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Lighting and Ventilation: light should enter the kitchen from two directions. The window space should be minimum of 15% of the floor area and the outlook through the windows should be cheerful. If the nature has not provided a cheerful view it should be done artificially by planting a few flowering trees or seasonal plants or at least a few flower pots placed just outside the windows so that the house wife should not feel cooking a drudgery. There should be cross ventilation provided. The number of doors should not be more than two.
Floor and wall surface: The floor should be paved with a smooth, grease proof material which should remain clean and should be easy of cleaning – Polished flag stones are best. Concrete floor polished smooth is also good and cheap. Cement tiles are likely to be stained. The joints, if any, should get filled first with the surface so that nothing collects inside them. The lower 3 ft surface of walls should be very smooth and if not tiled, should be given two coats of stain resistant paint. The junction between walls and floor should be covered or at least rounded. A suitable slope should be given to the floor surface towards a drain pipe of at least two inches diameter for facilities of washing.
Storage facilities in the kitchen: As much storage space should be provided as possible in the kitchen. The wall area above and below the work counter should be made full use of. They should be finished with smooth material with close fitting shutters and detachable internal partition shelves. The depth of wall cabinets should not be more than 1 ft for convenience. The space below the level of the table should be utilized for storing heavy articles such as jars and pickles flour bins, large utensils etc. even the space above the cabinets up to the ceiling could be utilized for storing articles which are only occasionally required. Built-in cabinets with drawers and rack can be provided in the kitchen to replace a store room. However, care should be taken to avoid the entry of insects and rodents.
Smoke outlet: Whatever kind of fuel is burnt, unless it is electricity, a smoke outlet is necessarily required.
Water: Provision for potable water and general purpose water should be ensured. Where there is no continuous piped water supply, water must be stored.
Advantages Of Modern Kitchen Over Traditional Kitchen:
Traditional kitchen:
- Cooking range rests on the floor - it does not get any draught of air from bottom.
- No outlet provided for the smoke – smoke spreads in whole house and enters the eyes.
- Cooking is done in a squatting posture – for long time results in back pain.
- To reach everything she has to set up.
- Even the sink is not close by to be reached easily from sitting place.
Modern kitchens:
- Cooking in a standing position simplifies everything.
- Cooking range/ stove is installed at a higher level, which allows easy draught of air from below but these may be managed to a certain extent.
- Arrangement affords a considerable cabinet space below – cabinet can be arranged all round unto a height of 6ft.
- Another address minimizes the risk of the sari catching fire.
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