Open Kitchen Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Open Kitchen - Article Example The former is where all the kitchen activities and the myriad of objects usually in the kitchen is open for viewing of the general public - the consumer/s which comprised of families, couples, friends and just plain hungry people. Intuitively, we may think of the closed kitchen as a kitchen where the customers do not see the food and utensil preparation process. They have no idea of what is happening in the room separated from all other parts of the dining area of the restaurant because of the boundaries such as cement, wood or opaque glass. The question now that concerns us is whether to choose an open kitchen or not. As we will see later in this paper, both scenarios have their advantages and disadvantages for the labor side (chef and assistant cooks) and even for the consumer side (customers). However, we argue that one is more appropriate than the other. Such a claim needs backing and this is what the paper is precisely what this paper aims for - to offer points that can help the kitchen designer in deciding which is more effective, appealing, efficient and attractive for those waiting at the dining table. In the early days, cooking was mainly a public affair especially for the Greek and Roman soldiers who had their rations cooked in a large containers place over burning wood. (Harrison, 1972). However, with the amount of smoke generated and having slaves as their cooks, ensuing generations of food establishments, mostly bars and inns, progressively placed cooking in a separate room. Thus, the open kitchen now transformed to the close type. Describing Closed Kitchens Closed kitchens are spaces not open to the view of the customer. In this setting, cooks and their assistants conduct food preparations such as chopping, slicing and dicing. Stoves and ovens (which nowadays are combined in a single equipment) can be located at the sides or placed at the middle aisle which makes it more accessible to both sides thereby facilitating the cooking process and maximizing space. However, the latter configuration presents some danger especially during rush hours where accidents can occur. Refrigerators are placed at the sides as well as sinks and preparation tables. Some closed kitchens have the dishwashing area incorporated in the room while others have another connected extra room. Exhaust systems are usually placed above stoves to take out heat and smoke as fast as possible. Remember that several stoves and oven besides from blending and other equipments are emitting heat and this should be taken out as fast as possible so as not to further irritate the a lready stressed cook. (Kitchens.It, 2007) The settings in closed kitchen can get very busy and very chaotic. Nevertheless, the trained cook is expected to be able to deal with such situations. What is important to note, however, is that closed kitchens tend to get messy, noisy and smelly and the environment can sometimes get very tense. Figure 1 (a) and (b) presents two usual closed kitchen layouts. (a) (b) Figure 1: Closed kitchens where (a) food preparation is at the middle and (b) stoves occupy the middle setting Source: Google Open Kitchen Images (2007) Open Kitchen Layouts Since the kitchen is open to the public, designers make sure that there is not much dangling cooking utensils. Instead, these are arranged in the preparation table or are sometimes placed in drawers incorporated in t