Best Practices in the Kitchen

The kitchen has to be used for it to be alive. It should not be a fragile display that’s only meant to be looked at. The soul of a kitchen comes from its users. Give it care and attention and you will feel it reciprocate with loving family memories, treasured recipes, and meaningful experiences.

Cooking ingredients and oil can leave permanent stains or require a lot of muscle to remove if allowed to sit for a long period of time. Soy sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice, red wine, and vinegar are so potent that they can deeply permeate the top layer of your countertops or eat into the protective coatings of the appliances. Always wipe away spills as soon as they happen. Make it a habit to clean as you go.

It is ideal to have both hot and cold water sources in the kitchen to beat grease and grime before they solidify. Choose sinks with drain boards, install drip pans, or carve out drain lines on your countertop to control the water spillage and prevent cabinets from being damaged. Try not to have too many joints in countertops and backsplash materials or at least seal them well. Mold, seepage, and cracks often start here and they are difficult to rectify.

It’s important to have a designated area in the kitchen where family members can engage in daily activities. Integrate a seating area in the kitchen structure or incorporate a table in the room design. This communal space must have comfortable seating and it should have easy access to the modern necessities.

A hot and dark kitchen can be really depressing.  The light temperature of the kitchen and the temperature of the atmosphere influence the mood and comfort of the users.  Windows are essential for natural cross ventilation and light.

The air inside must move freely so that the smells and smoke inside the kitchen do not become stagnant and the user feels cool and refreshed. The artificial sources of suction and airflow are also crucial for a kitchen to properly function. An efficient exhaust hood will prevent the odors from spreading inside the house or sticking to the clothes, upholstery, and curtains. Consider also the make-up air source for kitchens that often use air conditioners in tropical climates. For the artificial light sources, make sure there is a balance of task, accent, and mood lighting. Use several switches and dimmers so that the lights can be adjusted or customized to your lifestyle needs.

Overstuffing cabinets and refrigerators leads to destruction, wastage, and neglect. People always buy more than they need, be it fresh ingredients, pantry items, or serving equipment. It is a nightmare to open a kitchen cabinet and see the shelves sagging with weight or a refrigerator that can no longer cool because it is filled to the brim. Most of the time you don’t even know half of what’s inside the pantry.