Browse Forums Kitchen Corner 1 May 05, 2009 12:21 pm Hi i'm current a final year Industrial Design student at UNSW. I am doing my final year research project on Kitchen appliances. So i want to get a better understanding and insight of kitchen habits in Australia. Some questions i like to ask are Why do people have so many small kitchen appliances? What are the most common appliances found on the counter tops of kitchen and why they keep the others in the cabinets. What are the problems with having so many of this appliances. Do they take up too much countertop space? So i want to ask what are your views of this current situation. Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 2May 05, 2009 1:02 pm Very interesting topic, not something we probably ever think about or try to analyse ourselves. You might get some differing answers these days as it appears that there is a new trend (space permitted), to have a walk in pantry and preparation area in there behind the scenes. I do not have a walk in pantry and have a pretty small kitchen as I am 46 divorced and no kids so don't need a huge area to feed myself. My answers are based on my situation. I (probably like 99.9% of people) keep the kettle on the bench permanently. The toaster comes out on an as needs basis, I go through phases where it is daily and then it might not be for a month later. Therefore I don't see the need to leave it out and take up valuable space. I have a juice extractor which also comes and goes in phases. This is different though in that it will stay out for the duration of the fresh juice phase as it would get used more than once a day unlike the toaster. The other items I have that only come out to be used and then put away are a combination food processor/blender (would be better if it was 2 separate units), a Kenwood Chef and an electric knife. These items aren't used very much so are crammed into cupboards and are often pushed to the back and hard to get out. If they were more accessible I would probably actually use them a bit more. Of course there is the mandatory microwave which always sat on a bench wherever I lived but with the new house it will be a new one in it's own niche above a built in coffee machine. I currently have a large benchtop coffee machine which will be handballed on to my brother. I have also noticed that lately the mobile phone charger has claimed a permanent space in the kitchen so that is generally ****** on the bench as well. Sorry about the long post but you wanted reasons why we do the things we do. Good luck with your study and don't forget to let us all know what you make of us all!! Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 3May 05, 2009 1:31 pm My toaster and Kettle live on my bench, although only use each a couple times a week if that. I leave the toaster out as if I put it away then I spread crumbs even further around the place Other small appliances I use often, but remain away until needed are: rice cooker, slow cooker, toasty sandwich maker, blender/food processor, stick blender. The coffee grinder also sits on the bench, but that's mostly cos I don't have anywhere to put it in my current kitchen. My microwave currently has it's own freestanding stand that it sit's on as there isn't any room for it on the bench tops. As for taking up too much counter space, I think that depends on how much counter space you have. I currently have bugger all counter or storage space which is frustrating, but my house is going to have just enough (I think!). 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 4May 05, 2009 1:41 pm Why do i have so many? Oh lord knows An attempt to make life easier i suppose! I always leave my kettle on my bench - it gets boiled about 4 times a day, so it definitely makes sense not to be pulling it in and out of a cupboard. I'd like to leave the toaster out too, as it gets used most days, but it just takes up too much bench space. In my cupboards i have: toaster, 3 in 1 stick mixer, rice cooker, slow cooker, food processor, stand mixer, toasted sandwich press, blender, popcorn maker, juicer and possibly other things i can't even remember. I use the stick mixer about 3 times a week, the rice cooker and slow cooker about once a week, the rest are used much less often. If i was too put them all out on my countertop, i would have no space left! The only problem i have is accessibility and the storage space they take up. I wouldn't be without them though! Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 5May 05, 2009 2:20 pm haro32 Why do people have so many small kitchen appliances? What are the most common appliances found on the counter tops of kitchen and why they keep the others in the cabinets. What are the problems with having so many of this appliances. Do they take up too much countertop space? So i want to ask what are your views of this current situation. I hardly have any small kitchen appliances, kettle, toaster, handheld blender, toasted sandwich maker, milkshake maker hehe hardly I only have my kettle out and it won't be in the new house, it will sleep with the toaster in the utility cupboard I hate leaving appliances out permanently, my mother always did and it bugged me no end, nothing had a home Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 6May 05, 2009 2:23 pm I think that I have nearly every electrical item known to (wo)man The only ones that are left out are the coffee machine and the microwave. Everything else gets put back when they are finished being used. In my new home nothing will be left out on the benches. The microwave will even be in my pantry and will be used in there. Some things are worth waiting for. Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 7May 05, 2009 2:43 pm Currently have the kettle, toaster and milk shake maker out permanently. Microwave is above the fridge. In the new house everything will live in the pantry on the bench.... toaster, sandwich maker, milkshake maker. Microwave will be built in to an appliance tower in the kitchen proper. The kettle is still being discussed. Not sure where it will live yet. I leave you to fend for yourself, figure things out yourself. Terrence Malick Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 8May 05, 2009 4:28 pm Coffee machine and kettle are the only appliances allowed to live on my benches. They're there because they get used several times a day, and they're shiny. We had an appliance cupboard built to house the toaster, blender, food processor and George Foreman grill. The toaster gets used several times a day, the others maybe 1-5 times per week. We have a couple of lesser-used appliances, but they all get used. Anything we didn't use got donated to charity long ago. I hate clutter and think that if the kitchen benches are clear, the house looks clean and tidy. Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 9May 05, 2009 10:22 pm The microwave in a designated nook on the bench and the kettle - they are the only appliances I have on my benchtops. however I do also have a cutlery stand, a knife block, and 3 canisters. there is about 6m of total benchspace - a 4m long bench plus bench space around the sink on the short end and some bench either side of the cooktop on the other side, u shape kitchen, plenty of space, doesn't look cluttered to me. My mum has one of those appliance cupboards on the benchtop with roll up door - kettle, toaster, blender etc in there - in practice roll up door is up nearly all the time so in fact looks messier than haveing kettle on the bench in the first place. I dont have great deal of appliances - just a sandwich maker, a toaster and a hand held blender, I found most others were surplus to requirements and culled the hot dog maker etc when we moved house. Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 11May 07, 2009 12:23 pm It may be too late, but I'll reply anyway! In the old house (U-shaped kitchen) we had the microwave, kettle and coffee machine on the bench (also knife block and chopping boards, but they're not an appliance!), everything else went in a corner cupboard and was dragged out when need be. In the rental currently, we have the kettle and coffee machine on the bench. The toaster, mixer and milkshake maker are kept in the appliance cupboard, and the microwave is in the oven tower. There's also the knife block, chopping boards, utensil jar and fruit bowl! I am sharing this kitchen with my Parents, so it's not all my stuff! In our new house, we will have the kettle and coffee machine out on the bench, plus a couple of decorator items and possibly the knife block. The microwave will be in the appliance tower, and everything else that gets used regularly, will be away in cupboards and dragged out when required. We won't have a butler's pantry, nor an appliance cupboard, but they'll live in the cupboard under the stove top. There are a few things we don't use often (slender blender, popcorn maker, sandwhich maker, food processor, waffle maker, ice-cream maker), but they are very handy to have when we do!! I much prefer to keep things away in cupboards rather than having them on display. Also, if they are not used often, they gather dust and cooking splatter and it's another thing to clean. At least when they are in a closed cupboard, they are protected from dust and cooking splatter. Nothing worse than picking up a cooking utensil that's been sitting in the utensil jar on the bench for months, and putting dust in your food Best wishes with your project!! Henley - Wilshire Mk 3 ... I love my house!! Site start: 4th Feb 09 Handover: 10th Sep 09 Blog: http://stormygirlscastle.blogspot.com/ Build Thread: viewtopic.php?t=7166 Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 12May 08, 2009 4:32 pm We have so much on the bench; kettle, toaster, coffee & Tea, microwave, utensil stands, large cruet, phone, knife block. These are used everyday so dont go to the effort of storing then setting up the items everyday. We dont have alot or bench space so it barely leaves enough room for huge food preparartion. In the cupboards are sandwich press, toastie maker, food processor, mini chopper, 2 x stick blender , wok, juicer, coffee machine, coffee perculator...i hope thats it:) We dont use these so much as i think the meals and beverages we prepare are quick and simple so that dont require the appliances so much. It probably also has alot to do with lifestyle. If your on the go alot (as we are) there isnt really the time or care for that matter to have picture perfect benchspaces. The kitchen is there to make food, thats it. Most of the downtime is either the TV, sleep or going out. Maybe if we were at home more and had the time to spent enjoying the kitchen than just using it, then it would probably look more like a magazine pictorial:) Kitchens are like finger prints, no two are ever the same!! SmartPack did the kitchens for Channel 9's Home Made TV Show Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 13May 08, 2009 7:20 pm SmartPack It probably also has alot to do with lifestyle. If your on the go alot (as we are) there isnt really the time or care for that matter to have picture perfect benchspaces. The kitchen is there to make food, thats it. Most of the downtime is either the TV, sleep or going out. Maybe if we were at home more and had the time to spent enjoying the kitchen than just using it, then it would probably look more like a magazine pictorial:) I disagree - we're "on the go" too - husband works 50-60 hours a week, and is often interstate for days at a time, I have a part time job and a business, plus a time-consuming hobby, and we have 3 kids. And I still insist that my kitchen be tidy and benches clear. Can't stand clutter! I want to walk into the house, or get up in the morning and be greeted by neatness and order, not mess and disorder. I think it comes down more to personal preference. And maybe cooking habits. I tend to put ingredients away as I add them, and I don't find it troublesome at all. If left to his own devices, my husband would probably have the entire contents of the pantry permanently spread all over the benches, because "he'll want to use it again soon". Of course, he'd never be able to FIND the thing he wants.... just like in his study. Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 14May 08, 2009 7:31 pm IN our last house we had the microwave , toaster and bread maker out on the benchtop. This time it will be the microwave, toaster and maybe the rice cooker. We don't use an electric kettle. I have a stove top kettle for visitors but when I make a single cuppa i use the microwave. I've never had an appliance space for a microwave and I prefer it at bench height so on the bench it stays. Since I've got more than 5 m of bench space it taking up some of it isn't an issue. In the current rental the rice cooker is usually out as well as the toaster plus numerous other bits and pieces( non electrical). The microwave sits on the1/2 height freezer. ( poorly designed/planned kitchen meant there was no where else to put it. Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 15May 09, 2009 2:24 am Here where we are we have no built-in oven (we live in Singapore). So on our benchtop we have a small oven on top of a microwave (to save bench space). Next to that is toaster, rice cooker and kettle. We also have a water boiler (the constant boiling type), very popular here as they are not so expensive to run with the high room temperature. But it sits on its own seat, not on the kitchen bench. Things we take out to use our electric mixer, blender and food processor. Benchtop space is at a premium here, which is why we stack the oven and microwave Rice cooker is used daily, as is kettle. Toaster is used often enough, and we can't really use that space for anything else. Biggest irritation is the very short cables on some of these cheap appliances. Metricon Riva 33 - http://herlihy-riva.blogspot.com Site start 15/03/2010 - Handover 23/12/2010 9 months and 8 days (284 calendar days) from site start to handover Re: Kitchen Countertop Space and Cabinets 16May 11, 2009 5:23 am My counter top electric kettle, microwave, toaster, electric can opener, knife block and a small radio because I use these daily. My cabinets have the dishes, food processor, sandwich press, rice cooker, blender and other things that we dont use daily, after use they just go back to where they normally are. You can really use anything you want the main consideration would be how it looks once painted/finished - or the look you want. Cabinetmakers use MDF because its cheap… 2 9960 Thanks mate. Yeah good points! Leaning towards Option 3 to get a bit extra space in the cabinets but not going too crazy high (and expensive). Would require a mini… 13 39716 Joe Apologies for the delay in getting back to you. If you haven't sorted this already you need to caulk this gap. Not sure where you are but if you are in Sydney I can… 5 4345 |