Types of Kitchen Cabinets
June 8, 2021A kitchen is a central room or section of a large room used mostly for food preparation and cooking in a living area or at a commercial establishment. In addition to the large amount of cooking tasks that take place in a kitchen, it also is where meals are prepared for a large number of people. A modern, mid-class, residential kitchen usually has a refrigerator, stove, sink with hot and cold water running, a small sink counter, and kitchen cabinets organized according to a uniform modular design. Most new kitchens have the basic arrangement described above, but some older homes may be designed with more elaborate equipment and features. New appliances include coffee makers, range hoods, dishwashers, ovens, stoves, built-in microwave units, and specialty appliances such as French doors. Some new kitchen designs also use floor heating as a way to heat up the space without using additional energy sources such as oil, gas, or coal.
In general, the latest trends in kitchen designs have focused on providing maximum utility, efficiency, and space-saving features. The latest innovation canister ovens and combo ovens are available in varying sizes, colors, and capacities. Built-in microwave units with pre-heated bases that are made from stainless steel or other metal materials are also being used. Specialty appliances include baker’s racks, refrigerators, food processors, specialty ovens, and food-preserving appliances such as canning, baking, and freezing appliances. Many of these appliances are designed to meet specifications, although their technical specifications may vary because of differences in material and construction.
The latest trends in kitchen design now include “umbrella” units that combine upper modules that include cabinets and display shelves and doors. These combine the cabinet units with doors that open and close on hinges that pivot or slide in and out of position. This provides for more space-efficiency and makes it easier to access individual items inside of each cabinet. For example, instead of opening up the entire cabinet, you can just open the door of the upper module and move items from one area to another. When space is limited, these door-mounted closets are ideal.
Under-counter refrigerators with hinged or sliding door styles are also gaining popularity. This design allows for easier food preparation and faster meal preparation when there are limited counter space. Galley-style units are popular in modern compact kitchens. The galley style is very similar to the U-shaped model but with one central working module and two or three adjacent modular units. This style maximizes the use of available floor space and helps to keep warm food warmer while avoiding the formation of hot spots.
The three walls of an L-shaped kitchen are perfect for maximizing counter and floor space. The layout of the three walls requires sufficient floor space to accommodate the upper modules, but it does not have the depth to support the additional modules. This limits the amount of depth that the L-shaped unit can provide. In addition, installing the three walls of cabinets requires more cabinet space than is normally required. The extra cabinets are mounted to the outside of the wall, requiring a new bottom panel, which introduces a hole. Installing these cabinets requires a contractor, as they require precise framing techniques to support the heavy doors.
The combination refrigerator and freezer are another option that is commonly used in a modern kitchen. These units consist of two cabinets under the lid of the bigger unit and a freezer on the bottom. They are an excellent choice for large families as the combinations allow for rotation of food and freezing of frozen goods. The combination refrigerator and freezer are an ideal solution for a small kitchen, especially if there is limited counter space.