I should say this outright - I don't like to cook…read more I find it taxing and stressful, so with that in mind, you'd think I would hate the Kitchen Catering Utensils store, but I'm strangely drawn to its mesmerising arts-and-crafts-like setup - rows upons rows of multifarious items I never knew existed but must now have because it'll make my lacklustre attempts at cooking that much easier. Decked out on two expansive floors, the Kitchens store is an emporium dedicated to the culinary art, whose sensual powers appears to have eluded me; but fear not, like I said, even if you hate cooking, I bet you can find something here that piques your interest, whether it's espresso machines or cake decorating paraphernalia. I think it's the largest kitchen supply store of its kind in Cardiff, so if they don't have it, I'd say your best bet is to take your hunt online.

Kitchen's is amazing. It has every gadget for your kitchen you never realised you wanted until you…read moresaw it here. There are 2 floors dedicated to everything from plates to blow torches. I happen to be a bit of a cake making enthusiast and they have a good range of tins as well as lots of decorations to top them off. Me and mum often play the guess the gadget game in here and try and work out what things do. The staff will helpfully explain if you really want to know. I could spend a fortune, I just need a bigger kitchen now!

Whenever I stay with my mum, I always ask her to cook me the foods that I love that I don't eat…read moreunless she cooks them for me. When she asks why I don't cook them for myself, my reply is something along the lines of "I don't have a [insert kitchen item here] like you have". This is true, I do only have the basic kitchen equipment, and it's also fear that if I could make it myself, I'd do it wrong. The last time I had this conversation, her response was a rather exasperated "well isn't there a market in Cardiff? You must be able to get one there!" So, to appease my mother, and to finally be able to start cooking my favourite foods, I headed to the market and straight to this stall which I knew very well existed after having bought a jug here in my first year at uni. Pots & Pans sells all the kitchen things you didn't realise you needed until you went back to your mum's house and saw how much better stocked her kitchen cupboards were, and remembered how good a cook she is. Of course, it also sells the things you know you need in a kitchen. And it's all at bargain prices, and is pretty decent stuff too.

Guess what they sell here. I'll give you three goes, like a genie…read more So Aladdin, what is it to be? No, no and no. And I thought this was an easy one for you. They sell pots and pans, silly. Pots, lots of them. And. Pans, lots of those too. Pans to cook food in, to bake cakes, to mix batter. If you ruin pans on the scale that I have been doing of late (absent-minded, iplayer-distracted cook that I am) this place will save you. You can replace ruined pans or stock up for your new life as a student (one pan, a milk pan is best, something completely useless for cooking for more than one person in) or as a new free and single person (many shiny pans to show off with at all the dinner parties you will throw to show how wonderful you are without them). You could also buy gifts for your mate that always cooks for you (HINT)/ your house husband/ your Gran. Pots & Pans, does what it says on the (cake) tin.

0 Stars. Months and months of correspondence. Will not accept fault or honour guarantee. Floor is…read morepeeling and bubbling - never seen anything like it - will not honour guarantee details on website. I have now been advised to take legal advice. Over £1000 out of pocket. No formal complaint process, not part of a trade association nor an ADR scheme. Shocking level of aftersales service. Appalled.

It's really a trade warehouse. But there's a secret. If you want a quality kitchen this is actually…read morea really good place. But they only sell to the trade. A catch-22 you may think? No, pop into their warehouse trade entrance. There's a tiny weeny showroom. And you can get a large catalogue. And a selection of leaflets of the tradesmen that install their kitchens. There aren't any prices because the trade get enormous discount. So get your builder or one of the people they recommend to price it up and fit it. I'm having a cream Burford. Sounds good eh? They also do bathroom cabinets and interior and exterior doors.

Bright House are a chain store that have been running for just under forty years according to the…read moreNottinghamshire born manager at the Cowbridge Road East branch. Unlike the similar chain over the road, this outlet is a lot more friendly and welcoming, and although the staff are smartly dressed in professional attire, they appear more casual and laid back than their slick, booted and suited, more formal counterparts. I like the Bright House better. I like the name, the easy payment schemes that only charge 29.9% APR, (still pretty steep if you are on a low income, but eminently more affordable than less scrupulous operators), and I like the fact that these are the guys that bought out Baird, and have retained the name, instead of rebranding it. Baird was set up by none other than John Logi Baird, the super-smart Scot who invented the television tube. Bright House also sell other brands of TV;s, white goods and electrical items. Televisions remain their biggest seller however, and 2009 saw their biggest grossing year ever.

Well I know for one fact that IKEA do not allow photos to be taken in less you ask the Human…read moreResources department! Typical or what?! That's the first place that I have told not take pictures of within a long time. I know this because I was told off by the till area for not being able to take pictures without permission, but that was after I had been taking pictures already inside and plenty of staff where around who could have also told me off. Mind you the guy at the entrance did look a bit shifty towards me as I had my camera around my neck, but he did not say anything to me still. It is a very useful and massive shop, based around the Cardiff Bay and it is free to enter. They have several sections of products such as; lights, bed duvets, candles, pictures frames, cloth hangers, plenty of storage items, mirrors, a cafe, a car park, a low deals offer, large lifts, escalators, and a Swedish food market area. Entry is free; the staff do seem a little picky about certain things, but it is a very useful shop and our house and Caravan in Pembrokeshire are both full of IKEA items and products. I would still recommend it as a shop for everyone to attend and buy house items from.

We all know Ikea is a must for furniture hunters on a budget - not just in Cardiff but world wide -…read moredid you know that Ikea is the biggest furniture seller in the world? But this review isn't about the furniture - ohhhhh controversial!!!!! I hear you say. This review is about the food. All I want to say is consider Ikea not just as a furniture store but a quite good cheap restaurant too. Its great value for money. You can get a cooked breakfast for 99p! Where else in the developed world can you get that? Ok the meatballs and the fish and chips are not as cheap but they are as cheap as a chip shop and you have all the sauce you could wish for and a table and chair to sit down and eat it at too! One word of advice I wouldn't take a first date here - I did once and it didn't last long after we left the store - pity really she looked quite nice all dressed up.

I can't leave the house without three cups of tea or coffee. Fact. If I have to I am grouchy beyond…read morebelief. I am a caffeine addict, and I am okay with that. As an addict I like my fix on the big side, and I mean Big like Americans get their coffee. I require a proper mug, preferably one, that when full, requires two hands to properly get a handle of. China Cavern sells these kinds of mugs. Some even say I heart coffee or I heart tea upon them. Debbie understands the needs of people like me. When I visited there was a BOGOF sale on all mugs too. Bargainous Goldmine Ever. As well as mugs, China Cavern also sells teapots, floral granny plates, containers to store sugar, tea and coffee in and some - I won't lie to you - frankly disgusting china ornaments. The sort of ornaments you'd like to gather together into one china shop and invite a bull over. Still, as far as mugs go, China Cavern is great.

Pontcanna Flea Market is the real deal. You are guaranteed to find a really good selection of…read morequality Kitsch, both for the home and garden, as well as loads of classic and retro clothing, antiques, electrical goods, records, books, and furniture... essentially all the kind of stuff that you'd expect at a flea market, but with the added bonus of this one being a particularly good one. I don't know where the traders get their stock from, but some of them must have an incredible address book! A lot of them seemingly have endless access to the most incredibly desirable objects. Their lives must be heavenly! I considered becoming a trader myself a few years back, but decided that it would be an overtly dangerous career choice. I'd be great at scouting out my stock, and have fairly well tuned haggling skills. So far, so good! But, the problems would arise when it came to selling any of it on. I know I'd want to keep everything! Those confounded attachment issues! They also hold regular auctions at the King's Road site. I've not been to one, but I hear that they are as much fun as the flea markets, and just as well stocked with eminently buyable stuff.