To give you a visual everything I described above, here’s our galley kitchen:

Reading this thread again, I got to missing my old kitchen, so here's a thought: How many of the things you list are truly "must haves"? I moved 5 months ago from a home with a custom designed kitchen that I loved, to home with a kitchen about a third of the size, and that is a part of the main room/living room. There is no way to include all the things I loved into this new space, so they became "nice to have that I will consider adding if/when I spend $100K to redo this room". They're not "must haves", because I'm getting on OK without them.......but I do miss them.

So, are your "must haves" things that would make or break a new home purchase, if you had to move? Are they things you'd go through a 6 month renovation to be sure you had (because these days, even small jobs become a 6 months reno)?

“Counters that are deeper than the standard 24". I would want 27" deep counters

Good for those of you who are average or taller. Wouldn't be good for me and my short arms /limited reach.”

@Mrs Pete - that has not been my experience, and I am short. Even with the Petite clothing sizes, I still have to shorten the sleeves, my arms are short. The 27” deep counters are fine.

“If you get deeper cabinets, be SURE your drawers are deeper as well. You don't want empty space at the back; that'd be totally wasteful.”

The cost-benefit analysis for me was that 27” deep drawers and their accompanying upgraded slides would be too expensive just for the added 3” of storage per drawer. For example, the added 3” depth of drawer would not enable me to fit an additional pot or fry pan, or an additional cake pan, colander, etc. The added 3” in the drawers would not really enable me to store more things in those drawers. The wasteful part for me would be the higher cost of the non-standard 27” drawers and sliders. I’d rather have the standard 24” drawers under the 27” counter, pull them out from the wall 3”, and spend that money elsewhere in my kitchen.

"Your must haves in a new kitchen?"

A maid.

What I LOVE about our newly (completed 6 months ago) gut-renovated kitchen:

Drawers everywhere (many 4’)

48” sink - heaven!

TWO trash pull-outs - one in the island across from sink, one on the opposite wall next to refrigerator (great for trash accumulated when unloading groceries/culling fridge, etc.)

8’ x 4’ island (my first!) with nothing mounted in/on it.

Swing-out end of island mounted stools, with built-in pull-out trays above each - eliminates the need for stools standing on the floor (really dislike that look!).

”Vertical Spice” racks mounted in upper cabinet to the right of the gas cooktop.

Drawers under sink.

Delta ”Leland” wi-fi enabled touch faucet w/“splash guard” - amazing!

LG French door fridge w/full convert drawer & supplemental craft ice maker.

Lower corner drawers.

Full length, plugmold strips under every upper cabinet run.

ALL lighting on separate switches (pendant over sink, pendant over breakfast table, island pendants, ceiling cans, full-length made to order under counter LED strips w/diffusers).

Lower chef drawer pull-outs on either side of cooktop.

Knife drawer just under cooktop.

Corner pantry w/18” floor-to-ceiling adjustable multi-shelf lazy Susan turntables.

Dekton ”Bromo” counters - LOVE them!

Solid cork plank flooring - super easy to care for, and ultra comfortable.

Ikea drawer organizers - very cost effective and high quality.

Each of the 5 lighting switches on individual dimmer, w/switch plates located at 3 of the 4 entrances to kitchen.

Hard-plumbed commercial Kuerig - game changer!

ALL lighting is 5000k LED. I can see!

36” or larger single sink.

Induction range or cooktop

lower drawers only.

"Ikea drawer organizers - very cost effective and high quality."

I use these in my office, and they are pretty awesome.

The cost-benefit analysis for me was that 27” deep drawers and their accompanying upgraded slides would be too expensive just for the added 3” of storage per drawer.

But the point is that you did the comparison /you did your homework. You didn't just blindly let the carpenter make the choice for you -- you did it right.

Knife drawer just under cooktop.

I have a metal knife -- rack? holder? not sure what to call it -- mounted under one of my uppers. It's a great way to keep your knives handy, yet invisible.

My knives are mounted on those long magnetic strips…in the drawer. It’s a great option for the shallowness of the drawer due to the cooktop. The cutout on the back right is for the gas line.

Oh - and you can see a few of those Ikea organizers!

I never would’ve thought to pull thr cabs out and have wider counters. i love that idea.

My knives are mounted on those long magnetic strips…in the drawer.

INSIDE the drawer? I never would've thought of that!

Honestly, my biggest must have would be no kitchen island. After experiencing a nice U shaped kitchen, I wouldn't willingly go back to the cramped and awkward L-plus-island that's so ubiquitous these days.

Other nice things: large single bowl sink with an off center drain (right now I have a pull out trash can under the non-drain half, but these sinks can be converted to be ADA accessible fairly easily if you're worried about aging in place)

Large format porcelain tile countertops - the large format means no grout (just a couple seams like you'd have for granite), and the material is fantastic. Doesn't chip, stain, scratch, or dent, can't be damaged by heat, lasts forever, environmentally friendly production, comes in a huge variety of colors, patterns, and sheen levels. Even better, it's about the same cost as laminate.

Induction cooktop - I do a lot of canning, and having a stove that doesn't put off extra heat when doing the canning in August is huge. Plus the cooktop is easy to keep clean, and I find it easier to get nice repeatable results for things like grilled cheese or pancakes.

I love my wood butcher block counter. I think I oiled it once or twice when it was new 25 years ago but haven't bothered since. I cut and chop on it, put hot pots on it. It's had burn marks, red wine stains etc but they all seem to fade in a few weeks time. If we ever move and do another kitchen it's a must-have.

Must haves, a cook. Maybe it is my old age, but I never use to minded cooking. I'm over it now.

Gas range. Dishwasher. Simple, quality cabinets without too much trim or fuss. Appliances that have as few special features, function, and electronic control panels as possible.

Following!

I just finished >$100k kitchen reno with all the bells and whistles. Here are my favorite designs:

1. long, narrow walk-in pantry with counters to house all ”ugly” appliances appliances

2. in addition to island stools, I added a window banquette for cozy eatings. The window seats lift up to add tons of storage.

3. At the end of my kitchen, I added a tall , narrow cabinet with internal outlets shelves. We use this cabinet to charge/store ipads, iphones, laptops, headphones , tons of cables, and all the junk that just needs to get off my counters.

4. We love our Miele built- in coffee maker.

5. You must add an insta-hot dispenser.

We went over budget on our reno, but we don’t regret it al all. My family and I love our whole house so much more. A fabulous kitchen has greatly improved our family life. Good luck to you!

Been seeing a lot of love for induction in the must haves lists. I would need to invest in new cookware (just did a couple years ago).

The benefits seem to be: faster cooking times, heats the cookware on contact and less heat to the stove top, easy clean stove top. Is there anything else?

@jillybean103 - actually there are a few of us who do not prefer induction. I had an induction cooktop, and was happy to go back to gas in this home. Certainly induction is easier to clean. Other than that, I prefer gas burners. Gas is just so much more enjoyable. I also didn’t like how the second you moved the pan off the induction cooktop everything stopped cooking. Some people experience buzzing with induction, some don’t. The reports of this are so varying, it is not possible to pin down the cause to the pans, or to the cooktop, or to the wiring, or that some people’s hearing is ultra-sensitive.

Induction devotees on this forum can sometimes get heated (no pun intended), so I hope they won’t over my comment here. In any case, I recommend you either find a showroom with a working induction cooktop they allow you to try, or a friend who has one that you could try.

I love to cook, so my must haves: Mostly drawers for under counter storage. Several good upper cabinets - I am tall, I don't want to bend over for everyday dishes. Besides, one can't always predict when one's back will go out.

Pantry space.

Induction cooktop or range.

As I brown a lot of foods before braising them in the oven, I am happy to use a less-expensive range, where I can cook the braising foods directly under the cooktop surface.

A refrigerator with a good space next to it easy for loading in groceries.

A good cooking footprint - the theory of Ice--> water --> land --> works for me. (fridge to water for rinsing, to a prep surface, to 'the cooktop/range makes for practical use of space.

I like having my main prep area looking outdoor. (Usually when I am doing dishes, it is after dinner, when it is often dark., at least in winter.)

Ventilation for the cooktop - NOT in the center of the room. More efficient if against a wall.

No over the range microwave. I am perfectly happy with a cheap on the counter moveable microwave.

". I would need to invest in new cookware (just did a couple years ago)."

Unlikely - take a magnet to your current cookware and see if it sticks. If the bottom of your cookware holds a magnet, it will work. Out of my 20 or so pots and pans, I had to replace 3.

There are 2 other advantages to induction that you didn't mention: One is the control over the heat source. The control is more like gas, because changes - even small changes - take effect immediately. The second is safety: There's no flame or heated element that could set fire to oil, paper, hair, or fabric nearby, and If there isn't a pot on the "burner", it shuts down in about a minute (I'm sure every brand is a little different; mine shuts down in 60 seconds). That's enough time to remove the pot to shake it or strain fluid, but still makes sure that the element isn't left on to waste electricity and potentially heat something it shouldn't. In fact, the first one I ever saw (over 10 years ago) was bought by someone specifically because her cats had a nasty habit of jumping on the stovetop as soon as she turned away - and with induction, they wouldn't get burned.

Induction
• Heats faster; don’t wait for heating element to transfer to pan.
• Precise temperature control; when turn burner off, heat stops immediately, less chance of boiling over/overcooking.
• More energy efficient; heat not lost in transfer process or lost to air, only cookware heats.
• Maintains cool cooking surface; only pan gets hot, element never exposed, preventing risk of fire hazard/burns.
• Cleaning easier; since cooktop doesn't get hot, it's easy to clean, don't get baked-on food.
• Safer; does not emit gas. Won't catch objects on fire - only heats items with iron particles. Turns off when cookware removed.

@Toronto Veterinarian I researched my cookware and the question was on the FAQ of their site and the mfg said the kind I have is not good for induction.

@wdccruise good one

After experiencing a nice U shaped kitchen

A well-planned U-shaped kitchen is THE BEST.

I do a lot of canning, and having a stove that doesn't put off extra heat when doing the canning in August is huge.

I want one of those electric canners /avoid the cooktop altogether. When I get one, I'll do my hot water bath canning out on the porch instead of in the house.

I love my wood butcher block counter.

I do love the look of butcher block.

Gas range. Dishwasher. Simple, quality cabinets without too much trim or fuss. Appliances that have as few special features, function, and electronic control panels as possible.

Agree -- except for the gas range. Fancy do-dahs on cabinets are just more to clean. Bells and whistles on appliances are just something to break.

long, narrow walk-in pantry with counters to house all ”ugly” appliances appliances

I wouldn't fuss about whether a walk-in pantry is "long and narrow" or not, but I agree that most of our small appliances look clutter-y and aren't the most attractive things.

The benefits seem to be: faster cooking times, heats the cookware on contact and less heat to the stove top, easy clean stove top. Is there anything else?

When cooking something that tends to "splatter", you can lay a paper towel /piece of newspaper on the cooktop, and then throw away the paper instead of cleaning the cooktop. You can't burn yourself on an induction range. They are more expensive too. Having used my mom's for almost three decades, I put induction in the "like, don't love" category.

Must-haves:

• Drink glasses and coffee mugs in cabinet directly above the DW for easy unloading. I made sure the cabinet door swings away from my face while standing in front of the sink. Not only is it easier to load glasses into the cabinet, but it is also easier to grab a glass from the cabinet to get a drink of water.
• Plates, saucers, eating bowls and silverware in close proximity to the DW for easy unloading and located near the kitchen table for easy table setting.
• Lots of drawer bases, especially for pots and pans, pot holders, spices, utensils and silverware.
• Tray base cabinet
• Ample prep area located between the range and sink
• Shallow 12" pantry cabinet for cans, jars and boxed goods, deep enough for cereal boxes, but shallow enough so things don't get lost in the back. Counter-depth fridge for the same reason.
• Pantry closet for small appliances, garbage and recyclables, I don't like having the garbage in a cabinet or having to bend down to retrieve a heavy/bulky appliance.
• A single large utensil drawer, I hate searching through multiple drawers to find what I need.
• Induction
• Bosch 500 DW or better--I love the pop open feature of the 500 model, reminding me that its time to put the dishes away.
• Single bowl sink, sink grates and offset drain.
• Weathertech mat for sink base cabinet
• Window(s)

Touch less faucet (non battery type). Very handle when hands are full.
Drawers (full extension) vs pull outs behind doors.
Drawers that can hold the weight of my cast iron pots and pans

My only won't have is an induction cooktop. Too many people in my family have medical devices that may be susceptible to interference from an induction cooktop.

Before someone says they don't interfere you have to know the risk and manufacturers recommendations before stating blanketly that induction cooktops are safe.

Some preferences not mentioned above:

I prefer a 70/30 double bowl sink to a single bowl or any other double bowl sink (have had single and 50/50 double bowls). The 70/30 gives me the best of both worlds, a large sink and a double sink.

I prefer gas to electric, but had gas for 35 years before moving to a home with electric, so it is what I am used to.

I deep fry foods - I know this has been largely abandoned, but I still enjoy treating myself and others to good deep fried foods. I have a deep fry station planned for my kitchen reno to keep the grease from the deep fryer contained.

What I would want if I could have it would be the setup my sister has for her small appliances.

Kitchen with garage doors closed:

Kitchen with garage doors open

Pantry on other side of kitchen wall

My only won't have is an induction cooktop. Too many people in my family have medical devices that may be susceptible to interference from an induction cooktop.

I'm not aware of problems with medical devices and induction cooking -- please share details on this topic.

And, stating the obvious: none of us know what medical devices we might have in the future.

I deep fry foods - I know this has been largely abandoned, but I still enjoy treating myself and others to good deep fried foods. I have a deep fry station planned for my kitchen reno to keep the grease from the deep fryer contained.

We have a small-appliance deep fryer. I think I prefer this to a built-in station because it can be moved into the pantry when we're not using it.

This thought bounces me over to another thing I like: our range top has a small "lip" that runs all around the edge, so if a pot overflows, it doesn't spill over onto the cabinets or the floor -- this has mattered more than once! When we bring out our deep-fryer, we set it on the cooktop, so if it overflows, the oil will be contained on the cooktop, which is easy to clean.

What I would want if I could have it would be the setup my sister has for her small appliances.

That's wonderful! So well planned. I see that she has other small appliances (like a waffle iron) on the shelves, which can be switched out. I assume she has electrical outlets in all the right spaces? I just can't see them in the picture.

The wine bottles in your sister's picture gave me another thought: I don't think a single person on this thread has said, "I must have a wine fridge or wine storage".

I have not read all the replies, so may be duplicating. Must haves: Induction cooktop, Blum servo drive for trash pull-out, vac-pan in kitchen area to sweep stuff into (goes with the hide-a-hose central vacuum that I'd want), mostly drawers on lowers (I have doors under my sink and for the cabinet that holds cookie sheets and cutting boards). Also, not a must-have for most, but I love my speed oven.

@Mrs Pete, at 57 I had my first heart attack. My oldest sister has both a pacemaker and an ICD (implanted defibrillator), She is not allowed to be closer than 2' to an induction stove. I have a friend with Parkinson's who has a device implanted into her brain that controls the tremors. She also was advised not to be closer than 2' to an induction cooktop as it can cause brain shocks. Pacemakers have a safety that when it is faced with interference it will automatically go into an interference mode and pace your heartbeats until the interference is absent, so if your induction cooktop does interfere it won't harm you.

Newer induction cooktops are being manufactured with tighter Electromagnetic fields and are safer than earlier models. Medical devices are being manufactured with shields and overrides, making them safer, but I'm not getting something that may kill my sister or cause my friend brain shocks.

https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=abn1528

I did consider induction when I first started planning my kitchen re-model. I bought a single induction burner to try, but then learned of the issues from my sister and my girlfriend. When I did test the single burner I had one other issue - my dog's invisible fence collar was activated by the induction burner. Took me a few tests before I linked her yelping and the fact that I was using the single burner. The single burner was the NuWave PIC FLEX Induction Cooktop

Thanks, Jennifer, for that information. I was completely unaware of that side of things!

A stove hood that vents to the outdoors is the first and most important item on my list.

I’d like to add my thanks to @Jennifer Hogan as well. I had no idea those issues existed surrounding induction.

Very helpful and informative.

Nicely done, Jennifer!👏

Fisher Paykel double drawer dishwasher. Though a housekeeper and cook would be great too!

@rosine if you're willing to share, would love to see pics of your new kitchen!

My previous kitchen had a bad layout, limited storage, and very dark colors. We tore down walls and significantly brightened up the kitchen.

Custom table for window seats.

Wow rosine, beautiful!!!!!

love your finishes. What’s your countertop?

The biggest window possible.

Cambria Torquay

Beautiful. What about your backsplash?

A housekeeper.....

In-drawer knife storage - no more bulky block taking up room on the counter. Easy to access, and you can see all the knives rather than with a block guessing what they are by the handle. Stores the steak knives too in the upper row. It does require a dedicated drawer, but once you have it, you can never go back to a countertop knife block. The knife drawer inserts come in different sizes and configurations. Mine is by Henckels, holds 6 knives plus 6 steak knives plus sharpening steel, it is made of beechwood and a little older; it seems the ones they sell now on Amazon are all made from bamboo which I have no experience with.

I looooooove my kitchenaid refrigerator drawers!

I'm on the downhill side of a kitchen remodel myself.

+1 on drawer sets.

Every base cabinet in our new kitchen is a drawer set,

except the sink base and the garbage can pull-out.

Another thing I'm doing is making the bar-stool-side of our island radial so

when there are three or four of us sitting there we can all see each other.

Nothing too radical, about a 50" radius along a 15"x72" arc.

@rosine Beautiful! I bet you say every day "wow, I get to live here." Love it!