For decades, most people had embraced the idea of arranging their kitchen using the “kitchen-triangle” layout. The layout had a particular position for the sink, refrigerator, and stove. They were organized in a way that a person wouldn’t need to take several steps before accessing any of the areas. There are some kitchens that still use this layout to this day. However, with the evolution of the kitchen space, this layout no longer applies to large kitchens.
When organizing your kitchen, layout is an important consideration since it will determine the respective work zones you will have. Whether large or small, every kitchen should have at least three different working zones.
Common zones that you should expect in any kitchen include the cooking zone, cleaning zone, and the storage zone. Understanding the purpose of these zones guarantees that you organize your kitchen in the best way possible. This chapter takes a closer look at how these zones should look.
The Prep Zone
Just as the name suggests, this is the area where you prepare yourself to cook.
There are several activities that you can do including washing, slicing, peeling, chopping, and draining right before the actual cooking begins. When baking, there are many activities that will take place before the cooking begins. It is vital that you move from one zone to the other systematically when cooking. Usually, these zones will overlap.
It’s important to have sufficient space to conduct all the activities that take place in the prep zone. For that reason, you should consider uncluttering the kitchen counters here. Also, you should utilize the storage spaces in the prep zone wisely to ensure that you minimize overlapping from one end to the other. Use the storage strategy where you store items based on usage.
The prep zone will have a few cabinets for you to store what you will use during meal preparation. Make sure that your organization creates room for accessibility. Don’t store unwanted things in these cabinets because other cabinets are full. Everything in your kitchen has its home. If not, then consider storing in your junk drawer or donating.
The Cooking Zone
The cooking zone will feature a number of things around your kitchen including the stove cooktop and several appliances that you use most often.
The warming drawer or a microwave will be found here. Also, keep in mind that breakfast is a common meal to most people, and a toaster or coffee maker could also be found in the cooking zone. Stocking the cooking zone should be done appropriately. This means that the drawers and cabinets in this section should be used for cooking purposes. You should store baking pans, utensils, pots, cookie sheets, etc. in these storage spaces.
The Cleaning Zone
Depending on the size of your kitchen, there are several cleaning zones that you will have in your kitchen. Regardless, this area is usually in close proximity with the sink. The trash bins are also part of this zone because they are the sections that help in keeping your kitchen free from dirt. The cooking process will begin and end here. Before preparing any meal, you will have to wash the ingredients. Once you are done eating, it’s in the cleaning zone where you will wash the dirty dishes.
The cleaning area should not be far from the cooking zone or the prep zone.
In fact, larger kitchens can have several sinks next to the prep area for convenience purposes. It should also be noted that it can be a great idea to position the washing area close to a window. This provides you with natural ambience to enjoy while cleaning the dishes. Ideally, this can be a great place to cool off your mind and enjoy a healthy conversation with anyone giving you company as you clean.
The Storage Zone
This is one major area that will have a profound impact on how your kitchen looks. Failure to use the storage area appropriately can ruin the good look of your kitchen. Your kitchen might appear spacious, but if things are not stored in their right places you might feel suffocated.
There are numerous storage ideas that you can utilize to give your kitchen a simplified yet comprehensive look. Some of these hacks are succinctly discussed in the following lines.
Pull-Out Pantries
If you’ve been to a kitchen with pull-out pantries, then you know these storage spaces are indeed worth having in any modern kitchen. The exciting aspect of this storage space is that when you pull out the pantry drawer, you will gain access to multiple shelves. This means that you have more space within a single unit. The idea can be incorporated into your cabinets.
Pull-Out Spice Racks
The pull-out spice racks as similar to pull-out pantries. Their designs are different since they are meant to hold boxes and jars.
Shelves Next to Your Kitchen Windows
There is a great frame effect that you get when you incorporate floating shelves into your kitchen. Contingent on your window size, you can design varying sizes of your storage components. These shelves should be used as storage spaces for dishes and other cookware that you use frequently.
Mug Racks
There is something interesting about the mugs and cups we use for breakfast.
Most people have a personal attachment to their cups or mugs. It is for this reason that you will find folks using the same cup throughout the year. You should embrace the idea of hanging your favorite mugs and cups on hooks. A key issue to remember is that you should not make your kitchen crowded with these hangings. As such, limit the number of cups that you choose to hang.
Woven Storage Baskets
There are certain spaces in your kitchen that will be unoccupied most of the time. They are called the kitchen islands. This space can be occupied by woven storage baskets. Doing this will help you create additional space that can hold items that don’t belong to the kitchen, such as your car keys or your smartphone.
There are many ways of creatively creating storage space around your kitchen. Your chosen technique should help in creating space and not crowding up the place. Therefore, you should settle for the best solutions which suit you.
Essentially, the importance of understanding the kitchen zones is that it aids in knowing what goes where in your kitchen. You cannot maintain an organized kitchen if you don’t know how its layout looks like. Also, this information is handy when one is looking to remodel their kitchen.
