High-end appliances are turning kitchens into the coolest room in the house.

Now that our kitchens are open plan and at the hub of family life, it's hardly surprising that appliances are smartening up their act to steal more attention.  Australians have been spending up big on European appliances in the alst decade, as though they are some new kind of status symbol.

Kitchen designers report that at the top of many renovators' lust-lists is an integrated coffee machine - one that sits in the wall to cap off that sleek bank of European appliances. The Housing Institute of Australia, the average cost of a kitchen renovation in 2006-07 was $27,000, with many of the new status appliances taking up a sizeable chunk of a renovating budget. So how should you divide your renovating budget?

With four components of a kitchen renovation -- trades like plumbing and electricals, cabinetry, benchtops and appliances -- everyone will have a different spending priority. Some will splurge on a benchtop and get a lookylike appliance while others will invest in a stove that will outlast the chipboard cabinets and probably the house.

There is no magic formula. Certain people will get an advantage out of buying the best appliances; other people will get a kick from more storage.

Most appliances are undergoing an efficiency revolution as manufacturers reduce the electricity required to power it. And what can't a family fridge do these days? It can make ice,some have an LCD TV.  Elite brand Liebherr has combined all of its whizz-bang technology into an integrated model that has separate temperature control zones, promising to triple the shelf life of food.  The complete fridge-freezer starts at around $5,500 and offers some of the best energy efficiency on the Australian market.

 When it comes to cooking, those induction cooktops are faster and more energy-efficient than gas or electric options. An induction cooktop uses high-frequency magnetic fields to create heat in the pan so the cooktop around the pots remains cool. The downside is you'll need to invest in induction pots and pans, so add that to the price.

Here are five other new kitchen trends to watch:

1 Drawers not cupboards
Never lose a thing in the back of a cupboard again. Efficient German Blum drawer fittings have smooth runners and dampeners so drawers don't slam shut.

2 Bench marks
Make an island benchtop the social hub of not only the kitchen, but the home. Ensure you can see the TV from the sink and the stovetop.

3 Walk-in pantries
Space for all the fresh fruit and veg, sauvignon blanc and Tupperware containers - everything but the kitchen sink, really.

4 Concealed appliances
Match appliance door panels to those of cupboards and drawers. Even stainless-steel fridges, dishwashers and microwaves are ugly hunks. That's to say nothing of grey
plastic-looking espresso machines.

5 Don't move, improve
Archicentre says a kitchen renovation can easily cost $50,000-$60,000, about the same as moving house. But cutting-edge fittings, such as Blum drawers, are available at a fraction of the cost at Ikea.