Sometimes, the hustle and bustle of your kitchen can be overwhelming. This is especially true when you’re working with other people— or even when cooking for several guests. The kitchen is the heart of your home, and when it becomes too crowded and unruly, leave it to the experts to create a trend to try and alleviate those issues.

Although having separate workspaces in the kitchen isn’t something new, we’re seeing it resurge in popularity. Here’s all you need to know about prep kitchens and all of its benefits.

Prep Kitchens— What Are They and What are Their Functions?

Prep kitchens (also known as prep pantries) are separate spaces designed to prepare mirepoix and other ingredients you’ll need for a dish. Prep kitchens are also used to store food, but what nuances it from a regular pantry is that it includes loads of counter space for you to use for anything. On rare occasions, prep kitchens also have appliances like stoves, coffee makers, microwaves, toaster ovens, and more.

In modern times where decluttering and keeping everything minimal is key, prep kitchens can help you keep the mess of preparing food out of the central kitchen. To allow for the main kitchen to be a clean hub where guests watch you cook food, prep kitchens help make your kitchen presentable and approachable.

What Does a Good Prep Kitchen Have?

Just like most things, a good prep kitchen should be designed around your needs and lifestyle. If you’re living alone, having a simple space with a fridge, tons of countertop space, a coffee maker, a blender, and a toaster would be more than enough. 

However, if you plan on entertaining guests frequently or for families— having other miscellaneous items like an ice maker, wine fridge, oven, baby food maker, and bottle warmer are perfect additions to your prep kitchen.

The bare minimum for any prep kitchen is to have counter space to easily prepare your meals, a sink, and tons of storage. Design is all up to preference, but many people lean toward open shelving to display jars of dry goods like grains, beans, spices, and oats. Doing this is both aesthetically pleasing and practical at the same time since most of your ingredients are already in your pantry anyway.

Breathing Life Into Your Kitchen

Making your kitchen look presentable is one thing, but breathing life into it is another. There’s a huge difference between a presentable kitchen and a kitchen that feels alive. Having a prep kitchen can help breathe life into your kitchen by making the atmosphere feel fresh and airy.

A common mistake that comes with constructing a kitchen pantry is that people tend to be fine with letting it stay as a small dark closet with all of their food inside. Don’t settle for the bare minimum! Remodel that pantry and let more light in by adding long windows and other natural light sources.

Natural light is crucial because it’s more visually pleasing and lets you set the mood a lot easier. Make it feel cohesive and natural to walk inside of, don’t make it feel like a death trap.

Key Takeaways

The rise in the popularity of prep kitchens didn’t just happen overnight. Prep kitchens are a fun way to breathe life into the heart of your home and allow you to escape the curse of clutter whenever you’re preparing meals for your family or guests!