6 Kitchen Design Tweaks That Make Cooking So Much Easier

Design for how you live, not the trends

There’s lots of gorgeous kitchen ideas out there, but you want to set up your kitchen for how you live—not what’s trending. So if you’re more of a heat-and-eat person, you can probably skip the six-burner deluxe stove, and if you don’t entertain a lot, a special bar setup may just take up space and gather dust. “Start by thinking through how you actually cook and live in your kitchen; your daily habits are more important than any design rule,” Goldberg says.

“What works for someone else may not work for you,” says Angie Hicks, founder of Angi. “Stay mindful of the things you like and don’t like about your current kitchen setup, think about which aspects of the kitchen you use most, and go from there. Shiny new kitchen features may work for other people, but they may actually clutter your kitchen and reduce its functionality.”

Keep the “Golden Triangle” in mind

The golden rule of kitchen design has generally been the “Golden Triangle,” which places key features—the stove, the sink, and the refrigerator—in a tight triangle, to make meal prep a breeze. Straying too far from that can make even the most basic cooking tasks take longer, as even a few extra steps to get from the fridge to the stove add up.

While most efficient kitchens will fit that golden triangle setup, there may be reasons to bend or break that rule, as long as you can still keep the step count down. “The golden triangle can—and should—be adapted to the space and the homeowner’s lifestyle,” Goldberg says. “What matters most is keeping your key daily tasks efficient. So as long as the layout supports a natural flow between prepping, cooking, and cleaning, you can absolutely stray from the traditional triangle.”

Set up dedicated zones

When you’re organizing your kitchen, placing like with like makes it easier to accomplish tasks. “Keep your prep, cooking, and cleanup zones clearly defined and arranged so everything you need is within easy reach,” Goldberg says.

Opt for easier-to-use appliances

If you have a lot of small appliances that you use regularly, an appliance garage may make sense to help you store and organize them for easy use. And consider the cleanup required for your larger appliances—some are easier to keep clean than others. “Gas stovetops are more difficult to clean than electric or induction stovetops,” Hicks says. “If you are looking to streamline your cleaning, electric or induction stovetops are the way to go.”

Choose low-maintenance materials

No one wants to spend hours scrubbing away red wine or tomato sauce stains from a white countertop. So definitely research the materials and upkeep required when you’re making kitchen material selections—and be honest about what you’re able to manage. For instance, if you’re not dedicated to sealing your countertops regularly, marble may be a no-go. “Porous countertop materials like marble and granite are easy to stain, which means they require more maintenance to stay in top condition,” Hicks says. “Laminate, wood, and solid surface countertops can all be damaged by heat, so they may not be the best option if you tend to put hot food directly on the counter.”

Store things right where you use them

If your silverware’s stashed far from the dishwasher and the table, or your pots are across the room from your stove, you need to do a little reorg, stat. “Focus on placing essentials within easy reach—pots and pans near the range, oils and spices close by for quick seasoning, and thoughtful cleanup zones like the dishwasher to the right of the sink, pull-out trash and recycling to the left, and plates and flatware stored within arm’s reach for fast unloading,” Goldberg says. “Invest in hardworking storage solutions like pullouts, dedicated spice and oil drawers, and organized cleanup zones to prevent clutter before it starts.”