1. The Jacqueline
If you're looking for sleek, basic counter-top appliances then the Jacqueline, a chrome-finish smart kettle, from Casa Bugatti, is one of the best looking around. Designed by the good people behind the luxe car brand, its shape is actually inspired by the traditional handbag. It can be connected via Bluetooth to the brand's app so you can control the kettle from bed, to set a precise temperature, time, or to keep it warm, and even offers a function for warming baby bottles – something new parents might find phenomenally practical. It costs about €329, ex-delivery, from Amara. Amara.com
2. Portofino range cooker
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Portofino is a tribute to made in Italy. A 2017 Red Dot award winning six-burner range cooker, Portofino is a triumph of professional kitchen design. The fact that its three-fan oven can roast a bird to a moist yet crispy brown is one reason to love it. The fact that it self-cleans is another, but it is the colours – sunshine yellow, olive green, deep russet red and burnt orange, as well as black, white and stainless steel options – that makes this a workhorse device that has Italian Riviera good looks. It costs €2,549, while the matching chimney hood, available in the same range of colours, costs €629, from branches of Harvey Norman nationwide. Harveynorman.ie
3. Gold-standard coffee pots
Coffee is now a breakfast essential. You can make a fine brew using a humble Bialetti moka pot – but percolate on a very low temperature and with the lid open to let the crema form – or opt for the barista gold standard, a La Marzocco Linea Mini for the home. Handmade in Florence since 1927 and delivered to Ireland through a UK distributor, it costs from €4,175. A good middle ground buy is Miele's CM550, a Which? magazine best buy. A barely audible device, it comes in a fashionable rose-gold finish, with flavour-conserving grinding and many dishwasher proof components. It costs €949.99 from DID Electrical. Did.ie; uk.lamarzocco.com
4.Cool Drawer fridge
If you don't want a big chunky fridge dominating your kitchen, then Fisher & Paykel's Cool Drawer is a very sleek alternative. The multi-temperature drawers measure 855mm wide by 557mm in depth, and can function as a fridge, a freezer, a wine cooler that offers two different temperatures (one for red wine, the other for white), a chill bin setting that will keep white wine or beer frosty or as a pantry. You can install in the kitchen or entertainment area and it can be moved from one setting to another in seconds. At €2,000 per drawer, it is expensive but an amazingly efficient use of space within the kitchen, says Paula Meegan of Dundalk-based Michael Briscoe Electrix. She suggests you visit the brand's showroom at North Dublin Corporate Park to see first hand how much volume each drawer can take. Nigella Lawson is a fan. Briscoes.ie; Fisherpaykel.com/ie/
5. Absolut Black kitchen collection
De Dietrich's new Absolut Black kitchen collection offers sleek good looks that work really well with the trend for dark units but also offers more functionality. Its multifunction oven (€1,399), for example, has low temperature cooking that will draw more flavour from casseroles and stews. The combo microwave oven (€999) turns humble veg into something far more satisfying, while the warming drawer (€599) will deliver restaurant-like polish to dinner parties and will also prove bread, while the induction hob (€1,199) can be fitted with a downdraft extractor hood (€2,299) that keeps overhead clutter-free. All are available from KAL in Cittywest. Kal.ie
6. Wood-burning cooker stove
The Domino 8 by Italian firm De Manincor is a wood-burning cooker stove that will deliver the kind of crispy thin-base pizza you've had on holiday in the comfort of your own home. You can also cook meat caveman-style, either on the floor of the oven or on a rack, as long as you rake the coals to the front. This design also gives you a widescreen view of the flames. The doorframe of the firebox and oven are solid stainless steel and the body of the stove is available in a choice of five vibrant colours – red, blue, yellow, black and white. The Domino 8 cooker stove with black doors, costs about €3550, while in stainless steel it costs €4,297, ex-delivery, from UK-based Ludlow Stoves. Before purchase, you'll need to find an installer who will do a chimney survey and correctly fit it when it arrives. Ludlowstoves.co.uk
7. Kitchen Aid food mixer
Every kitchen needs just three appliances, says Bob Toale of Blackrock-based Trigger Fish Cook Shop – a hand blender, a food processor and a food mixer, for dough and cakes. For the latter, Kitchen Aid remains one of the best buys. Its retro-styling means it looks good, takes all the hard work out of baking, and is gutsy enough for bread dough. It doesn't take up a huge amount of room and depending on the attachment you use, you can make everything, from sausages to pasta or ice cream. It comes in a range of cool colours and costs about €665 from Brown Thomas , Currys and other suppliers. Triggerfishcookshop.ie; Brownthomas.com; Currys.ie
8. Toasters
Like everything in life counter-top kitchen appliances have fashion moments. Remember toasted sandwich makers and the Soda Stream? Both are making comebacks. Matching cooker and kettle sets are all well and good but to toast bread well you need a highly engineered device like Dualit's four-slot. It costs €234 from Sweeney O'Rourke and can take all the abuse a family will throw at it. If you're looking for something more fun try the brand's Waffle iron (€295). It will turn brunch into an event the kids love. Sweeneyorourke.com
