Beautifully bold

Häcker is one of the most prestigious manufacturers of kitchen furniture in the world, and one of our key partners here at Kitchen Design Centre. If you take a look around any of our kitchen showrooms dotted around the North West, you’ll be able to see with your own eyes just how influential the German giant has been in the design process behind each of our displays.

Given that we make this trip every year, we’ve come to expect big things from Häcker, and it’s safe to say that we weren’t disappointed by what we saw. This year’s exhibition definitely put an emphasis on bold statements, with dark colours and moody designs taking centre stage. Many of the kitchen prototypes featured deliciously dark colour worktops with luxurious hues like azure and burgundy. These eye popping colour schemes were coupled with Häcker’s unrivalled knack for cutting edge technology, making for an experience that felt like part art exhibition, and part tour of a kitchen from the future.

Inspiring design

You can be sure that you’ll definitely be seeing some Häcker inspired kitchen creations coming to a Kitchen Design Centre near you soon. Designers from all of our showrooms took part in the trip to Germany, and all have spoken very highly about how they hope to work elements of the Häcker displays into their own kitchen designs.

Our experienced designer Simon Thomas was extremely impressed with the “free thinking designs which offered both flexibility and availability.” The bold, earthy designs are a real sign of things to come in the world of kitchen design, and there’s a real emphasis on not being afraid to experiment with bold statements and colours. As Simon would say, “less is not more, more is more!”

Of course, there’s plenty more we can say about our trip to Germany, but if we went into exhaustive detail you’d be here forever! As always, we got plenty of inspiration from our Häcker visit, so if you want to find out how we’re putting it into practice, why not pay a visit to one of our designer kitchen showrooms?

We’ve got locations in Blackburn, Manchester, Liverpool and Barrowford, so wherever you live in the North West you’ve never got far to go before you can sit down and have a chat with one of our friendly, talented designers, every one of whom is deeply passionate about helping you to make your dream kitchen a reality!

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Above all, it’s a design that focuses on flow, and helps to create a more functional living space – and one that we have more than 35 years of experience with here at Kitchen Design Centre. Whether you’re looking for a more versatile space that allows for both cooking and socialising, more freedom of movement between your kitchen and dining area, or you simply want a greater space to put a more personal touch on your kitchen design, our designers are here to help.

Why would an open-plan kitchen suit you?

When considering what an open-plan kitchen can offer, it’s important to keep in mind what you want from it. We design kitchens that are uniquely suited to you and your lifestyle, whatever that might entail. For example, if you’re a keen cook who enjoys whipping up a storm in your kitchen, we can offer specific styles that focus on practical elements like easily accessible appliances and plenty of counter space.

If you’re more of a social butterfly, we can provide you with a space that gives you a fantastic blend of open-plan practicality and social space, where you can enjoy the company of your friends and family. Perfect for dinner parties and Christmas get togethers!

The point is; the way you choose to use your kitchen will have a direct impact on its design. For example, our customers Sarah and Heath were in need of a contemporary family kitchen for a narrow space, so we gave them exactly what they needed to suit their busy, family orientated life.

Open-plan kitchens let in the light

Natural light is a key element when it comes to improving the brightness and feel of your designer kitchen, and open-plan designs are much better suited for taking advantage of this. By opting for an open-plan kitchen, you can really maximise the amount of natural light that flows through the space, giving it a more welcoming, breezy feel that’s sure to lift the mood of the room.

Why is this important? Well, we’ll spare you the detailed science lesson, but basically humans are daylight creatures. That means we’ve evolved to be happier, more energetic, and healthier in direct sunlight. It’s why small, windowless rooms can make us feel quite so uncomfortable, and equally it’s why natural light is such an important factor of your kitchen to ensure that you’re able to maximise your enjoyment of the space.

If your kitchen backs on to your garden for example, consider adding some sliding, or bi-fold doors to give you easy access to it. These doors add so much more light to your space that it’ll appear more roomy than it actually is. If roof lights are a practical option for your space, you may find them a great way to achieve the same effect.

They provide options for clever design possibilities

We understand that a small kitchen space can present challenges when it comes to having ample room for all your equipment, appliances and so on. Open-plan kitchens are all about making the most out of the space in your home. Here at Kitchen Design Centre, we do this by incorporating a range of clever design ideas like integrated appliances, and hidden storage, ultimately helping you make the most out of your designer kitchen.

We have plenty of open-plan designs for you to peruse in our customer case studies, where you’ll find kitchens with sleek, contemporary looks from things like handleless pull-out units, as well as integrated appliances like Neff multi-function ovens. These cutting-edge appliances possess a stunning versatility to match their intuitive controls, and our status as a Neff Master Partner means we’ve got a great depth of expertise when it comes to smoothly integrating it into your kitchen design.

The options are endless, and depending on your specific requests, we can tailor these design features into any kitchen style, so it’s completely up to you to decide what you’d like!

Open-plan kitchens utilise islands in a fantastic way

Open plan kitchens are perfect spaces for the much-coveted kitchen island. In an open-plan kitchen, the island plays a vital role in separating the kitchen from the living room, while also connecting the two spaces. It does this by creating a place for the cook to interact with the rest of the room, providing an engaging, social atmosphere.

Of course, you’ll need to keep in mind what you’ll spend the most time doing on your island! If it’s cooking, consider placing a hob on top of it. If you’re thinking of it as a cleaning space, maybe install a sink, or think about integrating a dishwasher. The balance between practicality and aesthetic pleasure is really what makes an open-plan kitchen worthwhile. For us, they’re the quintessential option for anyone who wants to create the perfect kitchen-diner combination.

With 35 years of experience behind us here at Kitchen Design Centre, our designers are passionate about helping you get the kitchen of your dreams. If you’re in need of some extra inspiration though – drop by our Blackburn kitchen showroom (or our other designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester or Barrowford) where you can sit down for a chat to let us know exactly what sort of requirements you have. We’re here to help!

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Quooker’s combination of innovation and cutting-edge sophistication has made it a firm favourite for our customers, earning it a prestige that even rivals that of Neff, one of the world’s foremost kitchen appliance manufacturers. We’re proud to retain a longstanding relationship with the company right here at Kitchen Design Centre, and you’ll frequently see gleaming Quooker taps in many of our finished customer kitchens.

In recognition of that relationship, the Quooker team recently sent a lovely surprise over to our kitchen designers over at our showrooms! The team enjoyed a visit from Quooker who sent We Are Smart Bar, a premium fresh coffee, hot drink and snack service, all served from a converted smart car. A fabulous range of hot drinks and snacks were provided, and Quooker left the team with a fantastic goodie box of hot chocolate bombs and cakes for the team to enjoy.

“They were absolutely delicious,” said Simon Thomas, one of the designers at our Barrowford showroom. “We’re always open to new cuisine experiences at Kitchen Design Centre, and between the beautifully presented treats and the quirky smart car idea, this one has been quite distinctive!”

If you’re considering enhancing your kitchen with a high-tech Quooker tap, you can read one of our previous posts to find out more about them, and what value they can add to your kitchen. You can also watch a short video to find out how the technology has evolved over the years, and why it’s now seen as the safest and most sustainable option.

Got more questions? Our talented kitchen designers will be only too happy to answer them. For more information on Quooker and how a Quooker tap can transform your life, feel free to pop into any one of our stunning showrooms across the North West in Failsworth Manchester, Urmston Manchester, or Blackburn, Barrowford or Liverpool, where one of our designers will be only too happy to sit down with you and discuss. Our passion is to make your vision a reality!

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What is a Quooker tap?

In a nutshell, a Quooker tap gives you instant access to boiling, 100°C water on demand. No more waiting for pans or kettles to boil, just a quick turn of the mechanism is all it takes. With its minimalist contemporary look, it would be fair to assume that the Quooker tap is quite a new invention, but it’s not! First designed by Dutch engineer Henri Peteri all the way back in the 1970s, throughout the last three decades it’s evolved through various designs and additional features, but the basic concept has stayed the same.

High tech convenience

When Henri first developed the Quooker tap, he was working for Unilever to develop instant soup for the wider public. Instead of waiting for the pan to boil, he hit on the idea of having the boiling water come straight from the tap to make the soup truly instant, and a beautiful, revolutionary idea was born!

Nowadays, though, you can make so much more than soup with it. The video demonstrates a few uses, and you can also:

• Sterilise dummies
• Cook vegetables
• Cook rice and pasta
• Clean pots and pans
• Fill hot water bottles
• Make tea, coffee or hot chocolate

“The safest and most sustainable option”

Almost all of us have had brushes with boiling water at some point, and the designers of the modern Quooker tap are all too aware of the importance of care and safety. That’s why they’ve designed a number of features to help you avoid scalds and burns. For example, in order to access the boiling water you’ve got to use the unique push and turn mechanism, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally brushing a lever with your elbow or wrist! (There are a couple more of these useful features, too – the video goes into greater detail.)

Of course, if you can’t watch the video for whatever reason, or if you’ve got more questions about the Quooker tap, we’re only too happy to answer them here at Kitchen Design Centre! Our expert designers know our high-tech kitchen gadgets inside out, and we’d love to help you figure out which ones you want most in your kitchen. You can stop by any of our designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn and Barrowford for a chat about how to bring your ideas to life.

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We’ll be dealing with three main aspects of your kitchen:

• Your kitchen appliances
• A neat idea for a kitchen island
• Some great ideas for storage

Right then – let’s get right into it!

Economising on your kitchen appliances

As with most things to do with ergonomic kitchens, choosing the right appliances for your space is all a matter of efficiency, which means that appliances with dual roles are truly going to shine. Double ovens make a great example – exactly like those featured in this ultra-modern kitchen for Mr and Mrs Redmond – as are compact microwaves. (Here at Kitchen Design Centre, our kitchen appliances are all sourced from industry-leading supplier Neff, which is internally renowned for the flawless aesthetics and effortless functionality of their appliances.)

When it comes to your kitchen worktops, choosing a single rather than a double bowl sink could save you as much as a few feet of counter space. Double bowl sinks are wonderful if you’ve got the space for them, but if not then you may well find that a farmhouse style is perfectly spacious enough! In fact, a single-bowl undermount sink is often ideal – the edge of the sink itself is concealed so that you can benefit from marginally more space, which might make all the difference to the available elbow room! A Quooker tap can also save you valuable counter space that might be taken up by a kettle.

In fact, if you’re redesigning your kitchen from scratch (or outlining your requirements to one of our own amazing kitchen designers), it’s worth looking at the your layout to see if there are any other appliances or utensils, such as toasters for example, that you could do without. When it comes to designing an ergonomic kitchen, every square inch counts.

Making the most of your kitchen island

If you’ve got the luxury of space to have a kitchen island in the first place, it presents another prime opportunity to refine the design of your ergonomic kitchen! An all-in-one island can make your life easier by both housing storage containers underneath and preparation space on top, freeing up valuable room elsewhere in your kitchen. You can even integrate appliances onto your island such as a sink or a stove, for additional functionality, or use bar seating to make a miniature dining area – not a luxury afforded in many ergonomic kitchens!

Maximising your storage

It can be easy to fall into the trap of overcrowding your walls with storage units – eventually, rather than being helpful, the constant opening and closing of doors can often end up getting in the way. If you need extra storage, it’s often best to stick with a single wall of cupboards, and some open shelving. In fact, speaking of wall-mounted storage, S-hooks for your utensils are always a brilliant idea. Not only is it useful, but it also looks fantastic, and gives a real flair of personality to your contemporary kitchen.

You can also explore built-in storage options such as pull-out pantries, which can be tucked into even the tightest of spaces while still providing easy access to pots, pans and other utensils. If you’ve only got cutlery in your drawers, it might be worth considering whether you can place another layer of removable internal shelving within a single drawer. You can put your most frequently-used utensils on the top layer, removing it occasionally to access your posh cutlery or less frequently-used utensils underneath. Being able to pack several sets of cutlery into one drawer can then free up valuable space elsewhere.

Tall kitchen units are also your best friend – as you can see in several of our previous case studies – both for the Redmonds (whom we mentioned above) and the Social Kitchen Diner. Kitchen cabinetry that reaches to the ceiling can provide you with the maximum amount of storage without taking up extra floorspace, and as an extra bonus, ceiling-high cabinets can help visually expand the space.

On that note, modern handleless kitchens are often the best option for ergonomic kitchens, as their clean lines and minimalist look can also help to give the kitchen a spacious feel. This is exactly the approach our designer John Crosby took when designing this modern ergonomic kitchen for Mr and Mrs Glacy.

You can click the link above to explore how his design made maximum use of the space – or alternatively, stop by any of our designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn or Barrowford, where our talented kitchen designers will happily discuss their creative ideas on how to make your dream kitchen a reality!

The post Our top tips to designing your very own ergonomic kitchen appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

1. How Much Do I Need To Spend On A Built-In Oven?

It makes sense to get started with one of the first questions on everybody’s lips when they start looking at in-built ovens – how much will it cost? As you might have guessed, the answer can vary hugely.

For a decent single oven you’re probably going to be looking at a figure closer to £550, whereas for an excellent double oven – like this one we installed for Mr and Mrs Redmond – you’ll be looking at ones in the £825 range. Remember, a good oven should last you at least a decade, so that initial investment does even out quite quickly! And remember, how much you’ll spend also depends on the answer to…

2. What Type Of Oven Do I Need?

Your kitchen should be a reflection of your personality, so here at Kitchen Design Centre we’re firm believers in buying the appliances that suit your exact needs. A brilliant advantage to buying your oven when you redesign your modern kitchen is that space doesn’t pose as much of an issue as it would if you were trying to slot it into your existing layout.

a) Should I have a single or a double oven?

There are four main categories of oven to choose from. Every one of them is roughly 60cm wide – it’s only their heights that vary. They are:

• A double built-in oven (Height: 90cm x Width: 60cm)
• A double built-under oven (Height: 70cm x Width: 60cm)
• Single oven (Height: 60cm x Width: 60cm)
• Compact oven (Height: 45cm x Width: 60cm)

Built-under ovens, as you might have guessed, are designed to go under a hob. On the other hand, built-in ovens are designed to be installed at eye level – which is handier for putting in and taking out food. Depending on your preferences, you’ve got a couple of options with a single oven, which can be installed at either hob or eye level. If space is at a premium, compact built in ovens are great for fitting snugly into a limited space. It’s up to you!

b) What size of oven should I get?

This can be a bit of a tricky one. Manufacturers use the total internal volume of their ovens as a guide for consumers to work out their size, but you’ve got to think outside the box a little – literally! It’s not just about total space, as you’ve got to factor in the layout and the positioning of shelves, for example, both of which can make a noticeable difference in how much food you’re able to comfortably fit inside the oven. This means that oddly, you could theoretically fit in more food into some ‘smaller’ ovens as you could with some bigger ones!

Now, we’re not saying you automatically shouldn’t trust these measurements – just make sure you’re thinking about it from all angles before you commit to a decision!

A few quick facts to know:

• Internal space is generally measured in litres, ranging from roughly between 51 to 76 litres.
• The average capacity of a single oven is around 64 litres
• The average capacity of a double oven is often around 64 litres for the main cavity and 35 for the smaller space

c) Should I Get A Conventional, Fan Or Multi-Cooking Oven?

Once again, that depends, as each excel in certain conditions. Conventional ovens heat food using two heating elements, one on top and one on the bottom. If you’re designing your kitchen for baking, it’s possible you’ll want to consider it, as many cakes, soufflés and flans turn out marvellously well with just top and bottom heat.

Your next option is a fan oven, which are often better at distributing heat evenly throughout the cavity. True fan ovens use single heating elements around their fans and are notably more useful for cooking food faster, as the hot air is constantly moving around inside the cavity. They’re distinguishable from ‘fan-assisted’ ovens, which is another term for a conventional oven that uses a fan to spread the heat more effectively inside. (You probably guessed that, though.)

With double built in ovens, you’ll often find that the main oven uses a fan, and the smaller oven operates a conventional oven, giving you a welcome flexibility when deciding which one is going to help you most in producing your latest culinary masterpiece!

Multi-function ovens are the most popular option for most of our customers here at Kitchen Design Centre, produced by industry-leading supplier Neff. These incorporate top and bottom heat, a grill and a fan, for top efficiency and flexibility when cooking – you can choose to use each of them independently, or even in combination. For example, you can achieve the perfect crispy top on a lasagne by using the top heat to give it a bit of browning once it’s cooked through. Multi-function ovens also have a defrost setting, which is not only faster than keeping your food on the side for a few hours, but is also more helpful for protecting it from the paws of wandering pets or the energy of excited children!

Plus, Neff multi function ovens are becoming far more mainstream than they used to be, as they’re taken up by designer kitchen showrooms all over the country – making it easier than ever to find more options that suit your budget.

And If You Need Any Help…

If you want our opinion, we’d often lean towards a Neff multi-function oven – it’s a common staple of all the best contemporary kitchens! It’s got a stunning versatility to match its intuitive controls, and our status as a Neff Master Partner means we’ve got a great depth of expertise when it comes to smoothly integrating it into your modern kitchen design.

In fact, our talented designers are always happy to advise on anything you might need help on as you realise the vision of your dream kitchen. Drop into our Blackburn kitchen showroom (or our other designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester or Barrowford) where you can sit down for a chat to let us know exactly what sort of requirements you have. We’re here to help!

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We Should All Take The Time To Enjoy Our Food

This one’s simple: if you love your food, it’s only logical to take the time to enjoy it. This is especially the case if you’ve cooked your meals. It would be a shame to go to all that trouble preparing that food if you can’t take the time to savour the fruits of your labours! But it goes deeper than that, too – from TV to newspapers, we’re surrounded by media that, for some reason, often turns eating into some kind of challenge. Entertainment magazines are particularly notable culprits, with headlines capitalising words like DIET or SLIM NOW. That’s not a healthy way to think of it! First and foremost, food needs to be enjoyed. It’s a pleasure, not a punishment. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight, for example, but demonising food in general isn’t the way to do it.

If you want, you can be selective in choosing your ingredients, and get creative with innovative kitchen appliances to pursue new meals, but the key thing to remember is that you can find beautiful, delicious food to suit any lifestyle. You shouldn’t ever feel like outside pressures (which includes lifestyle changes or tight schedules) get in the way of allowing you to enjoy your mealtimes at home. If you want, you can think of them as your daily reward for successfully dealing with everything that’s thrown at you all day – you deserve something special!

You Eat Better Food

One of the most marvellous aspects to eating at home is that, by making time for quality mealtimes in family kitchens, you’ll often be eating better quality meals by default. Corner shop sandwiches and supermarket ready meals are pretty notoriously high in calories, salt and fat, which is one of the many reasons why eating on-the-go can be so bad for us, especially if they appear quick and easy fixes.

On the other hand, if you’re using your own kitchen appliances and utensils to whip up some lovely meals from scratch, you know exactly what’s going in your food, and how much of it there is. Ultimately, the whole family eats better, making you all fitter and healthier in the long run – and possibly saving you a bit of money in the shorter term, too!

You Love Spending Quality Time With Your Loved Ones

Our designers regularly achieve feats of kitchen design in all sorts of styles. And whether we’re creating contemporary kitchens, traditional kitchens or something new entirely, one requirement we hear the most often from our customers is to make their spaces family-centric. It’s no wonder – the dinner table acts as a unifier for family, a daily meeting place for you all to gather and share stories and laughter together, while bonding over delicious food.

You might be interested to know that as well as being wonderful for you, regular dinnertimes with your family even have mental health benefits. Taking the time to unwind with your loved ones each evening can relieve daily stresses and tension – according to some studies, parents are amongst the people who feel these benefits most keenly. You can’t get quite the same effect from a bowl of microwave rice at 10pm!

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, every one of our talented kitchen designers has a singular goal in mind: to realise every inch of your perfect kitchen. That way, creating your meals can be just as fulfilling as eating them! Pop into any one of our designer kitchen showrooms in Blackburn, Manchester or Barrowford, and one of our designers will be only too happy to sit down with you and see how we can help you achieve the vision you have for your space.

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What Will You Be Cooking?

Obviously, certain types of cooking lend themselves particularly well to being family activities, so it’s a good idea to consider those early. You may have seen our recent blog about baking, which is a great example of what we’re talking about. Baking is an ideal family activity as it encourages creativity, and like pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, the results are always sweet – making it a big children’s favourite! It’s worth remembering they’re usually foods for sharing, too – again, making them great for a family activity!

Make Your Life Easier With Your Kitchen’s Layout

When cooking with particularly young children, a kitchen island is always an excellent choice. From a practical perspective, it keeps the messier activities confined to a single place, which might well make it easier for you to clean up afterwards. It also makes things safer – you can keep the more adult tasks (like chopping and blending) on your kitchen worktops, and keep the fun, safe activities (like mixing and whisking) on the kitchen island.

If you’re instead focused on keeping the island as simply a dining space, you’re also very likely to notice the benefit when the meal is almost done, too. Children and teenagers are notoriously impatient, so when the meal is finished, being able to transition directly from cooking to serving (without having to ferry plates from room to room) means that you can all be sitting down and eating in next to no time at all. It also means you get to keep an eye on the table, and make sure no one grabs a sneaky bite before everyone else has started!

Think About Appliances And Cabinetry

When it comes to safety and convenience – two of the most vital considerations with family cooking – appliances like the induction hob are fantastic combinations of the two. It uses an electromagnetic circuit to heat pans, so it’s only on for as long as the pan itself is in contact. This makes it far harder for children to accidentally burn themselves, while having the neat bonus of being easier and more efficient to use for you, too.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking at cabinetry we’d always recommend gloss cabinets, which are easier to clean and wipe down if you’re anticipating a bit of mess when cooking with family. Handleless cabinetry is also ideal, as it can be quite effective in reducing the temptation for exceptionally young children to tug at them and pull them open – a common response when they see mysterious handles! It’s worth remembering that doesn’t mean they won’t be opened, though, so make sure you’re smart about where everything’s kept. (In short, nothing sharp in drawers close to the ground!)

Don’t forget, our talented kitchen designers here at Kitchen Design Centre are always here to help. If you’re a bit stuck for inspiration, pop into your nearest designer kitchen showroom in Blackburn, Manchester or our brand new location in Barrowford, and one of our team will be only too happy to help you realise your dream vision for your kitchen!

The post How To Design The Perfect Kitchen For Cooking With Family appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

1. Baking Encourages Creativity In The Kitchen

Baking is a skill that’s well known as being easy to pick up, but very hard to master. This makes it perfect for anyone, from the culinary expert to the aspiring hobbyist chef. If you’re a member of the first group, you can use your kitchen to its fullest potential, taking advantage of its layout, storage and appliances to whip up some mouth-watering baked goods. Meanwhile, if you’re just starting out, you can familiarise yourself with your kitchen as you go along, working your way up the recipe book to the most complex of cakes!

Baking is also a great outlet for creativity. Lots of our customers are creative people, as you can tell from a quick glance through our case studies. This recent ultra-modern design is the work of our own kitchen designer Maxine being guided by our customers’ creative input, resulting in a truly original design. With an open mind and confidence in the kitchen, there’s no end to what you might be able to create!

2. Baking Helps Bonding In The Kitchen

If you learned to cook from an early age, it’s likely that baking was your first foray into the kitchen. Children love baking with their parents because of the appeal in pretty colours in the icing, the safety of the methods, and the sweetness of the final results. Not to mention, of course, the cheeky taste of chocolate here and there when baking! Activities like baking give parents peace of mind in terms of safety, and children plenty of opportunity to explore the world of cooking, turning the kitchen into a marvellous place for family bonding.

3. Baking Brings Us Together!

All mealtimes are social occasions, but baking is especially so. We’ve just mentioned above how the act of baking itself is a valuable chance for some bonding, and that applies to enjoying the final results, too! There’s a reason that cakes and pastries are so often used for bake sales and community events – they’re fantastic sharing foods, which makes them amazing for family mealtimes at home. After all, mealtimes at home are inherently social events, where family members congregate in the kitchen to bond, enjoy shared family values and tell stories of their day. And with some beautiful baking, you can squeeze one or two more of those get-together events every once in a while – and with some wonderful cake and biscuits, too! It’s just one more reason why baking is perfect to help you make the most of your kitchen; the very heart of your home.

Here at Kitchen Design Centre, lots of our talented designers are keen cooks too, which means we understand your passion for wonderful food! We firmly believe that your dream kitchen should reflect your personality, moulding itself to your favourite ways of cooking and living. Pop into any one of our designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn or Colne, where any one of our designers will be only too happy to sit down with you and discuss your plans!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @modernkitchens

The post 3 Great Reasons To Love Baking in Your Dream Kitchen appeared first on Kitchen Design Centre.

Storage Is Essential

As any successful baker knows, you need a treasure trove of ingredients in order to make the most delicious meals when baking. That means you’ve got to be able to reach your flour, sugar and lemon juice at a moment’s notice – you won’t want to have to keep crossing the kitchen to fetch them! It’s not just those, either; there are all sorts of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger that you’ll want to keep close by, too. For that reason, you’ll want deep drawers to keep your baking ingredients in, if at all possible.

You’ll also be grateful for deep drawers – or at least tall ones – when bringing out and putting away your trays and baking pans. For these reasons alone, if you’re redesigning your kitchen it’s the drawers and cabinetry that you’ll want to have a look at first. (If space is at a premium, some people even find that a rolling cart can be helpful, so you can bring your ingredients trundling across the kitchen with you!)

Give Yourself Plenty Of Elbow Room

Kitchen worktops and islands are key considerations at the best of times, but giving yourself enough counter space to work should be at the top of your list of priorities when designing your kitchen for baking. You’ll need bowls, scales, whisks, ingredients, utensils…and preferably the ability to use them without sending anything crashing to the floor, too. Many cooks find that kitchen islands fulfil this role beautifully, as rather than tucked up in one cramped corner of your worktop, you’ve got plenty of room to prepare.

It’s also worth noting that lots of bakers actually prefer their work surfaces to be slightly lower than they might normally be in other kitchens. This is so they can get the right amount of leverage to press down and roll out dough or knead bread. If you’re designing your kitchen from scratch, this might be something worth considering. Of course, if you’ve not got the budget or the time for it, you can always achieve the same effect with a dedicated ‘baking stool’ (yes, it’s a real thing), and standing on that for anything that needs that extra bit of force.

Be Smart About Kitchen Technology

There’s one other final point that’s possibly not quite as well known as the others – in recent years, more and more cooking professionals are singing the praises of ‘tech corners’. “What’s that got to do with baking?” you might ask. Well, bakers often need a variety of electronic appliances and utensils like food mixers and processors, and they often need several to be running at the same time. A dedicated ‘tech corner’ complete with the right number of power sockets, can really make your job easier, rather than stretching wires and cables across your worktops.

Even if you’re not planning on baking on that sort of scale, casual bakers can still get a lot of use out of a tech corner. If nothing else, it can be a place to plug in your iPhone, iPad or laptop to follow online how-tos or tutorials, so you can learn as you cook. Obviously, make sure to keep any electronic devices well out of the way of whisks or chocolate-covered spoons!

Finally, if you’re planning on transforming your entire kitchen into one that’s perfect for baking, you’re going to need appliances that are up to the job. A wall-mounted oven is the perfect solution to all your baking needs, especially as it saves you having to bend down all the time to put your meals into it. At Kitchen Design Centre, we’re proud to be an official Master Partner for Neff, a leading industry supplier of ovens and other powerful kitchen appliances.

If you want to see them in action, you can pop into any of our designer kitchen showrooms in Manchester, Blackburn or Colne, where one of our talented designers will be only too happy to perform a demonstration!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @modernkitchens

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