If you delight in turning out the most scrumptious pies, cakes, and loaves of bread, having a good baker’s kitchen can make all the difference. It starts with having the right appliances. But a baker’s kitchen also needs smart design, including an organization system that provides easy access to a baker’s most important ingredients, as well as ample and convenient storage for all varieties of baking-related tools.
Whether you are designing a kitchen from scratch or remodeling your current one, our Certified Kitchen and Bath Designers have got some ideas for creating a space that will help your bread rise and your cupcakes sing.
Double up on appliances for baking success
Having two ovens for baking is ideal, says Lisa Hoffer, a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer with American Woodmark. A regular double oven works, or you can opt for a range, and a separate wall oven or oven in an island. A convection oven can be especially helpful, she says. “With convection heat, the fan circulates the hot air and things bake more evenly.”
Because baking requires so many large items, such as multiple mixing bowls, baking tins, and baking sheets, a dishwasher can quickly fill up. For that reason, having two dishwashers can also come in handy and save a baker time, says Tracey Burrell-Combs, a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer with American Woodmark.
Speaking of having space to accommodate large items, give careful consideration to the type of refrigerator/freezer you choose. “Many recipes call for refrigeration prior to baking. I would recommend a bottom freezer/refrigerator to accommodate quarter and half sheet pans,” Burrell-Combs says.
Best countertops for baking
Is a marble countertop essential for baking? Not necessarily, Hoffer says. Marble does help keep butter chilled while rolling out pie crusts, but so does granite.
It’s likely more important to think about creating the ideal height for rolling out a crust. “To roll a crust, you want to have seven or eight inches below your elbow,” Hoffer says. A typical countertop is 36 inches high, which may be too high for many (depending on how tall you are). “Table height, which is 28 or 30 inches may be just about right,” she says. Perhaps you can use your kitchen table, or create a dedicated space where the countertop steps down several inches.
Organization and storage for bakers
“If you currently keep a lot of stuff on your counter, when working with a designer, come up with a way to put all of that stuff away using all of the different Shenandoah cabinets that help with organization,” Hoffer says.
For example, a tray pull-out is an excellent way to store items like baking sheets Shenandoah also features drawers with roll-outs that allow for flat storage, and in a full-height cabinet, you can get as many as four roll-out trays. Storing racks and sheets vertically above the oven is another option. Or you can opt for large drawers with peg dividers.
Larger drawers are also essential for bakers who often use awkwardly shaped items that are difficult to store, like elevated cake plates and cupcake stands.
“Ideally, you’ll have a mix of closed and open storage. Open storage allows for easy access to items like mixing bowls or dry ingredients,” Burrell-Combs says. A utensil pull-out is helpful for quickly grabbing large spoons or rolling pins. If you have a beautiful mixer and want to display it, that’s terrific. But if you’d rather keep mixers, blenders, and food processors hidden, an appliance garage is your answer.
Finally, don’t forget about the secret ingredient for bakers: spices. “A baker needs to have easy access to spices,” Burrell-Comb says. Shenandoah offers base pantry pull-outs for spices as well as drawer inserts, so you can effortlessly grab that pinch of nutmeg and get that delicious pie in the oven.
If you are visiting a Lowe’s store for ideas to create your own baker’s kitchen, make sure to connect with a Kitchen Cabinet Specialist for more creative ideas from Shenandoah.
