How the Kitchen of Yesterday Became the Modern Kitchen!
The kitchen can be many things to different people, but to me, it is the heart and soul of a home. A fond childhood memory of my mother’s kitchen, with its tantalizing smell of freshly baked goodies has forever left its mark. My kitchen belongs to one of the very used and well worn ones which has had several complete makeovers in its long life. Although, I must admit even now, with its new ergonomic design, granite bench tops and brand new appliances, it has still retained its warmth and character.Comparing today’s kitchens with those of our mothers is a real lesson in humility. Just how did they manage to create such fabulous baked goods with their old wood stoves? Most of them didn’t even have an accurate temperature gauge, that is, if they had one at all. Their kitchen appliances consisted of hand held beaters, and if they were really lucky they had electric ones, and a fry pan. Everything was baked the old fashioned way with simple ingredients and basic utensils.
Nowadays, when you take a look at the average kitchen with all its fancy gadgets and appliances it should be making super cooks out of all of us. But sadly, a growing number of them are now just for show. They often amount to nothing more than a very fancy breakfast bar, with the stove and cook top hardly ever being used. The microwave oven is the star performer, reheating TV dinners and food to go. Kitchens have become super modern, large, incredibly technical and hardly ever used.
The kitchen has evolved into a super efficient, hi-tech paradise for all us “foodies”. There will be an appliance or gadget on the market for absolutely any task that we could ever imagine doing. Some of these save enormous amounts of time, which is something that not many of us have in abundance anymore. Others may be something that is used once a year for a special occasion, but they make the task so much more enjoyable that they deserve their place in the bottom of the kitchen cupboards. Induction cook tops and ovens are also now so state of the art that they will almost do the thinking for you. A well appointed kitchen really can be a woman’s dream come true.
Kitchen design is also something that has come a long way from the old “L” or “U” shapes of yesterday. Not that there is anything wrong with them, as these configurations have stood the test of time because they work. Incorrect placement of the sink in relation to the stove and refrigerator will make working conditions awkward and even dangerous. One of the most popular innovations these past ten years has been that of the kitchen island. They have been around far longer than that, but never utilized to the extent they are now. In most kitchen renovations you will find if there is room, then an island bench will be installed. Not only do they provide an enormous amount of extra work space, but they also have extra storage space, and can even be fitted with a cook top, dishwasher, and any other appliances that work well with this design.
Bench tops are another area of the kitchen that has come a long way from the laminates of old. Today’s laminates offer much more durability and their color selection will transform even the most boring of all kitchen spaces. But the queen has to be the granite bench tops, which not only looks fantastic but is also great to work on. The splash back has also become a feature area which is often the first thing that catches the eye. There are many super modern finishes from brushed stainless steel to patterned glass that provides not only great looks, but toughness to match.