Kitchen facts for kids

A kitchen of the apartment of a family from Denmark

A kitchen from Barcelona

A kitchen is a special room or area where people cook and get food ready. You can find kitchens in homes, restaurants, and many other places.

Most modern kitchens have a stove for cooking. They also have a sink with water, a refrigerator to keep food cold, and cabinets for storage. Many homes also have a microwave oven and a dishwasher.

The main jobs of a kitchen are storing, preparing, and cooking food. People also use kitchens for washing dishes. Sometimes, kitchens are also used for eating meals, having fun with friends, or even doing laundry. Designing and building kitchens is a big business worldwide.

Types of Kitchens

Kitchens at Home

Kitchens in homes are called residential kitchens. They are usually designed for one family. These kitchens have all the tools needed for daily cooking. This includes stoves, sinks, fridges, and cabinets. They are made to be easy to use for everyday meals.

Kitchens for Businesses

Commercial kitchens are much larger. You find them in places like restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, and hospitals. These kitchens need bigger, stronger equipment. For example, a large restaurant might have a huge walk-in refrigerator. They also use big machines to wash dishes.

Sometimes, people even use commercial kitchen equipment in their homes. This is because it is very strong and easy to use for cooking.

Health and Safety in Commercial Kitchens

In many countries, commercial kitchens must follow special public health rules. Health officials regularly check these kitchens. If a kitchen is not clean or safe, it might have to close. These rules help keep people safe from food-related sickness.

How Kitchens Changed Over Time

The way kitchens look and work has changed a lot. This change is linked to new inventions. One big invention was the cooking range or stove. Before stoves, people cooked over open fires.

Another important change was when homes started getting running water. This made it much easier to have a sink with hot and cold water. These inventions made kitchens more useful and comfortable.

Images for kids

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  An early-20th century Art Nouveau-style kitchen in Riga

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  The roasting spit in this European Renaissance kitchen was driven automatically by a propeller—the black cloverleaf-like structure in the upper left

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  Beecher's "model kitchen" brought early ergonomic principles to the home

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  The Frankfurt kitchen using Taylorist principles

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  A block kitchen

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  A canteen kitchen

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  A food technology training kitchen of Marling School in the United Kingdom

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  A traditional 1920s Shanghainese shikumen style kitchen, Shikumen Open House Museum

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  Reconstruction of a 1832 Japanese kitchen in Dejima, Nagasaki, Japan.

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  Preparation of bread in the kitchen of Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi, India

See also

In Spanish: Cocina (habitación) para niños