As the nights draw in, and it starts to get cold, thought inevitably turn to warming food, and evenings at home.
  As it gets colder, and nearer to Christmas, you'll start to think about whether you've got enough pots and pans, cutlery and tables and chairs, so that you can feed your family and friends this Christmas.
Here are the essentials that you can't do without for your Christmas meals.
1.
 Every kitchen needs a kettle, and whether you use yours for making hot drinks, or solely for heating water for cooking pasta, rice and vegetables, you'll want to make sure that your kettle is in fine working order.
  If there's any doubt, why not treat yourself to a new one? They are available in many different designs and colours these days, and don't have to be in boring white or stainless steel.
2.
 Your toaster will probably see a lot of action this winter, and breakfasts often involve more than just a bowl of cereal in the winter.
  If you're expecting guests this winter, or are fed up of having a toaster that doesn't match the rest of your kitchen décor, then why not buy a new toaster? Perhaps you simply want a 4 slice toaster, so that you can cook more toast quicker in the morning, and you don't have to wait as long for your breakfast.
  3.
 Making sure that you have the right number and the right type of saucepans for the festive season is important.
  If you're the sort of person that will be cooking many different sorts of vegetables on Christmas Day, then you don't want to miss out because you haven't got enough pans to cook them in.
  Good quality pans are a wise investment, and you'll find that you can cook better with better pans.
4.
 A stockpot can be used to make soup from leftovers, or as a way of cooking a large amount of things like potatoes, rice or pasta.
  The stockpot is very versatile, and will probably get a lot of use during the rest of the year too.
  If you're expecting a large number of people 5.
 A pressure cooker can rapidly reduce the cooking time of many foods, including meats.
  If you're panicking about whether there'll be enough room in the oven to cook everything, why not buy a pressure cooker, and make sure that even if the oven is full, you can still get everything ready to serve at the same time.
Now you know what you need for your kitchen this Christmas, is now the right time to buy the saucepans and other kitchenware you need?