4 Must-haves For Creating A Cook’s Dream Kitchen

Do your family and friends insist on hosting events at your home because they know you make amazing meals? Cooking can be a chore for some, but for others, cooking is a lifestyle. If you fit into this category, one of the best ways to accommodate your passion is to renovate and create a more effective workspace. Here are a few ways you can create your dream cook’s kitchen:

1. Improved Layout & Storage

Renovating your kitchen can maximize the layout and storage of your space making it easier to cook. Every kitchen is broken down into 4 work zones to help with various activities across the kitchen. As an avid cook, consider tools, ingredients, and processes used in each of these zones to discover the best work flow.

Pantry Storage Zone

This section of your kitchen is great for storing dry goods, soups, canned foods, and non-consumable items like pots and pans or crock pots. Locating these items in pantries will help you stay more organized and keep the rest of your kitchen free from clutter. It is often found near the refrigerator so that all food can be easily accessed within the same zone.

Sink Storage Zone

Cleaning up dishes and clearing away messes is essential in keeping your kitchen organized. Since a lot of cleaning in the kitchen involves using the sink, it’s best to keep cleaning supplies nearby. Using a super sink base or a pull-out trash cabinet are prime examples of effective storage. You can store away all of your supplies in the pull-out baskets and tilt-out of the sink, or keep your trash and recycling off of the floor by filing them away in a cabinet.

Food Prep Zone

Frequently used items like eating utensils, cutting boards, and cookie sheets need to be stored close to your workspace where you prepare your food. If they are across the kitchen from where you work, you will find yourself walking around more than cooking. Try adding a tray divider cabinet near your oven to make baking more efficient. You can also add a cutlery divider near your plates and bowls so serving meals is more convenient.

Cooking Storage Zone

When you’re ingredients are prepared, you probably don’t want to search high and low for pots and pans. We recommend that these items are generally placed around the cooktop and oven for ease of cooking. Having ample countertop space in this zone will also give you enough room to set out your ingredients and cookware. This pots and pans organizer is essentially a roll-out tray made specifically for your pots. Another great option is the pull-out drawer cabinet with deep drawers.

2. Kitchen Work Triangle

If you’re in the middle of cooking your great grandma’s classic chicken alfredo, the last thing you want is to run across the room to the refrigerator. The NKBA (National Kitchen & Bath Association) recommends using a work triangle. It’s a straight line that runs from the center of your sink, to your cooktop, to your refrigerator. Since these are primary work stations in the kitchen, it’s crucial that they are close together. To create your cook’s dream kitchen, each leg should be between 4 and 9 feet long, and the total should be no more than 26 feet.

3. Open Countertop Space

Having plenty of countertop space is critical to the flow of cooking. This might mean adding an island or peninsula to serve as your prep area. You can also put appliances in locations that don’t reduce counter space. A microwave cabinet tucks your appliance neatly out of the way while staying accessible. Adding some tall pantries and drawers are also great options to consider when opening up space.

4. Quality Cabinet Selection

Search for high-quality cabinet construction to prolong the life of your kitchen remodel. CliqStudios cabinets are incredibly durable and are factory finished. They’re also easy to clean, have many storage solutions, and make it easy to incorporate the things you need for a cook’s dream kitchen.

Get started with a designer today!