5 Things You Must Have for a Chef’s Dream Kitchen

by Samanth Rose

Are you a passionate chef (or maybe "aspiring chef")? If cooking is a key element of your dream lifestyle, you’ll want the perfect dream kitchen in order to take your passion for food to the next level.

Maybe you love experimenting with new recipes and new ingredients. Maybe you’re constantly searching and browsing online to find trending recipes. Maybe your friends and family know you as the "go-to" person for hosting dinners, backyard barbecues, and parties where the food is front and center.

If you’re ready to create your perfect chef’s dream kitchen, there are several factors you’ll want to consider for renovating and improving your current kitchen space to make it more efficient and elegant.

Our team here at RTA Wood Cabinets has put together this 5-step guide so you can create a smart design to maximize your kitchen's potential:

1. A Thoughtful Layout

The first thing you’ll need to create your ideal chef’s kitchen is a smart layout plan that will make it easier for you to cook.

Typically, a well laid out kitchen has 4 zones that are designed to work together. As you’re building your kitchen, you’ll want to choose the best ingredients, tools, and processes for each of these zones for the kinds of cuisines you like to cook.

The 4 zones to consider are:

• Pantry – where you store your groceries and kitchen appliances.
• Prep Station – where you put together your ingredients, maybe an island or other counter space.
• Sink Area – where you clean and sanitize.
• Cooking Area – where your dishes are cooked, for example, a stovetop or oven

2. Storage Possibilities

In order to maximize your kitchen efficiency, you’ll want to incorporate storage options into each of your kitchen zones.

In your Pantry, you’ll want to make sure you have room to store, sort, and display all your food and kitchen items. It’s often useful to incorporate cabinets or shelves to create a designated spot for every item.

At your Prep Station, you’ll want to make sure you have easy access to utensils and cutting boards. A cabinet with a tray divider can be useful for storing different pans, baking tins, and dishes that you use most frequently.

Around your Sink, you’ll want to store all your kitchen cleaning supplies. A pull-out drawer for your trash and recycling is also useful to have nearby in order to make cleaning up easy.

When it comes to your Cooking area, you want to be sure you’re ready for the heat. It’s often useful to have a large drawer for your major pots and pans, as well as quick access to oven mitts, thermometers, and other tools and utensils you’ll need while cooking.

3. The Latest Cooking Tech

Savvy chefs make use of the latest technology to improve the cooking experience.

One popular trend is to use a voice assistant (like Siri or Alexa). These digital assistants can help you find recipes and even provide tips while you’re cooking. They can also be used to control your kitchen lighting, faucets, and appliances without a touch–which comes in handy when your hands are busy preparing food.

One recent study shows 30% of homeowners are already using voice assistants in the kitchen, and that number is expected to increase over the next few years.

4. Plenty of Counter Space

In order to build a true dream kitchen for a chef, you want to maximize the space you have to prepare and present your food creations.

Can you add more counter space to your kitchen?

Perhaps there’s room to put a kitchen island or peninsula? Or, maybe you can free up more of your existing counter space by building more storage for the appliances you have currently sitting out?

5. Quality Cabinets

Lastly, you’ll want to make sure you have the right cabinets – kitchen cabinets that not only allow you to store all your kitchen goodies, but that will stand up to the demands of an active kitchen.

You’ll want to make sure to choose cabinets made from high - quality, durable materials and construction methods that will give you not only perfect style but years of practical, heavy-duty use.

If you’re interested in exploring different cabinet options, our team at RTA Wood Cabinets can show you the variety of high-quality cabinet options we provide to meet multiple styles and budget preferences.

We’ll be happy to help with a FREE Kitchen Design. Give us a call at 800-788-7575 to get your chef’s dream kitchen started.