The most important thing for us when figuring out our cabinets was to check our largest/tallest items. We even measured how tall sandwich bags/gallon bags boxes were to make sure our top drawers were deep enough. Our cabinets were custom, so we could decide on everything. I agree that pots/pans change over time, but all you can work with is what you have now. If you don't have a cabinet/drawer that fits your tall pasta pot or all drawers that are too narrow for your favorite saute pan, that will just make you angry at your new kitchen. You have to start somewhere.

I made room for shelves for my favorite cookbooks. I've had the oldest of the cookbooks for 35 years. There is a cubbie below for the KitchenAid mixer. The only thing that's changed about it in 30 years is the color. The island has a special shelf for the griddle, which I used last night, and which is another 30-year veteran. We built the island cabinet deep enough to store my largest baking pan/roaster.

I'll probably keep, and use, these things in the same places forever, but the areas are not so specific that they couldn't be used for other items--a coffee maker in the KA cubbie, coffee cups and other supplies on the shelves above, and baking dishes on the griddle shelf.

What are your most favorite/most used appliances and vessels? Start with those items, and try to store them near their points of use.

Edited for typo.

This post was edited by mama_goose on Sat, Jan 18, 14 at 21:14

Agree with all of the comments -- what you use now probably won't change that much. Exact stand mixer? Maybe not. But something about that size that slices, dices, mixes,slow cooks, flash freezes, makes the best coffee ever, and lets the dog out in the morning might well fit in the same space. And if it doesn't you kitchen will look dated because it doesn't have a spot for that wonder machine.

And maybe you won't care. Or you will and you will make a spot for it, and wonder why you cleared space for trash since all of that is vaporized these days,

All of which is to say that you should make the best use of expensive real estate in the best way given how you use you kitchen now.

Something of a mix. I made sure the big stuff would fit somewhere, but after that I want versatility. We plan to be here another 20 years and I live in the kitchen. There will be a lot of device/gadget/tool turnover in the next two decades!

In my future kitchen, the only thing I want to be sure is that the pantry will hold the tall dog food bin. Other than that I want everything off the counter or behind a door; the coffee pot, the knife block, paper towel holder, microwave, and bread basket.

I agree with cevamal. You can be specific to a degree but have to be flexible.

Thinking of my own cooking history.. I went from winging it as I never learned to cook growing up to kids with lots of kid related items in the kitchen. Went through a tupperware faze (Still love it) and had to make room for it all. Then then was stoneware. That is all gone now. DD got into baking and now we have 2 drawers of baking supplies. Now that I finally have a very functional kitchen I am finally learning to cook. My cooking style has changed dramatically in just one year. I am also buying more kitchen gadgets for from scratch cooking. I could have never planned my kitchen for this change as I would have never imagined it. What will be happening in 5 or 10 years?

So plan for what you need now but be flexible. Lots of drawers as you can put anything in them.

Adjustable shelves.

We have no clue what we will be storing in the dream kitchen, but we're making a generic "small appliance shelf" and a "brewing station" that should handle almost anything.

The single most important thing to do is to plan out the areas where you do the major phases of cooking:

- storing foods you bring home or into the kitchen
- assembling ingredients from storage
- washing/rinsing/drying foods
- measuring and prepping (cutting, mixing)
- cooking
- baking
- cooling /resting
- serving
- cleaning and drying cooking equipment and table ware
- storing leftovers
- storing cooking equipment and table ware

The idea is to make sure that the work surface and tools you need for each process are at hand with a minimum of steps or bending or reaching. Pay particular attention to the heaviest items in regular use in your kitchen now; ideally, they should be stored as close to work-surface height as possible.

Are there pieces of equipment you're sure you'd use more now, except that you balk at getting them from where they're stored to the work surface? Measure them and plan them into your work areas. Be realistic about items that are always going to be for occasional use vs. those that are or could be workhorses.

As Mama_Goose recommends, examine your current use. Which pieces of cookware and which appliances do you use most often?