Today’s refrigerators are designed to be placed where you want them; i.e., at counter depth. If you are a cook, you are well aware of the cooking triangle or work triangle. This is the area between the cook-top, the sink, and the refrigerator. This space has been sacred to cooks for over a century.
As we have evolved, so has the kitchen. Today’s kitchen is much more than the traditional working center of the home. Think about all the activities that take place in the kitchen. The kitchen is the heart, the activity, and the entertainment center of our homes.
While the cook-top is important, it's not as important as it once was. Why? We don't cook any more. Ten years ago, the American Restaurant Association said that we Americans eat 47 percent of all our meals out. Today, it’s a whopping 60 percent! So to say we don't cook is not overstated.
What then do we do in our kitchens as it relates to food? We thaw, unwrap, heat up, microwave, and prepare for grilling. When we do cook, it's a big deal. We invite friends, gather the family, and all pitch in. Cooking becomes an event with everyone involved. It's because of this that we want bigger kitchens; more counter space, cabinets, islands, and pantry space. Add to that, bigger refrigerators, bigger freezers, and taller shelves.
The big double-door, thick Cold Spot just doesn't cut it any more. And the working triangle has reduced itself to a working line that is everything at hands reach. To satisfy consumer demands, Kitchen Aid, and others, has developed a whole line of "Architectural Designed Appliances". The refrigerator has taken two great leaps as well. One, they are building them at counter depth. No more designing your kitchen around the refrigerator. Now you can place it where it's most convenient to you.
Two, a really cool innovation is “refrigerator drawers” that you can place exactly where you want. If you have a big kitchen and do lots of entertaining, you can put them everywhere. Place a refrigerator drawer next to the sink, under the bar, or strategically under food prep areas. No longer will the chef have to clear the kitchen in order to pull the hors d'oeuvres out of the refrigerator.
Still want to stand out from the crowd, have two pantries, one wet and the other dry. The wet pantry is simply a walk-in refrigerator. it actually takes that 14 layer Dutch Chocolate Cake and upright at that!
Posted by Rossi
ROSSI Speaks, Inc.
