Full extension drawers! Soft close is nice, but not a must.
Barb

I don't have pull out trash - well, we pull the can out from under the sink.

I don't have a pull out spice rack.

I don't have two (or even one) built in fridge.

Nope, none of those are necessities.

Some sort of stove or cooktop?

LOL---Meanwhile, back here on Planet Earth, I was kinda' hoping for a big single bowl stainless steel sink. Undermount would be nice. And a bottom freezer frig. :)

no need for a built in frig, or even two. Most people moving have their own frig. I would just make sure you have plenty of room for 1 refrigerator. Some people have a small one, other's have a large one. So if there is a designated spot, make sure there is room for a somewhat big one (but not too big because if the next home owners have only a small frig, it would look odd there. Most people who have a 2nd frig or freezer for storage, put it in their garage or basement.
As for a pull out spicerack...what not just design a shelf or two in a cabinet that pulls out? Some people have their own spice rack and will just need a flat surface to place it on.
As for myself, what's important to me is counter space and space for a frig/oven/stove. My house has about 2ft counter space so Have 2 folding tables in my kitchen to hold appliances and give me "counter" space.
Kind of large sinks are always a plus to. Ours is small and looks "full" after dinner even with just the two of us and all we had was soup and a sandwhich.
The only other thing I can think of is a dish washer. I hate them because I don't think dishes get clean enough in them. I don't own one either. (and even if I did like them, there is no room in my small kitchen for one, lol!). But most of America likes them so you will want a dishwasher.
Something I have always wanted in a kitchen and maybe one day when my husband and I buy our own space I might get is an "Island" in the kitchen. But only if the kitchen is really big because otherwise it just gets in the way. I like islands that are just a flat rectangular counter space with cabinets underneath.
Oh, and don't for get a moderate amount of cabinet space and throw in some shelves on the wall to for picture frames or stuff like that. Even if it's not all used for food and kitchen items, people like extra places to put their "junk" that they don't really need but hate to throw away.
I hope that helps :) Though I am not a huge eater, I love to cook so the kitchen is one of my favorite rooms in a house. I always observe people kitchens so I've seen what different people like and have gotten ideas of what I like and don't like :)

erdnuss, I disagree that most people moving have their own fridge. Refrigerators pretty much always get left behind. I have never brought my own fridge when I've moved, and there has always been a fridge in the place I've moved to.

If you are thinking resale, people vary so much on what floats their boat, it is hard to predict. Having a nicely laid-out kitchen, with good quality cabinets, nice countertops, etc., is what most people want. The big ticket items are nice, but probably won't make that much of a difference. I think a great range is a pretty enticing thing for a lot of folks.

We got one built in fridge, and a set of freezer drawers and a set of refrigerator drawers. It will probably be overkill, but I don't know, I haven't tried it yet.

The list of things to add after you have all the things you really need is endless, isn't it? The easiest way to generate such a list would be to buy a half dozen or so of the glossy kitchen magazines and list all of the advertised stuff.

The best "feature" of our kitchen is that I can stand in one place and, without moving my feet, reach out and touch the range, the DishDrawer, the sink, the fridge, the main work counter and the secondary prep counter. I couldn't come anywhere near doing that if I included things that many others consider must haves.

Good lighting from ceiling, over island, and undercabinet (if possible).

I like to be able to empty my dishwasher and only have to walk a few feet to put everything away. Special occasion dishes can be somewhere else but I don't want to walk all over the place. So a good flow.

The only thing I REALLY wanted were double ovens! Now I wish I would have gone with an over-sized refrigerator also. Next house! ;o)

My must haves weren't gadgets.

1. Usable counter space. Tough to roll out trays of cookies if all your counter space is chewed up by appliances or under low hanging cabs.

2. Usable cabinet space. Why do blind cabinets even exist? They're just dark caves for stuff to get lost in. Whether it's all drawers or pullouts or susans, you need some way to use your sq footage.

3. Let there be light! Speaking of dark caves, there should be ample overhead, under counter, and natural light.

I agree that the fridge always ceomes with the house. No one I know has ever moved with a fridge (unless it the extra one in the garage).

That said, the most important features for me are: spaces/furniture/accessories that can do double or triple duty as much as possible. I have a small house, and anything that can go from doughboard to homework station to crafts counter is perfect in my book. I also agree that good lighting is key. Once it is placed, the fixtures can always be updated easily if desired.

A huge sink is another must have for me. Again, it needs to serve many purposes: cleaning dishes (especially big ones with ease), bathe a baby, potting sink, ice cooler for drinks during parties (it will be a 36" single bowl apron from soapstone sink).

For me, another must have is indestructible and already distressed finished (2 small boys=instant "patina"). So I am getting soapstone, painted and distressed cabinets, butcher block, salvaged wood floors, etc.

For me, the most important things are appliances with the features I use the most, convection cooking, sanitizer cycle in the dishwasher and enough space in the refrige for my families needs. We moved our laundry room upstairs and turned the old laundry room into a large walk-in pantry which is wonderful. That allowed us to convert the original full length pantry into a spice cabinet. I like having the trash cabinet, very handy, a pull out for my pans, a cabinet for baking sheets as well as a corner dolly cabinet. Sort of wish I had more drawer space though.

Be careful about over doing it and make wise choices during any upgrade as over indulgence can lead to what is called an upgrade with user value only because you'll never see a monetary return on it.

Whether the fridge (and stove and washer and dryer) moves with the seller or stays with the house depends on the part of the country you're in. I've lived in both kinds of areas.

I'd say the number one essential item is a efficient layout, suited to the way you work.

Nix the spice cabinet - too small - rather have a large spice drawer.

For me the must have's were

Tapmaster - LOVE IT and added it post finish to the prep sink

All base drawers - makes it SOOO much easier to get stuff from the "back". It just comes out to you

Corners - either lazy Susans or what I have: Magic corner units or if the peninsula faces another room, open from the other side - no wasted space.

Toe kick drawers. We have a small kitchen and the toe kick space adds much storage. Our creative cabinet maker incorporated the toe kick space in to the bottom drawers

With a large family, I got rid of the deep pantry that "lost" items not to be found for years and replaced it with a built in Freezer. We replaced the old SXS unit with a built in all refrigerator unit. Both are packed. I am not sure how we managed in the old kitchen but apparently we did.

I personally am in love with our narrow pullout pantry. It holds a TON of stuff and is easily visible. NOTHING gets lost in it.

Are you a baker. I am and I have lots of baking sheets, cake pans, muffin tins, tart pans, can you see where I'm going. I also have gorgeous display items for all these - cake stands, dishes etc so having practical storage for the baking equipment and display areas for my stand out pieces (storage behind doors could have worked as well) was important as well

Finally I agree 100% with Anne. An efficient layout can make any kitchen a dream kitchen. While it isn't a visible punch in the gut you sure do notice it when you work in it.

I think (could be wrong, though) that the OP had in mind what the most DESIRABLE features are, the add on's rather than the most basic.
-I would agree that one convection source is nice (I have it in both the MW and oven);
-a large sink rather than smaller one;
-filler pullouts to make the best use of space if cabinets are not going to be custom, in which case they probably wouldn't be needed. The spice pullouts are my top pick;
-a bumped out sink and a pulldown faucet with single handle I really like, makes cleaning around the sink area so much easier;
-an instant hot is wonderful, for winter especially;
-a soap dispenser with NeverMT;
-a trash pullout, but this can go under the sink in large sink base to allow room for a larger sink and to not use an entire cabinet for it;
-OR a dedicated cabinet for trash AND recycling combination pullout if you have a lot of cabinet space;
-pot drawers, but I still like some cabinets with pullouts inside to make it easier to see the contents than in drawers, like canned goods;
-love my 9" in cabinet pullout from Rev-a-shelf right next to the refrig. that holds extra soda and other drink bottles to replace what gets used up in the refrig.;
-The super susan in the corner cabinet for large items like small appliances;
-a cabinet for baking sheets and other large thin items (pizza stone stone and peel also go there, etc);
-under cabinet lights.
-at least one dimmable light source for ambiance.
Most of those ARE user upgrades but if "marketed" so the buyer knows about them might at least help your house get chosen over another and sell a little faster. I personally would pay more for them, some people would not. But I would provide photos similar to what you see on this forum showing the special features of your kitchen when its time to sell to maximize any return from it. Most buyers don't seem to be able to get past bad paint colors much less anything worse, and don't even want to have to replace carpeting much less a kitchen when they buy a house, even some here look for a bad kitchen so they do their own.

Surface items that might help a sale I would think would include decorative/functional items like the pulled out sink and maybe turnposts, a nice faucet and undermount sink that give a clean uncluttered look and make cleaning easier, at least one lighted cabinet to make it look prettier, neutral colors, nice lighting, and up to date appliances.

Sue

I've seen pictures of Velodoug's kitchen and it really does appeal to me. I need a tad more space, but I love being able to reach everything important with just a few steps. I also love having space for all the less important stuff, but I'll walk a few more paces for that.

Small kitchen efficiency with big kitchen storage. One work zone!

I don't know about 'must have' but I am very excited about getting a pot-filler. The faucet itself wasn't very much, and it won't be hard to plumb because it will be where our sink was. If it was terribly difficult and/or expensive I might have passed - but if you can do it, why not?!

I'd love a built-in Miele coffee machine... BUT, I have neither the space nor the $$ so it's just a wish! :)
Also would love a small built-in beverage fridge -- but, no room. Another wish.
Wall-mounted TV -- have it - love it!

I'm in the planning stages so I'll look at this from a "hope I can have" perspective. Large expanse of uninterupted counter space for cooking and baking marathons, a large sink so I can soak/clean as the cooking goes on, shallow depth pantry to see and reach items, lots of drawers, large main oven and speed oven/MW for when it's the two of us, ability to feel a part of the rest of the house when I'm in the kitchen, materials that make me smile when I see and touch them. I use to be focused on things like a frig but no more. A more efficient layout is my current goal. I figure if I spend 8K on a frig or 3K on a frig... in 10 or 15 years I still have a frig that's older and there will probably be something out there I may want to replace it with.

An electrical outlet on the wall, INSIDE the cabinet. No more telephone on the counter! (and that includes my cellphone charger).

The biggest fridge you can find.

A zen-like attitude for the remodel.

A walk-in cheese cooler, daahhling. All the "right people" are installing them now. If you lack one of these, you're hopelessly declasse. Or you just hate cheese, which makes you unAmerican, and I'm not going to stand here and listen to you badmouth our country.
No Cheese for YOU!
Casey

Can you tell I think these lists are a little silly?

A larger sized, high quality gas rangetop or range. I almost didn't buy our house because of the 4 burner electric cooktop. Now in the remodel, I have 6 gas burners and I'm so happy!

Double ovens are a must for me. I can't do without them during the holidays.

Food, and some space to prepare same; otherwise, a kitchen is just another room in the house.

Seriously, too much depends on the cook and the room available. There are way too many, IMO, gimmicky appliances and cabinets and such out there that, IYO, might be necessities. To use the OP's examples:
-- I sorta agree on the pullout trash, only with the proviso that one of those is for recycling. 20 years ago one of the hot upscale must-haves was a trash compactor; I don't know who considers it a must-have any more.
-- To me the spice racks next to the ranges are gadgety (JMO). My most used herbs (basil, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, and the like) are stored on the plants in the garden where they'll be fresh, my basic spices (salt, pepper) are bought in bulk and thus wouldn't fit into those tiny drawers, and my spice mixes are usually made up as needed/in very small batches.
-- I'm delighted with going from an apt sized (15 CF?) fridge to one with 20 CF and don't need anything larger for my family. I respect those who have large families and/or do a lot of entertaining and thus need larger fridge space, but dual fridges and wine coolers would never make it on to my must-have list.

sue_ct... thank you! NeverMT is a spectacular tip - I HATE reaching under the sink BEHIND my instahot and next to my disposer through this spec of an opening to unscrew and refill that thing. Love it. Thank you.

most of my must haves have already been said, maybe I'll add an appliance garage, or something like it (still figuring that out) to hide my toaster and espresso machine.

I agree with Bluekit . . . much of the "stuff" is gimmicky. Having said that, I'll just say that we built in 2002 and are in the middle of doing it again and, based on the things I loved in my former new kitchen, there were some non-negotiables for this new house. These were things that my kitchen in the old house lacked.

Full extension drawers with high quality rails
All drawers, except for a couple cabinets with pull-outs. I'm too old to sit on the floor rummaging in the back of a cabinet.
Angled cabinet in the corner (see picture below) with high quality super-susan
Under cabinet lights
Central vac dust pan (obviously the central vac is a non-negotiable!!)

I agree with bluekit to the extent that "too much depends on the cook and the room available". I think how important some of the so called "gimmicks" are depends in part on how big your kitchen is and what kind of cook you are. If you are hard pressed for each inch of storage space and aren't able to go custom, the filler pullouts can make you giddy. Not everyone has an herb garden (although I do, when I am not remodeling. This year I only have a chive and mint garden - they murdered all the other herbs when I wasn't looking.) If you only use 10 or 15 spices, a cabinet with 10" lazy susan is fine and I certainly wouldn't recommend spending the money on spice pullout. However, I filled by base cabinet spice pullout AFTER I had put my handful of most used spices on the 10 inch lazy susan in the cabinet next to the stove that I don't have to bend over to get. Then I also gave a few away that still didn't fit. I don't have a drawer available for them, hate going through an entire cabinet shelf to find what I need. SO, while I don't care so much about full extension drawers, or spending hundreds for them to make the last 2" more accessible, I LOVE my pullout spice cabinet. However, were I doing a dream kitchen, with a 100,000+ budget I would certainly have those full extension glides, too. :)

I certainly have no NEED for a wine fridge, but if I were a wine connosseur and had invested a fair amt of money on wine and drank it every day, I might feel differently.

I am always a little taken aback by how many people can't see how an item can be much more useful to someone else than it is to them. Lets face it, if you can do a kitchen for 10,000 or one for 150,000.00, there is a huge variety of lifestyles and incomes, and what is essential to one person might be frivolous to others.

Sue

Erdnuss, I just love your post. I'm finalizing decisions for my kitchen and the whole project is driving me nuts right now-- I'm spending way too much time on GW. Thanks for putting the necessities in perspective!

Well, thank you :)

Whether the fridge (and stove and washer and dryer) moves with the seller or stays with the house depends on the part of the country you're in. I've lived in both kinds of areas.

I completely agree & have, likewise, lived in both kinds of areas. In some areas, the frig almost never sells with the house and certainly did not in the first three houses we owned. When we moved across the country, I was very surprised to learn that the refrigerator most always stays with the house when a house changes owners.

Sue, did you fantasize about following the guys home and tattling to their wives and moms? I know I did, even though our guys were very good compared to some of our friends' stories of invading Vandals. Our herbs fared well around the corner from the kitchen door, but I still need to replace the fairly rare shrubs by my front steps.

Petchia, I have some goodies, already mentioned, that I love and am so grateful to this forum for. However, my first thought, almost never mentioned, is always of the overall space itself. If it's not introverted/extroverted/cozy/airy/sunny/big/small/open or whatever-enough to make one smile just looking at it empty, stuffing it with added-on features probably isn't going to turn it into a place to gladden the heart. My friend Judy loved her small old kitchen because of the windows looking out over the street that allowed her to watch her neighborhood activities, as well as her children at play.

Double pull out trash bins.
Big spice rack or lazy susan corner cab devoted to spices.
BIG SS sink! 30" to clean cookie sheets 2 @ a time!
6 burner Wolf stove top,would have liked a griddle with it.
SS vent over stove top. (did not get it)
No grout to clean on backsplash,used solid granite.
Hard surface kitchen floor(had carpet), got tile.
A quality faucet, got a Grohe. Soap dispenser.
Lots of electrical outlets.
Built in knife rack.
Planning desk.
Appliance garages. Got 3.
Heated floors. Got a heated work area.
Pantry.
Pots & pans drawers.
Cookie sheet slotted holders.
Lower cupboard w/ a half shelf, so I can store 2 bread machines & a mixer.
Silverware drawer organizers.
Little flip out drawers w/ plastic liners to hold the kitchen sponge by the sink.

Mine are:
- lots of light, both natural and artificial
- lots of counterspace, none of it grouted
- a big single sink; we tried using a double but just doesn't work for us.
- I had to choose between a hot water tap and filtered water tap. I chose the filtered water, and have never regretted it. We have saved hundreds of dollars over the last 18 years by never having to buy bottled water, since all three of us in the house drink a lot of it!

One thing I'm considering is a mixer lift. Ok, I'm really excited about getting one, but need to make sure I can spare the space of an entire cabinet. Anybody have one? I'd love opinions.

Here's one: a garbage disposal switch you can reach from the sink!

I think the answer to your question depends both on your neighborhood and what features you think you'll enjoy using. I'm delighted to be living in our new kitchen for 1 year. We significantly changed the layout (moved doors, windows, opened wall) to better use existing space which resulted in more cabinet space and counters. We didn't have as much room as many on this forum and didn't use precious space on waste pull-outs, 2nd sink, double ovens, double refrigerator/freezers. I don't regret that decision. I really like the strong drawers and ample lighting (recessed, undercab, and pendants at peninsula).

I believe the rising fuel costs are going to force more future home buyers to want smaller, efficient homes.

I don't think there is a "must have" list that fits everyone. I have a pretty high end kitchen if we're going on dollars alone, and many of the items listed didn't make my kitchen, and I don't see some I'd have wanted if I'd been able to make the space work.

I would have a larger fridge if I could, but space was an issue. I have a prep sink and a big single bowl sink, but I wish I had been able to run the plumbing to put in a disposer sink for scraps on the main counter next to the stove (they're about 4x8 and are mounted in back of a counter to scrape into a disposal).

For me, a hidden chalk board or a 2 year old was a must. Toe kick drawers, another must, soft close and full extention for all cabs and drawers, A trash compactor...wouldn't live without one, a pre-rinse faucet, and a good french range :oP Is or are any of those deal breakers in YOUR kitchen? Probably not :o) But they were for me.

And I do have a push button for the big garbage disposal, and a batch feed for the other one. We are HUGE wine drinkers, and we don't have a wine fridge :) I do however have more Never MTs than you could shake a stick at and one of the most important things, you will never see. I have emergency leak detectors on all devises with water, including the DW and fridge line. Those two are not only alarms, but have emergency shut offs (work automatically) to the water line so that a small leak does not become a disaster. I spent bout $1200 to have all toilets, washers, sinks, tubs, etc, all wired up with this system, and that's $1200 very well spent! Probably the smartest thing I did in my remodel.

We ran a water line to our refrigerator that feeds from our reverse osmosis under the sink. We'll bypass the filter in the fridge, which will save us from having to purchase filters from the fridge manufacturer. I wouldn't have thought to do it, but we gutted the kitchen down to the studs- so it was the perfect opportunity!

I'd also like MANY of the fancy items listed by all of you!!

I love our warming drawer and use it nearly every day. Other things we love in our kitchen remodel are: large stainless double sinks, Bosh dishwasher, pull out cabinet for two trash cans, deep drawers for pots and pans, a long drawer with dividers for two different kinds of canned dog food (with 4 dogs, this is a real luxury), wood floors (I have terrible feet and knees), all lighting on reastats, granite counters, Dacor double ovens, GE speed cook oven, new large windows that overlook a beautiful yard full of flowers AND most of all I love my wonderful husband who gave all of this to me!

I love this thread. It's fun to see people getting excited about what they've already done, rather than nervous about what they have yet to do.

My list will not be must-haves in everyone's kitchen, but in our first week of this newly remodeled space (yahoo!), here's what I am LOVING:

* the ISLAND--my kids think I built it just for them. It is perfect for snacks, breakfast, projects, casual meals when it's just me and the kids (or the kids and a couple of friends). Because I didn't put any appliances in it, it actually feels like a lovely table when we sit down, and it is also a perfect, unbroken space to spread out during cooking sessions or as a buffet when entertaining. I knew I wanted it when designing the kitchen, but I didn't realize how amazing it would be in the end.

* granite counters--oh, they are gorgeous, and oh, they are easy to work on

* pull-out trash--my husband wanted this; me, not so much. I thought it a waste of cabinet space and would have been fine with a bucket under the sink. Now that I have it, I LOVE it. It is perfectly located and very easy to access, much easier than opening a door and reaching back in (and again, I never minded that before). I love that it gives us a place for our recycling as well. Plus, the cabinet underneath my sink is chock full of cleaning supplies and extra racks for my stove and microwave. Great storage space for these things; that space is not wasted.

* new, super-quiet garbage disposal--what a change over our old one! We actually had to look inside it to make sure that it was working, because you can hardly tell.

* airswitch for the GD--one less switch cluttering up my wall.

* plugmold instead of regular outlets in one area--again, a cleaner look

* lots of lighting, all on dimmers--I love the versatility.

* more windows than you can shake a stick at

* pull-out faucet--I love my new Grohe, and it wasn't even my first choice. My favorite feature of the pullout is how easy it is to fill pots now. I just set the pot on the counter and pull the faucet over.

* deep, full-extension drawers--ah, the unclutteredness of it all

* pantry closet with roll-out shelves--ah, ditto

* soft-close drawers--I have kids. Need I say more?

* a microwave with racks so I can heat up three plates at once--I didn't even know such a thing existed (that will give you a clue as to how old my previous micro was). But WOW.

* bottom-freezer refrigerator--I love having it all at eye-level. And the drawer-style freezer is much easier to use too.

* my old, salvaged dishwasher--Still works like a dream, and does a MUCH better job than the fancier dishwasher I had in our rental house during the remodel. That crummy DW taught me that keeping an appliance that works really well can sometimes be better than buying new!

Outlets! Lots of 'em. I've lived with only one truly functional outlet in my kitchen for 11 years. (The other one is stuck behind the microwave.) Any time I want to use my mixer, coffee maker, blender, toaster, etc. it gets lugged to the 3 feet of counter space I have available next to an outlet.

In my remodel, I want outlets in every possible place--in the broom closet for a dustbuster, in the mixer stand cabinet, on the ends of the island, all along the walls. I'm a starving person and I don't want a steak, I want a side of beef! :-) Actually, just be thoughtful about placement and if you think you might want an outlet somewhere, put it in. (And make sure the circuit box is set up to handle the load.) If you have an appliance garage, consider one in there so your blender and food processor are always plugged in---just pull them out to use. Outlet strips (Plugmold) look like a great solution in many cases, too.

Ellen917, you made me laugh with your "side of beef" outlets!

I did that with lighting. My house previously had very little lighting. Some rooms had no overhead fixtures at all, and those that did carried only a single 40- or 60-watt bulb. So I ordered the side of beef and put fixtures in everywhere, all with maximum wattage. I shopped for fixtures based on how many watts they offered. Seriously, I was crazed.

The result is a little over the top. :-) We joke that our bedroom could double as an operating room, and I've even elected to remove a fixture here and there. Luckily, it's easy enough to rein this in--I'm replacing all those 100-watt bulbs with 60s, and dimmers are going in soon.

It's funny what happens when part of a remodel is a strong reaction against prior conditions.

All base cabinets with full-extension drawers - That has been theeee best advice I received on GW.

Other nice things that I love:
single bowl ss sink
pantry with lots of shelves
Broan dishwasher (so quiet!)
Grohe faucet
Wilsonart HD laminate countertop
Over-the-sink light from Rejuvenation.com

what i'd love most in my kitchen would be full time staff!!

but i'll settle for a built in espresso machine,with a bean grinder and everything.

I am on my third and last kitchen. Other than the usual appliances, good lighting and efficient layout, I must and will have a trash compactor. I don't want to see my hubby dragging out the bags for the trash pickup. We're seniors and that's a chore we want to give up. With a compactor maybe the trash will only go out every other week and there will be a lot less. I also must have a Silgranite 33" single-bowl sink.

Wow I learned a lot here.

One thing I have found invaluable, not yet mentioned above, I think, is a pot rack. I have a blackened steel Enclume --basic, not nearly as attractive as having a gorgeous pendant over the island, but it is so handy. I would never give it up.