This guide will review the many functions of kitchens. The goal is to open your mind to all possibilities so that you ultimately realize the full potential of your new kitchen.

Cooking

Most of the necessary cooking features are probably included in your existing kitchen. But take a minute and think about how you like to cook. How could you improve your kitchen’s design?

Is your microwave situated conveniently? Does it consume too much counter space? Is it too high or too low? Is it big enough? Do you need a second, smaller microwave for busy times of the day? For maximum safety and convenience, microwaves should be between counter height and eye level.

Do you need a double oven or will a single do? Is yours self-cleaning? Do you have room to open the door(s) without blocking traffic or butting into other doors or appliances?

Is your stove gas or electric? Most gourmets prefer gas because it offers control. Gas is usually less expensive to operate. Others prefer electric stoves because they find them to be safer and more convenient or because they are sensitive to the fumes associated with gas stoves.

Good ventilation is an important feature, especially with stovetop grills. Besides keeping the air fresh and controlling cooking odors, a good exhaust fan will minimize the build-up of grease on surfaces in and near the kitchen.

Lighting is important in any work area. With a stove, you need to get light directly over the pots so that they aren’t obscured by your shadow.

Do you have plenty of space for cookbooks? Open shelves are convenient, but keep in mind that your books will get dirty over time if they are left exposed.

There are now pull-down, under-cabinet trays for your favorite recipe. Imagine being able to refer to a recipe conveniently without worrying about having it messed up with spills and splashes!

An important but often overlooked feature is a fire extinguisher. Plan an appropriate place to hang one in plain view.

How about counter space? Do you have enough and is it in the right places? Does it have sections at different heights to accommodate different people and different tasks? Is there adequate space on each side of your sink and stove? Is there a convenient space next to your refrigerator and microwave to which you can transfer items?

Cleanup

Cleanup generally centers around your sink and dishwasher. Many people prefer a double sink. Besides allowing for both wash and rinse basins, a double sink makes it possible for different sink activities to occur simultaneously.

One drawback of double sinks is that each individual basin may be smaller than the one large basin used in a single sink, creating problems for washing large pots and pans. However, you can get very large double sinks in which the individual basins accommodate larger pots.

Many people like to have a hand sprayer mounted on the back of the sink to help with cleaning and rinsing. Good overhead lighting also makes it much easier to see that your cleaning efforts have been successful.

Sinks are traditionally located under windows to allow the user a view of the outdoors or children playing in the yard. If this fits your needs, stick with it. On the other hand, you may prefer to place the sink so that the user is facing into the room. In a kitchen with eating or entertaining space, this allows you to stay engaged in conversation with family or guests. If you like to watch TV while you clean up, consider facing the sink toward a TV.

Mounting sinks in the corner where two counters meet is becoming popular. This arrangement allows for counter space on three sides of the sink. As you face the corner, the counters on either side wrap conveniently around you and you also have counter space on the far side of the sink in the corner. You can use this third counter for decorations (such as plants) or you can keep it open to provide extra stacking or soaking space.

No matter which type of sink you use, consider using faucets with levers. They come in many styles, but all are much easier to manipulate than round knobs -- especially for children and senior citizens.

Dishwashers are usually mounted close to and to the right of the sink. If you are left-handed, you may prefer installing the dishwasher to your left, but be aware that this may be awkward for a majority of people and thus a problem at resale time.

Food Storage

Many homes used to have a separate room (the pantry) devoted to food storage. This was necessary when food came in bulk and when going to the store involved logistical difficulties. In contrast, the average family today goes to the grocery store twice a week, so bulk food storage isn't as critical. Instead of large quantities of items, we have small quantities, many of which get used every day. This means we need to keep everything handy and easy to find.

For the bulk items we use, most people now use one or more pantry-type cabinets in the kitchen itself. These cabinets have sturdy door racks and other features that make it easy and convenient to store a large variety of goods.

Consider using touch latches instead of traditional knobs on all of your cabinets. Touch latches engage or release with a gentle touch to the opening side of the door. No knobs or handles are needed. If you do not use touch latches, use large wire pulls or architectural pulls (easy to grab lips built into the bottom or top of doors and drawer fronts). This will make your cabinets accessible to people with arthritis or other limitations.

Your refrigerator and freezer are also important for food storage. Side-by-side units are more easily accessed by people of all ages and by people in wheelchairs. If you buy a new refrigerator, consider getting one with door-mounted water and ice dispensers.

Whichever style of refrigerator you like, ensure that it provides sufficient freezer space. If you prefer to prepare foods in advance and freeze them, or if you make extensive use of frozen foods, the typical refrigerator/freezer combination is probably inadequate.

Eating

The convenience of eating in the kitchen has made doing so increasingly popular. Some people never eat in the dining room at all. If this is true in your home, you may want to dress up the kitchen eating area, without destroying its basic casual atmosphere and convenience.

This can be accomplished with adjustable or subdued lighting, well-placed windows, and glass-fronted cabinets. Whether you use a traditional table or a built-in eating counter, consider materials and finishes that add a bit of elegance.

Equipment and Utensil Storage

Pots, pans, mixing bowls, serving dishes and cooking utensils should be located close to the place they will be used the most. While traditionally stored in cabinets or hung on walls, pots and pans can also be kept in extra deep drawers, such as those under a wall oven. If a household member is into gourmet cooking, make allowances for more equipment storage space.

Cabinet manufacturers offer many specialized devices to make storage areas more practical. Tilt-out trays in front of your sink can provide handy storage for scouring pads, brushes and other unsightly cleaning accessories. Pullout trays and bins make good use of space in base cabinets (under the countertop). Special racks for pot lids, utensils, paper goods, foil and bags are all available.

Janitorial Hub

Because the kitchen is usually the hub of most domestic activities, many people select a closet or cabinet in or near the kitchen to store their cleaning supplies.

However, by the time you put a mop, broom, dustpan, vacuum cleaner, pail, rags and a dozen or more cleaning compounds into a closet, it usually becomes impossibly jumbled. Take a moment to think about this storage need, and make sure that you end up with a storage space that includes the racks, shelves, and hooks needed to keep your cleaning supplies under control.

Waste Disposal

It used to be that a garbage disposal and a trash can were sufficient for waste disposal, but recycling has changed that. Today, we need to separate newspapers and other recyclable items from the rest of the trash. Most cabinet manufacturers offer bin systems to facilitate trash sorting.

We seem to generate more trash now than ever before. Is your current trash bin adequate? Do you need a larger container or more containers? Do you have an appropriate place to store trash bags and ties? A convenient feature incorporated into new kitchens is a trashcan cavity under the counter. Open to the front, the tile-lined cavity is handy for tossing in trash and is easy to clean. Above the trash bin is a small dollar-bill-sized slot in the countertop for easy disposal of counter scraps.

Laundry

Today’s trend has moved from hiding laundry equipment in the dark depths of the basement toward laundry room access from the main activity area of the house (the kitchen). This convenient laundry area is often a small alcove in a hall or passageway near the kitchen, but some folks prefer to dedicate an area in the kitchen. If you are considering such a move, remember that laundry equipment is quite noisy and may make conversation or TV watching difficult. You’ll want to make sure that the laundry area is separate enough to keep food and dishes away from clothes and detergents.

People seem to be enthusiastic about laundry areas with an outside window, preferably with a view of a backyard play area. The view seems to take a lot of the traditional drudgery out of doing laundry. Sorting tables can be situated to allow you to join in conversation with others in the room, to watch TV, or to provide an outdoor view.

Consider installing laundry-sorting bins, such as a series of standard plastic laundry baskets on a long shelf over the washer and dryer. Each basket can be labeled: “hand wash,” “permanent press,” “whites,” “colors,” “dry clean,” etc.

Don't neglect the ironing board. Many people like the kind of board that folds up into a panel in the wall. These fold-up boards often have a light, an electrical outlet, and a space to keep the iron and supplies out of the way.

Secondary Media Center.

Most people put their main media center in the family room, but some are setting up a smaller, secondary center in the kitchen. Televisions and VCRs are becoming common in the kitchen; plan for them so that they don’t end up using precious counter space. Mounting the TV on a swivel base will make it easier to watch from various points, such as the sink, the laundry alcove or the eating area.

You can go a step further and mount stereo equipment in the kitchen. To catch the morning traffic reports, provide music while working or relaxing or to add atmosphere when entertaining, radios, tape and CD players are showing up in more and more kitchens.

Message Center.

Phones are common in kitchens. Every family needs a convenient system for communicating with others. A station for posting notes is a must. Provide power and a phone jack for the phone and answering machine, and provide writing space and a calendar next to a bulletin board or refrigerator. Adding a full desk with drawers facilitates storage of telephone books and other often used items.

Mini-office

The message center can be taken a step further to include activities such as sorting mail, writing letters, doing homework and paying bills. Many people put the home PC in this mini-office. You’ll need more electrical outlets, more workspace, room for a printer, and one or two file drawers. Many cabinet manufacturers have office modules designed to go with their standard kitchen cabinet lines.

Plants

The kitchen may be a good center point for keeping and caring for your houseplants. Make sure that there will be adequate counter and sill space for your plants. A potting center can often be accommodated best with a cart stored in the garage, the mudroom, or a closet. Consider how, when and where the plant cart might be used in the kitchen.

Mudroom

If your kitchen has an outside entrance, it may become the preferred entry for kids and adults on rainy or snowy days. Ample coat hooks, a hat shelf, and plenty of space for footgear are important.

Traffic Hub

As the activity center of the home, the kitchen usually has the most foot traffic. When laying out your kitchen, make sure there is room for people to cook, clean, and do other kitchen activities while allowing sufficient room for others to pass. In most cases, 42 inches of aisle space is enough. If two people are likely to be cooking at the same time, 48 inches is a better aisle width. Allow at least three feet of open space on all sides of an island. If you don’t have that much space, use a peninsula cabinet instead of an island.