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Cooking is a great way to enjoy a creative flare, have a sense of accomplishment, and cook for the people you love. Nothing is worse than trying to cook and prepare a meal in a small, cramped area, with no room to work. To be a successful cook, it helps to have a kitchen that functions efficiently, allowing you to truly enjoy cooking.

Below, we have put together a list of 25 kitchen examples designed for people who love to cook. Not only have we included successful kitchen layouts, but we’ve also added features and appliances that can really help enhance your cooking experience.

To keep ideas clear and concise, let’s break down the various kitchen components to best illustrate what an essential kitchen will contain for people who love to cook.

Layout

Honestly, good kitchen design will start with a great layout. Before selecting a final layout for your kitchen, consider the way you will move, flow, and work in the space. Evaluate the placement of the appliances such as the oven, dishwasher, and range.

Think about how you will move from one place to the next, and the location of drawers, cabinets, and storage. Lastly, think about available workspace including islands and peninsulas.

Large Central Island

It can be helpful to have a large central island to have space to really spread out. Not only is this a perfect opportunity to prepare food or allow baked goods to cool, but it gives you the chance to invite friends and family to join in the kitchen. A large island will give the company a place to sit while you cook, and will also give you the option of additional eating space in the home.

U-Shaped Kitchen

Having a U-Shaped kitchen is a great layout for people who love to cook. This layout design gives you the optimum amount of flow and functionality, moving from one area to another, while still maximizing space. A U-Shaped kitchen allows the cook to have dedicated zones for preparing, cooking, and cleaning afterward.

Angled Island

If you are tight on space, but still need the additional counter space an island provides, adding an angled island is a great compromise. Not only will this give you additional counter space, cabinet storage, and room to spread out, but you can still get to enjoy having company in the kitchen while you cook.

Peninsula

To open up a closed off and confined kitchen a great option to create an open space is to add a peninsula in the kitchen. This has the footprint of a U-Shaped kitchen, while still providing an open and convenient counter space that can function as both work space and a space to sit and chat or eat. Peninsula kitchens help to maximize counter space and cabinet storage without creating confined and restricted areas.

Mobile Island

Mobile islands are the best addition to any size kitchen with any layout. Utilize a mobile island to freely move a workspace throughout the kitchen. This means that the island can move to exactly where you need the additional space.

Simply wheel into your desired location, and then lock the wheels to guarantee your workspace stays in place. This is a great option to add one island, or even a secondary island to any size kitchen. If you have additional cooks helping in the kitchen, the mobile island conveniently rolls out of the way.

Raised Eat In Bar

A raised eat in bar in the kitchen is a great way to not only designate space, but keep the kitchen open to guests. The raised bar configuration helps to separate the food preparation or cleaning area from the eating and sitting area. A raised bar counter will help to keep your prep space clean and divided from the people chatting and eating with you.

Sinks

Although the kitchen sink is often overlooked, it is quite possibly one of the most important features of the kitchen. Not only does the sink need to be functional, but it also needs to be located in a convenient and central area in the kitchen.

Be sure to consider not only the size, function, and depth of the sink, but also the faucet and faucet features paired with the kitchen sink to create the most functional kitchen for people who love to cook.

Deep Farm Sink

Not all kitchen sinks are designed equally. A deep farm sink is an excellent feature for anyone who loves to cook. Let’s face it, cooking is messy and accumulates a mound of dirty dishes, pots, and pans.

Having a deep farm sink in the kitchen will give any cook plenty of room to soak and wash even the biggest pots.

Secondary Sink

Of course having a deep, farm sink in the kitchen is great, especially for washing big pots. But even better is the option of a second sink, preferably located in the island.

This gives you the chance to have an additional space to prepare your food. Wash and clean fruits, vegetables, and meats as you work though preparing your meal.

Goose Neck Faucet

The luxury of a tall goose neck faucet means that you will be able to fill pots and wash dishes easily. The extended and tall faucet height makes it easy to get even the deepest pots under the faucet to easily wash and fill.

Plus, the goose neck sink is convenient for washing tall and awkwardly shaped baking trays and cookie sheets. Goose neck faucets will not only make cooking and cleaning easier, but they will help keep your kitchen and sink area clean and free of disastrous spills and splashes.

Sprayer Faucet Option

While it may seem like a frivolous feature for some faucets, the sprayer option can be a huge life saver, especially for people who love to cook.

The sprayer option has a variety of uses and purposes ranging from gently washing leafy vegetables, to target cleaning stuck and determined burns and food from pots and pans. Plus, the sprayer function is a perfect way to clean out the sink after dishes, leaving a cleaned and polished kitchen sink.

Appliances

Just as it is important to prep and clean the food, it is equally important to be able to cook and bake the meal. Having quality appliances can often mean the difference between good food and excellent food.

Quality appliances can make it easier to cook, and will ensure that the food is cooked evenly and thoroughly. Appliances designed for people who love to cook often have more features that are perfect for advanced or complicated meals.

Griddle Option

Aside from having more room to spread out on the range, stove tops that have a griddle option serve a purpose in the kitchen. Not only does this give you another food preparation technique, but it also gives you a great site to keep food warm. Griddles are not common features on ranges, so only the true cook will know what he or she is looking for.

Gas Range

There is an ongoing debate between which is better, a gas range or an electric range. While there are certainly arguments for both, most cooks prefer the features a gas range can offer. Not only is heat instantaneous, allowing food to cook more quickly, but the heat is even. This means that your meal is cooked evenly and thoroughly each and every time.

Double Oven

There are so many benefits to having a double oven in the kitchen. First, the obvious, a double oven gives you twice the space to bake a meal. This conveniently allows you to prepare two different dishes, at two independent temperatures.

Be able to broil fish, while roasting potatoes in two dedicated spaces. Additionally, most double ovens are in the wall, which helps to free up some valuable counter space.

6-Burner Range

A large range is a great way for a true cook to spread out and really flex his or her cooking muscles. A conventional range has 4 burners, which is just fine for the casual cook. A true home chef though will love the ability to spread out onto 6 different burners. Prepare all the sauces, glazes, meats, vegetables, and starches at once with 6 different cooking sites in the kitchen.

Garbage Disposal

The garbage disposal is one of the least glamorous appliance, yet possibly the most utilitarian. Having a garbage disposal is absolutely essential to prevent sink clogs. A garbage disposal can help break down food particulates, leaving your pipes clear and clean.

Before selecting a garbage disposal, make sure to find a disposal with plenty of power. You want it to be able to eat through meat trimmings just as easily as it can crush egg shells.

Refrigerator with Bottom Freezer

Many meal components can be frozen, requiring ample freezer space. Compared to the side by side fridge and freezer models, new refrigerators with the freezer situated on the bottom gives more for storage in the freezer.

Many of these designs feature multiple drawers and shelves which allows you to organize your freezer. Plus, one of the best things about being a proficient cook is having loads of left overs, so this option will give you plenty of storage.

Pull Out Microwave

Certainly not a common feature in most kitchens, these pull out microwaves are installed under the countertop. The drawer design eliminates the need for a microwave to sit on the counter, which can take up valuable counter space that is much needed for food preparation.

Range Hood

Having a strong and powerful range hood is essential for any kitchen. Positioned above the range, the hood is responsible for sucking up any steam or smoke that may burn off from your food. Not only will a powerful hood help to contain smoke and smells to the kitchen, but it can help prevent the smoke alarm from inadvertently going off while cooking. Because that never happens.

Features

Convenient features in the kitchen can help make preparing, cooking, and cleaning so much easier. Most features are wonderful because they can be added to existing kitchens, often for a minimal price. Explore features that you know you will regularly use and can help make your cooking experience better.

Knife Strip

A magnetized knife strip is an excellent way to help keep your knives neatly stored, while still preserving the integrity of the knife blade. Unlike a conventional knife block, a magnetic strip can prevent dulling the blade. Plus, the strip will allow water to drip off the blade without damaging it.

Pot Filler

Positioned above the range, a pot filler is a perfect tool for filling deep pots quickly and easily. Pot fillers are a perfect addition for any cook that loves making big pasta dinners for the whole family to share. Prevent the cumbersome labor of filling a pot in a shallow sink and lugging it over to the range.

Soft Close Drawers

Opening and closing drawers repeatedly to grab all of your kitchen gadgets can start to impact the integrity of the drawer. Plus, it can be quite loud to open and close drawers repeatedly while preparing a meal. Soft close drawers are not only quite, but they prevent the drawer from slamming shut, which can help keep your kitchen drawers functioning longer.

Stone Counters

Having natural stone counters is a great addition to any kitchen. Stone counters can be anything from soapstone, to granite, to marble, to quartz. Stone counters have many benefits that any true cook will certainly appreciate.

Not only can stone counters help dissipate heat, but they are stain proof, perfect for spilled sauces and juices. Plus, some stone counters, such as quartz, are antimicrobial, ensuring your kitchen stays clean and safe.

Large Pantry

Having plenty of dry storage is essential for any person who loves to cook. A large pantry is a great feature, especially one with plenty of shelving and storage.

Some pantry designs are large enough to walk into, and some are even equipped with additional counter space to help prepare dry goods outside of the kitchen.

Under Cabinet Lighting and Task Lighting

Good lighting is essential for any kitchen. One way to give you additional lighting is to install under cabinet lighting. This is excellent, targeted lighting that will help you see what you are doing in the kitchen.

For fine chopping and dicing, under cabinet lighting can help make your kitchen environment safer. In addition to under cabinet lighting, purposeful task lighting can be added throughout the kitchen to areas where you are commonly working.

Shelving and Storage

One thing cooks do is accumulate serve ware, dishes, and gadgets. Having plenty of shelving and storage is absolutely essential. Aside from having plenty of upper cabinets and lower cabinets in the kitchen, adding some open shelving is an excellent way to enhance your useable space. Plus, you can make open shelving more decorative too, adding a functional, yet beautiful space to your kitchen.

25 Kitchen Examples Designed for People Who Love to Cook