Christopher Kimball Thinks Your Kitchen Should Be Smaller

The kitchen is the most exciting room in the house. Just like any other workshop, it’s a space where you create things: memories, dishes, and everything in between. On a recent trip to Vermont, Christopher Kimball invited us into his surprisingly small, completely functional kitchen. Here, he outlines 13 rules for the optimal working kitchen. But before you take a sledgehammer to your walls and countertops remember: If your kitchen works for you, you’ve got a kitchen that works.

For even more kitchen wisdom, and to hear Chris’ strong feelings on fridge design, listen to his interview with Nicola Twilley on Milk Street Radio.

1. Think Small

Those Architectural Digest and MTV Cribs tours are deceiving you! While a giant kitchen, with its mile-long island, spotless counters and absolutely no personality whatsoever might seem like the dream, I can promise you that very little cooking is actually happening. How can it when you’re getting your daily step count in just going from one end to the other?

A small kitchen is much more practical and makes cooking easier. Everything, from your stove to fridge to pots and pans, should be within easy reach.

2. Your Countertops Should Be Heatproof

Chris chose locally-sourced marble for his kitchen, but other materials like ceramic and stainless steel will do. The key is to find a surface that doesn’t require a trivet when setting down pots and sheet pans directly from the oven. (And if you do go with marble, make sure it’s properly sealed to protect it from water stains.)

3. A Place for Pie Dough

Chris Kimball is famous for his pie, so it should come as no shock that he’s got a spot in his kitchen dedicated to mixing, rolling and assembling it. And you should, too. Whichever spot in your kitchen you choose, make sure you’ve given yourself plenty of room; you’ll need more space for rolling out your dough than you think.

4. Prep in Peace

For Chris, cooking is a solo endeavor. Having a small kitchen means less space for nosy onlookers poking their heads into pots and asking questions. What’s for dinner? It’s a surprise!

5. Every Space Needs a Purpose

Minimize the “dead space.” Cabinetry should be far off the counter to maximize your working area. If your cabinets are too low, you’re missing out on prime real estate.

6. Put Your Best Pieces on Display...and Hide the Rest

Your kitchen should have some glass cabinets to show off your plates, glassware and other specialty cookware. Keep other items—cereal boxes, soup cans, storage containers—behind wooden doors.

7. Appliances Belong on the Counter

Why are you lugging your stand mixer and food processor back and forth? Keep them on the counter so they’re always ready to go.

8. Give Your Back (and Knees) A Break!

Invest in heavy-duty drawers that pull out from your cabinets for easy access and less strain. Just make sure the hardware can withstand your heaviest cast iron pots and pans; no one wants a dented floor.

9. Keep Your Tools at Eye Level

Your measuring cups and spoons are some of the most reached-for items in the kitchen. Keep them at eye level on hooks—or on pegboard, à Julia Child—so they’re always ready to grab when the cooking gets started.

10. Your Dishwasher Should Be Near Your Cabinets

Nothing delays the daily dishwasher unloading more than the thought of having to make multiple trips around the kitchen just to put a few things away. Keep your washer in a central location so you can to speed up the process.

11. Cast Off Your Kitchen Island

A hot take, but you have to admit, it does get in the way sometimes.

12. A Sink Divided Cannot Stand

A single-tub sink means all of your big pots and pans, plus your smaller kitchen tools, can all be washed at once, cutting down the time you have to stand on your feet after cooking a meal.

13. Knives Out!

You reach for your knives every day, why are you keeping them hidden? A magnetic strip attached to the wall provides quick access, and an easy way to show off your growing collection.

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Sydney Manning

Sydney Manning is the Managing Digital Editor at Milk Street. She holds a BS in Marketing Communication from Emerson College, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. For the past five years at Milk Street, Sydney has worked as a social media editor, blogger, podcaster, project manager and book marketer. In her free time she enjoys cooking with friends, reading and antiquing. She lives in South Carolina with her family.