Kitchen Essential

We conducted a qualitative survey amongst two hundred people, many of whom had installed new kitchens. The objective was to establish views about the design of equipment, and its suitability for use in the home.

This article summarises our main recommendations on worktops, sinks and taps, waste disposal units, kitchen units, ovens and hobs, fridges and freezers, dishwashers and washing machines. We also highlight some new, untested products which may meet specific user needs.

Worktops

There are no hard and fast rules for worktop heights, wall units and tall storage cupboards — simply because people come in different sizes — so don’t assume that you must have standard height work surfaces if that is not what you need. There are minimum storage facilities set down for local authority housing. These include dimensions of the units, but they don’t relate to the height of the users. Thus the unit manufacturers decided for themselves what is the most convenient height. Co-operation does exist between theunit manufacturers and the makers of domestic appliances which fit below or line up.

For many years the British worktop height has been 900 mm. Continental manufacturers vary their worktop heights from 820 mm up to 880 mm. However the height recommended for the user is 50 mm below the bent elbow whilst the user is standing.

Tasks like stirring a saucepan are more comfortable 200 mm lower than the bent elbow; rolling pastry, which requires downward pressure should be 250 mm lower than bent elbows. Tasks like pouring soup into a liquidiser also need a lower level worktop. The practicalities of installing different levels of worktop can prove more trouble than it’s worth, but some manufacturers are attempting it.

In many kitchens the wall units are fitted about 450 mm above the worktop to line up with the tops of tall housing units. But you can use the wall space between the base unit worktop and the wall unit more effectively, and waste less space above the units, by fixing wall units 600 mm above the worktop. This still allows easy access to the bottom and middle shelves, and leaves the wall below free to fix foil and cling film dispensers, kitchen paper, scales and even narrow shelves. This can be useful, especially in a small kitchen.

Natural materials such as granite, slate, marble and wood have been satisfactorily used for worktops. Laminates, ceramic tiles and Corian have largely superseded these — especially laminates which are hard-wearing, possess variety of pattern and colour and are inexpensive. Ceramic tiles need much more attention to keep them hygienic and clean.

Du Pont Corian is a man-made ’stone’ which can be worked like wood and is a solid nonporous material. It is almost impossible to stain, is more heat resistant than conventional work- tops, and accidental scratches or knife marks can simply be sandpapered away. Corian’s big advantage is that sinks and tops can be designed as one piece, so there are no cracks or crevices to harbour dirt and bacteria or allow water to seep through. Any household cleaning products can be used, so it is easy to care for.

A new development in plastic laminates by Formica, called ColorCore, eliminates the dark edge which always showed where the laminate was cut and joined. The new material is solid colour throughout. This means that nicks and chips in the laminate are less obvious. ColorCore is also claimed to be more wear-resistant than standard laminates.

Sinks and taps

As there are now so many sink combinations on the market, it is unnecessary to go into lengthy explanations. The illustrations overleaf will give you an idea of some of the many types available.

There is nothing worse than a dripping tap. And a tap which leaks from the base causes aggravation. Taps so shaped that they cannot be cleaned around, harbouring dirt and germs, are also annoying as well as dangerous. Handles that need dry hands to turn them on and spouts not long enough or tall enough to enable you to wash up large or elongated items, are equally unsatisfactory. There are mixer taps that splash water because control valves are inaccurate.

The most useful taps are those mixers that are plumbed in to the wall behind the sink. They take up no work surface space and are easily accessible for cleaning. But because the majority of sinks in Britain are fixed under a window, these wall taps are unusable. In those instances where the sink is against a wall, the wall- mounted mixer taps are more practical.

Lever action fittings are normally only used in hospitals or institutions, but they can be even more useful in domestic kitchens when it is sometimes very practical to be able to turn on the water with an elbow. New developments in imported taps ensure that far more of them meet National Water Council standards, as well as regulating the water flow within the mixer. Ceramic valves replace old-fashioned washers and internal components are made from materials which will reject hard water deposits.

Taps come in colours to match sinks, hobs and handles but not all conform to water authority specifications, so check before buying. Integral brushes and washing up liquid dispensers are good in theory, but receive little enthusiasm from those who have them in their kitchens.

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• Decisions about Kitchen Units and Appliances
• Kitchen Design Secrets
• Kitchen Essentials AND Utensils Part 2
• The Ultimate Kitchen Planner Part 4 (Decoration)
• Bloody Mary Party Cocktail
• Creating a new kitchen: How to Do It Part 1
• Long Island Ice Tea
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