Kitchen Essential

Work surfaces

A good cook will insist on an efficient kitchen that saves unnecessary work. Careful planning must go into the kitchen layout. The most satisfactory plan often links, in a triangular path, the three basic elements — cooker, sink, and food storage — to the preparation centres. They should be located in a compact sequence and not too far apart in order to save unnecessary movements. But personal preferences and styles and methods of working are also important, and you may want to have cookware and utensils within easy reach, as well as such ingredients as oils and condiments. If you spend much time cooking and baking, you may decide to have mini work centres conveniently located around the kitchen for such activities as chopping vegetables, mixing ingredients, baking, and other space-demanding tasks, such as bottling and making preserves, beer, and wines.

Work surfaces in an L- or U-shape arrangement are good options, although unfitted kitchens can have tables and workbenches instead. Preparation often involves much standing and, in order to avoid poor posture and backache, the work surfaces should be designed to suit the activity and the person who is going to do most of the work. You may have to allow for the heights of several different people. Waist-high surfaces are generally the best; standard units with a height of 85-90cm (34-36in) can be adjusted by mounting them on plinths of various heights. Make sure there is ample foot room at the plinths so that you can adopt a comfortable stance with one foot in front of the other. Wooden platforms can be used at surfaces that are too high, and thick chopping boards on top of surfaces that are too low. Heavy tasks, such as kneading dough, rolling pastry, and chopping root vegetables, are easier on surfaces that are below waist height so that you can put your weight behind the activity. You can make prolonged standing easier by wearing soft-soled shoes with arch supports, or by installing cushioned floors or mats. Sit down to as many tasks as possible and include in the kitchen plan several sitting spaces at the counter or work surfaces as well as at the table.

All work surfaces should be generous in width — 65-70cm (26-28in) — to allow plenty of space for food preparation and room, too, for plumbing and cables behind the worktops. There are practical and sounder alternatives to plastic laminates for the surface covering, and you can choose different types to suit different tasks: ceramic and quarry tiles, solid wood (such as maple), and, for real durability, stainless steel, slate, granite, or terrazzo. Or you can have insets of marble or wooden slabs.

A double sink is a must so that dish washing can be kept separate from food preparation. Invest in good-quality knives, pots, and pans, and avoid nonstick and aluminium cookware. Electrical time savers, such as liquidizers, food processors, and mixers are a matter of personal choice.

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