I was sitting down looking at an old episode of Gordon Ramsey’s, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’, and I wondered. What is the most important cabinet in the kitchen? Don’t get me wrong. They’re all important in some way, but if you had to choose one. Just one. The most necessary cabinet you’ll ever need in your kitchen. Which one would it be?
It’s no secret that cabinets are the workhorse of your kitchen. It’s where all of your kitchen essentials are stored, and it’s where your countertops are supported. I mean, without those cabinets of yours, I don’t think you’ll have much of a kitchen. Am I right?
So, I did a bit of research and called a bunch of leading industry experts to get their take on the subject. The ones that got back to me are the ones we’ll read about today. They gave great insights, and I think you’ll be surprised at some of the answers.
Are you ready to get started? Great. Read on…
Kitchen Designer – Jacob from Urban Homes in New York City
Jacob and his team have been front and center of the kitchen design industry for over 25 years. So, if there’s anyone who knows this stuff, it’s them. Here’s what Jacob had to say…
Me: “So Jacob, tell me. What’s the 1 kitchen cabinet you absolutely can’t live without? I mean, if you were to build me a kitchen that has space for one cabinet, what cabinet would that be?”
Jacob: “That’s a good question. I would have to say the cabinet under the kitchen sink”
Me: “How come?”
Jacob: “Well, the cabinet under your sink is very important. It’s where your sink is, and you need your sink probably more than anything else in your kitchen. It’s where you prep your food, it’s also where you wash up”.
If you think about it, he’s right. We use our kitchen sinks a lot. How many vegetables do you cut without washing them first? Every one of them, that’s how many.
Me: “That’s so true Jacob. I never thought of it like that before. But can you tell me this? What’s the one kitchen cabinet you can absolutely live without?”.
Jacob: “I’d have to say the cabinets above your head”.
Me: “How come?”.
Jacob: “Well, those cabinets are basically extra storage. You can live without them because the bulk of your kitchen essentials are stored in your base cabinets”.
Let’s stop and think about that for a second. Would you and your kitchen be able to survive without those wall cabinets? I guess so. The base cabinets can provide you with all the storage you really need, and those same base cabinets provide the support for your countertops. Jacob has the experience, having been a kitchen designer for so long, I’m just going to take his word for it.
Me: I am planning to buy a countertop microwave, I am confused about designing. Any suggestion?
Jacob: From making space for the best small countertop microwave to putting all your kitchen items in a safe place, you need to know how to design the place where you cook.
So, shall we continue?… Great.
Stay at Home Mom – Janine Ferdinand-Walker from Florida
Janine’s my sister, and I decided to give her a call because she is quintessential of who a stay-at-home mom is. She has a big family with five kids, a husband, and she owns her own business making festive drinks. I’ve known her all of my life, and I can tell you that this woman lives in her kitchen.
Having to cook for seven people almost daily is no easy task. But she manages her kitchen duties like non-other. Here’s our conversation.
Me: “Janine. If you had one kitchen cabinet that you can’t live without, which one would it be? Let me put it to you this way. If you were to build yourself a kitchen, but you only had room for one cabinet, what cabinet would it be?”
Janine: “Hmmm. I’d have to say the draw where I store my cutlery. This draw has all my pot spoons, ladles, and more, and I’m not doing much cooking without those now”.
Me: “Why would you choose that one?”.
Janine: “Well, it’s where I get most of the tools I’ll need to cook. I need spoons to check the tastes, brushes to coat meats with flavor, and a bunch of other stuff. You know how I am in the kitchen”
Me: “Lol, yes I do. But tell me something else. What’s the one cabinet you think you can do without?”.
Janine: “I’d get rid of the cabinet under the kitchen sink”.
Me: “On no! Not the kitchen sink cabinet”
Janine: “Yes the kitchen sink cabinet”.
Me: “How come?”.
Janine: “Because I store my kitchen cleaning supplies under there, and I think I can put them somewhere else, and use that space for more pots and pans. What’s more important to me is the placement of the cabinets. I like cabinets that are easily accessible for the kids. That way they’re able to get the little things for themselves. This saves me a lot of time from having to get up every five minutes to get them snacks.”
Again folks. Janine lives inside of her kitchen. Her bedroom is nothing more than her vacation home. And the rest of the house? Well, let’s just say that the kids occupy the remaining square footage. Ready to move on? Great… Follow me.
Cabinet Manufacturer – Anonymous from New Jersey
The cabinet manufacturer I spoke to wanted to keep his identity a secret. No problem at all. Not everyone wants to be famous. But I can tell you that he and his team have been creating stunning, custom cabinets for over 50 years.
They’ve built up a solid reputation in the New Jersey area with a long list of happy customers who have nothing but wonderful things to say about them. Here’s our conversation.
Me: “In your mind, what is the 1 kitchen cabinet no one should live without?”
Anonymous: “Hmmm. I don’t really have an answer for you there. I mean, every cabinet in your kitchen is as useful, as important as the next one. It’s like asking me what’s the most important part of the human body. And the answer to that is all of them.
You need your limbs for mobility, your veins to pump fluids, and your brain to control all of them. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a better answer”.
Me: “No worries. An honest answer is always the best one. I know I’m going out on a limb here, but what’s the one cabinet you think you can live without?”
Anonymous: “Lol. I don’t think I have an exact answer for that, but I’ll tell you that you don’t need too many shelves in your cabinets”.
Me: “Care to elaborate a bit?”
Anonymous: “Sure. What I mean is, shelves take up extra space even though they’re designed to allow for more space. Counterintuitive, right?”
Me: “Boy, I’ll say”.
Anonymous: “Depending on the use of the cabinet, you may need one or two extra shelves to get the maximum output. But your average kitchen cabinet can function just fine without much shelving. Customers always tell me “I need more shelves, I need more shelves”, and when I give them more shelves, they realize “I didn’t really need more shelves”.
Even though he didn’t want his identity revealed, he still gave some great insights. Ready to move forward? Great… Read on.
DIY Expert – Henry Cupid, Cupid Trucking Ltd.
When it comes to DIY projects, there isn’t much Henry can’t do. He fixes his own truck and his cars. He’s also renovated many of the rooms in his house, including his kitchen.
He’s done it all, from flooring to cabinets, countertops, and more. If anyone knows about general DIY projects, especially DIY kitchen remodeling, it’s Henry. Here’s what we discussed…
Me: “So, Henry, tell something. If you had to renovate your kitchen but you’re only allowed to have 1 kitchen cabinet. Which one would it be?
Henry: “Hmmm. I would have to build one tall cabinet that can hold a couple of pots, one, maybe two drawers, and an extra shelf or two. I’d try to get the most out of my one cabinet, so I’ll have to do my best to figure out where it should go, and what dimensions it should have”.
Me: “Thinking outside the box I see”.
Henry: “You have to, if I’m only allowed to have one cabinet, I’m going to make the most out of it”.
Me: “Of all the cabinets in your kitchen, which one do you think you could live without?”.
Henry: “Oh man. I need one more cabinet to go over my fridge. So, there aren’t any cabinets I think I can get rid of or live without for now”.
It’s easy to see how much of a DIY guy Henry is. It didn’t take him long at all to give me his answers. It’s almost as if he’s been thinking of when he’s going to add that extra cabinet. Am I right?
Conclusion
So, there you have it. The 1 kitchen cabinet you can’t live without, answered by 3 industry experts. If you think being a stay-at-home mom, or a dad for that matter, isn’t an industry, think again. Most of the markets today revolve around family life.
I just want to say thank you to everyone who answered my call and gave me their uninterrupted attention. They’re all busy people with little downtime so I really do appreciate your insights.
Read More: Kitchen Safety Rules
But what do you think? What’s the most important cabinet in your kitchen? Is there just one? Or are there multiple? I know in my kitchen, the one cabinet I can’t do without is my pantry. My kitchen’s a tiny one to boot. So, most of my posts are above ground. I live in my pantry though.
I’d love to hear what you’d have to say on the subject. Comment on this post and let me know what’s the 1 kitchen cabinet you can’t live without.
