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About Kitchen

A kitchen, at least in the western view of the word, is a [room (architecture)] or part of a room (sometimes called "kitchen area" or in modern times in the USA "kitchenette") used for food preparation including [cooking], and sometimes also for eating and entertaining guests, if the kitchen is large enough and designed to be used that way.

A modern kitchen in the affluent parts of the western world is typically equipped with a [cooker] and possibly a [microwave oven]. It also has a [sink] with hot and cold running water available for cleaning food, for providing water to cook with, as well as for washing dishes, although some modern kitchens have a [dishwasher]. One or more units in which to store food, and to store utensils, pots and dishes, are also usually present in or near a kitchen, either in the form of an adjacent [pantry] room, or more commonly as kitchen [cabinet (furniture)]s and a [refrigerator] which often has a freezer compartment too.

Although the main function of a kitchen is supposed to be cooking or preparing food, the kitchen can be the center of other activities as well, especially within [home]s, depending on the size, furnishings, and [major appliance]. If, as sometimes happens, the home does not have a laundry room, but instead has a [washing machine] and possibly a dryer in a closet in the kitchen, then [washing] and drying [laundry] may also be done in the same room. The kitchen may also be the place where the family [eating], provided it is large enough and has a table and chairs. Sometimes, the kitchen is the most comforting room in a house, where family and visitors tend to congregate. In this respect a large modern kitchen is still the psychological "hearth" of the home.

, [sink], and [cabinet (furniture)] among other amenities.

The evolution of the kitchen The development of the kitchen in the [western world] has been intricately and intrinsically linked with the development of the [cooking range] or [stove]. Until the 18th century, open [fire] or charcoal were the sole means of heating food, and the architecture of the kitchen reflected this. When technical advances brought new ways to heat food in the 18th and 19th centuries, [architect]s took advantage of newly-gained flexibility to bring fundamental changes to the kitchen. [Water] on tap in private homes only became gradually available in the western world during [industrialization] and more recently than that; before, water had to be collected from the nearest outdoor source: [water well], pump, or spring, and then carried to the kitchen and heated or used in some other way.

Ancient history The houses in [History of Ancient Greece] were commonly of the [atrium (architecture)]-type: the rooms were arranged around a central courtyard. In many such homes, a covered but otherwise open patio served as the kitchen. Homes of the wealthy had the kitchen as a separate room, usually next to a bathroom (so that both rooms could be heated by the kitchen fire), both rooms being accessible from the court. In such houses, there was often a separate small storage room in the back of the kitchen used for storing food and kitchen [utensils].

In the [Roman Empire], common folk in cities often had no kitchen of their own; they did their [cooking] in large public kitchens. Some had small mobile [bronze] stoves, on which a fire could be lit for cooking. Wealthy [Ancient Rome] had relatively well-equipped kitchens. In a Roman [villa], the kitchen was typically integrated into the main building as a separate room, set apart for practical reasons of [smoke] and sociological reasons of the kitchen being operated by [Slavery]. The [fireplace] was typically on the floor, placed at a wall—sometimes raised a little bit—such that one had to kneel to cook. There were no [chimney]s.

Middle Ages an medieval kitchen was driven automatically by a propeller—the black cloverleaf-like structure in the upper left.

Early medieval European [longhouse]s had an open fire under the highest point of the building. The "kitchen area" was between the entrance and the fireplace. In wealthy homes there was typically more than one kitchen. In some homes there were upwards of three kitchens. The kitchens were divided based on the types of food prepared in them. Thompson, Theodor, Medieval Homes, Sampson Lowel House 1992 In place of a chimney, these early buildings had a hole in the roof through which some of the smoke could escape. Besides cooking, the fire also served as a source of heat and light to the single-room building. A similar design can be found in the [Iroquois] longhouses of [North America].

In the larger homesteads of European nobles, the kitchen was sometimes in a separate [sunken floor] building to keep the main building, which served social and official purposes, free from [indoor air quality].

The first known stoves in [Japan] date from about the same time. The earliest findings are from the [Kofun period] (3rd to 6th century). These stoves, called kamado, were typically made of clay and mortar; they were fired with [wood] or [charcoal] through a hole in the front and had a hole in the top, into which a pot could be hanged by its rim. This type of stove remained in use for centuries to come, with only minor modifications. Like in Europe, the wealthier homes had a separate building which served for cooking. A kind of open fire pit fired with charcoal, called irori, remained in use as the secondary stove in most homes until the [Edo period] (17th to 19th century). A kamado was used to cook the staple food, for instance [rice], while irori served both to cook side dishes and as a heat source.

The kitchen remained largely unaffected by architectural advances throughout the Middle Ages; open fire remained the only method of heating food. European medieval kitchens were dark, smokey, and sooty places, whence their name "smoke kitchen". In European medieval cities around the 10th to 12th centuries, the kitchen still used an open fire [hearth] in the middle of the room. In wealthy homes, the ground floor was often used as a stable while the kitchen was located on the floor above, like the bedroom and the hall. In [castle]s and [monastery], the living and working areas were separated; the kitchen was sometimes moved to a separate building, and thus couldn't serve anymore to heat the living rooms. In some castles the kitchen was retained in the same structure, but servants were strictly separated from nobles, by constructing separate spiral stone staircases for use of servants to bring food to upper levels. An extant example of such a medieval kitchen with servants's [staircase] is at [Muchalls Castle] in [Scotland]. In Japanese homes, the kitchen started to become a separate room within the main building at that time.

farmhouse smoke kitchen.

With the advent of the chimney, the hearth moved from the center of the room to one wall, and the first brick-and-mortar hearths were built. The fire was lit on top of the construction; a vault underneath served to store wood. Pots made of [iron], [bronze], or [copper] started to replace the [pottery] used earlier. The temperature was controlled by hanging the pot higher or lower over the fire, or placing it on a [trivet] or directly on the hot ashes. Using open fire for cooking (and heating) was risky; fires devastating whole cities occurred frequently.

[Leonardo da Vinci] invented an automated system for a rotating spit for spit-roasting: a propeller in the chimney made the spit turn all by itself. This kind of system was widely used in wealthier homes. Beginning in the late [Middle Ages], kitchens in Europe lost their home-heating function even more and were increasingly moved from the living area into a separate room. The living room was now heated by [tiled stove]s, operated from the kitchen, which offered the huge advantage of not filling the room with smoke.

Freed from smoke and dirt, the living room thus began to serve as an area for social functions and increasingly became a showcase for the owner's wealth and was sometimes prestigiously furnished. In the upper classes, cooking and the kitchen were the domain of the [servant (domestic)]s, and the kitchen was set apart from the living rooms, sometimes even far from the dining room. Poorer homes often did not have a separate kitchen yet; they kept the one-room arrangement where all activities took place, or at the most had the kitchen in the entrance hall.

The medieval smoke kitchen (or [Farmhouse kitchen]) remained common, especially in rural [Farmhouse (building)]s and generally in poorer homes, until much later. In a few European farmhouses, the smoke kitchen was in regular use until the middle of the 20th century. These houses often had no chimney, but only a smoke hood above the fireplace, made of wood and covered with clay, and used to smoke meat. The smoke then rose more or less freely, warming the upstairs rooms and protecting the woodwork from vermin.

Colonial American kitchens In the [Colonial America]n kitchen, the same distinction as for the medieval European kitchen is visible. The early settlers in the north often had no separate kitchen; a fireplace in a corner of the [log cabin] served as the kitchen space. Later, the kitchen did become a separate room, but remained within the building.

The development in the southern states was quite different, but then, so were the [climate] and [society] conditions. In southern estates, the kitchen was often relegated to an outhouse, separated from the [mansion], for much of the same reasons as in the feudal kitchen in medieval Europe: the kitchen was operated by [Slavery]s, and their working place had to be separated from the living area of the masters by the social standards of the time. In addition, the area's warm climate made operating a kitchen quite unpleasant, especially in the [summer].

Completely separated "summer kitchens" also developed on larger farms further north to avoid that the main house was heated by the preparation of the meals for the harvest workers or tasks like [canning].

Industrialization Technological advances during [industrialization] brought major changes to the kitchen. Iron stoves, which enclosed the fire completely and were more efficient, appeared. Early models included the [Franklin stove] around 1740, which was a [furnace] stove intended for heating, not for cooking. [Benjamin Thompson] in [England] designed his "Rumford stove" around 1800. This stove was much more energy efficient than earlier stoves; it used one fire to heat several pots, which were hung into holes on top of the stove and were thus heated from all sides instead of just from the bottom. However, his stove was designed for large kitchens; it was too big for domestic use. The "Oberlin stove" was a refinement of the technique that resulted in a size reduction; it was [patent]ed in the U.S. in 1834 and became a commercial success with some 90,000 units sold over the next 30 years. These stoves were still fired with [wood] or [coal]. Although the first [gas lighting] were installed in [Paris], [London], and [Berlin] at the beginning of the 1820s and the first U.S. patent on a gas stove was granted in 1825, it wasn't until the late 19th century that using gas for lighting and cooking became commonplace in urban areas.

The [urbanization] in the second half of the 19th century induced other significant changes that would ultimately change the kitchen. Out of sheer necessity, cities began planning and building water distribution pipes into homes, and built [sewer]s to deal with the [waste water]. [Gas pipe]s were laid; gas was used first for lighting purposes, but once the network had grown sufficiently, it also became available for heating and cooking on gas stoves. At the turn of the 20th century, [electricity] had been mastered well enough to become a commercially viable alternative to gas and slowly started replacing the latter. But like the gas stove, the electrical stove had a slow start. The first electrical stove had been presented in 1893 at the [Chicago world fair], but it wasn't until the 1930s that the technology was stable enough and began to take off.

Industrialization also caused social changes. The new [factory] [working class] in the cities was housed under generally poor conditions. Whole families lived in small one or two-room [apartment]s in tenement buildings up to six stories high, badly aired and with insufficient lighting. Sometimes, they shared apartments with "night sleepers", unmarried men who paid for a bed at night. The kitchen in such an apartment was often used as a living and sleeping room, and even as a [bathroom]. Water had to be fetched from wells and heated on the stove. Water pipes were laid only towards the end of the 19th century, and then often only with one tap per building or per story. Brick-and-mortar stoves fired with coal remained the norm until well into the second half of the century. Pots and kitchenware were typically stored on open shelves, and parts of the room could be separated from the rest using simple curtains.

In contrast, there were no dramatic changes for the upper classes. The kitchen, located in the [basement] or the [ground floor], continued to be operated by servants. In some houses, water [pump]s were installed, and some even had kitchen sinks and drains (but no water on tap yet, except for some feudal kitchens in castles). The kitchen became a much cleaner space with the advent of "cooking machines", closed stoves made of iron plates and fired by wood and increasingly charcoal or coal, and that had [flue pipe]s connected to the chimney. For the servants the kitchen continued to also serve as a sleeping room; they slept either on the floor, or later in narrow spaces above a lowered ceiling, for the new stoves with their smoke outlet no longer required a high ceiling in the kitchen. The kitchen floors were tiled; kitchenware was neatly stored in [cupboard]s to protect them from dust and steam. A large table served as a workbench; there were at least as many chairs as there were servants, for the table in the kitchen also doubled as the eating place for the servants.

The middle class tried to imitate the luxurious dining styles of the upper class as best as it could. Living in smaller apartments, the kitchen was the main room—here, the family lived. The study or living room was saved for special occasions such as an occasional dinner invitation. Because of this, these middle-class kitchens were often more homely than those of the upper class, where the kitchen was a work-only room occupied only by the servants. Besides a cupboard to store the [kitchenware], there were a table and chairs, where the family would dine, and sometimes—if space allowed—even a [fauteuil] or a couch.

Gas pipes were first laid in the late 19th century, and gas stoves started to replace the older coal-fired stoves. Gas was more expensive than coal, though, and thus the new technology was first installed in the wealthier homes. Where workers' apartments were equipped with a gas stove, gas distribution would go through a coin meter.

In rural areas, the older technology using coal or wood stoves or even brick-and-mortar open fireplaces remained common throughout. Gas and water pipes were first installed in the big cities; small villages were connected only much later.

Rationalization The trend to increasing gasification and electrification continued at the turn of the 20th century. In industry, it was the phase of rationalisation, where work processes were attempted to be streamlined. [Taylorism] was born, and [Time and motion study] were used to optimize processes. These ideas also spilled over into domestic kitchen architecture because of a growing trend that called for a professionalization of household work, started in the mid-19th century by [Catharine Beecher] and amplified by [Christine Frederick]'s publications in the 1910s.

was designed after [Taylorism] principles.

Working class women frequently worked in factories to ensure the family's survival, as the men's wages often did not suffice. [Social housing] projects led to the next milestone: the "[Frankfurt kitchen]". Developed in 1926, this kitchen measured 1.9m by 3.4m (approximately 6'2" by 11'2"), with a standard layout. It was built for two purposes: to optimize kitchen work to reduce cooking time (so that women would have more time for the factory) and to lower the cost of building decently-equipped kitchens. The design, created by [Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky], was the result of detailed time-motion studies and heavily influenced by the railway dining car kitchens of the period. It was built in some 10,000 apartments in a social housing project of [architect] [Ernst May] in [Frankfurt].

The initial reception was heavily critical: people were not accustomed to the changed processes also designed by Schütte-Lihotzky; it was so small that only one person could work in it; some storage spaces intended for raw loose food ingredients such as [flour] were reachable by children. But the Frankfurt kitchen embodied a standard for the rest of the 20th century in rental apartments: the "work kitchen". Too small to live or dine in, it was soon criticized as "exiling the women in the kitchen", but the post-[World War II] conservatism coupled with economic reasons prevailed. The kitchen once more was seen as a work place that needed to be separated from the living areas. Practical reasons also played a role in this development: just as in the bourgeois homes of the past, one reason for separating the kitchen was to keep the steam and smells of cooking out of the living room.

Technicalization [appliances] have been very popular in modern western kitchens.The idea of standardized dimensions and layout developed for the Frankfurt kitchen took hold. The equipment used remained a standard for years to come: hot and cold water on tap and a kitchen sink and an electrical or gas stove and oven. Not much later, the [refrigerator] was added as a standard item. The concept was refined in the "Swedish kitchen" using [unit furniture] with wooden fronts for the kitchen cabinets. Soon the concept was amended by the use of smooth synthetic door and drawer fronts, first in white, recalling a sense of cleanliness and alluding to sterile lab or hospital settings, but soon after in lively, friendly colors, too. A trend began in the 1940s in the [United States] to equip the kitchen with electrified [Small appliance] and [Major appliance] such as [Blender (device)]s, [toaster]s, and later also [microwave oven]s. Following the end of [World War II], massive demand in [Europe] for low-price, high-tech consumer goods led to Western European kitchens being designed to accommodate new appliances such as refrigerators and electric/gas cookers.

Parallel to this development in tenement buildings was the evolution of the kitchen in homeowner's houses. There, the kitchens usually were somewhat larger, suitable for everyday use as a dining room, but otherwise the ongoing technicalization was the same, and the use of unit furniture also became a standard in this market sector.

General technocentric enthusiasm even led some designers to take the "work kitchen" approach even further, culminating in futuristic designs like [Luigi Colani]'s "kitchen satellite" (1969, commissioned by the [Germany] high-end kitchen manufacturer [Poggenpohl] for an exhibit), in which the room was reduced to a ball with a chair in the middle and all appliances at arm's length, an optimal arrangement maybe for "applying heat to food", but not necessarily for actual cooking. Such extravaganzas remained outside the norm, though.

In the former [Eastern bloc] countries, the official [doctrine] viewed cooking as a mere necessity, and women should work "for the society" in factories, not at home. Also, housing had to be built at low costs and quickly, which led directly to the standardized apartment block using prefabricated slabs. The kitchen was reduced to its minimums and the "work kitchen" paradigm taken to its extremes: in [East Germany] for instance, the standard tenement block of the model "P2" had tiny 4 [Square metre] kitchens in the inside of the building (no windows), connected to the dining and living room of the 55 m² apartment and separated from the latter by a pass-through or a window.

Free for all Starting in the 1980s, the perfection of the [extractor hood] allowed an open kitchen again, integrated more or less with the living room without causing the whole apartment or house to smell. Before that, only a few earlier experiments, typically in newly built upper middle class family homes, had open kitchens. Examples are [Frank Lloyd Wright]'s House Willey (1934) and House Jacobs (1936). Both had open kitchens, with high ceilings (up to the roof) and were aired by [skylight]s. The extractor hood made it possible to build open kitchens in apartments, too, where both high ceilings and skylights were not possible.

The re-integration of the kitchen and the living area went hand in hand with a change in the perception of cooking: increasingly, cooking was seen as a [art] and sometimes social act instead of work, especially in upper social classes. Besides, many families also appreciated the trend towards open kitchens, as it made it easier for the parents to supervise the children while cooking. The enhanced status of cooking also made the kitchen a prestige object for showing off one's wealth or cooking professionalism. Some [architect]s have capitalized on this "object" aspect of the kitchen by designing freestanding "kitchen objects". However, like their precursor, Colani's "kitchen satellite", such futuristic designs are exceptions.

Another reason for the trend back to open kitchens (and a foundation of the "kitchen object" philosophy) is changes in how food is prepared. Whereas prior to the 1950s most cooking started out with raw ingredients and a meal had to be prepared from scratch, the advent of [frozen meal]s and pre-prepared [convenience food] changed the cooking habits of many people, who consequently used the kitchen less and less. For others, who followed the "cooking as a social act" trend, the open kitchen had the advantage that they could be with their guests while cooking, and for the "creative cooks" it might even become a stage for their cooking performance.The "Trophy Kitchen" is highly equipped with very expensive and sophisticated appliances which are used primarily to impress visitors and to project social status, rather than for actual cooking.

Domestic kitchen planning principles to the home.

Domestic kitchen design per se is a relatively recent discipline. The first ideas to optimize the work in the kitchen go back to [Catharine Beecher]'s A Treatise on Domestic Economy (1843, revised and republished together with her sister [Harriet Beecher Stowe] as The American Woman's Home in 1869). Beecher's "model kitchen" propagated for the first time a systematic design based on early [ergonomics]. The design included regular shelves on the walls, ample work space, and dedicated storage areas for various food items. Beecher even separated the functions of preparing food and cooking it altogether by moving the stove into a compartment adjacent to the kitchen.

[Christine Frederick] published from 1913 a series of articles on "New Household Management" in which she analyzed the kitchen following [Taylorism] principles, presented detailed time-motion studies, and derived a kitchen design from them. Her ideas were taken up in the 1920s by architects in [Germany] and [Austria], most notably [Bruno Taut], [Erna Meyer], and [Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky]. A social housing project in Frankfurt (the Römerstadt of architect [Ernst May]) realized in 1927/8 was the breakthrough for her [Frankfurt kitchen], which embodied this new notion of efficiency in the kitchen.

While this "work kitchen" and variants derived from it were a great success for tenement buildings, home owners had different demands and didn't want to be constrained by a 6.4 [Square metre] kitchen. Nevertheless, kitchen design was mostly ad-hoc following the whims of the architect. In the [United States], the "Small Homes Council", since 1993 the "Building Research Council", of the School of Architecture of the [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign] was founded in 1944 with the goal to improve the state of the art in home building, originally with an emphasis on standardization for cost reduction. It was there that the notion of the [Kitchen Work Triangle] was formalized: the three main functions in a kitchen are storage, preparation, and cooking (which Catharine Beecher had already recognized), and the places for these functions should be arranged in the kitchen in such a way that work at one place does not interfere with work at another place, the distance between these places is not unnecessarily large, and no obstacles are in the way. A natural arrangement is a [triangle], with the refrigerator, the sink, and the stove at a vertex each.

This observation led to a few common kitchen forms, commonly characterized by the arrangement of the kitchen cabinets and sink, stove, and refrigerator:

A single-file kitchen (or one-way galley) has all of these along one wall; the work triangle degenerates to a line. This is not optimal, but often the only solution if space is restricted. This may be common in an attic space that is being converted into a living space, or a studio apartment.
The double-file kitchen (or two-way galley) has two rows of cabinets at opposite walls, one containing the stove and the sink, the other the refrigerator. This is the classical work kitchen.
In the L-kitchen, the cabinets occupy two adjacent walls. Again, the work triangle is preserved, and there may even be space for an additional table at a third wall, provided it doesn't intersect the triangle.
A U-kitchen has cabinets along three walls, typically with the sink at the base of the "U". This is a typical work kitchen, too, unless the two other cabinet rows are short enough to place a table at the fourth wall.
The block kitchen (or island) is a more recent development, typically found in open kitchens. Here, the stove or both the stove and the sink are placed where an L or U kitchen would have a table, in a freestanding "island", separated from the other cabinets. In a closed room, this doesn't make much sense, but in an open kitchen, it makes the stove accessible from all sides such that two persons can cook together, and allows for contact with guests or the rest of the family, since the cook doesn't face the wall anymore.

In the 1980's there was a backlash against industrial kitchen planning and cabinets with people installing a mix of work surfaces and free standing furniture, led by kitchen designer [Johnny Grey] and his concept of the "Unfitted Kitchen".

Modern kitchens often have enough informal space to allow for people to eat in it without having to use the formal [dining room]. Such areas are called "breakfast areas", "breakfast nooks" or "breakfast bars" if the space is integrated into a kitchen counter. Kitchens with enough space to eat in are sometimes called "eat-in kitchens".

Other kitchen types can prepare fresh food for hundreds in this 20th century [Canteen (place)] kitchen.

[Restaurant] and [Cafeteria] kitchens found in [hotel]s, [hospital]s, army barracks, and similar establishments are generally (in developed countries) subject to [public health] laws. They are inspected periodically by public-health officials, and forced to close if they don't meet hygienic requirements mandated by law.

Canteen kitchens (and castle kitchens) were often the places where new technology was used first. For instance, [Benjamin Thompson]'s "energy saving stove", an early 19th century fully-closed iron stove using one fire to heat several pots, was designed for large kitchens; another thirty years passed before they were adapted for domestic use.

Today's western restaurant kitchens typically have tiled walls and floors and use stainless steel for other surfaces (workbench, but also door and drawer fronts) because these materials are durable and easy to clean. Professional kitchens are often equipped with gas stoves, as these allow [cook (profession)] to regulate the heat quicker and more finely than electrical stoves. Some special appliances are typical for professional kitchens, such as large installed [deep fryer]s, [steaming]s, or a [Bain Marie]. ([As of 2004], steamers—not to be confused with a [pressure cooking]—are beginning to find their way into domestic households, sometimes as a combined appliance of oven and steamer.)

The [fast food] and [convenience food] trends have also changed the way restaurant kitchens operate. There is a trend for restaurants to only "finish" delivered convenience food or even just re-heat completely prepared meals, maybe at the utmost [grilling] a [hamburger] or a [steak].

The kitchens in [railway] [dining car]s present special challenges: space is constrained, and nevertheless the personnel must be able to serve a great number of meals quickly. Especially in the early history of the railway this required flawless organization of processes; in modern times, the [microwave oven] and prepared meals have made this task a lot easier. [Galley]s are kitchens aboard [ship]s (although the term galley is also often used to refer to a railroad dining car's kitchen). On [yacht]s, galleys are often cramped, with one or two gas burners fuelled by a gas bottle, but kitchens on [cruise ship]s or large [warship]s are comparable in every respect with restaurants or canteen kitchens. On passenger [airplanes], the kitchen is reduced to a mere [pantry], the only function reminiscent of a kitchen is the heating of in-flight meals (where they haven't been "optimized" away altogether) delivered by a [catering] company. An extreme form of the kitchen occurs in space, e.g. aboard a [Space Shuttle] (where it is also called the "galley") or the [International Space Station]. The [astronaut]s' food is generally completely prepared, [dehydration], and sealed in plastic pouches, and the kitchen is reduced to a rehydration and heating module.

Outdoor areas in which food is prepared are generally not considered to be kitchens, although an outdoor area set up for regular food preparation, for instance when [camping], might be called an "outdoor kitchen". Military camps and similar temporary settlements of [nomad]s may have dedicated kitchen tents.

in [Stroud, Gloucestershire].In Schools where Home Economics (HE) or [Food technology] (previously known as [Domestic science]) is taught, there will be a series of kitchens with multiple equipment (similar in some respects to [laboratory]) solely for the purpose of teaching. These will consist of between 6 and 12 workstations, each with their own [oven], [sink] and kitchen utensils.

Kitchens around the world Japan ese Kitchen

Kitchens in Japan are called Daidokoro (台所;lit. "kitchen"). Daidokoro is the place where food is prepared in a [Housing in Japan]. Until the [Meiji era], a kitchen was also called kamado (かまど; lit. [stove]) and there are many sayings in the [Japanese language] that involve kamado as it was considered the symbol of a house and the term could even be used to mean "family" or "household" (similar to the English word "hearth"). When separating a family, it was called Kamado wo wakeru, which means "divide the stove". Kamado wo yaburu (lit. "break the stove") means that the family was bankrupt.

References

Miklautz, E. et al. (Ed.): Die Küche — Zur Geschichte eines architektonischen, sozialen und imaginativen Raums, Verlag Böhlau, Vienna 1999; ISBN 3-205-99076-5. In German.
Two collections of architecture students' works on the kitchen: "Küchen" ([PDF] file, 3 [Megabyte]) and "Küchen, 2. Gang" ([PDF] file, 5 MB). Both in German.

Kitchen

Questions and Answers

No garden;tiny kitchen: Should I convert 6.4m by 3.1m double reception into a kitchen diner+single reception?

Q) Hope u can picture this without floor plan: Narrow Victorian terraced house. 3 floors, 4 double bedrms, 2 bathrm. Grd floor: Double recep(6.4x3m +1.2m bay window infront) and small separate kitchen(2.4x2.6m). Smal front gardn (4.6m x 5m) and almost nothing to call a garden at the back (L shaped space appx 2m wide).Thought about extending into this but it doesn't get us much extra space and there r problems with planning. Existing kitchen is at the end of a narrow corridor which runs down right hand side of the double reception.This kitchen is bizarrely built around the far right hand corner of the double reception.The corner of the living room encroaches on the kitchen space. I guess that the corner is structurally important and knocking thru to the living room would leave an odd diagonal between the living room and kitchen. Should we convert the dble reception into a kitchen diner+leave old K as utility?Will the loss of a reception reduce prop.value? Help!!!!!!!!!!

A) To find out if this is possible, first consult a structural engineer to check, you will probably need an RSJ. As for the value of your home, you can always ask a local estate agent if this will increase or detract from the value of your home. In my opinion people prefer a reasonably sized kitchen, and often won't buy a house as the kitchen is too small, they usually want the kitchen to be the heart of the home. If it's feasable go ahead, but remember it is a big job and will be horrendously messy, but hopefully worth it in the end.

Do I Get My Kitchen Tiled Before Or After I Have My New Kitchen Cabinets Put In?

Q) Im a bit confused about what is the best way to do my kitchen. Do I remove the old kitchen cabinets and have the floor tiled and then put new cabinets on top. Or do I remove and have the new kitchen fitted. Then have the kitchen floor tiled last. I dont know what to do. im a bit of a newbie when it comes to diy. The tiles I havent decided whether to use porcelain or cermaic. So if someone also knows whats best to use. I have 4 kids under 5 who can be heavy handed so must be able to stand the jumping and running of kids.

A) As someone who tiles kitchen floors, it is best to tile before the new kitchen goes in. Reasons for :- 1) If you decide to move a unit and put an appliance in at a later date, it will slide in on an even floor and be level 2) The cuts upto the wall where units are going to be could be 1 or 2 mm shorther and grouted so they'll still look ok which is much quicker than cutting around units. 3) Neater finish to the units. 4) Means you can change the feet on the units and have no plinths. Getting more popular. 5) Also consider removing skirting boards and replace after tiling. Neater finish still and you don't often have a great deal of skirting in a kitchen. Hope that helps. Added : When the units are in, tile the walls and then cut and fit the cornice and pelmets. Consider placing the tiles on the floor in a diagonal pattern. If the kitchen is not square, the kitchen units won't run with the tiles and the grout line will show if the units are not parallel

new kitchen cost?

Q) hi, i'm looking for a ballpark total cost of installing a new kitchen. kitchen is small - 9'4" x 7'6" exclude appliances basic units from ikea or b&q etc I need removal of old kitchen units, tiles etc and installation of new. Thanks!

A) a kitchen that size with no appliances id guess around £700+ for units ,depends what style you like ,try howdens joinery before anywhere else ,they stock same stuff as b+q and mfi at 73%discount and theyll design t for you ,if you a getting a kitchen fitter allow £1000 a week , a kitchen that size would not take over a week, allow the price of a skip ( £80 ? ) or try the freecycle network to get rid of your old kitchen ,also if the new kitchen is different from the old allow for any extra electrical work and/or plumbing .get this done before anything else

B&Q Kitchen - faulty MDF doors (veneers peeling off) Taking them to Court?

Q) I got a shaker kitchen from B&Q about 2 years ago. I had it fitted by builders. I noticed 6 mths after fitting that some of the veneers were bubbling (lifting off). he prob got worse and now most of the veneers on my doors are lifting off. Been writing to B&Q HQ quoting Sale of Goods Act and saying that the doors weren't fit for the purpose. B&Q have been really clever and tried avoiding answering anything properly. The kitchen is discontinued. Therefore I said that I wanted a different kitchen which I liked with side panels, plinths, pelmet and cornice. They agreed to this verbally and in writing as "we agree to the relevant parts". They sent someone to prepare an itinerary to order the items. Now not honouring what they have said and are trying to say that by referring to "relevant parts" they meant the doors and they keep on saying I only had a 1 yr g'tee. I am taking them to Court have I got a chance of winning? I have made notes of the phone calls as evidence. Pls HELP. Ta

A) You do have a chance of winning, courts usually tend to be on the side of the consumer when its so very clear like this that the consumer has been taken in by a slimy business. Call the Better Business Bureau to report them. Call your local Chamber of Commerce to report them. Tell everyone you know about what they've done.....its not slander nor libel when its your own true story. Keep up the good fight, they're hoping you get tired and back down and when they see you won't, they'll get their *** together. Also, call you local television stations and see if they have a Consumer Watch type of segment, we have that in my home town and its a good good thing that has helped many people!!! Good luck!!

Kitchen wall ideas?

Q) I was going to skim plaster and paint my kitchen walls but I fancy the idea of wall coverings, anyone have any idea of ideal wall coverings? Stainless steel looks good but don't want to overdo it with SS. I have a light maple kitchen.

A) paint it light sage green.... real purty w/ maple, not to heavy color either

Kitchen software design can anyone recommend a free kitchen design software package programme?

Q) I need to design my Kitchen but there is no point in going out and buying a software package for just the one application........... any ideas

A) You can try the Smartdraw software free, just not sure if you can print it if you don't buy it after designing it. (Don't know what their "free trial" offers...) Also, Google has SketchUp that may work for you, but not sure how good it is as I have never tried it. And Bob Vila's website has useful tools and software that will help you with this.

Kitchen cabinets and sockets?

Q) I' m preparing to move into a flat and the kitchen has no wall cabinets. I'm thinking of fitting some myself, but the available wall space has 4 different plug sockets. I've heard that you shouldn't (or can't) drill above sockets. Is there another way I can have cabinets? The kitchen is very small so I need as much storage space as possible.

A) Why are you drilling? You should be attaching the cabinets to the wall studs, otherwise they aren't going to hold much weight. The screws will go into the studs, so it probably won't hit a wire. Chances are the wires are about 4' above the floor, and you will be installing the screws above that.

Kitchen Wall Units..Hanging Brackets..Where can I get them.UK?

Q) I took down my kitchen units when revamping the Kitchen.. And like most things of that type..The Metal wall brackets have gone missing.. Have Tried B&Q. do not stock them. any one know of any of the Other Chain DIY stores sell them or a Supplier on-line..

A) wickes homebase focus leekes any ironmongers

Kitchen Sinks and Base Units?

Q) where is the best place to get the cheapest kitchen stainless steel sinks (1000mm) or (1200mm) and also the cheapest place to get a single 1000mm base unit for a kitchen sink The cheepest I have found so far are £35 for the sink and £55 for the base unit I dont really care for quality on this occasion as the unit and sink are going in my garage as i use my garage as an office and just require the use of a sink so i dont have to keep traping in the house

A) how much cheaper do you want to go, sometimes the cheapest isn't always the best. If your comparing prices makes sure you compare quality with it.

Kitchen living... What annoys you the most about your kitchen?

Q) Im trying to make my kitchen more efficient or the things i do in it flow more smoothly not sure where to start with it or the products i use...

A) Lack of counter/cupboard space. Things either need to be on the counter or in the cupboards and I am forever running out of room! Also getting things toward the back on the cupboards is an annoyance. Cupboards with pull out drawers are the way to go! I keep some appliances that I don't use often in the closet of another room and keep the things I use daily, or weekly on the counter. I also yearly get rid of anything I haven't used in the past year - a lot of times I give it to a family member or friend. Good luck!

Legal Kitchen or Not..?

Q) I have a legal commercial kitchen with all the commercial kitchen equipment (commercial refrigerator, ovens the works), store room, entertaining area with all the enmities separate from the living area (30' x 40' outside building) I built this kitchen to bake and sell cakes and other goods from home. Now that we are planning to sell our house for a custom built home with another commercial kitchen separate from the living area. I was want to know if you where going to buy a home would you put an offer on a home like this. If I keep the commercial kitchen and not turn it back into a garage then all the equipment will go with the sale. I am contemplating changing this back into a 3 car garage. Just needing a general public’s opinion. To complete this kitchen it cost around 30 grand, wanted to know if I would get my money back if I decided to keep it a commercial kitchen or turn it back into a garage. Thanks for all your help. Oh yea I forgot to mention that a 2 car garage already exists connected to the home, and a wood working shop is in the back part of the building as well. On one acre of land, so parking is not an issue.

A) Today's homeowners are looking for one large, spacious, uncluttered, sparkling clean kitchen. People today do not use their kitchens in the same way as was done years ago when a second kitchen, or "summer kitchen" was a cool feature. The approximate value of having a legal commercial kitchen on your property is specific to your local area. The need in your local area will determine the value. It's hard to say that your property value would increase by $30,000 because it cost that much to buy and install the equipment. Your main house should have a large, beautiful, (remodeled) modern kitchen with lots of stainless steel fixtures. Remodeling your main house kitchen is what can add the most to your property value, up to 150% of remodeling costs you expend. The large commercial kitchen is of value to people who are looking to produce income, or who are in the food preparation business. Caterers, bakers, restaurant owners, and chefs. Also, someone planning to have a large garden on the acre of land, and grow food, might appreciate having the extra kitchen, and large storage coolers, as well. Online food sellers are now a hot business opportunity niche. They usually need a commercial kitchen to prepare their product. Florists also use large coolers and need extra storage space. Check with your zoning board if one person can own the property and someone else can rent and run the kitchen. If you advertise in your newspaper a commercial kitchen For Rent, the response you receive may help you discover how popular the feature is in your immediate area. Explain to people who respond with interest that you don't use the kitchen any more, you are planning to sell your property, any lease would begin after the house was sold, and would be contigent upon approval by the new owner. As you begin to gather names, someone interested in renting the kitchen area may decide to buy the entire property, or they may know someone looking for this kind of value who would partner with them. The point is to get the word out, and market your property specifically to those in the food, preparation, and refrigerated products industry. Do this in addition advertising to those in the general real estate market. There are non-profit groups that could have funding available specifically designated for maintaining a commercial kitchen I would not change or convert the kitchen before you put the property up for sale. You say there is already plenty of other garage space, and storage space on the property. I am sure most buyers would appreciate having the upgraded electric, or gas service, and fire safety equipment even if they didn't plan on using the kitchen space. Having a list of prospective renters to give to the the new owners may actually increase the value of your property in the eyes of some people. Let the new owner decide if they want to keep the kitchen, or convert it back to gargage space. If it turns out that interest in the commercial kitchen is low, either you or the new owner can sell kitchen equipment to raise extra money. It's possible this could even help the prospective buyer pay closing costs as an incentive towards the sale.

advice on kitchen cabinets?

Q) We have a small (long and narrow) area, with the family area on one end, and the kitchen on the other. The family area has a cherry entertainment unit built into the wall. On the other end, our kitchen cabinets are standard oak. The floor is light beech Pergo. Walls are off-white. Do we: - leave the kitchen cabinets as is, and put some decorative elements (e.g. vases or flowers) in "cherry" colors to somehow balance with the big block of cherry wood on the other side of the room? - change the kitchen cabinets to match the cherry entertainment unit (our kitchen is small with one window -- cherry might be too dark and make the space seem smaller?) - change the kitchen cabinets to match the light beech floor? - paint the kitchen cabinets to white, light yellow, something close to the cherry, or some other color? - paint the walls? - other suggestions?

A) If it were me, I would paint the kitchen walls a nice light warm tan or beige and paint the kitchen cabinets white. It would be a crisp clean look. I would treat them as two different spaces with regard to the cabinetry but use the same wall color on the whole space to make it look larger. Then I would place a few wallhangings in black frames (black and white photos would work great) in the space. Not too many, just a few. Good luck to you on your project. Sounds like fun!

Suggestions for kitchen cabinets (color and style). ???

Q) In the stages of designing the kitchen for our new home. It is a galley style kitchen. The dining area extends past the kitchen area and I don't want to put any type of bar for eating on the ends of the cabinets. I feel this will only close the area. Since the kitchen/eating and greatroom are an open floor plan, I will be using hardwood through this entire area. I am leaning toward the french cream with a glaze. It will be a small kitchen. So my cabinets will have to be designed to utilize space very efficiently. I will not be able have many upper wall cabinets, and I would like to use glass doors on a few doors to "dress-up" the look. If you can suggest a website to design a kitchen, that would be great. (not the hgtv one, it doesn't help me) Countertop colors??? I will probably use a granite.

A) I think black and white is a timeless color scheme for a kitchen. You can make it really classy, and make the space look large, if you place the colors right. A nice cherry oak with black as well. If you go to your local home depot, they can help a lot. They can show you different techniques, and model kitchens. http://www.kitchens.com/08-Tools-And-Resources/Questionnaires-And-Quizzes/Kitchen-Cabinet-Style-Quiz.asp -- Little quiz to see what you like... http://www.merillat.com/ They have really nice layouts Ikea has inexpensive stuff

Dog pees in kitchen, but not in any other area of house. She used to sleep in kitchen, but doesn't now....

Q) My 6 month old Ridgeback used to sleep in the kitchen, and would sometimes pee in the night - we would not tell her off and just clean it up. She eventually stopped peeing through the night. It's too cold now for her to sleep in there so she sleeps in a crate in the front room which she likes. She isn't left on her own very often and is fine when she is, but we leave her in the kitchen if she is left on her own and she pees, even if the back door is left open. She does all her peeing outside if we are in, but just seems not to bother going outside if she is locked in the kitchen! Otherwise she is well behaved, well mannered, not anxious or anything! Is she just confusing the kitchen with outside? (When she's in the front room with us and wants a pee, she stands by the closed door to the kitchen. We take her through the kitchen and let her out of the back door). Help!

A) How are you cleaning the pee in the kitchen? In addition to using a disinfectant, you need to use something to completely break down the odor (you can't smell it, but she can). Nature's Miracle is what they call an enzymatic cleaner, these work well and can be found at all pet stores. Some home remedies that have worked for me are pouring plain hydrogen peroxide right on the spot and letting it sit a minute then wiping up. Another one is mixing white vinegar and water in a spray bottle and saturating the area, let sit a while then wipe up. If the dog gets so much as a whif of her pee, she thinks that's the potty spot. Other things to consider, how long is she locked in the kitchen, is she old enough and potty trained well enough to hold it that long? Also, if she's only peeing in the house when you are gone, does she have separation anxiety? Ask yourself, does she ever get anxious when you leave her alone, does she bark or whine? If so, I recommend reading a book called Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan, it will help you work with your dog on various issues including separation anxiety (which is quite common and generally not that hard to cure in most dogs). And last, but certainly not least, take her to the vet for a check up, tell the vet about the problem you are having. There could be a medical reason for her poor bladder control. They might also be able to help you if it is separation anxiety. One additional note, I re-read your question and noticed that she is crate trained. If properly removing the odor doesn't keep her from peeing in the kitchen, try crating her when she is left alone. It's a safe secure place for her, and unless she absolutely positively can not hold it a second longer, she won't do her business in her bed.

kitchen glass splashbacks choose colours website?

Q) Hi looking for a website with a "virtual kitchen" (of sorts) where you can view a picture of kitchen and change the colour of the benchtops and cabinets and change the colour of the glass splashbacks. Or some pics with kitchens iwth black cabinets and white benchtops and different coloured glass splashbacks. (need to find out what will be best for my kitchen which as black cabinets and white benchtops).

A) Oddly enough, I didn't find any when I went looking. There are some that appeared to be online, but required a download eventually. Others claimed to be planners and that is just what they were, text articles. Ikea has a download planner that looks like it would do the trick for you. I tried to use it right after Vista came out and it didn't work, I haven't tried it since but I am sure they must have upgraded it for compatibility by now. HGTV says they have one, but seemed smarmy as I got into the process a bit, I could be wrong as I never got as far as actually starting the program. I think if you take a good daylight digital picture of your kitchen and upload it to your computer into a graphic editor, use the drawing tool to draw an unbroken circle around the back splash area and use the color fill tool to change out the color inside the circle you could get a general idea of the color you like best to match/compliment.

Kitchen design-help?

Q) I am remodeling my kitchen. What happens is that the kitchen and dining room are an only lineal piece and I don't have any the original floor tiles. I need to change the kitchen tile but I would like an idea on how to make it look good, like separate from the other room. I was thinking in borders or diamond. I'm not sure on what to do or the colors. The other tiles are terracota and the kitchen cabinets are mahogany. If I could see a picture maybe on the web of one idea!!

A) I am a little confused about the spaces, but for tile I would go to a tile website and look at their pics for ideas. Dal-tile for one. Do a search for floor tiles and many manufacturers sites will pop up. Take a look at their pics for inspiration.

Kitchen remodel Idea's?

Q) I will be remodeling the kitchen and adding onto it in the next year. Here's the thing,I need great idea's! My son has a syndrom called Prader Willi, that comes with an eating disorder that makes him hungry 24 hours a day. My kitchen needs to be locked up tight at all times unless I am in there cooking. I have two doorways into the kitchen now, I want to keep them but also want a island with an cook top stove and a huge pantry that is a walk in. Any other idea's that would work for my situation? Maybe a higher counter built onto the cook top island with stools for him to sit while i cook. I want a garbage disposal for sure as I need to lock up my garbage can also...every time I leave the kitchen! So..idea's please!!

A) Wow, that's a difficult situation for you - as kitchen's are usually designed to be so openly accessable! I would purchase some of the double doors (like stable doors) - depending on your son's age of course. They could accent your kitchen cupboards and you could open the top section to watch him play etc. while you cook, but still have the bottom section locked so he can't get in. The island is a good idea and you can have a stool for him so he can be there with you and you can monitor what he eats whilst you cook. There are so many parent friendly - but child impossible locks and devices avaialble. I saw one once which had special magnets in the cupboards - you could NOT open anything without the special magnet handle. The cupboards were literally glued shut! The magnet handle you keep high up on a key chain or wherever and you just hold it onto the cupboard and it unlocks it for you - amazing and really clever! Keep your food-stuffs in the higher overhead cupboards and all the boring plates, plastic containers, pots etc. in the low ones. I found a website with a similar magnet / key thing - listed below. You must be a great Mom. I find it hard with four children who do not have any medical syndromes. Hope my ideas help a bit.

Kitchen painting question?

Q) Before we started kitchen renovation, I found an inspiration picture - a Tuscan farm scene with yellow-orange fields, dark greens trees, and red roofs and the poppies. We have tiles w/ shades of yellow, tan, and rust and maple "spice" cabinets. The appliances are stainless steel w/ black. The countertops will be Juniperano St. Cecelia granite, which has a light base, with black, yellows, oranges, and some red flecks in it. The sink is black granite and the fixtures are brushed nickel. I took the color of the picture mat (Warm Muffin from Behr) and we painted that on the ceiling in the kitchen. The kitchen walls will be faux Italian plaster (not a lot of wall showing due to cabinets, tile backsplash, and banquette seating). The original plan was to pick up the red from the painting and granite by painting the kitchen walls a darker red color (similar to Behr's Ruby Ring). I need to paint the walls, but I'm starting to get scared. Will the red be too dark/bold? If so, what to do?

A) Do a test paint first (I'll explaing below). I figured this out the hard way when I was painting my family room and kitchen. Here's what you do. Cut a piece of cardboard to about 12" by about 12". Then go out and buy whatever is the smallest quantity of paint that you can buy of that color you want to paint your room. I believe Behr has sample paint portions you can buy pretty cheaply. Paint that cardboard with two coats of paint and let it dry. Then get some blue painter's tape and stick a ring of painter's tape on the back of the painted cardboard. Now stick it up on the wall around all your major stuff. Look at it under different lighting situations during daytime, nightime, evening, etc. The paint will look slightly different under each lighting. Leave the sample cardboad piece up on the wall for a couple days if you have to. If you still like the color after a couple days, then the paint should be fine in the room. Doing this sample technique I developed can save you tons of time and money. I know from experience. Third time of picking a color and painting the downstairs was a charm, cause I didn't want to paint it a fourth time. That's why I developed this technique of color sampling. You need a big sample that you can step back and take a good look at. It's hard to tell what a color is going to look like when you have a 1.5"x1.5" sample and you are holding it about 2 feet from your face. When you look at your room you are going to be several feet away not 1-2 feet. At the same time, while the color may look good near one major object in your kitchen it may not look good next to something else. I kind of used a fall-orangish red till I got around to the fire-place and realized that it didn't go with the fireplace at all. Then I had flourescent lighting vs sun light vs incandescent light all to battle with when I was trying to pick my color. The nice part about this technique is that the sample is big, you can move it around, and you can stand back and look at it from a distance.

any kitchen witches out there?

Q) i have just recently became involved in kitchen witchery and got some information from an on line friend that some witches, especially those in covens look down apon kitchen witches or hedge witches. why is this? any green advise from some long time kitchen witches for a wee witch? looking for a goddess figurine for my kitchen any ideas? also how fancy does a BOS have to be. i have not yet gotten one but right now i am filling sprial note books up with definitions, herb cooking, and potions. and what kind of writing tool should be used for BOS. for writing just notes and definitions in my note books i use a pencil, but i feel BOS should be special.

A) I don't know of anyone who looks down on kitchen witches. I do know plenty of people who frown on people using the title of "Wiccan" and then refuse to investigate exactly what Wicca is. A kitchen witch is something totally different than that though, and perhaps they are confusing you with the former. I suppose that most of my magic would be considered kitchen witchery and I don't have any issues with Neo-wiccans, Wiccans, or CM's. Advise? Make sure to know your herbs. A formal course in using them would probably be beneficial. Write down the sources for your information--you may really need them in the future. And mostly, enjoy what you do. For your figurine question, I don't know. I did things the opposite way. I studied to find the goddess that I was drawn to most and then found something to represent her. Perhaps you may be interested in Brighid? http://www.celticheritage.co.uk/virtualshrine/index.cfm http://inanna.virtualave.net/brighid.html

open kitchen which leads into family room should i continue the color of the family room into the kitchen?

Q) the family room is cookie crumb color with creme brulee moldings and the kitchen is metalic blue with a beige molding. there is no dividing wall or molding between the kitchen and family. the kitchen and the family room only share one wall.

A) PAINT IS MUCH LIKE FLOOR COVERINGS, IF YOU CAN SEE INTO A ROOM FROM ANOTHER YOU SHOULD PAINT IT THE SAME COLOR. IT WILL GIVE IT CONTINUITY AND MAKE IT LOOK MORE PROFESSIONAL. IF THERE IS ANY KIND OF BREAK IN THE WALLS BETWEEN ROOMS IT WOULDN'T BE BAD TO PAINT IT IN A COORDINATING COLOR BUT PERSONALLY, IF IT WERE IN MY HOME, I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE ROOMS THE SAME COLORS. THAT WILL GIVE YOU A VISUAL FLO FROM ONE ROOM TO ANOTHER. OTHERWISE IT WILL HAVE A CHOPPED UP APPEARANCE AND LOOK LIKE YOU RAN OUT OF ONE COLOR OF PAINT.