Ease of cleaning is well worth considering at the outset. Stay clean liners resist dirt build-up but pyrolitic cleaning is the ultimate. It burns off all baked-on debris at 500°C so that all you have to do is sweep out the resulting ash. Look out for ovens with a steam cleaning facility, too, and remember that some ovens have removable inner doors that are easy to clean.

Dual-flow mixers provide independent hot, cold or mixed water after leaving the end of the spout. They can be deck-mounted on the sink or pillar/bridge-mounted for a more traditional look. Alternatively, choose a monobloc tap, which is a single-hole fitting that usually has two handles for hot and cold water supply.

Do not use fresh pineapple in a salad that contains gelatin. The fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that will prevent the gelatin from setting. Use canned pineapple instead.