Foods and home making

The floor plan of a kitchen in which the equipment is arranged efficiently is shown in Figure 45. A kitchen in which the equipment is arranged with no thought about ease and con- venience in working is shown in Figure 46. If a food such as muffins were made in this type of kitchen, many steps would have to be taken in collecting the food materials and utensils to make the muffins. This is an energy-wasting kitchen. In some houses, especially in old ones, the kitchen equipment is not arranged for efficiency. If there is a real desire for a conveniently arranged kitchen, it is usually possible to rear- range the furniture so that kitchen work may be done efficiently. Kitchen Efficiency and Charm 145 CASEMENT WINDOWS Interpretation of plans : Solid lines, walls ; breaks in the solid lines, windows or doors ; diagonal and curved lines, swing of doors ; dotted lines with arrow heads, paths used in food-preparation center and dish-washing center. This oblong kitchen covers less space than the more nearly square kitchen shown in Figure 46, has more cupboard space, and has a dish-washer at the left of the sink. In the absence of a dish-washer, dishes can be drained effi- ciently on a left-hand drain board. In collecting materials for baking it would be possible to make only one trip from the refrigerator to the cabinet. If eggs or other foods are washed, only a step or two need be taken from the refrigerator to the sink. N otice the cupboards at the left of the sink. If dishes are washed and drained in a dish-washer or drained on the left drain board, but few steps need be taken to store them in the cupboard. The cupboards opening into both kitchen and dining room are efficient. In some cases merely placing the work table so that it is close to the cupboards will save many steps. Again, a rearrangement of the staple materials and utensils in the kitchen cupboards may prove a decided convenience. Often there is much that a girl can do to make the kitchen of her home a more convenient workshop. A girl whose interest 146 Modern Housewifery DlM/NC ROOM Figure 46. An Energy-Wasting Kitchen Since the only cupboard in this kitchen is some distance from the work table, many steps must be taken in collecting materials for baking. Because the sink has but one drain board and that is at the right of the sink, dishwashing is motion-wasting. Then too, the cupboard's distance from the sink makes dish-storing step-wasting. If the refrigerator is of the ice-storing type, it is inconveniently placed. and efforts make the kitchen work in her home easier will prove herself a worthy home member. In selecting a home to rent or to buy, look at the arrangement of the kitchen equipment. If you keep in mind the two work centers of a kitchen, you can readily decide whether the kitchen furnishings are arranged conveniently. If a new house is to be built, kitchen plans should be studied earnestly. It is real fun to plan or help plan a kitchen. Kitchen Efficiency and Charm 147 Where should utensils be placed ? If bread is to be cut into slices, the loaf of bread, a bread board, and a bread knife are needed. If these three items are in different parts of the kitchen, several steps need to be taken to get them together. For effi- ciency, the container, the board, and the knife should be placed near one another.