Kitchen Essential

With all of its pots, pans, bags of groceries and delicious comforting aromas, the kitchen is the heart of the home. But it does have a dual role to play: it has to be efficient yet comfortable and inviting.

Planning a kitchen may seem daunting at first, but most of the important decisions will be common-sense ones. Then you can spend time on the fun things like colour schemes and the overall ‘look’.

Practical storage need not interfere with the visual aspect of your kitchen design and can often enhance many features. The kitchen is the main working area of your home and must be compatible with your lifestyle as well as easy to clean and maintain.

Whether your kitchen is modern, country style or industrial high-tech in character, planning how it will work is the top priority. Kitchens tend to operate around three main activity centres: the stove, the sink and large storage areas, including the pantry and refrigerator. Ideally, the total distance between these areas should be between 3.5 m and 7 m for effective work efficiency (often referred to as the work triangle).

Kitchen Storage Work Centres

• The main food preparation area is usually the worktop or bench space between the sink and the stove — this area should be large enough to prepare a meal on. If possible, the pantry or food storage area and any tall storage units should not interrupt the worktop space. Try to avoid gaps between appliances and units as this wastes space and makes cleaning difficult.
• The sink should be close to storage cupboards or shelves that house everyday crockery, cutlery, pots and glassware. Avoid plumbing a sink in a corner and allow space for a dishwasher and waste disposal unit if required. Consider draining baskets and a chopping board that fits over the sink if space is limited.
• Ovens and cooktops (hobs) are often separated today — both should be located near the sink so that steaming pots and pans can be carried easily. A centre island, which may house the cooktop (hob), can shorten the distance between major appliances and offer extra storage space. Avoid situating the cooktop (hob) in a corner — it should be well away from a wall cupboard or a window with curtains because of the fire danger. Large, deep pan drawers installed near the oven and cooktop (hob) are an advantage.
• Another cooking appliance that has become part of today’s working kitchen is the microwave oven.

Consider positioning it for ease of use and allow clearance space for opening the oven door. Even if you don’t have a microwave oven, it is wise to think about the space it would occupy (Who knows what you may receive for Christmas next year!)

Kitchen Storage Space to bake

For baking enthusiasts, here are some ideas for a wonderful kitchen area that tells the story of baking:

• A marble worktop for rolling dough and whisking egg whites
• Cupboards that open to reveal a pull-out filing device for baking trays and muffin pans: each tray stands vertically side by side (no more unstacking trays searching for the right size)
• Shallow drawers for cutters, rolling pins, piping bags and all manner of accoutrements
• An extension table or a fold-away shelf for an electric mixer, slightly lower than worktop height for easy viewing
• A simple stand for a recipe book
• Measuring jugs, scales and an assortment of pans stacked neatly in overhead cupboards
• A stainless steel artist’s ruler attached to a pull-out drawer for measuring pans and pastry
• A swing-out cupboard for drying home-made pastry

• A wall-mounted microwave oven on a swing- out bracket
• A telephone extension close by to avoid flour-coated telephone calls!
• No excuses now if the cake doesn’t rise!

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