KBB - August 2008 - (Page 34)

Consumer Reality Check Research uncovers how homeowners really use their kitchens Understanding how clients use their kitchens is essential to creating designs that ﬁt their needs. We all know this, but we also make assumptions about things that are going to take place in every kitchen. Everyone uses the cooktop as their primary cooking appliance and everyone needs a dishwasher because that’s how they wash their dishes. Right? Maybe not. Before the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) began to revise its recently released Kitchen Planning Guidelines and Access Standards, it sought the help of researchers at Virginia Tech to determine which assumptions about kitchen planning were still accurate and to discover if any other user patterns were likely to affect the recommendations promoted by the NKBA in its guidelines and new resource library book, Kitchen Planning. More than half of the sample reported that they use the microwave about the same or more than their range and that it is most often located on the counter (57%). While 96% of the sample own a microwave, only 64% of them own a dishwasher. And follow-up questions with the cooking volunteers revealed that many single and couple households wash dishes by hand rather than wait for a fully loaded dishwasher. The ownership and use of small appliances vary. The number of small appliances the national sample owns ranges from 0 to 26; the median number is 12. Those most commonly owned are the standard mixer, toaster, blender and coffee maker, while those most frequently used on a daily basis are the coffee maker, toaster and electric can opener. The volunteer sample indicates that on average four small appliances are kept on the counter. More than 70% of those in the national sample prepare meals five or more times a week. A study was conducted in two phases to help answer these questions. In the ﬁrst phase, which involved a two-part study in the Center for Real Life Design at Virginia Tech, 75 volunteers answered a survey and prepared four set menus in three of the center’s kitchens. The cooking sessions were videotaped and reviewed to determine workflow and space usage patterns in food preparation, cooking and cleanup. For the second phase, a national telephone survey of 630 randomly selected adult respondents asked about their kitchens, as well as cooking habits and other activities that occur in the space. IMPACT ON PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS Implications from these ﬁndings have made their way into Kitchen Planning. The following highlights some of the planning recommendations related to the study of user activities in the kitchen: • The Center or Zone concept highlights the user’s requirements for speciﬁc tasks, as well as identifying appliance, storage, countertop and ﬂoor space needs related to the tasks. • Two cooks can be accommodated by planning multiple preparation areas, allowing the cooks to work independently. If the two really work together, extra-large preparation areas should be considered. • The microwave should be planned in a location that is consistent with how it is used. If it is a primary cooking appliance, it needs to be placed within or close to the primary cooking center. Adequate preparation areas need to be included at this center. • Increases in the total amount of counter space are recommended. This provides space for landing and preparation areas, as well as extra space at the back of the counter for storage of small appliances and other items. s KEY FINDINGS People still cook in their kitchens. More than 70% of those in the national sample prepare meals ﬁve or more times a week. Most often, one person in the household cooks, though others may be in the kitchen when they cook. In households with two cooks, both often take turns to avoid cooking at the same time; only 13% cook together. Similarly, at the Center, it was noted that two cooks tended to work independently, preparing their dishes separately in different locations in the kitchen. However, if they did prepare food together, it was most often as a teacher and student, with one helping and explaining the procedure to the other. Almost 50% of the national sample report often making food from scratch, while about one-third often bake or grill outdoors. About 25% of the sample “sometimes” freeze meals for later use or prepare gourmet foods. Over 75% of the sample reported using fresh produce often. —Julia O. Beamish, CKE, Kathleen R. Parrott, CKE, and JoAnn Emmel are professors in Virginia Tech’s Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management. Beamish is also the department’s graduate program director. Together with Mary Jo Peterson, they are the coauthors of the NKBA publication, Kitchen Planning. 34 + K BB August 2008 / www.kbbonline.com / The Ofﬁcial Sponsor of K/BIS www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com http://www.kbis.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - August 2008

KBB - August 2008
Contents
Online Contents
Online News
Editorial
Feedback
Dates
Digits
Opinion
Consumer
Trends
Products
Options
Profile
Design
Garden Variety
Privacy Act
Green
Access
Tech
Additions
Practice
Education
Editorial Index
Ad Index
Favorites

KBB - August 2008