How to prepare for your kitchen renovation

When you’re planning a renovation, you spend a lot of time focussing on the finish. The big reveal. The beautiful new space.  

You spend a lot of time preparing for the finished space

The moment you come to start your renovation can bring mix emotions. You may have spent a long time getting to this point and you might be excited and impatient finally to get going. But for many it can also bring a feeling of dread, particularly if you’re living on site when it’s all going on. So how can you prepare for the time you face without a kitchen? Afterall, you still need to eat and take outs aren’t the answer for every meal.

A client’s temporary kitchen

You can set up a temporary kitchen in a different room. Your plumber can put in a temporary sink and even plumb in your dishwasher. 

But what cooking appliances do you really need? 

From talking to my clients before, during and after on the many renovations I’ve been involved with these are some of their must have appliances:

1   The wonderful Thermomix is a magical tool that enhances every meal preparation.

2  When setting up a temporary kitchen, one essential item to have is a portable induction hob.

3  The microwave, often hailed as the most versatile and indispensable appliance in the kitchen Its convenience and efficiency make it a go-to for many people

1. A kettle, coffee maker, toaster: I’ve put these together because for most people they are breakfast. They are easily to move, easy to store and who can get through a day without a cup of tea? I’ve even had a client cook potatoes in the kettle (no, don’t try this at home!)

2. A portable induction hob: These are fantastic pieces of kit. You can get double or single ones and they vary in their heating quality. You just plug them in to a standard socket and you’re away. 

3. A microwave: for many people this is a no brainer. But I do sometimes question the amount of use you will get out of it. I haven’t come across many people who use their microwave for more than reheating coffee or heating up ready meals. If you plan to batch cook and freeze meals before your renovation starts then a microwave will be an essential part of your temporary kitchen. Otherwise it might just be taking up space where a more useful appliance could be.

4. An airfryer: the airfryer has really taken off in the past couple of years as a must have bit of kit. There are a hundreds of people who will tell you that you can cook everything in one. However, if you’re cooking for more than 2 or 3 you might want to go with something like this combi-oven (with microwave and  airfryer) instead. It just gives you a few more options. 

5. A Thermomix. Do you know this one? These are the most wanted appliance in many European and Australian kitchens. They do everything your food processes can do (and usually better) plus they cook. So if you want risotto, soup, sauce or bread, they are an absolute breeze. Everyone I know who has bought one has got rid of every other food processor in the kitchen and they all rave about them. 

If you’ve just done a renovation, what were the life-saver bits of kit? I’d love to hear what you think. 

If you’re planning a renovation, find out how I can make the process easier and less stressful for my clients. From full project management to making sure all the deadlines are met and nothing falls between the gaps. 

And now it’s time to get back to thinking about the end result and how much you’ll enjoy your new space for years to come!