Looks great, but I would also make use of the not-working dishwasher as a dish drain or dish storage or something…that's a lot of space to leave unused in that cute little kitchen.
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Posted 9 months ago #
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If you do not use the dishwasher for anything but storage and drainig, you need to run it once in a while. It may have moisture and trapped water in it that may get nasty.
When we redid our kitchen, I wish that I had followed my heart and had a carpenter come in and build me some nice open shelving, or invested in some DIY shelving instead of the expensive cabinets that we put in.
I had thought of doing that and buying some nice stuff that was attractive, simple, and good to use that would rest on open shelving.
But, at the time, there was resale value to consider. Most people would want cabinets.
I could live with a much smaller amount of stuff in my kitchen.One thing that I do not understand about the drainage cupboard over the sink is that I would have a hard time reaching it! And, if it were low enough to be easily reached, it would low enough to annoy me. It looks like a good idea, but I don't think it would work for me. The stainless one over the sink seems reachable. But, the closed cabinet ones look to be too high up to use more than just the bottom shelf, for me.
It would be nice to clear the counter top of drying dishes. But, it holds so much more than dishes. I am always doing something in the kitchen that makes a mess. I clear the drainer many times a day, but, many times a day I am doing something to make it full again. I have a nice stainless steel one, but it has a plastic tray.
If I used a towel to drain the amount of things that I use it for everyday, I would have a serious problem around the caulked edges of the countertop. It would be too much water for my countertop.
If I used the sink , it would get in the way of using the other half of the sink.My dream is to have an entire kitchen made of a solid surface material and have a large spray faucet and a drain in the middle of the floor. I would just spray wash it down and be done with it! The same for a bathroom. I would love it! I don't go for frous frous and doo dads in my kitchen or bathroom. I aspire towards simplicity and easy care and hidden storage for a few things. My dream,not my reality. Someday, maybe.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Genny:
Open cabinets: I took off the cabinet doors in our kitchen to paint them and it took me a while to get around to it -- close to seven years. Open cabinets sound like a great idea but the doors do serve a purpose other than hiding things -- they keep things clean. It's a whole lot easier to wipe down a door than it is to empty a cabinet and wipe down the shelves. If you ever do get your dream kitchen it's something to consider.
We tore out our dishwasher and are in the process of fitting out the "hole" with pull-out trash bins and a shelf for the microwave. I've given up the idea of fitting out my house for resale value. I make it work for ME.
Posted 9 months ago # -
The real problem for the OP is not the dish rack. It's that they have a system for using the dish rack, but no system for emptying the dish rack.
I hate handwashing dishes and use the dishwasher as much as possible. But every day, there are things that must be handwashed--the good knives, the wooden cutting board, that sort of thing.
What I do is empty the dish rack when I empty the dishwasher. This means that it is cleared at least every other day. (I live alone, so the dishwasher gets run every other day.) I also empty it when I'm waiting for the water to boil for tea--it's a quick little chore that fits in while I'm waiting.
Even if the OP got rid of the dish rack itself, if her husband likes to hand wash things, there will still be dishes on the counter, just on a towel or in a different dish rack. I would suggest that figuring out how to get the clean handwashed dishes back where they belong, just as they do the things in the dishwasher, would go a long way to solving the problem.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I an still thinking about how nifty it seems to have a dish draining cabinet, so I went back to the post to see if there were any more opinions on the subject.
Susan, you are right about the things getting dirty on the open shelves.
Even the things behind closed doors on the highest shelf get dirty because it seems to seep behind the cabinet doors with the release of moisture while cooking. Then some dust will settle on it.If I were to opt for the open shelving, it would be only for those things that the two of us use on a really regular basis. You are so right about the rest of the stuff getting dirty!
What an uncluttered vision I have of a kitchen for the two of us that has immediately avialable only the few serving items that we use over and over each day. I really don't need an entire set of dinner plates taking up room at arms reach.The idea thing is to have a large kitchen closet where the excess is stored, and have only the few regularly used items at hand. As is, I have a cart in the dining area that has pretty serving platters and the plates that I use when we have company. This is as close to the open shelving system that I have. It has worked for me for years and it does not look tacky when the platters and serving ware are pretty. Then, I have a storage area just outside the kitchen door, in the garage. There is where I keep extra stuff like pie pans, large wooden cutting boards and some of the nice serving ware that I acquired for the two weddings and other ocassions.
I could really function well in a kitchen with only minimum items at hand.
Uncluttered is THE way to go in the kitchen for me!Those drying cabinets look to be a nice concept, but I would have a hard time trying to get the wet items into the cabinets. Then, there are times when my dish drain is teetering to the point of almost toppling over! I could never get all of that into a cabinet---but, for just the few items that we use daily and keep at hand it would work, if I could reach it.
Posted 9 months ago # -
After reading this thread, I bought a dish drying mat, to replace the kitchen towel that I was using. I must say that it works great!
Also, about open shelves vs. cupboard doors -- we remodeled our kitchen about a year ago -- and I used glass-fronted cabinets for the two main dish cabinets. I bought Fiesta-ware in 3 different colors. It looks really great behind the glass, and everything has a very exact spot where it belongs. So far the system is working perfectly. I have organized cabinets and the family can see where to put everything. I also have closed-door cabinets to put things that don't look as pretty of course.
Funny thing, I definitely don't need all the kitchen storage I have! There are items I haven't used in the year since I put them away. Ridiculous!
Posted 9 months ago # -
I also have far more kitchen storage than I really need. This is not a bad problem to have. :-)
DH and I will have our tenth anniversary this October. I am seriously considering taking our registry crystal out of its protective cases and putting it on our shelves for daily use. If in ten years we haven't broken any of the everyday glasses, it's probably time to stop "saving" things, eh?
Of course, I will have to hand-wash the good stuff. Good thing I haven't got rid of my dish rack. LOL
Posted 9 months ago # -
I had a dishwasher in two apartments over a span of 22 years. For the past year, I've lived in a tiny efficiency studio with no dishwasher and minimal counter space.
I use a folding bamboo wood dishrack from BB&B. I wash dishes twice a day, and then shine my sink a la FlyLady. I go do something else while the dishes dry quickly, and then I put them and the dishrack away. The dishrack folds up against the sink's backsplash and, being wood, becomes part of the other wooden elements that form the decor of my little kitchenette. I don't miss having a dishwasher.Posted 9 months ago # -
Is that your kitchen, Ella? It looks inviting :)
Posted 9 months ago # -
Thanks, JJ. That's half of my kitchen; the other half off to the left has a 2-burner cooktop, mini fridge, and microwave, which I use as a bread box. But it's much too tiny to be very inviting, as only one person can fit in that narrow space. The wood surface in the foreground is a cabinet that I positioned to divide the 10x12' room in half, as I didn't want my bed right smack dab in the kitchen area. During the day, I arrange cushions against the back of the cabinet to turn my bed into a sofa.
When in use, the dishrack sits atop the chopping block with a towel laid underneath to catch drips. However, there really aren't any drips since I discovered that it takes only 2 seconds (I timed it) to let the drips fall in the sink before putting an item in the rack. If I wash 30 items, that's all of 1 extra minute... and therefore the rack doesn't get mildewy, the towel doesn't get soaked, and the chopping block stays dry. As mentioned by others, I rinse with hot water, which cuts air-drying time way down so everything can be quickly put out of the way soon after.
Posted 9 months ago #
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