In the kitchen


SOME TRICKS FOR THE KITCHEN

In order to create a truly comfortable and functional kitchen that answers to our needs, it is necessary to design it and therefore collect information and suggestions from specialised magazines or refer to experts in the area.
There are many aspects to be considered when designing a kitchen.
It is not recommended to buy a kitchen merely basing our choice on visual appeal and without taking into consideration all the other aspects.

COLOUR

You should choose a colour for your kitchen which will not only satisfy your personal taste and preference, but that should also take into consideration the environment in which the kitchen will be placed: the coloured ensemble you will create, will add a different touch and feeling depending on the colour.
Remember that warm colours such as reds and oranges convey a sense of liveliness, and cold colours such as blues, greens and black tend to convey a sense of dullness.
Furthermore, light colours make surfaces appear larger and communicate a sense of freshness and cleanliness, while dark colours make the environment appear smaller. It is therefore preferable to avoid using dark or intense colours in small or poorly lit rooms.
White and pastel colours should be preferable. We will introduce a true jewel: one of our creations just for You.

ILLUMINATION

The central lighting of the kitchen is never enough to efficiently illuminate the working areas of a kitchen. This is also due to the shadow cast by the various cupboards and shelves located within the kitchen. A light source should be installed above the dining table.
In the case of a long or extendible dining table, two sources of light should be installed. Above the working area where there are no shelves or cupboards, a direct 6 Watt light will be sufficient to illuminate the area without causing any unpleasant dazzles.
Where there are shelves and cupboards, it is recommended to install hidden lights over the cooking stove and over the kitchen sink.

COMPOSITION

Linear
This is the ideal solution for kitchens that are not very wide as it leaves plenty of space for the other areas.
On more than one wall
In this case, the kitchen is divided onto two walls and must guarantee a passage of at least 120cm between the kitchen units. This way, all of the zones are easily accessible.
Corner type
It allows more room for the dining area. Even in environments that are not very wide, by locating the refrigerator and cooking stove along the longer side and the sink along the shorter side, it is still possible for two people to work simultaneously together without any inconvenience.
U shape
This solution allows the use of large working planes that are connected to one another: cooking area, sink and refrigerator are located on the three walls. This solution is suggested for kitchens that are composed of three walls that are not interrupted by any doors or windows.

ORGANIZATION

In order to increase the working area as well as to simplify cleaning, always leave the top benches free from tools and jars. It is not, however, practical to store all of the utensils inside the draws and cupboards, especially the ones that are most frequently used. It is, therefore, suggested to make the most of the space between bench tops and cupboards by fitting a few rods onto which these utensils may be hung. Alternatively, small shelves can be fit. Otherwise, various roll holders suitable for kitchen paper and aluminium foil may be fitted. Just as for the bathroom, the kitchen is a rather difficult environment to manage as it requires order and daily cleaning.

Here are some rules:
- to avoid incrustations, at the end of each meal clean the table top, cooking top and kitchen sink with a damp sponge
- start the rinse cycle of the dishwasher when it is believed that there will just be the one evening washing cycle that day
- when frying, it is best to protect the cook top and work benches from the unpleasant splashes with some tin foil
- it is a good idea to clean and tidy-up the working area after each dish is prepared.
To clean:
- avoid abrasive detergents and remember to rinse the surfaces well in order to avoid leaving marks.
- laminated surfaces should be washed with water and detergent and if there are any marks, use lemon juice
- treated wooden surfaces are cleaned using a water damp cloth
- marble and granite surfaces are cleaned with just water

THE PANTRY

Once the kitchen environment has been organised, it will then be necessary to arrange the inside of the units using a particular criteria. It is handy to keep all of the cooking ingredients near the kitchen, such as spices, oil and other tools like spoons etc.
Keep in mind that the shelves should not be overloaded, either with pots, plates or food may be positioned close to the cooking area. Glasses and cups are positioned in the top units, whilst the heavier plates may be placed in the lower units or inside the column units. The various kinds of foods are located together otherwise they may be divided into various shelves separating the salted foods (pasta, rice, bread sticks, toasted slices) from the sweet food (biscuits, sugar).
Place all of the material that is less used, such as the fish-cooker or fryer, onto the higher shelves. The small electric appliances that are used more frequently can be stored together, whilst those that are less used may be stored in one of the high units.

THAT EXTRA IDEA

- Prior to using an aluminium pot it is recommended to boil some milk inside of it which will then be thrown away. This treatment will eliminate any impurity present in the pot.
- To remove any calcareous deposits it will be sufficient to boil some water and vinegar or lemon juice on the bottom part of the pot. To remove difficult crusts, allow the water and vinegar to boil for a few minutes or simply leave some water and bicarbonate inside the pot. If the crusts are due to burning, it will be necessary to boil the water together with some thick salt.
- To eliminate unpleasant odours, simply rub some thick salt over the smelly area.
- To clean the steak pans, simply cover them with breadcrumbs, which will absorb the oily material, and then wash them with water and bicarbonate.
- To sharpen knives and scissors simply cut some sand paper in small pieces or else, rub the blade against the neck of glass bottles.
- To make the external part of a coffee maker shiny surface, rub it with vinegar and salt.

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