Anyone who has decided to dedicate themselves to the culinary arts knows that it can sometimes feel like more effort than it’s worth. From cleaning to kitchen maintenance to the endless amounts of storage space required to house equipment, it’s easy to see how many of us simply do away with the complexities of cooking altogether. However, with cooking being such a fulfilling and filling experience, there are many ways to still create the foods you love without having to resign yourself to an eternity of cleanup; it all starts with how your kitchen is set up.
So, whether you’re a nibbling novice or a culinary Casanova, here are a few ways to create the ultimate low maintenance kitchen and return to the days of carefree cooking.
Sink Solutions
One of the most common forms of clutter in your average kitchen tends to be dishes. Whether freshly cleaned or freshly sullied, dishes can cause chaos if you don’t have a good system for dealing with them. This, coupled with the buildup of foodstuffs and stains that can build up on a traditional kitchen sink can make even the loveliest of kitchens feel drab and dirty very quickly. So, if you find yourself with an overflowing sink after even the most simple of suppers, a new stainless steel kitchen sink may be just what the doctor (or I suppose, in this case, the chef) ordered!
A large stainless steel sink will allow you the space you need to do all of your dishwashing at once without having to worry about things stacking up all over the place, especially if you’re cooking for multiple people each night. Another option for improved sink use is getting an under-mount sink. These sinks, which have no rim between them and the rest of the counter, make cleaning up a breeze by allowing you to push any spills and dirt directly into the sink with ease.
The Cabinet Climb
Anyone who has ever needed to clean the top of their cabinets knows how dirty and dusty it can get after even the shortest of times without maintenance. Kitchens are messy places, and that goes for dirt, dust and debris too unless you’re remaining ever-vigilant against any amount of grime or airborne oil. So, if you want to ditch the cabinet dusting, why not ditch the idea of a cabinet top altogether?
Having your cabinets go all the way to the roof is not just a nifty way of increasing your storage space without taking up much room, but it also avoids creating difficult surfaces that will catch dust over time. It’s a fantastic win-win scenario that will make for a far more functional kitchen space, so what are you waiting for? Do away with your cabinet care forever!
The Bin Beneath
Bins are a wildcard for anyone hoping to maintain order in their kitchen. Freestanding bins, whilst extremely helpful and ubiquitous for a reason, tend to get in the way, and will often alert you to their presence with a smell which isn’t a particularly pleasant experience while cooking. Luckily, for those that are renovating their kitchens, there are options.
Over time, more and more homes have embraced hidden bin drawers, which are a simple drawer system next to the sink that allows you to hide your trashbin away when it isn’t directly required. This saves on space, avoids unpleasant odours, and ensures that you always have a bin next to you when you’re at the sink for easy disposal of foodstuffs.
Induction Cooktops
Traditional stoves are synonymous with frustrating cleaning jobs, with a large number of moving parts that need to be cleaned individually and a large amount of grime forming when cooking with oil and messy foodstuffs. That, coupled with a shift towards more minimal kitchen designs, has set the stage for the proliferation of induction cooktops.
These electric cooktops are sleek, flat, easy to clean, and make for a very stylish way to cook food. Rather than the traditional stovetop that requires metal grates to keep your pans and pots above the fire, induction cooktops are nothing but that sleek, black board with indicators for the various heat pads. Just remember to give them a chance to cool down before you start wiping them off.
There are so many ways to take the stress out of kitchen maintenance with simple design tweaks that we have barely scratched the surface of options available. However, following these simple tips will make it far easier to keep your kitchen sparkling without the constant effort and maintenance. Good luck!