Do you enjoy cooking? While some homeowners aspire to have a clutter free kitchen, perfect for entertaining, others want a kitchen built for cooking and preparing food. Surprisingly, cooking from scratch only ranked #4 in homeowner interests, according to the 2018 Houzz Kitchen Trends Study.

Although not everyone may not enjoy cooking from scratch, we believe creating a kitchen with cooking in mind can be beneficial for any home. Thus, here are our top tips and trends for a cooking kitchen for 2018. Whether you are a cooking connoisseur, or if you plan on cooking more frequently for economical reasons, we hope that you'll get some inspiration from this post.

Creating Cooking Zones

When creating a kitchen for cooking, it is important to create a good working layout. This includes creating wider walkways to allow room for guests to pass by and perfecting the appliance zones. These include the sink, range, and refrigerator areas. By perfecting these zones, it will allow for a more efficient work flow and more enjoyable cooking experience.

Sink Zone

While there are many sink styles available on the market, we recommend farmhouse style or prep sinks for cooking kitchens since they often have larger basins. Installing a prep sink is a great option since it can have space for cutting boards, strainers, racks, and other accessories on the side. Along with a great sink, this zone should also house the dishwasher. In some larger kitchens, a dual dishwasher might be useful.

Range Zone

As for ranges, gas is often the most common choice for gourmet style kitchens since it provides the most control and accuracy while cooking. Depending on the amount of cooking you plan on doing, as well as the number of people you plan to cook for, it could be beneficial to upgrade from a 4 burner to 6 burner range.

Additionally, ranges with oversized hoods are becoming a big trend in recent kitchen design. That is because they can be personalized to the homeowner's style; in a sense, they can serve as as a sculptural piece of art in the space.

The range zone would also house any ovens, warming drawers, and microwaves.

Refrigeration Zone

If you have the space, it could be a good idea to invest in two refrigerators. The second refrigerator's main purpose would be dependent upon the type of cooking you plan on doing. A second refrigerator could be a great addition for extra food, such as homemade soups and sauces, or for bulky items that take up a significant amount of room in the main refrigerator. On the other hand, if you tend to cook while company is over, it could be beneficial to install a refrigerator for beverages. This allows guests to serve themselves without getting in the way of meal preparation.

Another placement to consider, that is often in this zone, is the trashcan. There is nothing worse than a guest having to reach around you to use the trashcan while you are preparing the meal. Two separate trashcans are ideal - one where guests may be walking by, and other in the prep/cooking area. However, this isn't feasible for many kitchens. If you kitchen layout doesn't support two trashcans, place the trashcan between the cooking area and walkway for guests to also access.

Materials and Finishes

As far as materials go, it is important to choose items that will withstand daily wear and tear. This is especially true for the countertop, which is why 42% of home renovators splurged on this item. While granite was the leading material choice for kitchen countertops for many years, only 34% of homeowners chose it for their remodels in 2017-2018. In comparison, quartz was favored by 43% of home renovators during this time. Quartz is a great option for a cooking kitchen since it is durable and requires less upkeep than granite.

Interested in quartz? We covered the advantages and disadvantages of quartz in a previous blog, read it here.

As far as appliance finishes, silver stainless steel continues to lead in kitchen trends for 2018. However, some manufacturers are coming out with black stainless and matt-black appliances. These are great options since they minimize the appearance of finger prints that often appear on silver stainless appliances, which is a large concern for most homeowners.

While there are many design tips that you can implement to make your kitchen more "cooking friendly", there is no one right way to design your kitchen. After all, your kitchen should work for the way you prefer to cook and bake. If you have any questions about getting started on your kitchen design, feel free to contact us. We proudly offer free estimates!