Induction cooking The survey, Kitchens Close Up, conduced by Leger Marketing for KitchenAid, revealed that the kitchen has almost completely morphed into the social and family axis of the home. Many of the homeowners said their kitchen had a computer and a television, for instance, alongside the more traditional electronic gadgets.

Nationally, the 1,000 homeowners surveyed said that they felt pride in cooking and, perhaps surprisingly, more men (64 per cent) than women (18 per cent) said they are proud of their results.

British Columbians apparently spend more time cooking than respondents from other provinces, but they are also more likely to undercook or burn food. In fact, 32 per cent of West Coasters admit to cooking or baking miscues.

The Leger survey found that over half of British Columbians are more likely to invest in appliances for their high performance, rather than being attracted to an appliance's appearance.

With this in mind, we turned to a Consumer Reports study, released last month, which recommends that a cooktop/wall oven combination is usually the best investment. The study explains that combos can cost less than a stand-alone range, especially the expensive professional style.

The best buy in cooktop models, according to Consumer Reports, are Kenmore, which is one of the least expensive units on the market, and GE.

There is also a preference on the West Coast for stainless steel appliances, chosen by 40 per cent of those surveyed compared with a national average of 35 per cent.

With many Canadians living in condominiums, it was not surprising that 42 per cent of respondents in the Leger survey are looking for space-saving layouts in their kitchens. According to the Consumer Reports study, top freezer models are the best bet for small kitchens, since they are usually less than 33 inches wide and cost the least. An option is side-by-side models for kitchens that can't accommodate wide-swinging doors.

A final tip from Consumer Reports: "Buy results, not promises."