Depending on your cooking style, the amount of time you spend on each work station, and the available space, you can choose your kitchen layout from the following basic types:
2. Kitchen planning arises directly from the fact that
keeping a family well-fed, receives priority in every
home. It is impossible to imagine any house without a
kitchen. A kitchen should,
(i) be airy, well-lighted and ventilated
(ii) have eastern or north-eastern aspect
(iii) have three centres with enough storage space.
3. Characteristics of Good Kitchen
- It is desirable that the kitchen be a cheerful, sanitary, well,
ventilated and a properly lighted place to work in.
- The surfaces should be durable, non-absorbant, stain
resistant and easy to clean.
- Cross ventilation is essential and an exhaust fan is helpful
in removing odours and smoke.
- A window over a sink helps the worker in getting a good
view and also lights up the area.
- A general central light and a light over each working area is
important.
- The ceiling of the kitchen should be painted in a light color.
4. Work Areas in a Kitchen:
(a) Storage centre: Refrigerator and pantry where
food stuffs are kept.
(b) Preparation and mixing centre: Food is
chopped and dish washing is done.
(c) Cooking stove centre: Here food is cooked.
This includes serving centre as well.
The work triangle among these three centres
should not less than and more than 22 feet.
5. Types of Kitchen:
There are two styles of kitchen. (1) Foreign or
standing type and (2) Indian or sitting type.
(1) Foreign or standing type:
(a) Pullman or strip Kitchen
(b) U-shaped Kitchen
(c) Corridor Kitchen or Two Wall Kitchen
(d) L-shaped Kitchen
(e) Broken U-shaped Kitchen
(f) Island Shaped Kitchen
(2) Indian Style or Sitting Type Kitchen
6. (1) Foreign or Standing Type Kitchen:
(a) Pullman or Strip Kitchen: It is found in small houses in
which there is little space for a kitchen. The strip kitchen
is on wall with the components placed in row fashion so
there is one wall with the one end to the other for food
preparation.
7.
8. (b) U-Shaped Kitchen: It is the best of the kitchen
plans and most popular. Three work centres on
three adjacent walls, provide a great deal of
continuous counter space for work. Continous
flow of activity from one centre to another centre.
9.
10. (c) Corridor Kitchen or Two Wall Kitchen: It
resembles the strip kitchen, the only difference
being that it is on both sides of the wall, facing
each other. This is more workable kitchen. Its
disadvantage is that it often acts as a passage for
family members on their way from one part of the
house to the other part, and this traffic interferes
with meal preparation.
Unnecessary movement can be restricted as in
the pullman type arrangement. Storage and
preparation centre is on one side and cooking
centre is on the opposite side.
11.
12.
13. (d) L-shaped Kitchen: This can also be regarded
as a good type. It leaves two walls empty for
windows and doors and the free corner can be
utilized for keeping built-in storage or dining area.
Three work centres right to left are placed on
adjacent walls.
14.
15. (e) Broken U-shaped Kitchen: This provides good
continuous space for working whereas in the U-
shape the continuity is broken up.
16.
17. (f) Island Shaped Kitchen: It needs a fairly large
room. The cooking happens on the island and it
could be used for the food preparation area. It
reduces the amount of walking. It allows the
walking space for 1200 mm between the island
and any other cupboard/obstruction.
18.
19. (2) Indian Style or Sitting Type Kitchen:
This style of kitchen are still in use in
villages only. The cooking of food, serving,
cleaning of utensils etc. are carried out in
sitting positions. The racks and almarihs are
of low height.
However there should be proper ventilation
for exit of smoke. These types of kitchen are
gradually becoming outdated because of
certain inherent drawbacks of excessive
fatigue and health problem to person
working in such kitchens.