Is cooking more than just a chore to you? When it comes to home renovations, everyone has that one thing in mind, that one key feature they feel would really complete their home. And if you’re a passionate home cook, chances are you’ve always dreamt of that perfect chef’s kitchen. The good news is that creating your dream chef’s kitchen doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. But, unless you already have your dream kitchen mapped out, you’ve probably wondered what makes a chef’s kitchen at some point. Let’s take a closer look.
What makes a Chef’s Kitchen?
The term “chef’s kitchen” is one that’s used very loosely. By definition, a chef’s kitchen is any kitchen designed to meet a professional chef’s (or home cook’s!) needs and support what they do. In other words, it’s a custom kitchen designed and built based on a specific chef’s needs, meaning that no two kitchens are alike. There are, however, a few common differences that separate chef’s kitchens from typical home kitchens.
Space
Chefs need plenty of space and room to move around as they work on complex recipes, and the same goes for home cooks. If you’re one yourself, you’ve undoubtedly faced the frustration of running out of space right as you’re in the middle of completing your next culinary masterpiece. To overcome this issue, many professional chef’s kitchens are split into sections focused around one or more central islands.
While splitting your current kitchen may not be necessary, or even possible, adding an island to is relatively simple. Speaking of which, it’s not surprising that islands are becoming an increasingly popular request in recent kitchen renovations and remodels. After all, any home cook worth their salt understands the benefits of having more space in their chef’s kitchen and how much an island can contribute to that.
Function and flow
Have you ever visited a successful restaurant and watched the chefs work? How they all seem perfectly synchronized and move with incredible fluidity? While years of industry experience helps, the reason chefs can move so swiftly and precisely is the fact that chef’s kitchens are designed with function and flow in mind. This means placing everything a chef needs close to them and minimizing the distances they need to travel — no mad dashes between the fridge and the stove.
It’s no secret that most modern home kitchens aren’t designed in the same way, and likely, yours isn’t either. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your house was badly designed, however, just that it wasn’t designed with your specific needs in mind. Thankfully, a custom home renovation is a great way to ensure that you work directly with professional designers whose job it is to perfectly tailor your home and kitchen to your needs.
Professional Appliances
If you take your cooking seriously, then you already know the value of professional kitchen appliances. And we’re not talking about simple countertop appliances like blenders and spice grinders. Most professional chef’s kitchens are fitted with top-of-the-line kitchen equipment, such as sub-zero fridges and freezers, gas ranges, convection ovens, warming drawers, deep sinks, and plenty of pull-out drawers. What’s more, they generally include more than one of the same appliance.
The right appliances make cooking easier, more convenient, and quicker. They allow you to pull off feats like cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner without risking dishes going cold as you wait for oven space or one of your sides to finish cooking. While multiple dishwashers and a fancy eight-burner two-oven range setup might seem excessive to some, a lack of professional appliances might just be what’s keeping you from your dream chef’s kitchen.
Which of these kitchen features do you need the most?
We know it can feel overwhelming to embark on a remodeling project when there are so many options out there. But, working with a good renovation company (like us) takes a lot of the stress and guesswork out of the process for you.
Are you in Calgary and thinking about revamping your kitchen? Then check out our kitchen renovation and design services. More than just a renovation company, we build on your vision and refine it to ensure it’s the best it can be. Our goal is to exceed your expectations and turn your dreams into reality. Get in touch today to get started.