People often say they spend most of their time in the kitchen. It is also said that the kitchen sells the home. Houzz.com recently came up with a list of kitchen must-haves after polling their readers. Whether you are designing your dream kitchen, or sprucing it up to get your house market ready, these 14 kitchen must-haves are worth a look:
1. Smaller kitchen.
Many people feel that the wide kitchen aisles — at least 48 inches — are too wide, preferring smaller spaces.
2. Direct access to the outdoors.
A benefit to a kitchen that opens onto a patio or deck is that it visually expands the kitchen. It also provides additional space for dining and entertaining, which is especially useful for those who live in temperate climates.
3. Skylights and light tubes.
Helps keeps the kitchen light and bright.
4. Undercabinet lighting.
Abundant daylight is great, but many people realize the need for proper artificial lighting in a kitchen. Good-quality undercabinet lighting helps lighten and brighten a kitchen and, practically speaking, it provides crucial task lighting for meal prep and cleanup.
5. Double-bowl sink.
Often a "controversial item", the consensus seems to be that double sinks are best for those who hand wash most dishes, and single-bowl sinks are better suited to those who wash their dishes primarily in the dishwasher.
6. Prep sink.
Prep sinks make life easier in a busy kitchen. If you are going to use a prep sink for cleaning and preparing fruits and veggies, think about adding a disposal to it. Even if you compost your food waste, small bits of food can still find its way down the drain, so it’s nice to be able to run the disposal occasionally to clear it out and prevent clogs.
7. Two sinks.
Another sink-related suggestion is to install two separate, full-size sinks. This setup takes up quite a bit of space, but I imagine it’s handy if you have a large family to cook for or you entertain large groups frequently.
8. Counter-depth refrigerator.
Counter-depth refrigerators are less deep — and usually taller or wider — than standard refrigerators. This allows them to sit nearly flush with standard base cabinets, offering a cleaner, built-in look.
9. Warming drawer. Another hot kitchen amenity for many is a warming drawer. Most warming drawers range in size from 27 to 30 inches wide and 11 to 12 inches high. They tend to be sized to fit above or below a wall oven. Because of their relatively small size, they heat up quickly and are handy for keeping food warm as you assemble the full meal or as you wait for all of your dinner guests to gather. You can also use it to warm up your plates, restaurant-style, without having to take up space in your main oven.
10. Induction cooktop. An induction cooktop transfers heat to pots and pans via a magnetic field. Unlike a traditional electric or gas cooktop, the induction cooktop has a surface that never gets hot to the touch. For this reason, induction cooktops are popular in households with small children and for those in hotter climates — there’s no surface heat to transfer into the air. Induction cooktops are also more energy efficient than gas and traditional electric cooktops.
11. Appliance garage. Park your countertop appliances away and out of sight with an appliance garage. Typically set at countertop level, these cabinets allow you to keep your small appliances plugged in and at the ready, all while tucked neatly behind closed doors.
12. Waste and recycling center. A popular item for many is a waste and recycling center or cabinet. This allows you to keep the recycling and trash hidden away until it's ready to be taken it to the curb for pickup.
13. Built-in speakers.
There’s nothing like some good music while you cook!
14. Open shelf for cookbooks.
It makes perfect sense to store cookbooks near the room in which they will be most used.
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