What are the 5 zones in a kitchen?

What is the purpose of each kitchen zone? 

In this modern day and age, home layouts and designs have advanced substantially. And with these changes, the 5-zone kitchen has emerged. But what exactly does a five-zone kitchen offer? As the kitchen is considered the heart of the home, more and more houses are embracing open-plan living and the gradual disappearance of a formal dining room. 

The kitchen was once considered purely a space for food preparation, cooking, and storage. Over the years this has slowly changed and the modern kitchen is an entertaining hub in its own right. If you are in the market to build your dream home, there are a few tips on designing a truly modern kitchen. 

We can not forget about the old 1940s rule of a perfect kitchen working triangle. At the time this was considered the perfect kitchen layout, and the rules were simple. There should be no more than a few steps between the refrigerator, the cooktop/oven, and the sink. Basically, there should not be any elements to interrupt the lines between the 3 points of the triangle. 

Australian homes are now traditionally much larger and have larger kitchens, often with an island benchtop installed. If we still adhered to the three-pointed working triangle rule, the island benchtop would be a definite obstruction, therefore making this rule no longer sustainable. And with this, the five-zoned approach has been embraced and considered more appropriate. There is no doubt that the 5-zone design is designed to make your time in the kitchen easier, less time-consuming, and more enjoyable.

Kitchen Zones explained

#1 Cooking

The Cooking Zone is the perfect solution to help make your kitchen run smoother and cleaner!  This zone needs to be easy to use, going from dirty to clean, so from putting any scraps, etc in the bin, the next step is the sink, then the dishwasher, allowing. for a more efficient cooking process. 

#2 Cleaning

The consumables need to be grouped together, either as a whole or through a pantry and refrigerator separately. Instead of wasting time searching each area for what you need, everything will be organised and ready when it’s time to cook dinner or make lunch. This means less stress and more time saved when it comes to finding ingredients for meals! 

#3 Consumables

Each of these food storage areas will need an area of available space to unpack and organise groceries (consumables) into their respective storage areas so bench space is an important consideration in these zones. 

#4 Non-consumables

The non-consumables zone or zones need to be considered in terms of function. To help create a more efficient flow in the kitchen, placing cutlery directly near where you eat makes sense, as does having plates, glasses, and everyday used kitchen utensils and other items conveniently close to the dishwasher. 

#5 Preparation 

Preparation space is all important and provides bench space for the multi-functionality of a modern kitchen, it is designed to provide a perfect workspace. This is the space you can use for food preparation. Additionally, it can also create an inviting atmosphere where everyone can gather to eat, work or simply enjoy time with family and friends. 

Should you have any questions about the 5-zoned kitchen, or questions about renovating our kitchen you can speak to one of our friendly team at Haddon Kitchens on 07 3204 0399 or complete an online enquiry form. 

Reference: Homes to Love