Julia Childs once said "Always remember: If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who's going to know?". While we hope that doesn't happen we thought it would be fun to share some ideas about how to design a kitchen where you can cook a great Thanksgiving meal.
Sink
A deep farm-house sink with a commercial spray faucet are a great combination for prepping a turkey. A flexible faucet hose with good height is a great tool for cleaning and filling large pots. this Old House recommends a max depth of 9 inches to avoid back strain. Stainless will hold up to abrasive cleaners very well and is a great choice for a sink.
Oven
This Old House recommends for bakers "even-heat" double electric ovens. Be sure one of the ovens is equipped with a broiler that provides at least 3,000 watts of cooking power. Also look for racks that pull all the way out and lock in place for safe, easy access to the oven. On the inside, a dark interior shows less baked-on grime, while a porcelain interior is easier to clean.
Island
The mighty kitchen island is not just the place where you roll your pie dough, but also where your kids do their homework. A shared space that becomes even more valuable when making a Thanksgiving meal. What to consider? Surfaces you can scrub clean. There are a range of surfaces that resist staining and hold up to abrasive cleaners. Quartz is the most durable and stain resistant along with granite, while some very modern or commercial kitchens will use stainless steel as a countertop. Some chefs will have a mixture of surfaces including butcher block which is a great surface for kneading dough.
Dishwasher
You may never love (or need) your dishwasher more than on Thanskgiving day. When thinking about a new one consider both the placement and the ability to configure the interior. Placing a dishwasher near a sink has obvious benefits, avoiding extra steps and a wet floor. Look for a machine with configurable racks and spaces for odd-shaped items, and cycles for the items you use most like a pot scrubber cycle for instance.
When you have designed your dream kitchen, even with all the wonderful features, it never hurts to have the Butterball hotline number available so here it is... 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372).
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.