Someone’s in the kitchen
By Jean Elliott, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
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It might be the aroma of fresh brewed coffee or the spicy scent of hot apple pie. Maybe it’s the measured rhythms of a stovetop percolator or the hiss and burble of a complex espresso machine; the clang of pots and pans or the gentle but insistent beeping of a modern appliance completing its programmed cycle. Whatever feelings these scents and sounds evoke, they bring to the individual distinctly different images of someone moving about the kitchen in times either present or past, and announce the production of a meal in the making, with all its attendant activities.
In an effort to discover the ways in which design and function of this critical home space have changed over time, the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) contracted a comprehensive examination of current practices with researchers from Virginia Tech’s Center for Real Life Kitchen Design. NKBA, which produces a professional research library and offers a Certified Kitchen Designers Program, is a recognized leader in setting kitchen design standards.
On the Virginia Tech side of the endeavor, three professors from the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management lead the field in kitchen design research: Julia Beamish, JoAnn Emmel, and Kathleen Parrott. In 2000, this trio teamed up to conduct an extensive, multistage research project that addressed five areas of inquiry: 1) who is cooking, 2) how people cook, 3) what people have in their kitchens, 4) what people do in their kitchens, and 5) what people want in their kitchens. The results of this project are reflected in their book, Kitchen Planning, published in spring 2007.
The Research
The Virginia Tech research project had three distinct segments. A content analysis of more than 100 related articles in 19 different trade publications provided insights and helped the team design a 52-question interview and survey instrument.
Next, a two-phase laboratory activity assessed family use of kitchen space. First, a personal interview gathered information on the participants’ household, food shopping, and preparation patterns, as well as current kitchen design and use in relation to storage, counter space, and appliances. Then a videotaped cooking activity conducted in the Center for Real Life Kitchen Design revealed how kitchen space was actually put to use during meal preparation. Demographic data and measurements of physical characteristics were also collected. For access purposes, the sample of more than 75 participants was drawn from the local university area, and was varied in terms of gender, height, age, ability, and household type. Sometimes multiple cooks shared activities.
The third segment of the project focused on fairly lengthy telephone interviews conducted with 630 randomly selected adult respondents from various areas of the United States. Both the national and local samples used in the project were similar in demographic makeup, and more than 90 percent were from households of fewer than four people, most commonly either a family or an adult couple. Participants represented a wide range of age and income brackets, and most owned their own home. The national sample was equally divided between small town, rural, city, and suburban residents.
Historic Perspective of Kitchen Design
Kitchen space standards evolved from an analysis of the work that is performed there. The results of industrialization during the 19th and 20th centuries, such as fewer servants and a rising middle class, brought social and technological changes into the home. Early changes included such innovations as indoor plumbing, work centers, compartmentalized storage, and mechanized food preparation equipment. Later, increasing electrification of homes fueled even greater change. The home economics movement introduced scientific concepts of time management and work simplification, with greater emphasis placed on efficiency and sanitation.
When the “work triangle” concept came into being, the arrangement of the preparation, cooking, and clean-up workspaces was given design precedence, along with associated counter space and storage requirements. This arrangement is still basic to today’s kitchen design, and is often thought of in terms of appliance areas: refrigerator; cook-top/range/microwave; sink/dishwasher.
Summary of Key Findings
American kitchens, a traditional hub in the home, continue to be busy places. We still cook there on a frequent and regular basis, and this is especially true in family or couple households. More than 70 percent of the national sample prepared meals five or more times per week.
“Along with meal preparation, we also use our kitchens for eating, socializing, managing the household, and recreating,” says Parrott. “Many of these activities require counter or table space and seating for multiple persons and various activities. In general, generous amounts of counter space with separate areas for assembling ingredients, food preparation, and for other activities were prized by most.”
Who is cooking? Project surveys show that in most households (67 percent), one person does most of the cooking, though others may be in the kitchen during food preparation. When two people in the family share this responsibility, they usually take turns cooking. According to both the national survey and laboratory observations, only 13 percent actually cook together. Singles cook and use their kitchens for other activities less frequently than do other types of households.
How do people cook? The microwave has become a frequently used appliance in American homes, with many people reporting greater use of the microwave than of the range/cook top. It has become a major player in the work triangle of most kitchen designs, joining or even usurping the primacy of more traditional cooking appliances.
“The sink continues to be a focal point in food preparation,” says Emmel. “Frequent hand washing of some dishes was reported, especially in smaller households. Pre-rinsing dishes before placing in the dishwasher was also found to be a common practice.”
People in the laboratory segment of the project used the counter space adjoining the sink for a variety of food preparation and cleanup tasks.
Easy, centralized access to trash disposal in close proximity to the sink was considered important, as specifically noted by laboratory participants. Many also prefer to store recyclables in the kitchen.
“Modes of food preparation are diverse and include frequent activities such as cooking and baking from scratch and grilling outdoors,” says Beamish. “Most people reported frequent use of fresh produce as opposed to its canned or frozen counterparts, and use of convenience foods was below what we expected to find.”
Another surprise was the low incidence of those resorting to carryout food (40 percent nationally). Less frequently noted were those food preparations that were more complex or required special ingredients, techniques, or equipment.
What do people have in their kitchens? Most households have a refrigerator, range, dishwasher, and microwave; garbage disposals and built-in ovens appear in a minority. Responses indicate an average of 12 small appliances per household, with four typically stored on the counter. Pantries are common (50 percent), but many also find it necessary to store many items on counter tops along with their small appliances.
What do people want in their kitchens? Most people are content with the kitchens they have, even when they would like to make some improvements. Those who had design input or have had opportunity to remodel are more satisfied than those who have not. Many would like their kitchens to “fit” better, by which they mean things like access, reach, counter height, and storage efficiency. Along with efficiency and organization, people are asking for “more:” more space, more storage, more cabinets, and more counters.
Conclusions
The results of the research indicate that contemporary kitchen designs must be multi-faceted, effectively and efficiently providing for a wide range of household activities along with food preparation tasks. The research team’s recommendations, which were incorporated into industry guidelines, include the need for flexibility to adapt to a variety of users and uses; the benefit of multiple preparation areas, especially in families with multiple cooks; the provision of adequate counter space adjacent to food prep areas; and consideration of needed counter storage space during planning.
Alternatives to standard wall and base cabinets might be useful in addressing spatial limitations and the need for greater accessibility; solutions might include pantry/tall cabinet storage, organizing devices, and improved use of available space. Multiple or flexible counter heights, strategically located, are desirable. Microwaves should be thoughtfully located within the work triangle, as well as trash containers, which should be located near the sink. (Note: recyclables are a separate function.)
So what? Although some of the current research confirms current standards such as the sink-focused work triangle, it also rendered some eye-opening surprises. The reported frequency and regularity of cooking activities was unexpected, while the kitchen as social gathering place came as no revelation.
