The Best Kitchen Features For Hosting
The 2020 holidays are upon us, and though this year they may look a little different, it’s still a time of year that encourages a great deal of cooking and baking for our loved ones. And while this year your holiday dinner parties may be smaller than usual, if you’re currently considering a kitchen renovation, it’s important to consider what your hosting needs will be when we finally get back to normal. We’ve compiled a list of kitchen features that will ensure all your future holiday gatherings, birthday celebrations, and sporadic dinner parties run smoothly.
Open Concept
When hosting guests, an open concept plan that connects the kitchen to the dining and/or living area allows you as the host to go about your food preparation duties while remaining connected to your guests and their conversations. No one wants to host a party and be stuck in a room away from the gathering the majority of the time!
Counter Space
Upgrading the amount of counterspace in a kitchen can make your experience cooking for many mouths go from chaotic and stressful to organized and efficient. Spend less time re-clearing spaces and more time with your guests, plain and simple!
Island
While we’re on the topic of counters and open concept kitchens, let’s talk about islands! If you have the floor space in your kitchen, islands can not only put that otherwise wasted square footage to use, but it can do so in a way that a) provides you with more workspace, and/or b) gives your guests a space to gather around with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and chat, perhaps while you finish your food preparations. In an open concept home, islands can also be a way to visually separate the kitchen from the dining or living space without closing the room off with a wall.
Optimal Food Storage
Everyone knows that when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around, there will be leftovers. Having a designated space for all those perishable goods is an important way to make sure they don’t go to waste. Whether you’re sending your guests home with some of those goodies or keeping them for yourself to enjoy for days to come, a second refrigerator might be a good option for a frequent host.
Double Oven
We’ve all been there – trying to cook four separate dishes that all require different temperature and time settings. Not only does this prolong the cooking process and risk some dishes going cold while others are still cooking, but it also just adds to the stress of planning a meal. A double oven allows you to cook at two different temperatures simultaneously. I think that speaks for itself.
Warming Drawer
Further to the above, an oven with a warming drawer allows you to keep those finished dishes nice and hot while you finish preparing the others. No lukewarm sides at your party! If a double oven isn’t an option for you, an oven with a warming drawer is a good step in the right direction. A double oven with a warming drawer, on the other hand, now that’s something to knock your meals out of the park.
Second Dishwasher
So you’ve worked your butt off preparing an exquisite meal, your guests are full and happy, and the night is drawing to a close. It’s cleanup time, and you’re faced with mounds of pots, pans, dishes, and glasses. This is where a second dishwasher will save you from dish duty, because we all know that mess isn’t fitting into one machine. So load up that second dishwasher, and listen to them hum as you relax and enjoy a well-earned nightcap after a successful dinner party. Well done.
Looking for more inspiration and ideas as you take on your kitchen renovation? Check out CBM Mart’s varied collection of ready-to-order kitchen counters to bring your dream cooking haven to fruition.
