

  A few quality pots and pans and an induction cooker. Clean kitchen, no clutter.

• 

  ForkSnorter on 27/02/2025 - 15:05

  +2

  I'm going to disagree with most people on here and state my honest opinion. I don't like the dark cabinets, especially with the already dark timber floor. And I think putting cabinets directly above the window and the appliances in front of the window is a big mistake. It would feel much more spacious and bright if that area was left open. I would have gone with more decorative style cabinet doors and handles, and cabinets that go all the way to the ceiling would look more natural. Stainless steel benchtops are probably a good idea if the kitchen is getting a humungous amount of use, otherwise I would prefer a nice stone benchtop.

  Also, instead of those enormous pantries along the adjacent brick wall, I would have continued the bench (even just a narrow one if necessary) so you have an L-shaped bench, with base cabinets and wall cabinets also continuing along that wall, then moved the fridge to the end of that bench top (not a fan of integrated fridges), and surrounded it with a pantry on both sides and cabinets above the fridge. You would only lose a small amount of cabinet space, but the entire kitchen would feel much more open, bright and friendly.

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 15:41

    Can see your point and it is up to people’s individual tastes. In an open plan warehouse the kitchen is an extension of the rest of the space and mostly always on display. The wall of dark cabinets is the thing seen predominately from the rest of the house and it tends to disappear into the background through the stairs. A light coloured kitchen would be a tad too evident.

    I certainly would not shift the appliances this just works too well from a practical perspective. The workbench gives us extra work space and the adaptability to move it around to what makes the best location. In winter we often put a folding table in the space as a dining table.

    I just don’t think stone is durable enough. If I put down a hot pot then the SS just doesn’t care. SS doesn’t need repolishing professionally. It is very practical.

    However if people are considering what we have done then they can take onboard your thoughts as well. All good.

• 

  foxmulder on 27/02/2025 - 15:14

  I need at least 3 drying racks, how do you manage in small space like that, lots of towels?

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 15:46

    If you are talking dishes then we have the standard dish rack at the end that holds the main hand washed dishes. We then have a couple of OXO draining mats. We put them on the bench for pots, pans and wine glasses.
    https://www.myer.com.au/p/oxo-gg-sink-mat-large?istCompanyId…

    We have tea towel rails at either end of the workbench. So we have two tea towels on the go at any time.

• 

  MrThing on 27/02/2025 - 17:13

  stainless steel..hows that go for scratches and oily fenger prents

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 22:02

    -1

    Scratches and finger prints aren’t too bad but you can buff them out anyway.

• 

  c64 on 27/02/2025 - 18:57

  all i keep on the kitchen wall is a hammer to squash garlic and tenderise meat, and an oxy torch to caramelise my creme brulee

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 22:01

    +3

    Sounds like you double as a mobster enforcer.

• 

  miwahni on 27/02/2025 - 22:41

  +1

  I am quite jealous of the amount of cupboard space you have :-)
  The one appliance I bought and regretted was a Morphy Richards Multifunction Cooking Pot - bought to replace my steamer, my slow cooker and Sunbeam electric frying pan. Trouble is, it's a jack of all trades and master of none as the saying goes. I really like the look of it but it is so slow to fry, the heat settings never get quite hot enough to properly sear a steak; the water level for steaming is so low that the water boils off quite quickly and needs to be topped up continually, and I didn't think it through in relation to slow cooking as the pot is just not big enough to do the type of cuts you'd generally do in a slow cooker. About the only function I use now is the griller.

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 23:41

    Thanks

• 

  Downvoter on 27/02/2025 - 23:35

  -1

  Looks very cluttered and messy

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 27/02/2025 - 23:48

    I find having easy access to tools works for me. I still have plenty of bench space to work with. I find having to take appliances out of storage and put them back again is annoying. If I want to use my Magimix I drag it forward. If I want a scraper or a stirrer it is close at hand. My knifes are safely stored and readily available. It might not work for others but it works for me. I don’t expect everyone to follow my example just to give people some ideas.

• 

  Lastchancetosee on 28/02/2025 - 08:15

  +1

  Very chic, but too much stuff out for me that clutters and gathers grease and dust. I love cooking and baking, but keep everything in cupboards. I have a small kitchen, but a big island with cupboards and big pantry cupboard, so it's all handy.

  Non- negotiatiables for me were pyrolytic oven, induction hob, and glass splashback after years of renting with shitty ovens and tiles. Regret integrated exhaust fan. Too loud, so would get one with the motor at the top.

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 09:34

    Appliances do get depressing in rental accomodation.

• 

  CaptainJack on 28/02/2025 - 09:38

  The only things I keep on my benchtop are a kettle (because I work from home so it's probably used 6-7 times a day) and a fruit bowl. I'm probably an extreme case, but an uncluttered or minimal aesthetic is much nicer visually, if not practically. Especially if it's an appliance that gets used only once a month it can just be in a cupboard.

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 10:16

    I think there would be an interesting study on comparing the aesthetics against the practicality when it comes to kitchens. How often people cook and how people’s views evolve over time? Since we got the Breville coffee maker the kettle gets little usage. You can even get small amounts of hot water out of it. The kettle is mostly boiling water when cooking. From a cooking perspective the Magimix gets the most workout. Most of my appliances are also quite heavy and bulky. Finding somewhere to store them would be a difficult exercise.

    I certainly get the appeal of a minimalist work surface but the inconvenience of appliances not being readily at hand would drive me batty. It would, certainly, put me off cooking as well.

    Also these appliances don’t impede the work surface. They are too far back for using that surface to be practical. They need to be individually brought forward to be used.

    It does come down to what suits people and all options are valid for the individual.

    • 

      CaptainJack on 28/02/2025 - 10:45

      I would probably think differently if I had kids and had to cook bigger meals, hence bigger, heavier appliances. The annoying ones to get to for me are the slow cooker (bulky) and juicer (lots of components), but neither gets used often. Rice cooker is small and easy to get to.

      Other than that I mainly use a basic of pots/pans (mostly in a convenient draw), a sous vide (in a draw), and my charcoal bbq/smoker (outside obviously).

      Of course, it all depends on what you like to cook. There are probably lots of appliances I could have, but I like to keep it simple. I also have a small-ish apartment, so prefer to avoid stuff unless I'm really gonna use it.

      • 

        try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 11:33

        The basics are every day usage but things like a food processor just make life so much easier. Our appliances set has been built up over 30 years of preparing meals. Swapping things in and out as we find what works for us.

        I find the fashion for small kitchens integrated into lounge rooms with current apartments a tad depressing. I think of a kitchen as being an engine rather than a stage. With a small apartment I would still look at a food processor and an InstantPot with Sous Vide. Those two cover a lot of ground.

        • 

          CaptainJack on 28/02/2025 - 12:01

          +1

          @try2bhelpful: I 100% agree about the kitchens - pretty sure everyone hates them except developers that want to cram in as many apartments as possible. I'm young enough to be renting and moving every few years but when I settle somewhere I will want a separate kitchen.

          • 

            try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 13:05

            +1

            @CaptainJack: Some of the places we rented were OMG bad. Look up Kookaburra stoves and it will give you an idea on one place. Absolute sympathy for your issues with renting.

            Before we did our place up we went to a lot of open for inspections in a lot of upmarket houses. The kitchens in those places tend to be created by a designer so they often have some clever ideas.

            A separate kitchen is a good idea but then the person cooking the food tends to be separated from everyone else, which can be a tad sad. You don’t want people getting in the way but being part of the general conversation is good. You really need a good venting system and maybe a way to close some doors/drapes to hide the mess. We can do this with our curtains.

• 

  eyeballz2770 on 28/02/2025 - 18:24

  +1

  I'm all about function over form for myself but I do appreciate and consider effortless ideas from others.
  These are my favourite things.

  • If anyone remembers the Stuff auction site, we picked up a single door drink fridge (circa 2000) for $250 and it's still running. When it dies, I'm getting a new one on eBay. There's no standing in front of the open fridge deciding what looks tempting for 10 minutes.
  • I had a Breville version of the all-in-one pressure cooker (all I remember is it cost $$$) and when it died, I picked up the Kmart version for $55 to tide me over. I never ended up buying another one because I am that pleased with it.
  • We have a Breville Smart PRO oven and I love it.
  • Our daughter got a new oven and passed on her Kmart 45L convection oven and it's even larger than the Breville so we pull it out for holidays because we can fit 2 small chickens and roasting veggies in there.
  • Hubby scored the last French Door Air Fryer at Target for $85 before Xmas 2024 and it's great when I don't want to use the larger Breville oven; it's the best unit for baked wings.
  • The Vitamix ($1200 sob) died just after the warranty expired and I replaced it with an Omniblend V ($129 delivered) and will be replacing it with another when it dies.
  • I have a 20 tray dehydrator ($230 on eBay in 2013) and am going to do my best to save it in case of a house fire.
  • ProductReview offered my husband a free Sunbeam electric skillet in exchange for a review and it's well-loved in our home.
  • We have a generic water distiller from eBay and have never paid more than $90 and the best price was $67. We're on our 4th unit because they can burn out but we never consider drinking tap water because we've seen what's left over at the bottom of the distiller.

  The things I wouldn't buy again?
  * A microwave - hubby won't use it at all and I only reheat coffee in it once in a blue moon.
  * A full-size oven.

  We were broke when we married and there was a scrap metal drop-off in Penrith (where the ambulance station is now) where we picked up a standard kitchen sink with 2 basins for $12. The new kitchen is getting a farmhouse sink. ;)

  • 

    try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 19:40

    +1

    Thank-you, great post.

    We have a convection/microwave. The microwave function is mainly for defrosting things.

  • 

    eyeballz2770 on 28/02/2025 - 21:32

    I haven't talked about my water distiller in ages and then my husband showed me a video of the contents of abortion pills being found in US drinking water in many cities. Apparently, filters don't remove them. Hmmm.

    • 

      try2bhelpful on 28/02/2025 - 22:34

      Any level would be so diluted it would be pointless. However I wouldn’t believe any video coming out of the US anyway. The disinformation on the internet is enormous.