Cooking and baking are a lot like ducks and chickens. Same same but different. Both are about prepping food, but how they are prepped are completely different beasts. Cut, chop, cook vs mix, knead, ferment, shape, bake. It's really shouldn’t a cook’s kitchen is going to be very different from a baker’s one. So, if you’re designing a baker’s kitchen, remember to consider these 8 things.

Making space... and then some.

Bakers need far more real estate than any reasonable cook will ever need. Just try making a pie with less than a football field’s worth of space – it’s a nightmare. Design a kitchen U-shaped or L-shaped kitchen that includes an island – the island will serve as a dedicated prep space.

The right stuff... for a countertop.

What kind of countertop material is best? Anything non-porous. Anything else and dough will stick to it harder than superglue. Granite and marble are a favourite especially with pastry bakers; they keep the dough nice and cool. However, if you’re on a budget, quartz works just as well. Or even consider mixed materials.

Height matters... for tables.

Where possible custom table heights would be infinitely helpful. One size DOES NOT fit all for a baker. A section that is a little lower than usual makes kneading so much easier – especially when working with stiffer doughs by hand. Plus, if there are kids, they can help out with the baking too!

Storage, storage... and more storage.

Baking sheets. Cutting boards. Muffin pans. Serving trays. Those and millions of other large flat thingamabobs that are mainstay of the average baker. However, the average kitchen typically doesn’t cater to storing such things. For those, you’ll need a dedicated vertical storage.

As for drawers, regular pullout ones aren’t enough. Bakers have a jillion tools and whatnots – every single one of them, different in size, shape, and function – that will jam them shut forever. Enter rollout drawers. These offer more space and everything is highly accessible. Some can even store larger bakeware like stand mixers.  

Power points here and there... and everywhere.

Baking can be backbreaking – mixing and kneading and shaping and even more kneading. Tools and appliances are how bakers get by. And for those to work, you need a lot of power points accessible nearby or, preferably, directly at your workspace to power these things. 

Wine cooler... for doughs.

Make space for a wine cooler. No, it’s not for wine – it’s for dough. Baking and fermentation go hand-in-hand. The thing about fermentation is that the warmer it is, the faster it goes. In cooler parts of the world, bakers get warming cabinets. However, Singapore has the opposite problem. It’s so warm that everything ferments too quickly. If you’re not careful with that dough you made? It’ll be soup before your can say “croissant”. You need a cool place to keep the process in check. A fridge is too cold and stop fermentation altogether. But a wine cooler? Just right.

An Oven... or two.

Ovens aren’t glorified toasters. Especially not for the baker, aspiring or professional. Invest in ones that include convection and/or steam functions. Convection allows you to bake on multiple levels evenly, and steam helps pastry and breads become fluffier. 

And if you’re baking beast? Consider a second oven. That way, you can bake twice as much or at two temperatures at the same time.

Everything... including the kitchen sink.

If there’s one thing that’s more certain than the sky being blue, it’s cleanup after baking. To make it that much easier, you can’t go wrong with an undermount sink – makes it so much easier to swipe everything into it. And, it’s super satisfying.

A kitchen a baker can love.

Remember that most kitchens are designed for cooks, so you’ll need to extra mindful about how YOU are going to use it and what you’ll need to achieve all that. Then, and only then, you’ll end up with a kitchen you love baking in.

Posted on 4th August 2023

Written by Kenny Tan

SIXiDES Editorial Team