What Is A Chef's Kitchen And Why Do You Need One In Your Home?
Whether you're cooking nightly meals with the family or entertaining friends, the kitchen often becomes the heart of the home. Because of this, people tend to invest a lot of money into their kitchen with updated materials and finishes. Beyond the standard upscale kitchen remodel is a chef's kitchen. Often cited on house listings and mentioned in architecture magazines, a chef's kitchen refers to a particular kind of remodel.
However, there isn't one set way to design a chef's kitchen, says K Hovnanian Homes. In the most simple terms, a chef's kitchen has all the tools a professional chef would need to craft their creations. These kitchens are highly customized and often have a lower resale value compared to the investment put into creating them. They're often best for people who enjoy cooking extensive meals or for kitchens that have two or more chefs at a time. If the kitchen is your favorite room in the house, a chef's kitchen might be right up your alley.
What is a chef's kitchen?
As stated, a chef's kitchen is a kitchen that would provide professional chefs with everything they need to create their gourmet meals at home. This includes tools, appliances, and ample workspaces to get the job done. In this way, at-home chef's kitchens can be comparable to commercial kitchens in that they have more gadgets than the average home kitchen. But that doesn't mean they're a sea of stainless steel. Chef's kitchens still feature the beautiful kitchen design trends of standard home kitchens.
When designing a chef's kitchen, professional chefs and interior designers say to first identify your top priority, says Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. Chefs often design the entire kitchen around the one feature they love using to make their meals, whether that's a pizza oven or storage. Then you'll want to think of space planning and space management. Chef's kitchens are efficient and easy to work in, so they're planned down to the last detail. Using every inch of your cabinets and pantries is a must for a chef's kitchen.
Chef's kitchen gives you tons of space
One of the most defining features of a chef's kitchen is how large it is. To have space for all of the appliances, tools, and workbenches, a large kitchen is a must. Many people who love to cook love chef's kitchens for this exact reason. You won't have to juggle counter space or move things out the way to move on to the next step in the recipe. Chef's kitchens are also ideal if you're not working in your kitchen alone. Instead of bumping into each other as you prep different ingredients, two people -– and even more — will have their own room to work.
So if you're looking to create a proper chef's kitchen in your own home, you'll already need to have an ample floor plan. If you don't, you may want to consider a kitchen addition to give yourself a true chef's kitchen. But that doesn't mean you can't incorporate features of a chef's kitchen into a smaller space. Real Estate says to create a list of tools or appliances you can live without and prioritize them. You should also be very careful of the layout and plan it based on how your move around the kitchen. Chef's kitchens are meant to make cooking easier and more efficient no matter the size.
You'll have top-tier appliances
All professional chefs know that investing in good kitchen supplies makes for better results. So when designing their own kitchens, they often choose top-tier appliances. For any homeowner looking to recreate a chef's kitchen in their own home, investing in the right appliances is a must. One go-to in these kinds of kitchens is a Sub-Zero refrigerator. This brand has been a staple of luxury kitchens because of the sleek design and superior food preservation of their refrigerators, says Designer Appliances. These fridges have a dual compressor design, a patented vacuum door seal, and independent cooling systems that maintain the temperature of the freezer and fridge compartments individually.
When creating a chef's kitchen, a Sub-Zero fridge might be the most sought-after item, but other high-end appliances also make an appearance. Gas ranges are also popular because they reach higher temperatures and come with grill and griddle attachments. Having multiple ovens to cook multiple dishes at one time is another common feature. As are warming drawers that keep food hot after it's come out of the oven.
Lots of prep space
Anyone who likes to cook can tell you how quickly a kitchen prep space can become overwhelmed with bowls, tools, and countertop appliances. This often leads to having to juggle counter space, moving items around, or even balancing items to make room. None of this is necessary in a chef's kitchen because you'll have plenty of prep space. Because chef's kitchens tend to be large, there is ample counter space to do your work. And more than that, chef's kitchens are well-thought-out with prep in mind.
A proper chef's kitchen often has separate or distinct spaces for the different stages of prepping. For example, there is space next to the kitchen sink for washing, cutting, peeling, and chopping ingredients. Then there might be a space for combining and mixing those ingredients as well as measuring out others. The prep zones should be close to the refrigerator and primary sink, says Dura Supreme Cabinetry. Many chef's kitchens also have two sinks to keep cooking and cleaning tasks separate from one another.
You'll never lack for storage
With all the ingredients needed to craft culinary feats, you'll also need a place to store them. A sufficient portion of a chef's kitchen's space is dedicated to storage, especially for dry ingredients. In an at-home chef's kitchen, you should make use of pantries, cabinets, and drawers to maximize your storage. Within those systems, you should also prioritize storage methods and strategies to make cooking more efficient.
Chefs suggest using a standardized food storage method, according to All Recipes. Choose storage containers that are the same shape in different sizes and always use transparent storage so you can see what's inside. Standardizing can also take place in the spice cabinet to make it more organized. And label everything so you know what is in what container. An organization system for your cookware, serving ware, tools, and small appliances is also a must in a chef's kitchen.