Choosing what appliances you're going to have in your kitchen is an important part of overall kitchen design - a part that is all too often skimmed over and not given enough attention. You need to know what appliances you really want and which additional ones might be nice to have (budget and space permitting) before you design your kitchen. 

Whether you have a range cooker like the Britannia shown below left, or a built-in double oven, as shown on the right, could make a big difference to the layout of your kitchen ... you might even prefer a bank of compact ovens/appliances

(yes, I know the oven looks curved ... it's the wide angle lens ... but it is a lovely kitchen!)

Many kitchen designers (often those who are primarily kitchen fitters or cabinetmakers, or small kitchen suppliers) don't bother to keep up-to-date with trends and advances in kitchen appliances and won't be able to discuss your options sensibly. This has been the case for quite a while but the situation has got much worse in the last few years, since internet suppliers of appliances, with low overheads and low prices, have become so popular. Many smaller kitchen suppliers have stopped selling appliances altogether ... and they don't see why they should bother to display them or keep themselves and their staff up-to-date on the latest developments ... if they're not selling them. You can sort of see their point.

I don't have anything against internet suppliers of appliances. The problem comes in getting to see the appliances - in the flesh (so to speak) - before you buy them. The best place to buy appliances is probably an internet supplier that also has a physical showroom, where you can go and see the different models ... open the doors, feel the strength of the hinges, see the thickness of the fascias and decide if you like the overall look. It's not quite the same as seeing an appliance in situ, in a nicely designed kitchen display ... since the appliance showrooms tend to pack them all in, side by side ... but it's better than nothing; and the staff in such showrooms are often trained on the appliances they sell.

If you want to consider the different brands, types and models of appliances available, then one of Majjie's Kitchen Design Guides is devoted to kitchen appliances. If you want expert advice on how the different makes compare ... and what the spares position is ... take a trip over to the UK Whitegoods website. It's run by service engineers who - as you might expect - know a thing or two about the reliability of different appliances. Majjie has also listed appliances that she particularly likes - or which are suitable for particular design "challenges" - in the appliances section of Majjie's Shop. 

It's also worth keeping an eye on the glossy magazines which feature kitchens ... and indeed on our Kitchen Design Newsletters, Kitchen Design News section and on Majjie's Blogs ... for what's new in appliances. You may not get many comments or reviews in some of the glossy magazines - they're just churning out press releases - but we're more opinionated here!

Here are some of Majjie's previous blogs and articles about kitchen appliances that might be of interest to you (some of them are from Majjie's Kitchen Corner, over on Yell.com):

Introduction to Westin Cooker Hoods

Induction Hobs - an Update

French Style Range Cookers

Stop Press ... Britannia Cookers Cook Well!

Appliances for Tiny Kitchens

The New Look Belling Appliances

The New Mercury Cooker

Cooker Hood Types

Cooker Hoods - the Technical Stuff

Making a Statement with Your Cooker Hood - Part 2

Making a Statement with Your Cooker Hood - Part 1

Fancy Making a Statement with Your Fridge?

Personalise Your Fridge-Freezer

The New Aga is a Mercury

Fancy a Pink Cooker?

Gas and Induction Hobs - Praise - and a Complaint

Are You Fed Up with Appliances that Don't Last?

Choosing a Wine Cooler