What makes a great chef's kitchen?
A Chef's Kitchen is a special design meant to empower a home gourmet. Often, it features spacious countertops, cutting-edge appliances, and beautifully clean designs.
But transforming your current kitchen into a chef's kitchen can seem like more of a challenge. Every chef's kitchen is unique to the space and to the chef, themselves. Designing the perfect chef's kitchen is a matter of balancing your own tastes and cooking styles with the gourmet and organizational trends that empower your inner chef.
Here's a closer look at the classic features of chefs' kitchens that are a joy to cook in.
Give yourself plenty of counter space. Prioritize wide, open counters and minimize the shadowy loom of upper cabinets. Broader islands and more space between kitchen features give you more prep space - and room on the counters to set mixtures aside as they settle or rise.
The golden triangle is the functional distance between your sink, stove, and refrigerator. The range between each should be between 4-9 feet. Chef's kitchens tend to be a little larger with more counter space in between, so will favor a broad golden triangle design. Chef's kitchen triangles often include the island for a more entertainer-style kitchen.
Consider whether you would prefer a caterer's chef kitchen - a private arrangement with enclosing doors and screens - or an entertainer's kitchen open to the family room and a potential full-sized audience. Entertainer kitchens are more social, while caterer-style kitchens are more focused for those who like to meditate while they cook.
One signature of chef's kitchens is more and larger sinks. The primary sink may be a deep double basin or even a farmhouse sink big enough to fill an enormous soup pot. In addition, you may enjoy a new bar sink for quick beverages or peeling and washing or you can add pot-filler taps over the stove itself to assist with on-the-spot cooking tasks and filling.
When updating your chef's kitchen, don't forget the lighting. Many kitchens are dimly lit or shadowy from a single central light. Canister lights above and LED strip lights to illuminate your countertops and cabinets can transform your entire kitchen experience.
Give yourself a handy and elegant place to keep spices near the stove with a lattice or tiered shelf arrangement over the counter. Give yourself hooks for hanging utensils and spoon rests and floating shelves for quick access to your most-used ingredients and items. Overhead pan storage keeps your favorite pans handy for sides and sauces, while a pre-organized pantry system and drawer compartments can me keeping your kitchen professionally organized into a breeze.
Upgrade your appliances to those worthy of a chef's calling. A cutting-edge convection oven will ensure every dish is evenly cooked, every time, with an advanced system of fans and pre-programmed timers. Swap your old hood for a high-powered and elegant range hood that both transforms the look of your kitchen and empowers your ability to make more food at one time. You might also consider an industrial-strength dishwasher so that cooking experiments are a breeze to clean up.
Many home gourmets love the versatility of a flat-topped electric grill or griddle cooking surface. Replace your burner-based range or even add an additional griddle in the island for entertainer breakfasts with the family.
Speaking of family, don't forget guest seating. Home chefs draw opportunistic snackers, who make great company if given a place to sit. Place bar stools at the island, build a booth kitchen nook nearby, or even create a lounging nook in the cabinetry itself for pets and family members to relax on a cushion while you chat.\
How do you design a chef's kitchen? Give yourself plenty of room, all the best tools, and let your inner gourmet come out to play. To make your vision of the perfect chef's kitchen into a remodeling reality, contact us today.