Kitchen Essential

The perfect kitchen is toasty and warm in winter, cool and airy in summer but, alas, the situation is often reversed.

The Kitchen Floor

However magnificent they may look in an old farmhouse, cold, grey flagstone floors don’t conjure up a sense of winter comfort. The fact is, if your feet are cold, so is the rest of you. Ironically, in the right location, solid floors are an important factor in maintaining a good ambient temperature.

The ‘right location’ is a room that enjoys sunshine for most of the day. Stone and other solid materials, like concrete and brick, absorb heat while the air temperature is high; this has the effect of cooling the room. When the air temperature drops, the laws of nature dictate that the heat is released again, and the room will be warmed. In summer and winter alike, the temperature should remain pleasant and constant.

Even in a not-so-sunny situation, you can capitalise on a solid floor’s ability to store heat. Underfloor heating elements set into the concrete slab, can be installed at the time of building or renovating. Once the floor has warmed up, it gives out a constant, even temperature and it is quite economical to keep the heat `topped up’. Because it is slow to respond, however, this type of heating is not suitable for, say, a weekend cottage. By the time it had warmed up you would be packing your bags and heading back to town.

Stone or ceramic tiles are good flooring choices unless you have a solid floor that does not get any sunshine and doesn’t have heating beneath. Then some sort of insulation between the floor and your feet is essential. A rug is fine in the dining area but not advisable in the kitchen, where it may slip, or trip people up. Instead, think about laying cork tiles or cushioned vinyl sheeting. Most carpets are not suitable for kitchen use but there are tight- looped synthetic carpets which are very resistant to staining (but which will melt) , and heavy duty carpet tiles which can be lifted for cleaning and, if necessary, be replaced.

Kitchen Heating well

In a centrally heated house, it seems obvious to incorporate a radiator or hot air outlet in the kitchen — but in this era of fitted units it can be hard to find an appropriate spot. Radiators, fortunately, are available in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, from tall and thin to long and low. Hot air outlets should be kept as low as possible (hot air rises) and can sometimes be incorporated into the plinths of the units. In the interests of efficiency and economy, don’t position a source of heat next to the fridge or freezer.

If you’re using a plug-in appliance, make sure that the flex doesn’t trail across the traffic area.

Kitchen Comfort

The thought of a big, cosy stove is very comforting in inclement weather and the appeal of the Aga stove and similar models remains strong. Solid fuel models are still available, or you can opt for the convenience of gas or oil. Many people love cooking on these stoves and enjoy the other benefits: hot water and heating for the house. Disadvantages are that they generate heat in summer too, and the kitchen must be well ventilated to allow the excess warmth to disperse.

Keeping Kitchen Cool

The simplest form of ventilation is, of course, an open window but in summer it can let in more than fresh air. Simple mesh screens will keep flies, mosquitoes and moths at bay while letting cooking fumes escape and cooling breezes in to soothe the harassed cook.

Windows alone, however, can rarely cope with the heat and smells created by frying and grilling. If you do not have a rangehood (cooker hood), think about installing an extractor fan. Because the fan will cut out light if installed in a window, it is preferable to mount it in an outside wall. The supplier should advise you on the best location — it should be close to the source of fumes but should not be positioned so that it creates a draught that `drags’ flames towards it.

The model you buy must be powerful enough for the size of your room and, ideally, should have several speeds. Other features to look for are timer switches, efficient draught proofing when the fan is not in use, air intake as well as expulsion and a strong outer grille.

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