What is a Spice Kitchen?
If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, it makes sense that you carefully consider how it is designed. Today we will be discussing the spice kitchen.
What is a spice kitchen? A spice kitchen is a small secondary kitchen that can be found within the home.
The spice kitchen is often located next to the main cooking area. But, what makes it unique? A separate ventilation system.
A spice kitchen’s main purpose is to keep the smells of extremely spicy foods from being inhaled by the rest of the house as well as its inhabitants.
Two kitchens? Really? We think a spice kitchen is a good idea for those who enjoy making ethnic dishes with lots of spices. Let’s take a look at what a spice kitchen is and what equipment it usually contains.
What is a Spice Kitchen In Indian Culture?
The basis of Indian food is spices, known as masala.
They are used in dishes in every meal, from breakfast through dinner, and are used to flavor lemonades, tea, coffee, and yogurt drinks, as along with meats, vegetable pilafs, ice-creams, and sweets.
Spices lend Indian food their distinctive flavor and texture, as well as the aroma.
A careful mixing enhances, not interferes with the fundamental flavor and the character of the dish.
An Indian kitchen pantry is always stocked with an abundance of fresh chilies, green cardamom cinnamon, and clove. Coriander, clove cumin, fennel and fenugreek, Kari leaves, nigella as well as mustard, saffron turmeric, and tamarind.
They can be used as a single ingredient or as blends. They are also known as masala. Chat masala, garam masala, and chai masala are the four most well-known and commonly employed spice blends.
The other spices that are equally important, yet not as often are asafetida, ajowan, amchur, black cardamom, and the seeds of the pomegranate.
Amchur is dried mango powder and pomegranate seeds can be used in recipes to replace lemons due to their bitter taste.
What Is The Purpose of a Spice Kitchen?
The spice kitchen’s main purpose is, as the name implies, to preserve the aroma of spices and other pungent foods.
It’s sometimes called a “Wok Kitchen” but it really all depends on what you make in this space. What does a spice-kitchen look like?
Spice Kitchen Dimensions?
There is no standard size of the room for a kitchen with a spice.
In the simplest case, you must make sure you have the essential elements you need, like the stove or range and sink. The most common shapes for spice kitchens are L-Shaped and Galley Style.
However, if you wanted to create the Galley Style spice kitchen you could make it work in the space of 80′.
It would comprise a thirty-foot freestanding cooktop and one 30” sink, and 18 inches of counter space as well as additional fillers.
Spice Kitchen Menu
A spice kitchen is basically a smaller version of the regular kitchen. A gas, or electric stove, is essential for any spice kitchen.
A spice kitchen has a separate door from the rest of your house. It also has separate venting systems that allow it to keep the smells out of your house.
You can also add any other items to your spice kitchen. You can add a microwave or a large griddle to your spice kitchen, depending on the type of food you prefer to prepare.
Every spice kitchen has both upper and lower cabinets. This allows you to have ample storage space for the food you prepare, as well as the ability to keep all your spices at arm’s reach.
This is a good way to think of a spice kitchen as a pantry you can use for cooking.
A spice kitchen may not have a refrigerator due to space limitations. It’s up to you what you prefer. You can either put your fridge in your main kitchen or place it in the spice room. Or you can keep the fridge in the main cooking area.
A spice kitchen offers a lot of flexibility.
8 Best Spice Kitchen Design Ideas
1. Spice Kitchen Above Cabinet Storage
It is often difficult to use the space above the kitchen cabinets. This space is usually difficult to access due to height restrictions. A kitchen ladder is an ideal solution that can be hidden in its own cabinet. The ladder is lightweight and can be stored in a cabinet.
2. Cabinet Door Spice Holders
The inside of the cabinet doors’ doors is usually bare. This spice kitchen design transforms the doors of your kitchen cabinets into extra storage space. These spice shelves are usually lightweight and only a few inches in depth.
3. Spice Kitchen Lazy Susans
Lazy susans, or rotating turntables, are placed on tables and counters. These turntables can also be installed in kitchen cabinets to provide additional storage and easy access. These turntables allow deep cabinets to be fully utilized.
4. Custom Horizontal Spice Cabinets
Owners of spice kitchens often customize their horizontal running cabinets to increase storage space. This is usually done to store spices or other small items. Raised panels can be used to customize cabinets.
5. Custom Vertical Spice Cabinets
This design feature provides additional storage similar to the custom horizontal cabinets mentioned previously. These cabinets are often slimmer and can be used in areas that are not normally used. Vertical spice cabinets are often installed around the stove and sink in the corners of the kitchen.
6. Spice Kitchen Magnetic Strips
Magnetic strips make a great addition to any spice kitchen. Magnetic strips can be attached to the walls of your kitchen. They can be used for storage such as cutting knives, spoons, or other magnetic tools.
7. Flat Panel Cabinets
Flat-panel cabinets let owners make use of areas in their kitchens that are otherwise not possible. These cabinets do not have deep shelves or any other storage options that can hold large items. Flat-panel cabinets can be used for spices and other small items.
8. Get out of the Pantry
This innovative spice kitchen design transforms a regular kitchen cabinet into a mini pantry. You can increase the space in your spice kitchen by installing pull-out shelves. This will also improve your organization. These shelves can be used to store canned foods, spices, and other essentials for your spice kitchen.
Benefits of a Spice Kitchen
- Your clothes and furniture will be kept smelling fresher by the spice kitchen. This is particularly important for ethnic recipes that contain a lot of fish.
- The spice kitchen helps keep the mess contained. A small space is much easier to clean. Oil splashes and spilled ingredients will not be a problem if they are contained in the spice kitchen.
- It’s fun to prepare delicious meals in a spice kitchen. You can have everything you need in a small space, which is great for making quick meals.
- Your spice kitchen can be used for anything you want. You can roast a turkey in your spice kitchen, while you prepare the rest of the holiday meals in the main kitchen. It’s a good idea to have separate cooking areas for long-term tasks.
- Although this is not an important concern for most people, it is a great option for those who want to sell their house eventually. It keeps the main kitchen in better shape.
Enjoy Your Spice Kitchen! And Final Thought
Summer kitchens were quite common over a century ago and are still used by some cultures. They are located in an additional, small building that is completely separate from the house.
The basic concept of spice kitchens is the same but adapted to the modern home.
For anyone who cooks a lot of spice dishes, oily meats, fish, and ethnic dishes, spice kitchens are worth the investment.
These kitchens are usually smaller than standard ones, but spice kitchens can be highly customized.