It would be remiss of me not to mark the passing of 2024 by thanking those whose thought-provoking contributions were absolutely invaluable during the construction of our new kitchen, which we finished as part of a wider extension earlier in the year.
The Bora/induction question was inevitably resolved by compromise (the purist's axiom in any domestic building project), and we ended up with the tremendously unadventurous acquisition of our second Lacanche, this one an induction. It's bloody brilliant (when it, ahem, works)! I am a total convert and do not miss gas one bit, although having to replace most of our pans seemed a bit ridiculous at the time. We opted for a set of stainless steel pans by Samuel Groves and are very happy with them to the extent that, following a brief period of acclimatisation, we don't even miss our beloved SKK non-sticks.
Other agonising decisions were the switch to a Fisher & Paykel fridge/freezer and under-counter wine fridge, and a frankly disastrous experiment with a filtered tap system by Noa (the thing never worked properly and the company, a startup, has now gone under). We were persuaded by the kitchen supplier to go for an 'appliance garage' and a standalone larder, both of which have been excellent additions, not least because it has freed up enough cupboard space to accommodate 152 wine glasses, a useful number, but clearly not enough for sets of 6 to cover all bases. I lie awake in angst at the thought of not being able to offer my guests a Zalto Burgundy per head- it was the only glass in which last week's 2019 Jouan Chambolle showed well; mercifully it was just the two of us. Indeed, I am coming round to the idea that the extension may need extending at some point.
Thanks again for such well-informed suggestions - I really don't think we would have switched to induction without encouragement from the Forum, and are delighted to have done so.
A few photos attached to give the general idea. The kitchen came from Handmade Kitchens of Christchurch and, in case it's not clear from the photos, we decided to paint it green.



