Yup, it’s that time of year when your kitchen will soon get stuffed like a turducken, with serving plates, giant platters of poultry, side dishes, desserts, amateur sous-chefs, and the occasional tipsy guest offering help with cleanup whether or not you want it. But while you may want to curse your kitchen for being too small, here’s another thought: Maybe the size is fine—and the layout’s the real problem.
That’s right, professional chefs in cramped restaurants everywhere know that the true secret to a streamlined, stress-free cooking experience hinges more on the location of your counters and cupboards than square footage alone. But which kitchen layout is best when guests come a-calling? It turns out different setups all have their pros and cons. Regardless of which you use, we’ll clue you in on some clever hacks to maximize the space.
Galley
Pro: A galley kitchen’s narrow layout with countertops on each side equals easy access to all of your appliances.
“A pivot of the foot and you’re at the refrigerator or oven,” explains Allyson Case, CEO of Integro Rehab, a general contracting firm in Chicago.
Con: That same pivot can also slam your knee into a cabinet or trash can. Plus, you can quickly feel like a roasting turkey due to the proximity of the oven and that gaggle of guests who want to chat while you’re cooking.
To maximize space: To keep guests from cramping your narrow cooking space, place all drinks, cups, snacks, and other items they’ll want to grab outside the kitchen, on a bar cart or coffee table in the dining room or living area—or at the least, near the entrance to your kitchen so they don’t venture in too deep.
Galley kitchens do have ample counter space—often on both sides—so one smart way to make the most of it is to serve up a buffet-style dinner.
“Each side should be set up as a buffet, with all protein on one counter and sides on the other,” says NKBA K+B Insider and interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn. This will also keep the rest of your place from getting overly cluttered with dishes.
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L-shaped
Pro: A kitchen that’s open to the living and dining room allows both host and guests to mingle freely.
Con: The lack of a divider between you and those same guests while you’re cooking is an opportunity for them to unintentionally get in your way “when the creamed corn needs to be stirred while the turkey is being basted,” says Case.
To maximize space: There’s usually limited counter space in this design, so think about clearing the decks.
Case advises putting the spices in drawer racks or magnetic containers that stick to the refrigerator or a metal sheet on the wall; getting a magnetic strip for your knives; hanging baskets for fruit and veggies; and looking into hardware systems that allow you to store small appliances like a mixer in your cabinets while still allowing easy access.
Efficiency should be the No. 1 goal: Consider your storage items in terms of shape and size rather than category or use.
“You’ll be able to fit more in the cabinets this way,” says Case.
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Island
Pro: Kitchens with islands offer the most flexibility when it comes to gatherings.
“The open concept allows the chef free rein over the kitchen, and the island allows guests a natural place to congregate without being in the way,” says Case.
Con: “Sometimes a group of standing guests can feel like hovering,” says Case. Another downside: “Full access to the kitchen at all times means there’s no physical barrier from the crazy uncle who wants to steal some crispy turkey skin before dinner is served.”
To maximize space: If your island can accommodate bar-height seating, consider adding stools so your guests can sit instead of stand/hover, and place them on the side of the island farthest from where major cooking will take place. This will keep guests from roaming too much into your territory.
While island kitchens offer tons of room, that can mean you waste time carting food from one countertop to another. To cut down on this, consider cooking in organized stages. Wash everything, then do all your prep, then move onto cooking.
“Think of your use of the space in terms of pivoting, not pacing to and fro,” says Case.
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G-shaped
Pro: The addition of a peninsula in a kitchen design essentially surrounds the cook with a counter. A host can then pivot between all the kitchen hot spots: stove, sink, cabinets, and counters. The shape also allows “some guests to gather at the very end of the space and engage in conversation while the host does his or her final touches,” says Flynn.
Con: The G shape can imprison the cook in the kitchen by surrounding him on basically four sides. This isolation can also keep guests from offering help when the chef actually needs it.
To maximize space: Add a second trash can near the peninsula if possible. This will keep traffic out of the main area of your workspace while still encouraging cleanup help.
