Once only found only in super-high-end homes, or custom homes, prep kitchens have become a sought-after feature amongst average homeowners. Whether you’re purchasing a new house or you’re remodeling the existing kitchen in your current home, you may be wondering if a prep kitchen is worth your while.
Are Prep Kitchens Worth It?
What is a prep kitchen?
First, let’s define what a prep kitchen is. Essentially, a prep kitchen is an additional space that is accessed from the primary kitchen. As the name suggests, a prep kitchen provides additional work zones that you can use to prepare the foods you’re going to be cooking. Typically, a prep kitchen space will include
- countertops for dicing and slicing,
- cabinets for storing utensils,
- extra dishes,
- spices,
- and a prep sink to wash everything up when you’ve finished.
It is not uncommon for the space to even feature a dishwasher and a refrigerator. A prep kitchen can be designed to meet the specific needs of each individual homeowner.
A prep kitchen also goes by other names such as a caterer’s kitchen, a mess kitchen, a butler’s pantry, and even a secondary kitchen.
Benefits of a Prep Kitchen
So, what are the benefits of having an extra kitchen? Why has it become such a sought-after feature in home designs? Here’s a look at just some of the benefits a prep kitchen can provide.
Additional space
The additional counter and storage space that a prep kitchen provides can be invaluable. This extra space not only gives you more room to spread out when you’re cooking, and also allows you to keep your main kitchen more organized.
When your dicing, slicing, fileting, and sauteeing, you won’t have to worry about standing on top of anyone else. You’ll have plenty of counter space to spread out and create your masterpieces.
A neater look
Of all the spaces in a home, the kitchen is, by far, the most openly messiest. In many ways, the mess is unavoidable; that’s just the nature of food prep. With that said, however, because a prep kitchen provides more space, your main kitchen will look a whole lot neater.
You can incorporate pretty much anything you want to in your prep kitchen including:
- Countertops (of course)
- Dishwasher
- Refrigerator
- Additional cooktops and ovens
- Sinks
- And more!
With these additional features and the additional space, you’ll have more room to store appliances, utensils, and other elements so that they aren’t hogging up the countertops in your main kitchen.
Plus, when you are prepping a meal for family or guests, you’ll have an easier time keeping the mess concealed.
No need for concessions
When it comes to designing a kitchen, there are a lot of decisions that need to be made and factors that need to be considered. Oftentimes, homeowners end up having to concede and give up things that they really would like to have. In most cases, they just don’t have the space to incorporate them in their main kitchens.
When you have a prep kitchen, you won’t need to make any concessions. Because it’s basically a second kitchen, a prep kitchen will afford you the opportunity to incorporate all of the features that you’ve always wanted and create the kitchen of your dreams.
Improved flow
Workflow is extremely important in a kitchen, and a prep kitchen can help to improve the workflow for meal prep. This is particularly beneficial when you’re cooking complicated meals that require a lot of ingredients or when there are multiple people working together in a kitchen (Thanksgiving comes to mind in both instances).
Due to the very nature of a prep kitchen, you can create various stations in your kitchen that can be reserved for certain tasks. This will certainly help to improve workflow.
Final Thoughts
So, is a prep kitchen worth it? While we can’t make that decision for you, given the above-mentioned benefits, we think that yes, absolutely prep kitchens are a worthwhile feature to have in your home.
Graves Development Resources | Land Developer in Omaha, Nebraska
Graves Development Resources (GDR) has been designing and building the market’s finest neighborhoods since 2000, with over 5,000 homesites and important commercial development projects throughout Douglas and Sarpy Counties.
Our pages showcase current neighborhoods where new home buyers may select from hundreds of home sites. We are definitely “phone friendly” and welcome the opportunity to provide you with all the information you need before making one of the most important decisions of your family’s future. Contact us with any questions.