If you have room to spare in your kitchen design, turn it into a benched area.
It’s amazing the number of kitchens that have limited counter space, contributing to cramped food preparation, things being dumped into the sink, and dirty cookware stacked with clean cookware.
The importance of kitchen counter space is something many overlook during design and once a kitchen is installed, something many wish they had more of.
If you’re someone who prefers to assemble your ingredients before cooking, consider the easy task of making a simple toasted ham and cheese sandwich. You would need bench space for:
- loaf of bread
- cutting board
- ham
- cheese
- butter / margarine
- salt
- pepper
- toasting appliance
- plate for serving
Now consider making a hearty cheese and salad sandwich.
The ingredients and necessary items that would take up bench space are:
- loaf of bread
- cutting board
- lettuce
- tomatoes
- cucumber
- onion
- avocado
- cheese
- carrot
- grater
- tin of beetroot
- can opener
- butter / margarine
- sauce
- salt
- pepper
- plate for serving
- containers to store left-over food items
- scrap bucket (for your compost bin)
Imagine the extra space you’d need to cook a family meal, in particular when there are now three to six… maybe even eight or twelve dinner plates lined up on the bench! And take into account the number of appliances and cookware items that will also take up space… measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, scales, colander, baking trays, knives, mixing spoons, etc.
Suddenly generous kitchen counter space doesn’t seem so much like a luxury as it is a necessity.
