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.

If you want a sink with large bowl dimensions to cope with big-pan washing-up, it is worth considering a tap with a pull-out or pull-down spray rinse. This gives you water anywhere you need it around the bowl area.

Never use a scouring pad of any sort to remove stubborn stains or soiled areas, since these pads scratch the finish and any future soiled areas won't clean up as well, especially with the self-cleaning models. When the oven is cool to the touch, place a cloth or sponge, dampened with warm to hot tap water, onto the soiled area and allow it to sit, for about ten minutes or so, to help loosen the soil.