The Four Keys to Great Kitchens for Baking
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst, and a stay-at-home mom.
I'm a design and food-obsessed freelance writer and market research analyst,... More »
Yesterday I baked about 20 dozen cookies (not all for me, I promise: we're having a party). Now, I'm not much of a baker, but a few solid hours of baking had me thinking a lot about what's good for baking in my kitchen (extra counter space) and what's not so good (the way the sink breaks up the stretch of counter next to the oven).
That, of course, sent me in search of kitchens that would be great for baking. I found four things that can absolutely make a baking kitchen:
That, of course, sent me in search of kitchens that would be great for baking. I found four things that can absolutely make a baking kitchen:
| 1. Counters & Organization. The key to a great kitchen is layout - if everything's easily accessible, cooking is much more fun. Plus, when it comes to baking, extra counter space is a huge benefit.
This room has tons of counter space, great natural light and easy to reach pots and pans - all perfect for baking. Plus, the extra sink in the island makes it easy for two people to work simultaneously. |
| You know what's great when you're baking? Company (I didn't have any yesterday - it was lonely.) An island with barstools makes it easy to hang out while working. Plus, the island stovetop means that you can, say, make caramel while chatting. |
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| When my parents built a new kitchen (in 1985), they included a small area of marble, so my mom could roll out pastry. Since she's not much of a baker, she uses it about once a year and the rest of the time it collects mail. But regular bakers would be in heaven with marble countertops. They just ask for pie crusts. |
This is a great example of a smaller kitchen with counter space designed to maximize usability.
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2. Oven Capacity.A double oven is huge for bakers - or anyone who likes to cook on Thanksgiving.
It might be the perspective of the photo, but the second oven in this kitchen looks extra wide, which is fantastic - that's one more cookie sheet to squeeze in.
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3. Storage.Pull-out shelves make it easy to access rarely used ingredients (like vanilla extract, which is always hiding in the back of my jumbled shelves).
This is pretty much any cook's dream pantry - not only is it big enough to store ingredients in bulk, it's also a great spot for those rarely used, but indispensible tools (like cookie presses, which are stored in an old shoebox in my kitchen).
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Open shelves look great (if you can keep them straight) and can provide easy access to mixing bowls and measuring cups.
4. Access to information. Where would bakers be without the internet? Well, let me rephrase that: when I'm baking, I need a lot of help online, so it's great to have a spot in the kitchen for the computer.
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And it's always nice to have lots of cookbook and magazine storage right in the kitchen - easy access to recipes.
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