Whether you’re the head chef at a five-star eatery or just someone who hosts frequent dinner parties, there’s nothing worse than a dysfunctional kitchen. Cramped counters, shallow sinks, and clunky appliances can really cramp your Epicurean style.
To help you remodel your kitchen into a space that’ll please even the pickiest of chefs, we’ve cooked up a list of renovation ideas. These concepts are categorized by layout, appliances, and features.
Are you ready for a highly efficient cooking workspace? If so, read on.
Chefs need ample space to prep, cook, and assemble dishes. However, since square footage is often limited, layout is everything. A thoughtfully-designed kitchen floor plan can mean the difference between successfully pulling off a ten-course meal and burning the amuse-bouches.
Here are three kitchen layouts we love:
A U-shaped kitchen is exactly what it sounds like: a kitchen with countertops and appliances positioned on three different walls that form a “U.”
What’s so great about this kitchen floor plan? It optimizes the kitchen work triangle, a theory that says the sink, refrigerator, and cooktop should be in three separate but accessible areas. Essentially, by keeping these workspaces neither too far apart nor too close together, you create a sense of flow and efficiency.
If you don’t have the cash to knock down walls and reconfigure your entire kitchen, consider hiring a general contractor to help you source and install a custom mobile island. A mobile kitchen island is simply a workspace on wheels.
Let’s say you and your spouse are whipping up a holiday dinner for the in-laws, but your better half is taking up way more than half of the available counter space. So, rather than bump elbows, you wheel the mobile island to a quiet corner, lock the wheels, and get to chopping.
Dinner parties can be lots of fun. But when your guests want to chat while you sear steaks and saute mixed veggies, they often get in the way. The solution? A raised eat-in bar.
A raised eat-in bar creates a sense of division, corralling guests to one side of the kitchen. However, with this configuration, they can still feel involved in the action.
This layout is also great for families with kids. If Junior needs help with homework while you cook dinner, just have him belly up to the bar. You can explain the quadratic formula while roasting chicken legs.
Is your oven from the 1980s? Does your cooktop take forever to boil a pot of water? If so, it might be time to invest in some new appliances. But before you buy the bargain fridge at The Home Depot, take a look at some higher-brow gadgets.
Here are three commercial-style appliances that’ll up the ante in your kitchen:
A speed oven is the Usain Bolt of kitchen appliances. This revolutionary device combines microwave and convection elements to cook everything – from lasagna to a rump roast – before you can say “let’s get takeout.”
Though speed ovens are pricier than a normal microwave, they’re more versatile and useful. Whereas microwaves leave food soggy on the outside and ice-cold in the middle, speed ovens cook food much like a normal oven.
What’s even better? Speed ovens are compact enough to fit in any kitchen space.
Have you ever baked salmon and gingerbread cookies in the oven at the same time? 0/10 would recommend. Your fish will taste like a pumpkin spice latte and your cookies will smell like a wharf.
The best remedy for a chef who likes to juggle multiple recipes at once is a double oven. As its name suggests, a double oven gives you twice the baking space. This allows you to cook two dishes with different temperature settings at the same time.
The electric vs. gas range debate has divided homeowners for millennia. (Okay, maybe not that long). But if you ask professional chefs their opinion, they’ll all agree – a gas range is best.
A gas cooktop offers responsive control over the heat, allowing you to cook food faster and more evenly. It also cools down quickly when the burners are turned off
However, keep in mind that to install a gas range, you must hire a general contractor to run a gas line. You’ll also need to have a propane company fill up your tanks regularly.
Kitchen features are like sprinkles on ice cream – not entirely necessary but tasty nonetheless. If you want to take your residential kitchen from blah to breathtaking, consider hiring a general contractor to install one of these accessories:
Ditch the knife block and instead invest in a magnetized knife strip. This helpful gadget keeps your knives neat and organized without dulling the blades.
A warming drawer isn’t just for keeping dinner plates toasty. You can also use this versatile feature to help bread dough rise or even to cook meats slowly.
Located on the backsplash over your cooktop, a pot filler lets you fill large stock pots and rondeaus without breaking a sweat.
Are you tired of dropping scraps as you waddle from the counter to the trash can? If so, consider a trash chute. This kitchen feature is built directly into your countertop, allowing you to easily dispose of apple cores and carrot tops.
A prep sink (also called a bar sink) makes chopping veggies or quickly rinsing utensils much easier. It also reduces the likelihood of cross-contamination.
If you love to cook but your outdated kitchen isn’t keeping pace, hire a professional. As a licensed general contractor in Charlotte, Portico can transform your tiny, cramped kitchen into something fresh out of a five-star restaurant.
But before we hammer a single nail, we’ll meet with you to learn more about your vision. During this consultation, we’ll also offer a transparent price estimate.
Are you ready for your dream kitchen? Contact Team Portico – give us a call at 704-742-2720 today.
