A large number of freezers have eliminated defrosting by continually circulating the air inside the freezer compartment, thus avoiding frost build-up -- a feature well worth paying a little extra for.

The importance of high quality knives can't be stressed enough! Buy the best you can and expect to spend some serious money. It is better to buy a couple of excellent knives and slowly add to your collection rather than buying an entire set of low quality knives. Start with a chef knife and paring knife. You will also want to buy a sharpening steel.

The choice of sink materials is huge. Stainless steel is self-healing, hygienic and co-ordinates with the latest trend in appliances. Fireclay or ceramic sinks are solid and traditional with the latter being available in a core range of colours such as blue and green as well as white.