Furniture and accessories add the finishing touches to your kitchen and help to enhance its overall effect. Buying new accessories is the easiest way to change the look of your kitchen.

However, it is important not only to choose items that complement the style and feel of your kitchen but also ones that meet your needs.

Appliances and accessories made of stainless steel are very popular right now, such as blenders and toasters, refrigerators and pro-style oven ranges. To get the all-steel look without the price, look for steel finished appliances and accessories.

Kitchen seating and lighting is covered below. Also, there are some hints and tips on kitchen cleaning and suggestions on what to look out for when choosing a kitchen to make these tasks easier.

Tools and gadgets are a personal choice and should reflect your personal taste.

Kitchen Seating

With many people spending significantly more time in their kitchens these days, this room has now become one of the most lived in rooms in the home.

Seat Height Selection

Choosing the correct size stool or chair is very important as there are several seat heights available. Remember, stools and chairs usually come in three standard heights.

Chairs

These usually have a seat height of around 17″ and are suitable for lowered worktops or tables approximately 28″ high.

Breakfast Bar Stools

These usually have a seat height of around 24″ and are suitable for standard kitchen worktop approximately 35″ high.

High Bar Stools

These usually have a seat height of around 30″ and are suitable for raised worktop heights or tall tables approximately 42″ high.

Frame and Seat Selection

Once you have decided your stool or chair seat height you will need to consider which frame and seat best suits your kitchen design. There are many different styles of metal and wooded frames available, with a multitude of wood, leather, fabric and synthetic seat combinations.

Frames come in various modern and traditional designs with many different features including curved and shaped legs, with footrests and backrests for added comfort.

Metal Frames

These are by far the most popular choice and are usually made from steel tubing and finished in chrome or lacquered satin steel.

Many styles also come in aluminium or a cast iron black finishes.

Wooden Frames

Wooden frames are usually made from solid beech. Many different finishes are available such as natural beech, cherry, light walnut and natural oak.

Seats

Metal-framed chairs and stools usually have colour co-ordinated seats in natural and laminated wood. Leather, fabric, mesh and coloured polypropylene seats are also available in some styles.

Wooden-framed chairs and stools usually have colour matched seats in various wood finishes such as natural beech, natural oak, light walnut, and cherry.

Colour co-ordinated seats are also available for many wooden-framed designs; other seat finishes include leather and several natural colour yarns.

Seating for Different Kitchen Layouts

Islands and peninsular base units with breakfast-bar overhangs are ideal ways of dividing kitchen-diners. Matching stools and chairs of the same design (in different seat heights) around islands, breakfast-bars and dining tables will achieve a fully integrated appearance.

Tall (around 42″ high), free-standing, round tables which can seat around 3-4 people can be used to create a more relaxed seating area in larger kitchens.

Kitchen Lighting

There are a huge number of styles of kitchen lighting and the right lights can really enhance the look of a kitchen. Talk to your kitchen designer about this.

Recent kitchen lighting trends include hanging fixtures, with rows of at least three matching, low-hanging lights, in many different shapes and sizes; chandeliers in many styles and shapes, twisting metal sculptures, to colorful, arty glass and plastic lights.

Lighting should be a combination of task lights for specific areas and supplementary lighting for overall background light. A good designer should be able to create zones which can be operated independently, creating different moods.

Working areas such as the food preparation surface, stove-top and sink should all have high-wattage, independent task lights to illuminate the area without creating a shadow over it.

For low-level background lighting, choose under-cabinet striplights, plus a light over the table on a dimmer switch to create the right atmosphere for dining.

Click here to see some different kitchen lighting styles.

Tips for Easy Cleanup

Tips for cleaning countertops are given in the countertop section.

In general, you should buy colors that are neither too light nor too dark. White appliances and accessories demand constant attention. You must always wash white furnishings in order to avoid marks and blemishes. White accessories will show all spillages and imperfections. Dark objects, on the other hand, make dust more visible. When light shines on a dark surface, all the dust reflects the light.

If you’re going to buy stainless steel appliances, countertops, or other accessories, choose either brushed or matte finish. Mirror finished stainless steel will show smudges, fingerprints, and any number of other imperfections. Because matte finished stainless steel is dull, it actually hides a lot.

If you need a hanging light over a kitchen island or dinner table, opt for a simple design rather than a complicated pendant light. Most pendant lights are made of shiny metal or crystal which means that all smudge marks become very prominent, and the more complicated they are, the more difficult they are to clean. By opting for recessed lighting or very simple hanging lights, you either eliminate the need to dust altogether or greatly reduce cleaning time.

Upholstery and countertop patterns help conceal stains and imperfections. Whenever something consists of many different shades and colors, blemishes tend to blend in with the pattern. Flecked or granite patterns do an especially good job of hiding stains and spots.

Not one but two new espresso machines from AEG are sure to delight coffee lovers. Cremapresso EA 250 and EA 260 bring the authentic Italian taste of espresso straight into your home. Whether you read the newspaper in the morning, afternoon or evening, these espresso machine will be there to give a little cheer after the meal. Cremapresso comes with a filter box for accessories with a semi-transparent cover integrated into the drip tray, making filters and a measuring spoon with an integrated tamper that comes with the machine always close by. The espresso machines also have a heated cup holder to keep your espresso nice and hot. Other Cremapresso extras are a pre-brewing function and a removable drip tray for easy operation and cleaning.

Both machines make coffee preparation a breeze. Three sieves come with either machine, one for a single espresso, one for a double espresso and one for espresso pods. Once ground espresso is pressed into the filter with the help of the tamper and the sieve holder is attached to the machine or once an espresso pod is put into the sieve, all that has to be done is to fill water into the 1.5 liter tank and determine how much espresso you wish to make. The EA 250 has a regulator and the EA 260 is equipped with a programmable button function for 1 cup or 2 cups. And you get an excellent espresso with wonderful crema. The special steam nozzle also lets you prepare other coffee specialities

Other Cremapresso key benefits include integrated thermal block for consistent coffee temperature and professional grade 15 bar pump. The EA 250 in black plastic sells for € 230 while EA 260 espresso machine in white with stainless steel elements is priced at € 300. AEG.

Now you can slurp up some broth and twirl some ramen all in one handy spoon meets fork kitchen utensil. This ramen spoon + folk was originally created for use at the popular sugakiya ramen noodle restaurant chains in Japan, but now you can have it at your home. The size of this spoon with folk is 7-3/4″ l x 2″ w and the cost is $7 per spoon meets fork.

Via Gizmodiva

ATAG attractive and stylish plate warmer is now available in unique Graphite Black, and cleverly designed to blend into any surroundings. The WD2192C plate warmer is smart and versatile addition to your modern kitchen, fitting perfectly with current and future living trends where appliances are shrugging off their stereotyped image as exclusively kitchen products. Discreet styling and quietness of operation is enabling the kitchen to expand into other areas of the home as the traditional dining room threatens to become obsolete in the not so distant future. The quiet, sleek and very chic plate warmer is an ideal companion for ATAG comprehensive range of compact ovens, which fit neatly into either a 39cm or a 46cm high aperture and can be installed anywhere in your house. Key features of ATAG WD2192C plate warmer include,
- thermostatically controlled drawer
- hot air fan system with temperature selection from 30°C to 70°C
- anti-slip mat to prevent crockery slipping or sliding on opening and closing
- accommodates 30 dinner plates 28cm in diameter or
- 80 espresso cups or 40 tea cups
- illuminated on/off switch
- 90-minute timer with automatic switch-off
- designed to fit with ATAG 39cm compact oven
You can buy this plate warmer for approximately € 580.

ATAG also offers the BD0792C storage drawer to keep virtually all oven accessories It features push pull closure, telescopic tray guide and non-slip mat. Price is € 240.

ATAG gas hobs
ATAG Appliances range hoods
ATAG koffiemachine
ATAG Magna gas cooktops
ATAG range cooker

The one-piece stainless steel ATAG Teppanyaki is quick and easy to clean cooktop, perfectly suited for grilling vegetables, fish, meat and fruit. The versatile, flexible Japanese style grill plate is a fast and fun way to mix and match your favourite ingredients for delicious Western or Oriental style dishes. This Teppanyaki cooks beef, chicken, lobster, shrimp, scallops and a mix of vegetables to perfection.

ATAG offers two Teppanyaki grill plates – the 60cm TY6011M and the 33cm TY3011M. These stylish cooktops are easy to use and can be installed flush with the luxury Magna Design Line Domino hobs. Constructed from solid steel, the Teppanyaki has 2 flexible cooking zones 1.70 kW each, separate twin zone controls and is thermostatically controlled between 50°C and 250°C. You can get these Teppanyaki grills for € 1,920 and € 1,610 respectively.

Other Teppanyaki grill plates,
Gaggenau Vario Teppan Yaki grill
Cook-n-Dine Teppanyaki
Teppan Yaki hob from AEG Electrolux
Mobile Teppanyaki grill
Kuppersbusch gourmet grill

Easily add powdered sugar, cinnamon, or nutmeg on cakes, French toast, or drinks with this sifter spoon. It is stainless steel and has a curved handle to make it easy to hold.

At Powdered Sugar Sifter Spoon

The Kenwood KM070 Cooking Chef let’s you mix your food and cook it too. The claim is you put all your food and a mixer and cook it too – but we’re having a hard time figuring out – what that would be as far as a meal? Soup? Bread? Well – they claim scrambled eggs, soups, and recipes that look alot like a slow cooker might be better. We’ll have to just see it in action before buying.

Via Red Ferret Journal at Kenwood Cooking Chef

Douwe Egberts will unveil a conceptual coffee machine, called BeMoved, at the Dutch Design Week on Saturday. It is the world’s first coffee machine that can be operated by movement alone, bypassing the need for users actually having to touch it. The development of BeMoved, by a small team at the Research & Development department in Utrecht, enabled Douwe Egberts to experiment with technology, interactive design and new types of coffee. BeMoved is intended as a source of inspiration for future global innovations in the area of coffee.

The futuristic coffee machine is based on the idea that modern consumers would like to be able to interact with products on a more personal level and enjoy more varied experiences with coffee. Being the market leader in coffee and tea, Douwe Egberts is used to pay special attention to innovation, including developing the latest coffee machines and promoting new ideas about coffee for out-of-home and home users.

Harrie Wessels, design manager at Douwe Egberts puts this way – With BeMoved we succeeded in raising human interaction with a coffee machine to a higher level. In developing this concept we acquired a great deal of knowledge that can be incorporated in the design of future machines. Now we invite the public to join us in developing our ideas about the future of coffee.

The BeMoved concept is innovative in the areas of technology, design and interaction. The machine can be operated by means of a large touch screen, or by activating a motion sensitive camera. Users can choose from a selection of eye-catching interfaces, such as Drag-And-Drop dragging the ingredients into the cup, Explore discovering your coffee in the living tree, Picture It recalling user programmed preferences, and Shoot-Em-Up where you earn your coffee by jumping. In addition there is a selection of different types of flavourings, including hazelnut and caramel. Finally, users can check the latest share prices, weather forecasts, real-time traffic jams and the most recent news, as the machine can be connected to the Internet.

BeMoved was not developed for a market release, but aspects of its design and users’ experiences will be considered when developing new machines and other ideas about coffee.

Using a potato ricer makes the best mashed potatoes. This ricer has an extra large potato holder and is perforated on all sides for maximum yield. It also has rubber coated ridges to allow the ricer to rest on pots.

At Deluxe Angled Potato Ricer

The sleek black and silver Flama Zentrum 1250 FL espresso maker is equipped with a patented pressurized brew filter and stainless steel boiler, and will produce piping hot temperatures for a great espresso. Pump driven, 15-bar pressure system helps create a perfect layer of crema on every shot. The attractively styled high performance espresso maker also features cup warming plate, removable water tank and cappuccino attachment, so you can steam milk for lattes and mochas. Price is around € 100.

The 1.1 kW Flama Nuovo Spresso 1274 FL features special filter cream, steel boiler, steam pipe for cappuccino, 15-bar pump, removable 1.5 liter water tank with auto drain, cup warming plate and one- or two- cup option. Price is approximately € 115.

The slim, less than 18 cm wide, Flama 1280 FL is new capsule espresso maker with thermoblock heating system, 19-bar pressure pump, automatic capsule ejector, adjustable dispensing sprout, transparent removable 1 liter water tank and 12-used capsules container.

The fully automatic Flama Alpha 20 1291 FL is powerful 1.4 kW espresso maker with digital panel, thermoblock system, electronic temperature control, adjustable coffee amount, adjustable steam pipe, 1.7 liter removable transparent tank, stainless steel cup tray and retractable cord. Automatic cleaning and decalcification programs for easy maintenance. Price for this espresso maker is € 480.

Flama 1280 FL is newest espresso maker with thermoblock heating system, 15 bar pressure pump and semi-electronic controls which regulate water quantity and temperature. Other features of this 1.2 kW espresso maker include silver front panel, 1.2 liter transparent removable water tank, metallic drip tray, steam nozzle for hot water and steam functions, cup tray, cord storage. Flama.