Kitchen Deals -> Kitchen tools

There seems to be little difference between hard wood and plastic cutting boards from a safety standpoint, as long as they are properly washed and sanitized after each use. Personally, I like the feel of solid wood. One piece of advice--buy large cutting boards. Don't bother with these tiny boards that everyone seems to have in his or her kitchen. They are not user friendly. Once you get down to serious cutting or chopping, the small boards are always woefully inadequate and downright maddening!

Buy stainless spoons (both slotted and non-slotted) which are solid and won't bend no matter how tough the job. Also, buy several high quality wooden spoons for stirring delicate dishes like risotto (the sharp edge of a metal spoon would cut or bruise the rice).

Ask yourself a myriad of questions about your lifestyle (and that of your family), so it's as well to have as many of the answers ready as possible. Consider:

• who's going to be using the kitchen - is it just the cook or does everyone tend to congregate there?
• Do you keep pets who eat or sleep in the room?
• Do you need a table or will a breakfast bar suffice?
• More and more families are creating a living kitchen where there is not only a dining table but also some soft seating and a television.
• Would you consider building an extension or giving up a formal dining room to create a large kitchen/diner?
• What other tasks are undertaken in the room apart from cooking? Is it used for laundry, ironing, homework, entertaining?