Kitchen Setup

[SecondAct]

I know I asked all of you for your opinions awhile back on what items you think are essential for the kitchen. Now my question is, do you have a particular setup that works for you. For example, in looking at the marketing brochures of a few potential properties, the kitchen photos are all showing things like skillets hanging from hooks (and many skillets, I must say), prep areas in some where plates, etc., are stored right there, collections of spices near the stove, etc. My thoughts on the skillets, don't laugh, but I know lots of people like to hang pots and pans from hooks, but do you do this because it's handy but also less noisy for your guests when you're grabbing these to get breakfast going or even putting them away after cleanup?

 

[JeannineIrish]

I have a counter top cook top so my pots, pans and skillets are stored in a cabinet underneath. My kitchen is broken down into two area. The prep area which contains a small sink, a good sized countertop, stove, ovens, frig., mixer, foodprocessor, spices, mixing bowls etc. Then there is the butler pantry that is my cleanup area (big sink and diswasher with some counter on either side, and storage area for a wall of floor to ceiling food cabinets, and more storage draws and cabinets with a counter top that I use for serving (my waffle irons, coffee pots, and toaster oven are also on this countertop) and cabinets above for serving dishes.

 

[EmptyNest]

We did it because I like the look of pots hanging from the pot rack over my butcher block island
Some may have them because they don't have enough storage space. I could have put mine all away, but I find it handier to have them in easy access.

 

[The Farmers Daughter]

All mine are hanging too. Its easy to access them and frees up valuable cabinet space.

 

[seashanty]

love hanging pots
love the look
easy to find and retrieve and put away
they STILL knock together especially if you have lots and lots of pans
note: night before, i would set out the pans i was planning to use in the morning because ... if i tried to be careful and quiet taking down a pan, i'd for sure make a racket ... more than once, have dropped a pan lid that would skitter across the floor and then spin out like a top.

 

[SecondAct]

love hanging pots
love the look
easy to find and retrieve and put away
they STILL knock together especially if you have lots and lots of pans
note: night before, i would set out the pans i was planning to use in the morning because ... if i tried to be careful and quiet taking down a pan, i'd for sure make a racket ... more than once, have dropped a pan lid that would skitter across the floor and then spin out like a top..

THAT is a great tip. Even now, I know that has happened to me more than once with kids, DH or company sleeping in the early morning hours. I do love the look as well. Just wondered if there was more to it than the look. Thanks for the insight SS!

 

[seashanty]

haha! be sure to tell DH that you are leaving pans out on purpose.
one weekend when my son came to stay to help with some building repairs, he very kindly PUT AWAY all the pans i had set out on the counter. so i had to get them down again including my big griddle which was buried under some other pans. rummage rummage clang clang ... sounded like a freight train to my ears in the early morning hours!!!

 

[muirford]

When we redid our kitchen our second year here, we took out all the upper cabinets and put in hooks and shelves for storage. It helps keep everything in sight, doesn't cause a huge commotion when getting things out or putting them away, and we don't hit each other in the head with the cabinet doors if we are both working in the kitchen at the same time.

 

[gillumhouse]

My kitchen used to be a back porch. I have 2 counter areas. Pne nexter to the stove is my work center - or I should say a corner of it (DH does not like to have to look for his stuff so his supplies are there and I work around it). The other counter area is sort of an island and that is where stuff gets put as things are moved around in the refrigerator and extra pint jars for my roasted coffee. I had a sideboard built so I would hav ecounter space and storage space. One section is B & B pantry - juices and cans - one section is for my regulare coffee beans, and the third section has my zip bags, foil, etc and I have my Kitchenaid mixer and the crock of kitchen tools as well as the sugar canister on it. My copper pans and skillet hang from a rack over the sideboard because of lack of storage space and because they are easy to find and no noise putting them up & down and that is one place no one will get a pan whacking them in the head. The coffee roaster is on a table next to the island by the laundry area. I keep my coffee pot there also - anything that will generate heat goes there. Spices are on a shelf near the stove for easy reach. The rest of the kitchen is set up inconveniently on purpose - gives me my walking exercise.

 

[JBloggs]

I think it is a look and for ready use more than anything else. I love that look too!

 

[Skamokawa]

Ditto on the hanging skillets (and lots of them), here they hang by the range, under the hood. Easy to grab, quick to put away.
Walls, countertops, and floors, all as seamless as possible. All easy clean surfaces. Here countertops are stainless, walls are painted enamel, floors are easy care, permanent shine vinyl, no seams. Backsplashes are 12 inch, per health dept here. There is a coffee brewing area, enough space to rinse and change easily, and fill the large themos pump pots for upstairs by the rooms and in the dining room for self serve coffee. I save a spot just to do toast: toasters, cutting board and bread knife, butter and brush, and bread plates all wait there.
As much countertop and work table space as possible. Room to prep, and room to assemble plates before they go out. A spot for the dirty plates to go when they come back. You cannot have have enough workspace. You'll need it all.
-KathleenM

 

[seashanty]

also keep an eye on hanging pots and pans. they should be run through the dishwasher or washed by hand on a regular basis. because they are great places for spiders (i know, ewwww) and grease and dust to collect.

 

[wendydk]

If you are doing a plated breakfast, as we do, a large island like ours comes in very handy.

 

[EmptyNest]

If you are doing a plated breakfast, as we do, a large island like ours comes in very handy..

I agree. Our buther block island has a flip up section to make it even bigger. We plated all our food there and it was great.

 

[Samster]

If you have space, a large center island where you can plate food is fantastic. (I make do with a smaller island but it works well.) Having a separate beverage area would be really nice. Plenty of counter space for prepping foods. I have all open upper cabinets which is great for grabbing stuff but just like SS's advice on the hanging pots, they make for more work to clean the shelves and to keep everything sparkling. I have pots and pans stored above the range and also get them down the night before as I am a documented klutz!
Try to figure out your own style of cooking and go from there!

 

[egoodell]

We hang a lot of pans and bowls for ease.
We have the stainless shelving on wheels and the prep tables on wheels that are great as we can move them around. Get then online or at Sams's.
RIki

 

[Morticia]

We have a tiny U shaped kitchen. There is no place to hang anything that we would not be walking into. Also, unless you are using these pans everyday they will get greasy as all get out, then look dirty and spiders will build webs between them!
We essentially have no prep area. We store all of our dishes & glassware inside the cupboards and only keep the toaster, toaster oven and waffle maker on the counter. All of the pots, pans, griddles are store in the cabinets as well.
It's funny to watch home shows to see 20 somethings walk thru a kitchen 5x the size of mine and say they don't have enough room for entertaining in that space. We make brekkie for 20 in our 6x8 kitchen. Right, the size of a small closet.

 

[SecondAct]

We have a tiny U shaped kitchen. There is no place to hang anything that we would not be walking into. Also, unless you are using these pans everyday they will get greasy as all get out, then look dirty and spiders will build webs between them!
We essentially have no prep area. We store all of our dishes & glassware inside the cupboards and only keep the toaster, toaster oven and waffle maker on the counter. All of the pots, pans, griddles are store in the cabinets as well.
It's funny to watch home shows to see 20 somethings walk thru a kitchen 5x the size of mine and say they don't have enough room for entertaining in that space. We make brekkie for 20 in our 6x8 kitchen. Right, the size of a small closet..

OMG, Bree, kudos to you for being able to accomplish what you do in a space that size. You must be super organized and efficient.
Thanks to all of your for your input. As always, great stuff.