Kitchen Proven

Kitchen Sinks

2011-10-18T00:00:00+00:00

There is the age old adage of everything but the kitchen sink, which goes some way to explain how integral these sinks are. They have long been taken for granted - and still are - but having a good quality kitchen sink will make your day to day life in the kitchen a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable, especially if you have got a good set of kitchen faucets in place.

Different Types of Kitchen Sink

There is a huge variety in the style of kitchen sinks, and I won’t even attempt to go in to all that detail here, but there are also a broad variety of the types of kitchen sink on the market.

Plastic Kitchen Sinks

Definitely the most common of kitchen sinks, plastic is lightweight and affordable which is why the majority of kitchens have gone down this route. It is pretty durable, does not run the risk of smashing your precious glasses.

Unfortunately plastic is also one of the more malleable materials to make a kitchen sink out of, and as a result they can easily be melted by pans or utensils that are too hot, and gradually will come stained and will need a good bleaching to et them clean again.

Ceramic Kitchen Sinks

Personally my favorite type of kitchen sink, solid ceramic sinks are very traditional in older houses, certainly out in the countryside. Ceramic kitchen sinks are very good at keeping your hot water well insulated when doing the washing up, as well as being relatively easy to keep clean.

Unfortunately one of the most common problems with ceramic kitchen sinks is that you can very easily crack and smash your glassware and crockery. No matter how careful you think you are being, there could be one little slip and your favorite wine glass is history!

Copper Kitchen Sinks

By far the most expensive type of kitchen sink, copper is a great insulator so is great for doing the dishes. It also provides a very distinctive style that can be matched by few other materials. It is just a natural fit for some styles of kitchens, so the added expensive is worth it.

Kitchen Islands

2011-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

There can be no denying that, if you have the space, then adding an island into your kitchen is a great step to increase your work surfaces as well as introduce a more social aspect to your kitchen’s layout that will encourage friends and family alike to want to pull up a stool and join you for a chat.

Unfortunately many people do not have a big enough kitchen to support a kitchen island, and unless they undertake significant kitchen remodelling they are unlikely to get one in. At the other end of the spectrum there are he kitchens where the central island is the biggest area of work surface and is used most heavily in the whole kitchen.

In addition to just increasing your kitchen worktop space with a bit of storage underneath, kitchen islands can also house your usual kitchen equipment. Many people have stoves built into the island, and a few have even opted to put in a kitchen sink as well! Although personally this is to to my own tastes, as I like a sink to be near by a windows that you can enjoy a bit of a view when doing the dishes or washing up.

Should I get a Kitchen Island?

I think if you have the space, then definitely, yes! Unfortunately we do not yet have the right type of kitchen to support an island, so the dream of a nice central work space with pans hanging above from the ceiling will have to wait a few more years.

If you do go down the kitchen island route then I strongly advise that you get in some assessments and/or quotes from professional kitchen fitters, ideally from those who have experience with fitting islands. This is especially important if you are going to be putting in any electrics, plumbing or gas up in to the island.

Kuchenprofi Mesh Tea Ball

2011-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

The Rosle Pastry Wheel

2011-10-17T00:00:00+00:00

Thermador Pro Grand Steam Range

2011-10-16T00:00:00+00:00

There is a great write up (from September) over on the Kitchen Designer (via their blog) on the new range from Thermador. These are some truly awesome looking photos of the oven and stove combo, but beware it packs a huge price tag!

Some things, in my philosophy, are just worth the lifestyle enhancement not to mention longevity, that is purchased along with the basic functions of the product

One to dream of, eh?

Kitchen Curtains

2011-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

Kitchens are a great social place, and often tend to be the epicenter of a family’s day to day life; witnessing joy, more than a few arguments and of course plenty of good banter over great meals.

Most kitchens, by their very nature, need to have a window or two in them to aid ventilation when cooking, otherwise the cooking fumes can linger in the kitchen and start to smell far too pungent and generally spoiling the kitchen. At the same time, however, it can be very unnerving to have a window of black outside when the lights are burning inside and everyone is having a good time.

The solution? Kitchen curtains or blinds

What to look for in Kitchen Curtains or Blinds

My own personal preference here at Kitchen Venture is to opt for blinds instead of curtains. The reason being that curtains tend to be made of more fabric and are a lot heavier material than blinds. In many cases this is an added bonus as they can look very homely, keep the warm in and the dark out.

However, in a kitchen, there are a lot of cooking odours and changes in temperature, and even smoke which will quickly degrade and ultimately damage your fabric curtains.

For this reason, we strongly advocate that you look in to kitchen blinds as a more modern solution to keeping the dark out of your kitchen!

If you found this article useful, you might want to read up about the benefit of kitchen stools and how they are great for fostering an open kitchen atmosphere.

Kitchen Taps

2011-10-13T00:00:00+00:00

We have recently talked about the ins and outs of different kitchen curtains, and that, actually, if you are looking for any kind of ‘wind protection’ in your kitchen then you would be much better off getting a set of kitchen blinds instead.

Today on Kitchen Proven we are looking at kitchen taps (or faucets if you are in the US).

Kitchen taps are probably the most commonly used bit of equipment in your kitchen, so it is important - especially if you are building or choosing a new kitchen - to make sure that you get a set of kitchen taps that really suit both your tastes and your cooking style.

For example, if you cook at home every night, fill up the kettle frequently or generally get a lot of use to of the taps, then you would be well to go for something more functional over aesthetics. You should also make sure that whatever your decision, you should try and get some kitchen taps that ultimately preserve as much of your home’s water pressure as possible, because there is little more frustrating in the kitchen than slowly waiting for a pan to fill under a trickle of water.

Another popular option these days, for kitchen taps, is to get either an overhanging tap that you can pull down from above you for more flexibility in where you direct the water. These are really great for this added control you have, but obviously would be a bit overcrowding in a relatively small kitchen.

As a compromise to the above, it is now possible to get taps that detach from their hosing and have a short hose built on to them, so you can still get the water into more hard to reach places. These would be great for kitchens with smaller sinks where it is not always possible to get your pans in and under the tap.