Tips for home chefs to make their kitchens functional
(BPT) – When it comes to creating delicious menu items in your own kitchen, you could do it with limited space, dark lighting and minimal tools. It might take you longer, but you can do it.
If you are a foodie and you specialize in making dishes that are well received by family and friends, you don’t want to deal with a bad layout in your kitchen. You want everything you need for food prep at the ready so you can focus on mixing ingredients for a delectable finished product. What you need is a functional kitchen.
Many homeowners are limited in how many changes they can make in a kitchen. It might be a space issue, or pipe and vent limitations determining where different appliances must go. But even with physical limitations, there are ways to make your kitchen a more functional and organized place so you can easily – and happily – cook anything you want.
A sink space that does almost everything – The sink is one of three main activity areas in the kitchen, with the counter space and the stove rounding out the trifecta. You need the sink for cleaning food items, washing your hands, filling pots with water and washing dishes. True foodies know the right faucet can quickly cut down on kitchen prep time. The Artifacts kitchen faucet collection from Kohler is designed to do just that. The revolutionary 3-function pull-down sprayhead makes it easy to fill pots and pans, the Sweep Spray is great for cleaning dishes, and the BerrySoft light spray is gentle for cleaning fruits and vegetables.
But the faucet is just one part of the sink area that can help a home chef whip up culinary delights. Kohler has designed a sink to help improve your kitchen organization and workflow. The Prolific Kitchen Sink has three tiered levels with five functional accessories that fit securely on the edges of the tiered levels for performing different tasks, from rinsing and cutting to soaking and drying. They include a bamboo cutting board, a bin and colander that are dishwasher safe, and two durable, dishwasher-safe grated racks for drying dishes. With all of these accessories, you can spend less time shuffling back and forth between workstations and more time making a delicious meal.
Pull-out drawers – Ingredients and cooking utensils need to be quickly accessible to keep your true foodie genius going at full speed. Having to bend down or get on your hands and knees to find an ingredient in the back of the cupboard is a big road block. Pull-out drawers allow you to quickly find everything you need and get back to the project you’re working on. You can quickly reach the pan that is located in the far back corner of the drawer to saute onions and garlic.
Use the island space – Kitchen islands are great for providing home chefs with space. It can include an extra sink, the stovetop, garbage containers, extra storage shelves, and last – but not least – good counter workspace. When designing your island, allow it to become the space that does everything you’ve always said you wanted. For example, if you have two chefs in the house and are always jockeying for space in front of the sink, add a second prep sink to the island. If counter space is a premium, consider leaving it wide open, or putting the stove there so you have counter space by the sink or refrigerator available instead.
With a functional kitchen arrangement and extra accessories near your sink area, the home chef in your family will have no difficulty blending, chopping, roasting, sauteing or kneading those family-favorite meals you enjoy.
