12 Ingredients to Get Your Kitchen “Bake Off” Ready

For the fans of The Great British Bake Off, it’s nearly time for a new season of Victoria sponges and meringue pavlovas. If you’re feeling inspired to create your own baking extravaganzas, you’ll need a kitchen that makes it easy to store ingredients and tools, to prepare your recipes and, of course, to share your delicious creations. Check out these ideas for a show-stopping cook space.

Why are tiles quintessential in a kitchen?
Today, tiles are found in the majority of domestic kitchens, ranging from small splash back features behind hobs and sinks, to full kitchen floors. It has now become increasingly popular for modern kitchens to have tiles fixed from floor to ceiling, offering a very stylish and modern effect.

flat matt white 20x10

Go back to basics with vintage accessories
If you’re not keen on modern gadgets and bowls, you could hunt out vintage alternatives instead. The retro scales in this kitchen look great out on display and the colourful bowls and tins add to the look.

This vintage-style storage has been created by combining a freestanding island/large butcher’s block with an old, distressed cabinet perched on top. It’s a great mix of old and new, which gives the kitchen a quirky feel, perfect for getting the creative juices flowing.

image56

Plan a pantry
For a completely organised kitchen, a pantry area is invaluable. The corner shelves here provide the perfect space for all the ingredients and recipe books you’d need for baking. The jars, canisters and baskets have been organised in uniform lines to keep the area looking tidy, but, to add interest, the owners have chosen a variety of styles and sizes.

To make it even more organised, add labels in either tag or sticker form.

IMAGE 4

Turn utensils into a design feature
If you’re lacking cupboard space for your baking utensils and cake decorations, choose ones that you’d be happy to have out on show. Then you can devise some handy wall storage to keep them neatly off the worktops.

Here, the side of a wall unit has been covered with magnetic hooks for hanging small objects, such as biscuit cutters and whisks. A neat shelf on the left is perfect for little jars, and the S-hook bar beneath looks pretty with the collection of mint green utensils hanging off it. The owners have also made a feature of their cake cases by buying ones in different colours and displaying them in tall, clear canisters.

image5666

Prepare the surfaces
When planning your kitchen, pay attention to the worktop material you choose. Baking enthusiasts should opt for something hard-wearing and non-porous that will withstand all that food preparation.

Quartz and granite are good options, because they’re resistant to stains and won’t suffer from knife scratches. These materials are also heat-resistant, so they can handle a hot cake tin and stay relatively cool when you want to roll out pastry.

IMAGE2

Store your tins and trays
Cake trays, bun tins and mixing bowls are pretty cumbersome, and it can sometimes be tricky to find them a home. Wide drawers like these are often a better option than a cupboard, as the items can be stacked neatly and accessed easily. This one has a useful pull-out section at the top that’s perfect for tins and trays.

When planning storage, it’s a good idea to make a list of all the things you own, how often you’ll need to get to them and where it would be best to locate them.

image56565

Allocate room for recipe books
If you’re serious about your baking, you’ve probably collected an array of recipe books for inspiration. Keep them off the worktops to avoid food splashes and spills, but place them somewhere you can get to them easily.

Recessed shelves are a good idea to keep your books neatly tucked away and, by using your imagination, you can fit them in any number of places. This island provides the perfect spot for a bookcase of cookery tomes that can be perused while enjoying a cuppa at the table.

Of course, there are so many recipes online nowadays that it’s often not necessary to buy cookery books. Instead, look out for special holders for your tablet that you can attach to a wall.

IMAGE1

Park your chopping boards
An essential item for baking is a chopping board, and it’s useful to have a few in different sizes and materials. Avoid perching them precariously against the wall by designing some dedicated storage for them. Simple, narrow gaps in the corner of this unit provide the perfect place for organising the bread boards.

If you can’t fit a storage spot like this in a base unit, try separating a section of a wall shelf with some wooden partitions.

IMAG5

Invest in a warming drawer
For those who are serious about their bread-making, a warming drawer is a useful thing to have. This is essentially a separate drawer that fits into your space like an integrated oven. Alternatively, you’ll find them built into traditional range cookers.

These warm spaces are perfect for proving bread and, as an added bonus, can be used to defrost food and heat up plates.

IMAGE6

Hide your kit
If you use your food mixer a lot, but don’t want to keep it out on the surface, why not give it its own garage – along with any other small appliances?

Install a cupboard to fit directly on top of the work surface, and fit some plug sockets inside. Then all you have to do is open the cupboard and use your gadgets without moving them. When you’ve finished, everything can be hidden away behind the doors.

IMAGE8

Collect some crockery
Once you’ve baked your delicious cakes, you’ll need gorgeous crockery on which to serve them. Start a collection of pretty plates, jugs and bowls, so you always have the perfect item for every type of dessert.

Remember, not everything has to match: an eclectic collection is more interesting, and means you can add to it whenever you find something you like. For a thread of continuity, you could hunt out pieces in a similar colour scheme. This cupboard full of mismatched china is brought together by the repetition of blue, white and green hues.

IMAGE7

Create space for eating
Don’t forget to make room for enjoying your baking delights. Even if your kitchen is tiny, it’s still often possible to fit in a table. This small space has made use of stools and a console table, which is just large enough for a couple of friends to sit at and enjoy a slice of cake and a cuppa.

For a bigger table, look out for drop-leaf versions that can be tucked away, and extended when extra people pop round.

sdsasa

Save

Save

Save

Save

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *