There is a European movement within the kitchen renovation planning industry, known as the Intelligent Kitchen (Hettich) or Dynamic Kitchen (Blum) based on the ideas and work of the Modern Kitchen Workgroup (AMK).
The AMK is a group of German kitchen design experts whose focus is to maximize both efficiency and ergonomics in kitchen space. Their studies have identified five specific zones that, when properly configured, make kitchens more efficient and ergonomically friendly.
Daily kitchen activity has been compared to a gym workout. Did you know that on average, a person walks to and the table more than 30 times a day? Or that drawers, pullouts and doors are opened and closed more than 80 times a day? More than 50 activities, such as slicing, preparing a salad or buttering bread are carried out daily in your kitchen. On average, someone working in a four-person household kitchen walks, stops, bends and stretches at least two hours a day.
Kitchen Layout Ideas That Work
Ergonomically, base units with shelves are the least friendly option because it’s difficult to find items in a cabinet when you can’t see them. It’s simply not efficient to bend, stretch and remove objects to locate what you’re looking for at the back of the cabinet.
The solution? Install drawers and pullouts that let you see and reach what you want – easily, comfortably and quickly. Full extension makes good sense, so you can see and access items at the back of the drawer.
Store frequently used objects in the “middle” zone – between your shoulders and hips, and less frequently used items above or below this area.
The Five Zones Of A Successful Kitchen
An “Intelligent/Dynamic” kitchen designs offers the benefit of shorter distances, ergonomic work processes and practical, attractive accessories. When properly implemented, you can increase the storage capacity of your kitchen by as much as 55% per storage space or pullout.
The goal of this zone is to provide drawers that store provisions out of the way yet within reach of the cook. It’s important to optimize your workflow, keeping distances short and cutting the time you spend on any activity.
Tall, full extension units enable you to plan and organize your food storage so that frequently used items can be reached without bending. Mid-level drawers can be pulled out separately for unimpeded access from above. You should be able to see and reach every accessory with ease.
How To Organise Your Kitchen Using The '5 Zones' Method
Ideally, food and cooking utensils should be near your stove and under wall units. In this zone, the goal is to incorporate useful cabinet options to store oils, condiments and spices within easy reach, where you need them the most. Popular items include: spice racks and full extension pullouts, which provide complete visibility and immediate access.
A spacious, organized and easily accessible pan drawer is essential. Extra deep, wide pan drawers are often the answer for bulky items, such as food or utensils, and shallow, under-the-oven drawers are ideal for storing baking trays and tins.
A deep drawer, with a high back and closed sides, means you can stack pots and pans with no risk of them falling over or sliding around. To further maximize space, install narrow compartments to hold lids upright.
How To Create Kitchen Zones For Oak Kitchens
The space beside and below the sink is an excellent spot for waste. Base unit pull-outs are ideal for towels and cleaning agents, and extra large drawers provide ample space to store larger items, like buckets and cleaners.
Ideally, this area should be located next to the Cleaning Zone, to shorten the distance when you empty the dishwasher or put dishes in the cabinets.
Drawers with a range of organizers offer stacking space for cutlery. china and other kitchen gadgets. Wall cabinets should have doors that open up. rather than conventional swinging doors. so you can work safely and quickly. Pull-down systems that bring items down to the user are also an efficient use of space.
All About The Kitchen Work Triangle And Kitchen Zones
At Laurysen, we use the 5 Zones principles, the kitchen work triangle and other design concepts to design great kitchens. When combined with our love of craftsmanship, the results aren’t just spectacular, they’re usable too.
We publish our print magazine every year, and it’s always full of great advice from our designers. There’s also lots of gorgeous photos showing kitchens, bathrooms and other renovations we’ve created for our customers.While kitchens are designed to suit different spaces and household needs, there is one golden rule to follow while divvying up any kitchen – designating kitchen zones on the basis of task. Here is a rundown of the five main zones, and the ideal placement of each area. The simplicity of it all will astound you and make your cooking experience a lot simpler!
Kitchen experts recommend demarcating space in your kitchen for all your activities. It ensures good flow of activity and makes cooking a breeze
Commercial Kitchen Layout Examples & Ideas For Restaurants
As the name suggests, this area is explicitly reserved for the storage of food items. In a regular kitchen, this would be the ideal space to place a refrigerator as well as cabinetry to store non-perishables, fruits and veggies that can be left in the open. A great way to go about this is to create a built-in vertical cabinet that caters to all of these needs. If you’ve got space, you could also create a slot to keep your microwave oven – this frees up valuable countertop space.
This zone is dedicated to storing every other essential you’ll need in the kitchen. This includes pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, kitchen knives… you get the drift. The purpose of keeping all of this in one place is to make it easier to grab items while cooking. It also negates the need to move from the sink to all ends of the space when putting away clean vessels.
This kitchen zone is reserved for cooking – not prepping or cutting, mind you. Naturally then, this entire zone is best occupied by the stove, oven and chimney if you need one. If you have space for some under-counter cabinets, you could use them to store everyday cooking utensils; alternatively, you could choose to hang ladles up on the backsplash to get to them easily.
Kitchen Layout Ideas & Remodel Tips
You should keep kitchen space dedicated to prepping to the right of the cooking zone. With this placement, you can get prepped food from the cutting board to the pan in a jiffy, without moving. Additionally, having the prepping and storage zones flank the cooking zone on either side creates a straight line of efficiency. Your prep zone could include chopping knife stands, cutting boards, shelving for spices and countertop appliances such as mixers and processors.
Positioning your cleaning area at the far end of your kitchen ensures dirty dishes are out of the way, keeping the space hygienic. Secondly, it reduces the chances of water splashing onto the stove and gives you enough space to dry utensils until they can be put away. Finally, positioning this part of your kitchen like so ensures that you form the much-coveted golden triangle. You can position the refrigerator, stove and sink in a triangle for maximum efficiency.
If you’ve been working out of your kitchen for any length of time, you now know that demarcating spaces according to tasks is the key to a seamless workspace! Also, Does Your Kitchen Follow This Golden Rule? Check it now!Whether you've got plans to redecorate your kitchen or simply want to do a bit of a spring-clean, the '5 zones' method will help you organise the room in a way that makes your life easier. Sorting the room into zones takes the things you use your kitchen for (cooking, cleaning, storing food and tableware) and ensures that everything is in reach when you need it.
Create Your Ideal Luxury Kitchen Design
If you're anything like us, your kitchen probably isn’t set up strictly in these zones. Your microwave might not be right next to your oven, for example, or you might have to take a few steps to put things away after you've washed them up. But chances are you’ve already got clear worktop space next to your hob, ready for food prep, and your fridge and food cupboards are probably all in the same general area. So let's see how you can make sure your kitchen is set up in the most practical way possible...
Obviously, perishables go in the fridge, but you can organise the rest of your food storage space so that the things you use most are closest to the food prep area. Have your everyday staples on the most reachable shelves. Use the higher shelves in cupboards for ingredients you don't use as often. So make sure things like bread, cereal, pasta and rice, herbs, spices, oils and seasonings are on the lowest shelves. And if baking is an occasional thing, put your icing sugar, cocoa powder, dried fruit and nuts up out of the way.
You want your food prep zone to be as close to your oven as possible, and ideally to have your kettle and microwave nearby too. Clear the clutter off worktops so you've got room for essentials like a knife block and your most-used cooking utensils, and space to slice, chop and mix. If you can, place things like oil, salt
0 comments:
Post a Comment