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michelledt

Baking Centers/Rooms

MichelleDT
12 years ago

Do you have a baking center. If so, how big, what do you have in the center/room and would you share pictures?

TIA!

Comments (19)

  • breezygirl
    12 years ago

    Lavender started a thread about them earlier in the month. Cotehele's room is always the first that comes to my mind. Just lovely. You'll find links to her kitchen on Lavender's thread below.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cotehele's bakery on Lavender's thread

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    I love Cotehele's baking area. I thought about something similar for about a week and then decided that it was too far from the main kitchen, in my plan. Cotehele's baking center is in a great location. I'm still working on my plan :)

  • MichelleDT
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks...did not find that when I did a search.

  • oldbat2be
    12 years ago

    My baking center is also on the run adjacent to my cooking area. I keep my flour/sugar cannisters out on the countertop but have 30'' deep countertops along this run, which means that I have room to roll out a pie crust easily.

    Everything is in drawers below, the cabinet above, or the pullout to the left.

    It's really nice to have so much of what you need, in one spot (I do have add'l items stored above the ovens and in the pantry).
    Cabinets are 9'' pullout (to right of cooktop), 18'' stack of drawers, 33'' drawers.

    Cabinet above, baking spices on right.

    Drawers in 33'' stack:

    From Drop Box
    From Drop Box

    Lower 2 drawers in 18'' stack (top one is for cooking utensils):

    From Drop Box

    Pullout:

  • mama goose_gw zn6OH
    12 years ago

    I have a baking area in a run of vintage cabinets. The 11' counter is often used as a buffet for large family dinners, and is perfect for lining up loaded cooky sheets. I keep baking components (baking pdr, salt, cocoa pdr, etc.), and small utensils (measuring spoons and cups, nutmeg grater, cupcake liners, etc.), behind the curtains in the upper cabinet. Pie plates, bread pans, and baking dishes are in the base cabinet, and cooky sheets are in the thin cabinet to the left (under the mixer).

    The base cabinets were only 16" deep--I pulled them out to 22.5", making the counter 24", so I use the marble island (36" wide) for rolling out pie crusts, and cooling the cooky sheets from the oven.

    You can see the range to the left of the island in this pic--the baking area is to the right. The oven is two steps from the 'roll-out' area, which is two steps from the mixer.

    So...I guess my baking area is kinda spread out over the whole kitchen... :)

  • malhgold
    12 years ago

    I saw your other post asking about what color cabinets to use that had your floor plan in it. Do you know how you want that prep kitchen to be used? If you're not sure, maybe you should start a new thread with your floor plan in it asking for suggestions. I found this article that might be helpful to get the ideas going. For me, you have such a nice big open floor plan, I'm not sure how much time I'd want to spend in the other space doing prep, baking, etc. Seems like you'd spend most of your time in a closed off kitchen, which is what many people who are renovating their kitchens are trying to avoid.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Scullery Kitchen

  • MichelleDT
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for all of the feedback and pics. Love Oldbat2be's set up. Everything right where it is needed. All of the feedback and pics has me rethinking my plan. If I am going to make changes, I need to do it quick as we finalizing floor plans to finalize elevations.

    The goal with the prep kitchen was really two fold - function as a large working pantry and as a baking room where I could contain the mess that comes with making bread and other types of baking as well as ravioli making which we do multiple times a year and in large quantity - hundred or so at a time. I also cook and bake with my young niece and when she leaves, I have flour and sugar from one end of the room to the other. There is just something so fun about putting flour or powdered sugar in a mixer going at full speed! I don't mind it as it is part of the fun cooking with her but wanted to better contain the flour haze in the new house. I also have too many cookbooks which I want easy access to.

    When just cooking for the two of us or small dinner parties, I see the main kitchen as the place I will spend most of my time so it has to be functional. I have a nice size island now but the cooktop cuts it in half and there is no water source so I was hoping to create a true prep island near the range and the combi steam wall oven. I plan to have a compactor and dishdrawer on the prep island in addition to a dishwasher and trash source near the main sink which is the clean-up zone.

    The mud room was intended to pick up storage for dishes, silver, glasses, etc., as I won't have upper cabs in the main kitchen. I have an addiction to china, silver and depression and vintage elegant glassware much of which is stored in boxes today or spread across the kitchen, dining, bar and laundry room. I would love to have it all out, visible and usable.

    Based on the feedback so far, I don't think I nailed it...probably not even close.

    I think it is best to repost and ask for specific help on layout as suggested. I cook and I want it to be functional. On the weekends Mister is in the kitchen with me so it has to work for two cooks too!

    I appreciate the feedback and help...this is the last house we will build and I really want to get it right.

    Cheers,

    M

  • lavender_lass
    12 years ago

    Michelle- I have nieces and nephews, who also like to come out and visit...and bake!

    There are times when you do need a lot more space for baking and prep...but I wouldn't want to walk around too much, between functions. I'm still working on my baking center, but I'm starting to realize that (unless I want two fridges) I'm using the fridge as the center, with sink and range on one side and prep sink, microwave/wall oven and baking area on the other. However that sets up in your plan, I think it makes two areas, one for everday cooking and one that is the baking/snack area.

    You can put the clean up area, where it works best for you, but I'd want it close to the range....where I make most of the mess! Baking is messy, but usually flour (not tomato) based and easier to wipe up. Just my two cents :)

  • macybaby
    12 years ago

    Here is mine. I really love it but I could use more storage room. I'll have some once the window seat that goes next to it gets built.

    The upper doors fold back so they are completely out of the way. Mixers are in the cab to the side, lower one is on a lift.

    Upper drawers

    Middle drawers have misc stuff, lowers had mixing bowls on one side and glass measuring cups on the other. I have several 8 cup size along with the normal size ones.

    Baking center has undercab lights and plugmold.

    Spice drawer is right behind me near the cooktop.

    Also right behind is the breadboard/rolling pin storage. That is why the spice drawer is shallow.

    Though I sometimes roll out dough on the baking center,

    I also have the soapstone to use.

    Though this is an old picture, it shows the relationship of the baking center to the rest of the kitchen.

    I keep my candy making stuff in the cabinet above the soapstone work area, though this is not working very well and I now have too many sprinkles to fit.

    I love sprinkles!

    The only bad part is the ovens are on the other end. Though so far it's never caused me any problems, and I like not being right next to the hot ovens while working.

  • MichelleDT
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    @Macybaby - WOW! Thanks for sharing.

  • remodelfla
    12 years ago

    I have my bakers table which gets used for multiple functions multiple times daily. It's approx. 6' of uninterrupted counter 30" deep. My ovens are around the corner in what used to be a closet. It doesn't really relate to what you are working on since my kitchen is probably half the size of your space and there is no separate prep kitchen. I do have my laundry room/pantry to be which is our next project. I suppose I could put counter in there for lesser used appiliances where I could prep...but I really just don't need the additional prep space. When we host large parties (several times a year) I use the folding table in the laundry room as a staging area.

  • zelmar
    12 years ago

    I love seeing the different solutions for organizing baking items.

    I'm not a serious baker but the 2 things we did that I really love were putting in a counter-height roll out shelf for the flour/sugar canisters and most often used baking ingredients and putting a sink near the baking area.

    The counter-height roll out shelf allows me to leave out the shelf while preparing batter/dough. The flour and sugar canisters are handy while baking but I don't have to clean around them every time I wipe off the counter. I like having the canisters out and handy while baking so that I can dip into them without opening and closing drawers (and without getting out of the way of a drawer if it's a wide one.)

    {{!gwi}}

    The tall cabinet keeps all of our baking supplies except the measuring spoons and cups that are kept in the top drawer below the mixer and our pans are kept in the cabinet below the drawers (with vertical dividers.) The upper picture is more recent (and my newer camera doesn't handle windows well) after we added another shelf to the upper portion and added vertical dividers to the highest shelf.

    {{!gwi}}

    Putting a sink near the baking area wasn't intentional but it turned out to be a very good thing. I tend to be very messy with flour and it's great to have an easy means to clean up. Since the sink is undermount, it's easy to wipe the mess straight into the sink. The nearby dw is also very handy.

    {{gwi:1567949}}

    I often fill the pans, spoon out cookie dough, and roll out crusts on the peninsula across the aisle from the baking center. Then it's an easy shot into the oven.

    Our baking area is far enough away from the main prep area (the other side of the peninsula) so that dd can bake while I'm cooking without crossing paths much but close enough to ovens, clean up area, and fridge to make baking efficient.

  • kalapointer
    12 years ago

    My baking center is in the pantry which is adjacent to my kitchen. The marble was a left over piece I found at my fabricators yard.

  • MichelleDT
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Kalapointer,

    Love it. Do u find it an issue not being in the same room as the kitchen? That is what I have planned. I will have an sink, dishwasher, oven and single induction in the pantry as well.

    Thanks,

    Michelle

  • kalapointer
    12 years ago

    I do not find it to be any problem having a pantry in a room next to the kitchen. That is great that you will have all those appliances in your pantry. I added the counter top oven and find that I use it a lot rather then using my wall ovens. One thing that I wish I had in the pantry is an under counter refrigerator for butter, eggs, etc. Have fun planning your pantry.

  • kateskouros
    12 years ago

    i have one! love it and can't wait to fill it up and use it!
    {{!gwi}}

  • MichelleDT
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    @Kateshouros - beautiful! Post pics when it is filled up!

    Thanks again Kalapointer. I will have refrigeration in the pantry.

    M

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