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Caple experts discuss the latest design trends, which are moving towards ways in which to create clean kitchens following the COVID-19 pandemic
There’s no doubt that the kitchen tends to be the room where we spend most of our time at home. And these days, it seems, we’re eating, relaxing and catching up with the family in this space more than ever before. So, this has highlighted a need to look at ways in which to make this room even more efficient as design ideas continue to evolve to meet the latest demand for ‘clean kitchens’ following COVID-19. Here, we ask our furniture and product managers to reveal their thoughts on the latest trends.
Furniture manager Doug Haswell
Our Darga kitchen features sleek styling for a stylish space to cook, eat and relax.
Storage space for clean kitchens
If you are continuing to bulk-buy food shopping, you’ll need plenty of room to store everything. These days, I’m adding more canned food and grains to my shopping list. So, I need ample space to keep these ingredients until I can add them to the meals I’m preparing. I’m already noticing the trend for larger storage areas, which will help to create a clean kitchen space. In furniture design, this means more cabinets and neat shelving
solutions behind closed doors. Kitchen islands will increase in size if space will allow. And I think a run of tall kitchen units will become a standard addition to provide additional storage. Trends look set to move away from open shelving and why not because this inevitably results in more cleaning? Anything which saves time will be key in kitchen design as we continue to return to our busy work and home schedules.
Kitchen styles, surfaces & finishes
Our Verse kitchen features true handleless doors, making this a great choice for clean kitchens
will be in favour because cooking residue can not collect on any decorative grooves. Solid surface worktops, such as Corian®, will probably be one of the most hygienic choices. This type of work surface is one of my favourites for clean kitchens; you can benefit from seamless joins and an impermeable solid surface, which will not support bacterial growth.
Product manager Luke Shipway
Making food last for longer
Since Coronavirus, my buying patterns have continued to evolve. These days, I find I tend to buy more frozen and chilled produce, which will last longer. Frozen food is great for your health too. In fact, vegetables stored in this way lock in all the goodness you should expect from your groceries.
Our CAFF46GM has ample room for storage in the fridge and freezer.
However, I need the space in which to store all this produce. I think many of us will want a larger capacity fridge-freezers in the future. At home, I tend to store our fresh food, including fruit such as satsumas, and leftovers in our fridge. It’s more hygienic as it slows down the growth of bacteria. This makes our food taste fresher and it lasts longer, so it’s cost-effective. We’re finding we’re cooking at home more than ever before and enjoying our family time together at the table, too.
Induction hobs for a clean kitchen
Our DD940BK makes perfect sense if you’re looking for an easy-clean surface and the ultimate extraction in one. If you’re looking for a clean kitchen in which to cook, I think induction hobs will become a high priority. Their signature smooth glass surface is so easy to wipe down after use. So why not consider an all-in-one induction downdraft?
If you choose an appliance with an extractor, which has Plasma technology, you’ll find this can help to purify the air and eliminate any odours. In fact, this is a firm favourite of mine for extraction. The motor draws air through the ducting towards the Plasma filter where the air is purified and cleaned. This method actually eradicates 95% of odours. The air then travels through a carbon filter to help remove anything remaining.
Oven ready
I think a pyrolytic oven should be your first port of call if you’re looking for a clean kitchen. They heat up to 475°C burning off any residue, which you simply wipe away with a damp cloth. So I’d make this appliance high on your agenda. It will leave you with one less, long chore to worry about too! Also, steam ovens are fantastic if you’re looking for a more healthy alternative to conventional cooking. I prefer combination ovens so you can enjoy the best of both worlds.
Dishwasher and laundry considerations
I must admit I’m putting more crockery and cutlery in my dishwasher now. Most viruses, such as COVID-19, don’t seem to survive high temperatures so I suggest using 60° washes when you run a cycle. Models with larger capacities will become more important for the clean kitchen, so you can fit more dishes, pots and pans in one programme.
With laundry, we’ve been told you should wash face masks on a 60° programme. The reality seems to be that the higher the temperature you use, the more chance you have to kill any germs. So, wash towels and household linen on a 60°programme, too, if you can. However, I would always suggest you check the washing label first!
Have a hygienic sink
Sinks with an anti-bacterial glaze will continue to prove popular for clean kitchens. At Caple, we have used our signature Hygiene Finish on a selection of our hand-made bowl ceramic models. This anti-bacterial glaze actually lasts the sink’s lifetime and it reduces surface bacteria by 99.99% which prevents germs from spreading.
I think design trends will move towards one-and-a-half and two-bowl models. Many of us are using our sinks a lot more to wash fruit and vegetables before packing them away. At home, I tend to use my smaller bowl to wash produce and the larger one for cleaning bulky pots and pans. And, of course, it’s handy to have a smaller or second bowl in which to wash your hands regularly, too.
