At home in the kitchen

NEW GENERATION professionals generally have very little time for a home-cooked meal, even assuming they have the space and equipment to prepare one. The typical lifestyle of a working urbanite involves an active blend between work, activities and socialising and this leaves very little (or no) time for cooking. 

Swedish furniture giant Ikea is out to change these habits with the introduction of a series of convenient kitchenware that fits seamlessly into your lifestyle, without compromising your space. This year’s catalogue, with the theme “The Little Things That Matter”, focuses on the kitchen and how food brings the family together. 

 The busy life of an urbanite is best suited to a single-sided kitchen layout. This kind of layout works best in smaller spaces and the main functions such as the washing up station, cooking and storage are all in a line. This set up is ideal if you are living alone, and you won’t need to rush around looking for your pans or wash sauce off a plate if everything is within arm’s reach. This space is designed with the comfort of the cook in mind, which means it is tailored for the busy, go-getter lifestyle. 

Apart from kitchen layout, the Metod series is essentially an ‘on the go’ kitchen which can adapt to your preferred looks and functions, with everything from doors to drawers in a thousand combinations, no matter how small your space. A smart and customised kitchen, Metod uses a simple modular approach which lets you combine cabinets and doors in whichever way that suits you best, so that you could fit a dream kitchen in your already dream home. 

“Ikea is always a step ahead when it comes to your home needs. This is why even the utility surface is calculated to 40cm on either side so that hot pots can be put down quickly. It can also work as a working space or a place to put your favourite mugs or plant pots. We work on the concept of never letting you waste an inch of space, without cluttering your place, and you can still display all of your favourite things. Aside from calculating the utility surface so that it is fully utilised, we recommend you to place the dish drainer away from the cooking unit. A minimum of 40-60 cm of counter space is recommended to save you time when scrubbing dishes,” says Patrice Dreano, Ikea Bang Na store manager.

Space becomes the most important thing if you’re confined in your home or apartment. Cooking even one simple dish can require two pans, three dishes and a big pot. It’s difficult to find places for your things, especially if you want to keep things clean and nice looking for whenever friends come and visit. Storage like the kitchen trolley and rail system are functional storage devices but can also act as part of the decoration. A kitchen trolley on wheels can also act as a beverage trolley, which is ideal for when you want to host dinner parties. 

Among the new products designed to improve life in the kitchen even in small ways are the Boholmen chopping board that can be placed over the sink to make an extra work surface and the Fintorp magnetic knife rack, which makes it easy for you to see and reach all your different knives. Equally practical is the Stabil splatter screen, the handle of which can be folded down to save space. 

“The future of food does not have to mean the elimination of home-cooked meals. The future of cooking lies in sustainability and convenience. A self-contained kitchen that accommodates your space allows the possibility of more home cooked meals,” adds Dreano.