Kitchens are designed to accommodate many household activities, from entertaining guests to serving as a homework and study area. Yet, sometimes we forget the most important function of a kitchen: an effective cooking space. Whether you are a budding celebrity chef, or novice learning the basics, a few adjustments to your kitchen can make it easier to prepare, serve and clean up after meals.
When planning the ideal cooking space, you’ll want to think about the overall layout of your kitchen. You’ll likely want to organize the kitchen with areas dedicated to cooking, storage and cleanup. Most modern kitchens are designed with a “work triangle” in place. The range, refrigerator and sink are all centered around a triangle shape, to make navigating back and forth between these areas easier. If the triangle is too small, the kitchen can tend to feel cramped, but if the triangle is too large, it can make cooking difficult. Obviously, the size and shape of each person’s kitchen varies, so this design strategy is not a hard and fast rule. Just be sure that you can reach each major cooking appliance without too much effort. Measuring and adequately using the space is key.
Once you have drawn out the ideal space for your appliances, you can focus on a cabinetry and countertop design. Cabinetry that features roll-out drawers, lazy-susans and other built-in organizational tools (like spice racks) can help you organize and keep cooking supplies within easy reach. You may also want to consider installing cabinetry with under-cabinet task lighting to brighten things up and make it easier to cook. When choosing a countertop, easy to clean surfaces are crucial to consider. Solid surface, stainless-steel, Quartz and natural stone are all excellent choices because they are easy to clean and look great.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase “everything but the kitchen sink,” you know that a great deal of cooking revolves around the sink. Serious cooks may want to install more than one sink, simply to make cleanup a bit easier. A wide, deep sink is ideal for scrubbing large pots and pans that may not be dishwasher safe. Speaking of heavy pots, many cooks recommend installing a water source near your stovetop. With these helpfully located faucets, you can fill pots with water right over the stove without having to move them to the sink.
Cooking can be quite the adventure, so you’ll want to make sure you have all the tools you need to be successful. In the end, the most functional kitchen space will help cook tasty meals with speed and creativity.
