We’ve had a quote to get rid of our stupid ****ing Rayburn and replace it with a modern oil-boiler. This means we can get shot of it from the kitchen (hoo-blimmin-rah), replace it with an electric range, and do some other kitchen rejigging, which is all a good thing.

One consequence is that we can get rid of a two-ring induction hob that’s currently inset into a granite worktop/breakfast bar/divider/island thing (clearly the previous owners thought the Rayburn was a PITA too). The whole worktop is probably five foot by two foot, the hole for the hob is about the size of an A4 sheet of paper (maybe a touch bigger but not much). It would seem a massive waste, not say an expensive one, to have to get a whole new worktop because of one small-ish hole, so we’re trying to think of ideas for what do do with it.

One, well, the only, idea we’ve had is to get wooden chopping board rebated so it sits in the hole. Or we could, I suppose, just keep the hob there as it’s only the thickness of a piece of glass, but that would seem a bit odd.

So, any bright ideas from the STW massiv?

+1 for the chopping board. Put a recycling bin underneath for veg peelings and food scraps that can be scraped straight off the worktop and into the bin. Rebated chopping board, as suggested, FTW.

Just about to get rid of our ridiculous planet-killing AGA too. Should’ve gone ten years ago!

Put a trough underneath and grow herbs in it.

Herb trough is an excellent idea. Very in the kitchen kitchen garden.
Snip off some of whatever for the freshest of fresh. And it will make for a nice fragrant smell.

Unless you have a cat, in which case it will become its toilet 😆

Yeah, as nice as the herb trough idea is, it’s in the wrong place really 🙁

Doesn’t growing things need light? You’d presumably need a glass chopping board and that’s a fast-track to bollocksed knives.

Honestly, if it were me I’d likely just leave it. Unless you have a use for the space – and I’m liking the hidden bin idea a lot – what does taking it out actually gain you?

Not entirely sure why you’d get rid of the hob TBH!

The chopping board is a nice idea – could you put the bin underneath the hole so you could lift the board and push stuff in? (edit: too late!!)
If the hob is just plug in you could have the chopping board in the hole by default and pop the hob back in when more capacity is needed.

Is the new range going to be gas or electric hobs? If the former I’d definitely be keeping the hob – After 15 years of a range with gas hobs I can safely say that the induction hob we’ve now got is so much better it’s in a different league!

Put a stuffed cat in it.

Not entirely sure why you’d get rid of the hob TBH!

Cos the new electric range what will replace the old Rayburn range will have it’s own induction hob (having had this little induction hob for the last six month we are sold on them, and there’s no gas to the property anyway)

what does taking it out actually gain you?

Removal of Induction hob redundancy (who, coincidentally, are in session with Mark Riley on R6Music this evening I believe)

Given the last ‘hole in lawn’ thread I fully expect this granite worktop to be a loose collection of old rocks. Just ignore the hole, no one will notice

Vertical beer fridge (the album being promoted on that Mark Riley session)

Fill it with kitty litter. I dare you.

keep the hob a put a chopping board on top of it

Get granite for the hole from a local worktop company. I took the worktops from a 2-door-down terrace neighbour when they were replacing their kitchen and I was doing mine. Houses were identical so fitted pretty well except my sink was in a different place and I’d removed a chimney breast. Got replacement bits put in for not a huge amount of money. Joins didn’t look too bad: you couldn’t see them unless you looked while there was stuff on the worktop (which was most of the time).

Recessed deep fat fryer

Channel your inner petrolhead to make a statement extractor fan

If it is near hob, that about a raised piece of granite or other material simply as a skillet/ cooling place for pans, so piece of wood same size as whole, attach slightly larger, thin piece of granite or similar to it.

Put a recycling bin underneath for veg peelings and food scraps that can be scraped straight off the worktop and into the bin

Genius.

Put a trough underneath and grow herbs in it.

Also genius.

Vertical beer fridge

And again, genius.

Removal of Induction hob redundancy (who, coincidentally, are in session with Mark Riley on R6Music this evening I believe)

So much genius in just one thread. 😀

Channel your inner petrolhead to make a statement extractor fan

That’s just stupid though.

Put a stuffed cat in it.

And that’s just disturbing.

+1 for vertical beer fridge come dispenser, have it spring loaded like a giant beer Pez

heh, giant come dispenser

Chopping board would have to be removed in order to clean and the hole when removed will drive you mad.

I vote for keep the hob

giant come dispenser

Now that’s disturbing…

one day you’ll want to cook six saucepans of different stuff and by god you’ll wish you’d kept your hob

Keep the hob. You can’t have too many flat clean surfaces that can magically keep a few things warm on occasions.

A glory hole.

crying out for a glass topped backlit aquarium, trust me

Would a Screwball Scramble fit?

IMAGE FAIL….

Why would you have a ‘vertical beer fridge’ when you could have a beer pump on a nice bit of Oak!

Stainless steel bowl underneath, filled with crushed ice and laden with oysters. Obvs.

I can see a flush wooden insert that you push down gently, and by magic mechanical spring lifts itself slowly vertically and up rises a narrow tower of small shelves in which you store herbs and essential small cooking things.

But that would be a bit naff, I’d go with a simple A4 bit of wood rebated to the size of the hole, a hole drilled in the center to lift it and below is that excellent suggestion of a food waste bin, just scrape it all in there and mess is gone.

How about an upholstered hole-surround and foot rest inside the cabinet below?

Whoever’s not cooking that evening could have a perfect place to sit and chat about the day’s events, enjoying a glass of wine and a few pre-dinner nibbles whilst resting their tired feet on a step inside the cabinet out of the way of tonight’s chef, legs through the hole.

They could help out by passing ingredients and utensils easily within arms reach.

A hole you say?

Hmmm …

I’ll look into it.

IGMC

A flush mounted tablet for recipes and such like?

I’d say a rersvsble chopping board/ pan stand with a compost bin

A flush mounted tablet for recipes and such like?

All good until someone thinks it’s a chopping board.

I vote for keep the hob. How about a big chopping board with a recessed base that fits over the existing hob for everyday use?

Rotating dancefloor

Cat flap

excellent suggestion of a food waste bin, just scrape it all in there and mess is gone.

We are, of course, assuming that there’s actually room for the bin and good access to remove it to empty it – there’s a good chance there isn’t!!

I am totally confident Mrs IHN will be cool with this, I mean look at it! It’s awesome!