Designing a kitchen for actual cooking!
Discussion
Evening all,
Seeing the 'designer kitchen vs using it' thread prompted this.
We're looking to replace the kitchen in our bungalow this year. We've been in for a while, but wasn't entirely sure we were staying a while. Decision made, so now it's time to design a kitchen for us, rather than for sale.
About us. Two young kids (8 & 6), missus who has joint issues which are likely to get worse over time. I work reasonable hours, but am not often home in time for family dinner during the week. I'm the more adventurous cook, the other half is the everyday kitchen manager.
Our current kitchen is too separate from the living space. It has a lovely built in larder, halogen hob (hateful thing), single oven. Upright fridge freezer that is too small.
Current thoughts are at one end to have an open wrap around cooking area, with gas hob, one decent sized oven, large worktop and cooking equipment cupboards. Breakfast bar wrapping two sides of the worktop open to the dining area, hob on the third side against the wall with good extraction above.
In the middle (lengthways) would have an American style double fridge freezer opposite the larder. Other end would be the wet area, with sink and dishwasher. Boiling water tap a certainty to help with tea and the hot water bottles my OH find help her pain.
Kitchen is 7 paces by 4.
Any tips for things that I would wish I'd thought about?
Oh, in terms of stuff we cook - fairly normal simple family fare during the week, at the weekend I get creative with a lump of meat! OH loves making simple cakes, I love meat/curries/casseroles/roasts/italian (both pizza and pasta).
Cheers.
Seeing the 'designer kitchen vs using it' thread prompted this.
We're looking to replace the kitchen in our bungalow this year. We've been in for a while, but wasn't entirely sure we were staying a while. Decision made, so now it's time to design a kitchen for us, rather than for sale.
About us. Two young kids (8 & 6), missus who has joint issues which are likely to get worse over time. I work reasonable hours, but am not often home in time for family dinner during the week. I'm the more adventurous cook, the other half is the everyday kitchen manager.
Our current kitchen is too separate from the living space. It has a lovely built in larder, halogen hob (hateful thing), single oven. Upright fridge freezer that is too small.
Current thoughts are at one end to have an open wrap around cooking area, with gas hob, one decent sized oven, large worktop and cooking equipment cupboards. Breakfast bar wrapping two sides of the worktop open to the dining area, hob on the third side against the wall with good extraction above.
In the middle (lengthways) would have an American style double fridge freezer opposite the larder. Other end would be the wet area, with sink and dishwasher. Boiling water tap a certainty to help with tea and the hot water bottles my OH find help her pain.
Kitchen is 7 paces by 4.
Any tips for things that I would wish I'd thought about?
Oh, in terms of stuff we cook - fairly normal simple family fare during the week, at the weekend I get creative with a lump of meat! OH loves making simple cakes, I love meat/curries/casseroles/roasts/italian (both pizza and pasta).
Cheers.
grumbledoak said:
Mentally stand at the work surface, chopping. Where are the fridge and the hob?
That's helped me think! Hob directly to my left, fridge to the right and three steps away. Slight concern was the sink being the other end, alleviated I think by having enough space for prep if necessary next to the sink. Then prepped and washed stuff can be taken to the other end (5 steps max I'd have thought) for cooking.
Draining pasta sprang to mind too. Not sure how to get around that one. We have strainer inserts for our pans, so don't need to tip pan over a colander...
Double oven for those times when you need two temperatures.
Lots of easily accessible worktop as well as some space to put things out of the way.
Easy access to as much as possible from one spot.
Personal favourite - fridge drawers. No need to waste kitchen space on a freezer as very rarely is it accessed compared to a fridge. Fridge drawers mean loads of fridge space with worktop on top.
Lots of easily accessible worktop as well as some space to put things out of the way.
Easy access to as much as possible from one spot.
Personal favourite - fridge drawers. No need to waste kitchen space on a freezer as very rarely is it accessed compared to a fridge. Fridge drawers mean loads of fridge space with worktop on top.
A mate who is a kitchen fitter always goes with the triangle principle. The oven/hob, fridge and work surface all want to be in a triangle within a couple of steps of eachother.
I much prefer standalone fridge frezers, under counter ones are always poky and eat up valuable storage space. I also hate tiled or wooden worksurfaces. The grouting between tiled surfaces always looks grim and wood is far too easy to mark or burn with hot things.
I much prefer standalone fridge frezers, under counter ones are always poky and eat up valuable storage space. I also hate tiled or wooden worksurfaces. The grouting between tiled surfaces always looks grim and wood is far too easy to mark or burn with hot things.
You mention your wife's mobility issues, that may get worse. Plan your kitchen around both of you working together when it gets to the stage that you need to help her in the kitchen.
Plan, for example, on having room for you to carry a pan of boiling water from the hob to the sink without her having to move out of the way, and for standing space both sides of the oven, so you can lift a heavy casserole without pushing past her.
My OH has MS, but loves cooking. She cannot cook unsupervised now, unfortunately, so our kitchen is planned around the two of us working together.
Plan, for example, on having room for you to carry a pan of boiling water from the hob to the sink without her having to move out of the way, and for standing space both sides of the oven, so you can lift a heavy casserole without pushing past her.
My OH has MS, but loves cooking. She cannot cook unsupervised now, unfortunately, so our kitchen is planned around the two of us working together.
Cheers for the input. Going to get a generic kitchen designer program and draw up the current layout and what we're thinking.
The triangle thing I've heard, but even in this thread there's a couple of variations - sink/hob/fridge, hob/worktop/fridge.
The way we're thinking, the sink is separate to the rest of the cooking area. However, I really don't think I use the sink that much when cooking. Filling pots for boiling and subsequent draining is pretty much it I think. Having drainer inserts for our pots ameliorates this as pasta can be drained and served without needing the sink, then the cooled pot can be emptied when convenient...
I'll get some basic plans drawn up and see what your thoughts are, sure it's easier to get direct input with those.
Removing layout from the equation, what 'stuff' makes life nicer? Boiling water tap is on the list, as is plumbed in water/ice dispenser in the fridge. What's good in pan/utensil storage, or ovens, knife storage (with youngish kids) or gadget stuff/storage?
The triangle thing I've heard, but even in this thread there's a couple of variations - sink/hob/fridge, hob/worktop/fridge.
The way we're thinking, the sink is separate to the rest of the cooking area. However, I really don't think I use the sink that much when cooking. Filling pots for boiling and subsequent draining is pretty much it I think. Having drainer inserts for our pots ameliorates this as pasta can be drained and served without needing the sink, then the cooled pot can be emptied when convenient...
I'll get some basic plans drawn up and see what your thoughts are, sure it's easier to get direct input with those.
Removing layout from the equation, what 'stuff' makes life nicer? Boiling water tap is on the list, as is plumbed in water/ice dispenser in the fridge. What's good in pan/utensil storage, or ovens, knife storage (with youngish kids) or gadget stuff/storage?
PedroB said:
... wood is far too easy to mark or burn with hot things.
I guess that's only if you are exceptionally careless? We've had our beech wood blocked surface for 13 years now and it's never burned. Needs an occasional (every 3 or 4 years) dressing with Danish oil and it's good again.Sway said:
The triangle thing I've heard, but even in this thread there's a couple of variations - sink/hob/fridge, hob/worktop/fridge...
The way we're thinking, the sink is separate to the rest of the cooking area. However, I really don't think I use the sink that much when cooking. Filling pots for boiling and subsequent draining is pretty much it I think. Having drainer inserts for our pots ameliorates this as pasta can be drained and served without needing the sink, then the cooled pot can be emptied when convenient...
Fridge>hob>sink as far as I'm concerned. work tops in between. I fail to see how yo can cook without constant use of the sink? Gutting fish, prepping prawns, peeling veg and stuff, rinsing, draining, filling pans the list goes on. The way we're thinking, the sink is separate to the rest of the cooking area. However, I really don't think I use the sink that much when cooking. Filling pots for boiling and subsequent draining is pretty much it I think. Having drainer inserts for our pots ameliorates this as pasta can be drained and served without needing the sink, then the cooled pot can be emptied when convenient...
The lack of agreement on the triangle plan tells you how useful it is ... maybe just make sure that everything is easily accessible without having to move too far.
Put your towels close to the sink. (You'd be surprised how many people fail to do this one.)
Also, you can never have too many sockets in the kitchen. I re-designed and re-built ours about 7 years ago and thought I had hugely overdone it on that front. As it is, I got it about right-ish. Where you think you'll need one then be sure to put in two. And then some more for good measure.
Oh, and wood makes excellent worksurfaces. That or stainless steel. Marble/granite/silestone is all too harsh on glass and ceramics for my liking. Tiles hide grot galore in their grout. The cheapo laminate worksurfaces are also hard to beat for proper cooking, and some of them can look pretty good.
A cheap kitchen well-installed will look better, feel better and last better than an expensive kitchen that is badly-installed.
Oli.
Put your towels close to the sink. (You'd be surprised how many people fail to do this one.)
Also, you can never have too many sockets in the kitchen. I re-designed and re-built ours about 7 years ago and thought I had hugely overdone it on that front. As it is, I got it about right-ish. Where you think you'll need one then be sure to put in two. And then some more for good measure.
Oh, and wood makes excellent worksurfaces. That or stainless steel. Marble/granite/silestone is all too harsh on glass and ceramics for my liking. Tiles hide grot galore in their grout. The cheapo laminate worksurfaces are also hard to beat for proper cooking, and some of them can look pretty good.
A cheap kitchen well-installed will look better, feel better and last better than an expensive kitchen that is badly-installed.
Oli.
zcacogp said:
Also, you can never have too many sockets in the kitchen. I re-designed and re-built ours about 7 years ago and thought I had hugely overdone it on that front. As it is, I got it about right-ish. Where you think you'll need one then be sure to put in two. And then some more for good measure.
I'd agree with this. One of the best bits of my new kitchen is sockets near oven and also near main food prep bit. Means you can use a hand blender easily and conveniently.RichB said:
PedroB said:
... wood is far too easy to mark or burn with hot things.
I guess that's only if you are exceptionally careless? We've had our beech wood blocked surface for 13 years now and it's never burned. Needs an occasional (every 3 or 4 years) dressing with Danish oil and it's good again.Flibble said:
I like magnetic strips for hanging knives - you can have them high up over a side and they're to hand when you need them. Also means they're not rattling around and getting blunted in a drawer or such.
I'd agree with this. Saves worktop space too rather than keeping them in a knife block.
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