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Never Stretch or Bend Again: 5 Tips for Smarter Kitchen Design
Good ergonomics are crucial in a busy kitchen — here are five smart ways to improve your cooking space
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When it comes to intelligent kitchen design, little details often make the biggest impact. Consider, for example, the ease of having a shelf to spin ingredients right to your fingertips or oven racks that fully extend so you don’t strain your back bending over a heavy roasting pan. “With today’s luxury kitchen, the difference is in the details,” says Don J. DeLong, vice president of sales for Sub-Zero Group Southeast, Georgia Division. “Performance, convenience, timeless design and superior quality are what discerning consumers desire — they’re willing to pay more for these attributes and find them worth the wait.”
If you’re remodeling your kitchen, now’s the time to think about integrating features that are specially designed to make cooking and meal prep more efficient and enjoyable. Here are five that will make a difference.
1. Make Kitchen Drawers Work Harder
There’s been a noticeable shift in kitchen storage preferences in recent years. Many homeowners are opting for drawers instead of cupboards. It’s easy to see why: Drawers make it easy to organize kitchen items and, because they extend toward you, most people find them easier to access than cabinets.
Today’s kitchen drawers have had a serious upgrade in terms of style and functionality. Customizable designs allow you to select everything from the color, shape, height and material of the drawers so you can tailor your storage setup to perfectly suit your needs. You can even specify drawers with glass-inlay sides that let you see the contents at a glance.
There’s been a noticeable shift in kitchen storage preferences in recent years. Many homeowners are opting for drawers instead of cupboards. It’s easy to see why: Drawers make it easy to organize kitchen items and, because they extend toward you, most people find them easier to access than cabinets.
Today’s kitchen drawers have had a serious upgrade in terms of style and functionality. Customizable designs allow you to select everything from the color, shape, height and material of the drawers so you can tailor your storage setup to perfectly suit your needs. You can even specify drawers with glass-inlay sides that let you see the contents at a glance.
Once you’ve chosen the right drawers for your kitchen, look to organize the contents efficiently. Giving every cooking utensil a proper home is a surefire way to save time and frustration, allowing you to find what you need in a flash, without having to rifle through drawers while you’ve got pots bubbling on the stove.
Start by clearing out those items you never use and zoning drawer contents to suit the workspace. (For example, store pots and utensils near your cooktop, cutlery and glassware near your meals area.) Add drawer dividers to the shallow drawers that house your cutlery and cooking utensils, and consider adding niche inserts to drawers containing items such as herbs, spices and coffee pods.
Start by clearing out those items you never use and zoning drawer contents to suit the workspace. (For example, store pots and utensils near your cooktop, cutlery and glassware near your meals area.) Add drawer dividers to the shallow drawers that house your cutlery and cooking utensils, and consider adding niche inserts to drawers containing items such as herbs, spices and coffee pods.
2. Bring Fridge Contents to You
The hardest-working appliance in most busy homes is the refrigerator, so it pays to choose a model that optimizes internal space and makes it easy to locate the items you need.
Refrigerators featuring smart storage solutions transform that notoriously inefficient and hard-to-reach crisper drawer into a far more efficient space; when the pullout crisper drawer is pulled out, a second, recessed box automatically lifts up toward you, allowing you to easily see and access your fruits and vegetables.
“With rising food costs and busy schedules, more consumers are buying food in bulk,” DeLong says. “Our Sub-Zero bins that feature Hettich Quadro Compact slides not only keep food fresh for longer, but also open and close smoothly with even the largest capacities. They also hold up to our stringent 20-plus-years’ life expectancy.”
Meanwhile, fridge models featuring pullout systems give you double access to crisper drawers, simultaneously opening two drawers with one smooth movement.
Other appealing refrigerator features that make it easier to see and access food items include glass doors, internal LED lighting and full-extension drawers. Or, if you find yourself needing an extra fridge or freezer compartment on occasion, look for a model with a flexible cooling zone that can be switched from fridge to freezer and back again.
The hardest-working appliance in most busy homes is the refrigerator, so it pays to choose a model that optimizes internal space and makes it easy to locate the items you need.
Refrigerators featuring smart storage solutions transform that notoriously inefficient and hard-to-reach crisper drawer into a far more efficient space; when the pullout crisper drawer is pulled out, a second, recessed box automatically lifts up toward you, allowing you to easily see and access your fruits and vegetables.
“With rising food costs and busy schedules, more consumers are buying food in bulk,” DeLong says. “Our Sub-Zero bins that feature Hettich Quadro Compact slides not only keep food fresh for longer, but also open and close smoothly with even the largest capacities. They also hold up to our stringent 20-plus-years’ life expectancy.”
Meanwhile, fridge models featuring pullout systems give you double access to crisper drawers, simultaneously opening two drawers with one smooth movement.
Other appealing refrigerator features that make it easier to see and access food items include glass doors, internal LED lighting and full-extension drawers. Or, if you find yourself needing an extra fridge or freezer compartment on occasion, look for a model with a flexible cooling zone that can be switched from fridge to freezer and back again.
3. Optimize Your Fridge and Cabinet Space
Out-of-sight food quickly gets out of date, resulting in waste, which is bad for your wallet and the environment. Fortunately, there are products out there to help you get a view of what’s inside your refrigerator and pantry.
This easy-to-install turntable rotates 360 degrees, bringing food items at the back of your shelves to the front and vice versa, so you can easily find and reach everything on your shelves without the need to move jars and bottles aside.
Out-of-sight food quickly gets out of date, resulting in waste, which is bad for your wallet and the environment. Fortunately, there are products out there to help you get a view of what’s inside your refrigerator and pantry.
This easy-to-install turntable rotates 360 degrees, bringing food items at the back of your shelves to the front and vice versa, so you can easily find and reach everything on your shelves without the need to move jars and bottles aside.
To get more from your cabinet storage and minimize waste, you might also consider investing in shelf risers that let you see what’s at the back of shelves, zoning similar items together, such as canned food, or grouping ingredients that you might use together, such as baking supplies.
For the refrigerator, place those items you use most frequently at the front and center of shelves, raw meat on the bottom shelf, where it’s coldest, condiments in the doors, and items you use only occasionally in the corners and harder-to-reach spots.
For the refrigerator, place those items you use most frequently at the front and center of shelves, raw meat on the bottom shelf, where it’s coldest, condiments in the doors, and items you use only occasionally in the corners and harder-to-reach spots.
4. Lighten the (Dishwasher) Load
If you suffer from a bad back or simply don’t enjoy bending over every time you need to load and unload the dishwasher, a model with ergonomic features might be worth seeking out. For example, this state-of-the-art lifting system raises the bottom rack of the dishwasher to the level of the top rack so you don’t need to reach down to load or empty the machine. The innovative system is gentle on dishes and glasses too, so you don’t have to worry about breakage.
To improve the ergonomics of your dishwasher, consider where you place it in your kitchen. You can save time and hassle by installing it next to the sink and close to your storage zone so you don’t have to cross the kitchen every time you need to put items away. Want better access to the lower rack? Consider raising the height of your dishwasher above floor level. Wherever you choose to place your dishwasher, be sure that it still allows people to move through the kitchen when the door is open.
If you suffer from a bad back or simply don’t enjoy bending over every time you need to load and unload the dishwasher, a model with ergonomic features might be worth seeking out. For example, this state-of-the-art lifting system raises the bottom rack of the dishwasher to the level of the top rack so you don’t need to reach down to load or empty the machine. The innovative system is gentle on dishes and glasses too, so you don’t have to worry about breakage.
To improve the ergonomics of your dishwasher, consider where you place it in your kitchen. You can save time and hassle by installing it next to the sink and close to your storage zone so you don’t have to cross the kitchen every time you need to put items away. Want better access to the lower rack? Consider raising the height of your dishwasher above floor level. Wherever you choose to place your dishwasher, be sure that it still allows people to move through the kitchen when the door is open.
5. Improve Access to Your Oven
The luxury and convenience of living room cabinetry is now cropping up in kitchens, and it not only makes cooking more enjoyable, but safer too.
Gone are the days of accidentally burning yourself on a loose or awkward oven rack when you’re basting hot dishes or checking on the progress of your cooking. You can now find built-in and freestanding ovens that give you safer and more convenient access. Inspired by cabinetry drawer runners, this slide system of runners is available on select ovens to give you safe, full-extension access to your racks.
Placement is another key factor when it comes to improving access to your oven. When planning your kitchen layout, look to bookend your oven and fridge-freezer on either side of your cooktop if space allows, so that food items and utensils are where you need them when you’re cooking. Then complete the work triangle by placing your sink at a center point.
With a thoughtfully designed layout and kitchen products that improve comfort, safety and convenience, you’ll find that cooking has never been more enjoyable!
More: To learn more about the intelligent kitchen solutions at Hettich, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
The luxury and convenience of living room cabinetry is now cropping up in kitchens, and it not only makes cooking more enjoyable, but safer too.
Gone are the days of accidentally burning yourself on a loose or awkward oven rack when you’re basting hot dishes or checking on the progress of your cooking. You can now find built-in and freestanding ovens that give you safer and more convenient access. Inspired by cabinetry drawer runners, this slide system of runners is available on select ovens to give you safe, full-extension access to your racks.
Placement is another key factor when it comes to improving access to your oven. When planning your kitchen layout, look to bookend your oven and fridge-freezer on either side of your cooktop if space allows, so that food items and utensils are where you need them when you’re cooking. Then complete the work triangle by placing your sink at a center point.
With a thoughtfully designed layout and kitchen products that improve comfort, safety and convenience, you’ll find that cooking has never been more enjoyable!
More: To learn more about the intelligent kitchen solutions at Hettich, visit the company’s website.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
We meticulously work on products that often are not visible – used inside furniture cabinetry – but provide... Continua a leggere
We meticulously work on products that often are not visible – used inside furniture cabinetry – but provide... Continua a leggere
I love the idea of all pullouts. When I had my kitchen redone, instead of 24" and 28" regular cabinets next to my stove, I had 4 vertical drawers for cooking and baking utensils and all my wax paper, foil, freezer bags, etc which fit perpendicular in the drawers and so convenient when bagging leftovers. Next to it, I have 2 two 9" pull out vertical cabinets for canned goods and oils and vinegars, etc. Best thing I ever did.
The problem with today's drawers is that the sides are only half-way up,
so you cannot fill the drawers to the tops without stuff spilling out the sides.
LouAnn, There's no reason you couldn't specify deep drawers in your new kitchen. Or if you already have cabinets installed, have a local cabinet shop make extensions for the existing drawer boxes.