An Efficient Kitchen

An Efficient KHchen Sorting your kitchen's efficiency at an early stage will serue to ensure your activities in the most important room of run more smoothly. your home The Efficient Work Triangle... In every kitchen there are 3 main components that make up the 'work triangle'. The refrigerator - where food is stored, the sink - where food is washed, and the stove/oven - where the food is cooked. The path to each of these should be very easy. Sink refrigerator stove/oven OO O O work triangle Layout work surfaces Smaller kitchens A work surface, or countertop area should ideally be located between each of the work triangle areas. Therefore, between the refrigerator and sink, and between the sink and stove/oven, a A work area in each space may not be possible due to space. Incorporate use of multifunctional work areas. countertop area is ideal. An Efficient Kitchen Island... Consider placing one or more of the work triangle functions here Islands in smaller kitchens can be on sink wheels so can be moved out of the way The island should have extra storage Has space for seating Kitchen Shape U Shape FOR Offers three sides or walls for the work triangle to be efficient. The cook can maximize their time in the kitchen and won't get distracted by traffic walking through the kitchen. AGAINST Multiple people working in the kitchen at one time may be difficult. L Shape FOR Allows for more space saving because two of the work triangle functions are on the same wall. Easier to entertain from, since it is open up to the adjacent room on one side. AGAINST Ample counter space room should be given in the crook of the L for maximum usage. If not, the kitchen will work less efficiently due to less room to prepare and cook the food. Galley Shape FOR In this plan the walls are parallel with all of the work triangle functions. It is very efficient due to less area to travel and is ideal for space saving. AGAINST Not ideal for a lot of people in the kitchen because the traffic area is also the cook preparation area. Can also be difficult to entertain from, unless one wall is open to an adjacent room with a seating bar for example. Efficient Appliances Dishwasher Washing dishes by hand uses much more water than using a dishwasher. Scrape rather than rinse your dishes. Pre-rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher can use up to 20 gallons (75litres) of water annually. If your dirty dishes are going to sit overnight, use your dishwasher's rinse feature. It uses a fraction of the water needed to hand rinse. Faucets/Taps Faucets account for more than 15% of indoor household water use. Be sure to fix a leaky kitchen faucet immediately; gallons/litres of water can be wasted daily from what appears to be a minor leak. O Fridges/Freezers Make sure your fridge door seals are airtight. Don't keep the fridge door open for longer than necessary. Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Place fridges and freezers in the coolest area possible. It is best to always keep the fridge and freezer full; (newspapers or plastic bags will suffice to pack that freezer!) The less space available for cold air inside, the less cold air can escape when the door is opened. References ND freshome.com/2010/10/03/how-to-layout-an-efficient-kitchen-floor-plan/ www.epa.gov/greenhomes/Kitchen.htm www.greenhome.ie/Energy/In_the_kitchen NOEL DEMPSEY Kitchen & Bedroom Design www.noeldempsey.com