The right storage solutions can turn small and pokey kitchens into highly efficient workstations. If you think your community centre kitchen doesn’t offer enough room, you might find that you can open up the space and the possibilities with better storage.

Poor storage = poor function

If you don’t have enough storage in your kitchen, or it’s arranged without the right level of thought, you could see some common challenges arising:

• Equipment or crockery takes up valuable space on the work surface
• Washing and tidying takes a longer time because sink-washed equipment is stored across the kitchen from the sink itself
• You cannot buy or use items that you would like due to capacity

Poor storage = poor hygiene

If you have equipment, plates, mugs, or anything else stored in the open or on open shelves, then it is vulnerable to dust, oil, grease, and insects. People assuming those items are clean can unwittingly prepare or serve food unhygienically.

Poor storage = poor kitchen safety

When you have limited space, it’s understandable to store things just to put them away as best you can, rather than in a considered way. However, that can make the kitchen a higher risk area than it needs to be. Common mistakes include:

• Drawers at a child-accessible height, containing sharp items but have no locking mechanism
• Cleaning products and dangerous chemicals under sinks, again with no lock or catch
• Large or heavy items stored too high up, increasing the risk of breakage and injury.

The solution to kitchen storage challenges

If you’re not sure what improvements you can make to your kitchen storage, or you’re not sure how to go about it, why not get some free advice? Steeplan’s design experts have a long track record of finding creative and functional solutions for community centre kitchens of all shapes and sizes. Our products and solutions include:

• Under-worktop cabinets: Full-height, drawer-line and sink-base units with drawers and cupboards in a variety of sizes
• Wall-mounted cabinets, available with or without locks
• Floor-standing larder units, available with either a single door or 50/50 doors
• Broom store larders that can be used to store long-handled brooms and mops
• Larder lockers designed to provide small individual locked spaces for users
• Oven housing larders designed to house either a single or double built-in oven
• Disabled access-compliant work surfaces and units designed to house a single oven at the correct height for wheelchair users

Get in touch and put our design skills to the test: [email protected].