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  • I've always loved to cook

  • When I first started, I craved for a large and spacious kitchen

  • so I moved out to the far suburbs to be able to have one

  • but by the time I finished my rush hour commutes, I was in no mood to cook

  • Next I craved for a kitchen with fancy appliances & decor

  • but because of my lack of experience, it looked great but didn't have good utility

  • Now I have a small kitchen. But it's the one I am most effective in and enjoy the most

  • I've gathered a lot of experience over

  • 5 kitchen remodels and want to share my experience

  • starting with an overview in this video

  • If you like it, please leave a comment on what you want me to get more specific about.

  • My current kitchen layout & organization method can be

  • described as 1 principle and 3 zones

  • and distilled all of my experiences

  • 00:00:48,455 --> 00:00:51,295

  • 00:00:51,295 --> 00:00:54,315 The principle is "Function over Features or Look"

  • The fundamental layout principle is

  • Sink, Stove, and Fridge areas should form

  • an equi-distance triangle to allow

  • the most efficient movement while cooking

  • The layout of an area should also be function 1st

  • The shorted movement to common actions is key

  • It's really the "Usability" principle applied to cooking

  • I drew the layout for my current kitchen myself

  • using Homebyme, an easy to use interior design software

  • and the best part is it's free! (this is not sponsored)

  • It's very quick to create your interiors using

  • templates if you know the dimensions

  • You can then add from a large library of furniture/appliances

  • and easily customize it in a variety of ways

  • You can then play with a variety of layouts and decor

  • to get a pretty accurate visual picture of

  • how your kitchen will turn out

  • This tools was the main secret how I was able to

  • self design a kitchen that I enjoy every day

  • 00:01:53,535 --> 00:01:56,755 Now let's talk about the three areas

  • The 1st is the sink area

  • Close by the sink, you should have commonly used

  • items in easy to access places.

  • The three main "use cases" around the sink are

  • #1: washing & drying raw ingredients

  • #2: cutting and preparing ingredients

  • #3: washing and drying dishes

  • I everything needed for washing & drying vegetabls in an easy to access place

  • that doesn't require opening/closing doors. Wet hands will damage wood over time

  • either hanged our placed in open air like most professional kitchens

  • For trash, I like to have a bag on the counter

  • and then throw the bag away after I'm done

  • again avoiding spilling water/bits of ingredients in larger areas

  • I personally also like to use a steel mesh drain filter

  • rather than using the sink grinder to keep things cleaner

  • 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:53,440 Next knives, cutting boards should also be

  • be easy to access and ideally in the open if used daily

  • I use 3 cutting boards. 1 for raw meat

  • 1 for raw vegetables and 1 for cooked food

  • Knives I like to use magnetic holders

  • It's easy to access and open to air so cleaner than wooden holders

  • Because it's open, it's good to put it somewhere that's hard to accidentally knock off.

  • Another thing I like is to have the sink below the counter line

  • It's much easier to clean the counter by scooping

  • left over ingredients into the sink this way

  • Next, you should consider what you need to clean / dry dishes

  • I like to use a more natural cleaning agent to help the environment

  • I prefer 1 large sink over 2 sinks to be able to fit large pans / pots

  • Also I love a sink with a drying platform

  • It makes cleaning the drying area much easier

  • To keep the dirty water and left overs from messing up dishes to clean

  • I use this steel grate. It does wonders to make cleaning more efficient!

  • Of course, everyone should have a faucet that can be flexible

  • It's easier to clean up everything after with a quick rinse

  • make sure to have good water pressure

  • The sponge and towel are easy to get dirty

  • So it's best to change frequently.

  • I like to microwave it every couple days to kill any bacteria that maybe there

  • One my favorite cleaning tools is the "Magic Eraser"

  • It's can clean off some tough stains easily because of the microfibers

  • I like to clean everything around the sink daily

  • for about 5-10 minutes. This will help to avoid

  • build up and unpleasantness of deep cleans

  • Now let's talk about the stove area

  • Of course, the most important items here are pots & pans

  • I tried to have fewer of them but

  • I just can't help myself since I love cooking so much

  • I categorize it into commonly used and somewhat used

  • Aside from pots, pans, and wok, placement of utensils for cooking are important as well

  • So these should also be place next to the stove

  • Chinese cooking is usually more oily

  • Aside from the kitchen vent, there are few tricks Iuse

  • One is this oil guard, it's really effective

  • Also use silicone cover for pans or iron skillets

  • Adding a Silicon Kleen Seam helps to avoid bits of food

  • dropping into gaps making a mess

  • Sauces are the next most important items

  • I prefer to have commonly used sauces easily accessible below the waist line

  • so it's easy to pick up. Overhead limits the capacity and harder to get at the back row

  • Liquid sauces that you use slowly would be best stored in the refridgerator to keep longer

  • After cooking, you will need to plate so make sure

  • they are also easy to access

  • To increase the counter space, try to leverage

  • vertical space to store things like the microwave,

  • rice cooker, soy milk machine, etc.

  • I finally bought the La Cornue stove that I have been wanting for a long time

  • for this kitchen. It's beautiful and very funcational

  • The oven is divided into 2 compartments

  • I usually only use 1 oven and use the other for storage

  • We are done with 2 areas now with 1 more to go

  • The 3rd area is the refrigerator & food storage

  • Storage can be divided into 3 types

  • (a) cold (b) dry / room temperature (c) daily access

  • Daily access are things like coffee, cookies, etc.

  • Cleaniness is key to food storage. I also try not to pack our refridgerator full of food

  • The longer you store, the less fresh / tasty the ingredients are

  • If you care about quality of food, this is key but does require more shopping trips

  • I like to use a small box to avoid melting liquids dirtying the refrigerator

  • Freezer it's ok to be more packed as they last longer

  • But you should clean it out once in a while as well

  • For microwavable ware, it's better to use glass rather than plastic.

  • Plastic degrades/melts over time and will mingle with the food

  • I tried using silicone covers instead of saran wrap to hel the environment

  • but with mixed results.

  • Now let's look at dry food storage

  • I like to OXO. They last for a long time

  • and more importantly, it's easy to use 1 handed

  • this is important when you are cooking and need something fast

  • 00:07:10,835 --> 00:07:13,614

  • 00:07:13,615 --> 00:07:16,385

  • 00:07:16,385 --> 00:07:18,295

  • 00:07:18,825 --> 00:07:21,565 I have a lot of ingredients and dry food types

  • so I usually keep a board to track what I need

  • to avoid running out of something at an bad time

  • Also, daily food like coffee

  • tea, and snacks I like to put mostly on hanging baskets

  • I got this inspiration from restaurant kitchens

  • I'm very happy with the hanging system I have

  • It is clean, flexible and relatively inexpensive

  • Storing daily use food here makes it really easy to access

  • It also look good with a homy feel and you can

  • detach and move around as needed

  • Most of these open storage ideas came from

  • looking at restaurants and professional chef kitchens

  • It greatly increases storage area and much cheaper than cabinets

  • So in summary you should think about how you cook

  • and make sure your 3 key kitchen areas are organized

  • in a way to make daily operation easier

  • If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen,

  • entertainament will be very important

  • Having a TV on a pivot with chromecast or Apple TV

  • will make your daily kitchen stay MUCH more enjoyable

  • LIKE & SUBSCRIBE if you want ot see more!

  • The best kitchen is just big enough to have

  • everything you need in an orderly way

  • but small enough to make your movements easier

  • with good enterainment options to enjoy

  • If you are trying to figure out what you want for your next kitchen

  • Spend some time and think through how you use it daily

  • and lay it out according to your habits

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  • 00:09:11,625 --> 00:09:12,625

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  • 00:09:23,145 --> 00:09:25,615

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I've always loved to cook

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