Many still consider a whip as a "gourmet" piece of kitchen equipment. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is as essential as a kitchen stove and should be in everyone's kitchen. Nothing works better for mixing a multitude of different preparations or for making sauces or gravy. Buy a solid stainless steel whip with moderately stiff wires. Very thin wires are for mixing delicate things like egg whites or whipped cream. Very thick, solid wires are for mixing stiff dough.

Keen cooks may want to take advantage of multi-function ovens - usually aimed at the top end of the market. As well as traditional cooking, fan or fan-assisted cooking and grilling, these ovens offer up to nine further functions. These include: Top element only (browning), bottom element (final cooking of pastry dishes or pizzas), fan and bottom element (delicate cooking), fan only (thawing).

Very few people buying a new kitchen do so today without the offer of a water filter system as part of the deal. Water filters are taking by storm as the man and woman in the street discover that they can have the luxury of pure, clean tasting water in their kitchens for far less than the cost of a pint of milk a day! The water filter systems knock the costs associated with bottled water for six. Especially when you have virtually unlimited quantities of the stuff, pouring from a tap in your kitchen!