We're in the process of doing a comprehensive cooking area (excuse me for not using the k*t*h*n word as I do not want an inundation of advertising comments from b*ts!). The current arrangement dates back to about 40 years ago and at long last we have the chance for a big rethink.
I'd like to swap out our freestanding induction hob cooker for a separate hob and oven, and I'm wondering if anyone has experience of using a counter-top oven, as opposed to a built in one? It just struck me that this might be a cheaper, and in many ways better option to putting in a built-in oven.
I've been observing how we cook. I reckon I only regularly use two of the hobs, plus the main oven, and the air fryer and microwave. Oh, and the kettle and coffee machine and toaster, of course. We also use crock pot and bread maker a couple of times a week.
What appliances do you like using for cooking? Which never see the light of day?
I'm planning to have a shallow pantry cupboard somewhere so that I don't have to delve into the dark recesses to see what tins and packets are lurking at the back, and a carousel for the corner, and drawers for pans instead cupboards. Any other suggestions?
Here's the 'March Past of the Kitchen Utensils' by Vaughan Williams.
When I was teaching class music primary schools the children used to love listening to this - it's a great exercise in keeping up with counting the beats, because the sudden loud chords follow a regular pattern of 8s and 7s. (I've forgotten the pattern but it's easy enough to work it out). Once they'd got the hang of it I could dish out drums and cymbals etc and we could all play along, trying to add our own crashes at the right moment!
I bake a lot and in cool weather, I make baked meals so a decent size oven is a must so could never use just a counter size. I use my crockpot at keast twice a week and microwave daily.
ReplyDeleteSome ideas from a few different kitchens:
ReplyDelete- One friend has a built-in oven, but placed at countertop height rather than under the counter. Much easier to get things in and out of. They also put their microwave in a shelf on top of the oven.
- One friend got a plate warming drawer fitted.
- One friend has a fridge/freezer with a plumbed-in water chiller and ice maker!
- My first flat had an under-cupboard fan heater that was plumbed in to the central heating rather than electric (try searching for "Hydronic Plinth Heaters") which was very nice on cold mornings.
We redid our kitchen in our old house and put in a built-in oven with a separate hob. Then when we bought a new house ( being built) we designed a kitchen with a standard slide in stove. Our son was astonished. The problem with a higher oven is that it has to be at the right height for lifting a heavy roasting pan out of it - say with a 15 pound turkey in it. Try lifting such a weight from different heights to work out where your muscles can manage it. I can lift things up out of a standard oven but had a hard time with things that were at waist height. For cabinets I recommend drawers or pull-outs. Our pots and pans are in drawers - just be sure to measure the highest pot to make sure it will fit (complete with lid). Try arranging pots etc on a countertop to get an idea of optimal drawer dimensions. We have what is called a LeMans pullout in our corner floor cabinet. It’s more expensive than a carousel but much handier. Things tend to fall off carousels or jam. IKEA has a good one called Utrusta. IKEA kitchens are well designed and good quality and you don’t have to build it yourself if you don’t want to.
ReplyDeleteHow nice that you're getting to rethink your cooking area. Shallow pantry cupboard, carousel for corner - had both of those in the past - very good ideas. Pot drawers: love these. Used at least once a day in my house: kettle, toaster, microwave, coffee machine, stovetop ("hob?"). Used at least once a week in autumn-winter-summer: regular oven. Used ~twice a month, more in summer: small crockpot, lives in a pot drawer. Used once or twice a month, kept in basement because no space upstairs: Instantpot. No bread maker (I make bread or soda bread maybe twice a month in regular oven), if we had the counter space I'd really think about an air fryer. Many friends cooking for one or two people have relied a lot on toaster ovens, which I guess combined the uses of a toaster and what air fryers do now?
ReplyDeleteI have an Instant Pot which I use several times a week. I use it as a slow cooker and yoghurt maker most often but it can do saute, pressure cooking, rice cooking and all sorts of other things. I especially like it for soups as I can saute the veg then slow cook. I don't use my separate slow cooker so much now. I have my air fryer, bread maker, Instant Pot and slow cooker in the utility room to keep the surfaces in the kitchen a little clearer.
ReplyDeleteWe have an Instant Pot multicooker which now resides in the barn because it takes up a huge amount of worktop space and I never really got to grips with it. We opted for a built in double oven but rarely use the small one. We store over sized roasting tins in it so the extra cupboard space would have been more useful! The separate hob and built in oven are perfect. No more bending down to get things in and out of the oven and baking trays are stored in the drawer underneath. I'm not at all sure we could manage with a small countertop oven (how would we cook a big roast dinner?) but the air fryer has been a real joy to use. I also use the soup maker frequently and wouldn’t want to be without it. The food processor and stand mixer are tucked away in a cupboard but worth having when they are needed. The carousel for the corner cupboard is brilliant. It doesn’t hold as much stuff but at least it’s all easily accessible.
ReplyDeleteGood luck! Redesigning a "cooking room" is a real challenge!
Thank you everyone for all your comments. It's really interesting to see how different households go about cooking. Lots of 'food for thought' here.
ReplyDeleteI was told to keep away from hot areas when I am using my oxygen so am surprised that you manage to cook at all.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard that; we don't use gas which I was warned about, and I'm Very Careful to avoid trapping the cannula in the oven door, one of the reasons I want to raise the oven from floor level in the new design!
DeleteWe don't do BBQs!!
DeleteWhen my microwave eventually packs up - and it's a when not an if - I'm going back to a combination microwave then I can get rid of the air-fryer and free up some space.
ReplyDeleteI looked at the combination ovens, but I often cook using microwave and airfryer and maybe one pan, and warm the plates in the oven. It's partly because all these methods are at counter height.
DeleteWe warm plates in the microwave. Two minutes at full power for four plates.
DeleteWe had special round mats to heat out plate in the microwave, then all our plates developed circular cracks around the rim!
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