As the heart of every home is its kitchen, you should spare no expense in designing the most functional, beautiful, cooking-friendly kitchen you can imagine. Follow these five steps to create a kitchen that allows you to cook and clean up with ease, all while entertaining your guests and enjoying yourself.
Design a Cook-Friendly Layout
The best kitchen designs operate in such a way that the cook is able to prepare food, clean as they go, and store items to be saved for later without having to back-track along the way. If the layout of your kitchen facilitates these activities, you can cook and clean with ease.
The best approach is to divide the kitchen into work zones for each of these three steps. The goal is to have your prep and clean-up areas for one course in a place that doesn’t interfere with the preparation of the following course.
Determine Which Appliances and Features You Want
Your range and oven are the core appliances in preparing fabulous meals, so never skimp on quality. Commercially adapted ranges are the way to go. They offer the qualities of commercial range-tops, but fit into a home kitchen for safety and aesthetics. Separate, double electric ovens provide the best ability to bake with ease.
Choose a dishwasher with flexible interior space and various settings to accommodate different types of pots, pans, crockery, glass, and cookware. The best refrigerator for you depends on your specific needs. Choose one based on the amount of shopping you do, the size of your family, and the types of refrigerated foods you buy most.
Don’t Neglect the Importance of Adequate Storage Space
Take inventory of all the tools, utensils, pots, pans, baking dishes, serving pieces, plates, bowls, stemware, and all other things that you will need to store before you design the final layout of your kitchen.
Be sure to measure individual pieces as well, to ensure your cabinet space is adequate. In your design process, assign each piece a storage space, so you don’t create an aesthetically amazing kitchen that doesn’t have room for all the things you need for function.
Choose the Right Kitchen Sink
A large, single-bowl sink is the best option for food preparation and for concealing dirty dishes from your guests’ view. If you have more than one cook working at the same time, consider installing two. An under-mount sink is a favorite of cooks, because it facilitates countertop cleaning, and a gooseneck faucet is great for filling and washing large pots.
Decide on Functional Surfaces That Meet Your Design Aesthetic
Choose surfaces that are easy to clean. Stainless steel and tile are easy to clean, but keep functionality in mind as well. Butcher block is a perennial favorite prep surface, but you should treat it once a year. Many find the look of marble or granite pleasing to the eye, but some products are difficult to maintain. For the floors, choose a look that you love, but make sure it’s a non-slip material.
