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.

Not too much romance here, but essential for any functional kitchen. Buy the heaviest pans possible. Also, you should consider buying a non-stick silicon sheet: they make baking very easy!

Traditionally, a springform pan has been defined as a round pan, that with the aid of a clamp, has removable sides and bottom. Generally used for cheesecakes, these pans allow cakes or tortes to be easily extricated from the pan.