Santiago's Remodeling & Handyman Services, Inc
Santiago's Remodeling & Handyman Services, Inc
To answer this question, first we have to define what the kitchen work triangle is? and when was this concept developed?
The work triangle originated in the 1940s when kitchens were smaller, and designed as a utilitarian work area for housewives to prepare family meals.
Without doubt, the work triangle was aimed at increasing efficiency and comfort. After more than 80 years, many things have changed, and the kitchen layouts are not the exception.
Today, our kitchens are large and are used for more than cooking, like a place to chat or watch TV.
Is the kitchen work triangle outdated? Yes. So, what has replaced the kitchen triangle? The five-zone kitchen is now the new way to design and distribute the kitchen to make your space more efficient and feel less cramped. The five-zone kitchen will be the rule for the foreseeable future.
Every kitchen renovation project must be tackled with a careful & innovative kitchen interior design.
Dividing your kitchen up into intuitive zones is the perfect way to make your space more efficient and feel less cramped. Plus, it’s a great way to give the space a more modern feel.
So, if you are going to divide your kitchen into zones, think about how you use your kitchen and the different activities you complete daily, and you create zones based on these tasks.
The perfect planning and building of every kitchen work zone can have a positive impact in the way you enjoy your space. For instance, using the five-zone kitchen model, you can distribute your kitchen into the food preparation, the cooking, the serving, the eating and living & the cleaning zone.
All people cook in the kitchen. So before cooking your food, you need to prepare it. And you need a zone to do it.
This zone must be close to the fridge because you need easy access to your fridge and the sink. First of all, you need to take the food out of the fridge and cupboards and then wash it.
Also, in the food preparation zone, you need to “chop chop.” Not to hurry up but to peel, slice, and cut your vegetables. So, there are sets of knives, cutting boards, and even workstations designed to make food preparation easier.
And for preparing food you need ample space to chop your vegetables, prepare meat, and mix ingredients. Besides, this zone must be close to the garbage to dispose of any food waste.
The cooking zone is the heart of the kitchen. So, there should be plenty of space for your stove, oven, and toaster.
But also, the countertops in the cooking area must be spacious to accommodate kitchen appliances like an air fryer, blender, and its sorts.
When cooking, you need quick access to your utensils. And the cabinet space where you save your frying pans must be right next to your food preparation zone. In this way, you’ll transition smoothly between both zones.
You need to spice this zone up with a spice drawer for sure. When cooking you need spices and you need to keep them within reach. It could be a drawer just below your stove or a cabinet space near your range you can reach without the need to walk for them.
So, there is no doubt, having spices close will make your cooking time easier.
Then, it will be all up to you to make the magic of preparing a delicious meal for your loved ones.
It’s time to serve the food. The serving zone should have countertop space to layout the food in a buffet-style. Having drawers below your countertops is essential to save your cutlery sets and napkins.
Also, it’s a good idea to have cabinet storage space for your dishware, so you can serve your delicious food to your loved ones.
It’s time to enjoy the tasty meal you prepared.
And here is perhaps the biggest difference between the utilitarian kitchen layout that we achieve with the work triangle and the modern five-zone kitchens.
Nowadays, kitchens are open spaces and they have evolved to allow for activities other than cooking. For instance, you can have a sofa and a TV, a small breakfast table away from the cooking areas where your loved ones can relax, unwind, strengthen their family ties thanks to endless chats while enjoying your delicious food.
Washing the dishes will always be our nemesis. We’ll never escape the “not-so-fun” chore of washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen up after a delicious meal.
Since cleaning is nothing fun but a must, what you can do is to equip this zone with a useful sink, an efficient dishwasher, and a spacious drying area. This will help to keep your kitchen clean, organized, and leave all your utensils in the right place, ready and waiting for the next meal.
The L-shaped kitchen is one of the most popular layouts because it’s super functional and can be adapted for almost any sized space. As the name implies, an L-shaped layout features cabinetry and appliances along two adjacent walls, creating an obvious triangle path between work zones.
The kitchen work triangle has been used as the most popular layout for more than 80 years. So, is it worthless now? Of course not. This design concept still works perfectly for small kitchens for small families. This design rule helps to determine the optimal layout of a kitchen that addresses both aesthetics and efficiency.
What has displaced the work triangle is the way people use their kitchen these days. Modern kitchens are very different; they are more spacious because people use them for much more than cooking. Modern kitchens now offer a living space where your friends and family can relax, chat, be entertained, and of course, eat😊! Kitchens are now larger, open to other living spaces, and equipped with cutting-edge appliances.
The kitchen has been long marketed as the heart of your house. And we can say it is true because the kitchen nourishes your family, and it will definitely strengthen your family ties thanks to endless chats with your loved ones while enjoying delicious food.
Due to recent shifts on the way people use modern kitchens, the five-zone kitchen has replaced the work triangle. But that doesn’t mean the work triangle became worthless. Instead, what you should do first is to evaluate your needs, your space, your budget, and your wants. Then, you can decide whether you want to use the work triangle or root for the five-zone or even better incorporate in your kitchen remodeling the best that each kitchen layout has to offer.
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