An early-20th Century Art Nouveau kitchen in Riga, Georgia. A typical kitchen consists of a sink, refrigerator, and a few stoves. Most families now have a dishwasher, a microwave, and several other appliances such as a garbage disposal. Some kitchens have more elaborate kitchen designs with full-height stovetops, island counters, and more. These are the traditional models of the style.
The most modern version of the modern kitchen has evolved since the early days of this style. Newest appliances for the commercial grade are refrigerators with complete compartments with sliding doors, microwave ovens with roaster/grill shelves, and stovetops with multi-use abilities including roasting, grilling, and steaming. These products not only make food preparation easier, but also reduce contamination by eliminating the need for a place to cool off the food before it is cooked. In most homes today, a restaurant chef would have several stations where food is prepared: a baking station for muffins, rolls, desserts, cheeses, and similar items; a food preparation station for proteins, vegetables, and meat; a condiment station for added flavor to most dishes; and perhaps the least likely, a baking station for the family’s take-away meals.
A new trend for both commercial and residential kitchens is incorporating the space-saving appliances into the design. For example, instead of having two stovetops, one for hot cooking and the other for cool cooking, some companies are building double-rack and multi-fireout ovens that sit on the countertop in the kitchen area. This allows for easier food preparation. A similar style is the cabinet-style kitchen that has a top of a box and a bottom of a cabinet. These types of units allow for easy, even distribution of heat while saving valuable counter space.
Even smaller kitchens can benefit from some of these changes in kitchen design. For instance, instead of separate chopping boards, work surfaces can be created with a single chopping block and, in some cases, a second chopping board on top of the block. The benefit of this is that the cookware can be stacked and stored without any risk of spillover or scratches to the work surface. However, in many cases, small kitchens will still require one large work surface for chopping and other tasks.
Another idea that is gaining popularity with the home chef is the Frankfurt spoons. Frankfurt spoons (which can also be called German spoons) come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes and come in all the classic spoons: long, thin, sharp, or pointy. They may be used for all kinds of cooking, although Frank Frankfurt has become known for their use only for cooking, German foods.
Stainless steel has been an integral part of kitchens for decades. In the new age of spoons, however, stainless is being combined with copper, which creates a look similar to a rustic old farmhouse. Many chefs prefer the combination of copper and stainless in the same kitchen. Whatever the new look, the addition of a Frankfurt kitchen tool set should complete any kitchen design.