32 
House & Garden 
KITCHEN ARRANGEMENT to SAVE LABOR and STEPS 
Eliminate the Unnecessary and You Minimize the Trials of Preparing 
Eleven Hundred Meals a Year 
EVA NAGEL WOLF 
W ITH one thousand and ninety-five meals 
to be prepared and cleared away in 
every kitchen in every year, with the peoples 
of the world depending for their mental and 
physical working power upon the food there 
prepared, it would seem that the workshop of 
the home would be the first instead of the last 
to receive the attention of the efficiency experts. 
To produce these one thousand and ninety- 
five meals with the greatest despatch and least 
expenditure of labor and money, every un¬ 
necessary motion and article must be elimi¬ 
nated and every foot of floor and wall space 
and every tested labor-saving device within 
reason must be utilized. 
Since the room should be as sanitary as a 
hospital, no equipment is installed for laundry 
work. Consequently a room of smaller pro¬ 
portions is practicable; IT x 12' has been 
found sufficiently large. No 
longer are kitchens the meeting 
place for the members of the 
family, nor does the family ever 
eat in the kitchen of today— 
space does not permit. Time 
was when this room was a huge 
affair, covered with carpet—rag 
carpet, it is true, that could be 
washed, but certainly anything 
but sanitary. Tile, linoleum or 
cement is the ideal floor covering. 
Related Arrangements 
The continuous arrangement 
of related equipment is the 
greatest factor in saving time as 
well as steps. Any unutilized 
wall or floor space results in a 
lack of efficiency in production 
The mixing center must be with¬ 
in a step of the preparation and 
clearing away center. Both 
must be within a step or two of 
the range, with the clearing 
away equipment close to the din¬ 
ing room. 
As long as wall space is at a 
premium, much thought should 
be given to the placing of doors 
and windows, and only those 
necessary should occupy space valuable for 
equipment. In the right corner illustration on 
this page, it will be noted that windows are 
placed high because the space below is needed. 
This arrangement might be modified by using 
the space directly above the sink for a cabinet 
containing all small utensils in constant use 
and cleaning agents. This cabinet should 
have a door as a protection from dust. In 
this modification, windows high above each 
drain board will give ample light for all cul¬ 
inary operations. 
The sink, dishwasher, tables, and all other 
equipment of this type should be elevated from 
34" to 36" from the floor. This height will 
prevent unnecessary stooping and should be 
insisted upon in planning a new home. Wher¬ 
ever possible, old equipment should be raised. 
A high stool is a necessary adjunct. 
Beside the sink and but a step from the 
range should be placed the greatest labor-saver 
ever devised—the kitchen cabinet. It houses 
practically all non-perishable foods and the 
most frequently used utensils. Any excess of 
the non-perishable foods, together with seldom 
used utensils, can be stored on shelves placed 
on the wall opposite the sink, as shown in the 
left corner of this page. Shallow shelves are 
better than deep ones, just as glass containers 
are preferable to opaque ones. 
The clearing away process is facilitated by 
having the kitchen wagon just behind the door 
which leads from the dining room. It is wise 
to have this wagon wired, so that when drawn 
beside the dining table, percolator, toaster, 
chafing dish or grill may be attached. A clus¬ 
ter plug makes it possible to use more than 
one of these devices at the same time. 
Next in importance in the 
clearing away process is the 
dish-washer. The electric ones 
are, of course, the best. This 
should be placed beside the 
sink. A top, arranged to be 
hooked up to the wall when the 
dish-washer is in use, serves as 
a table in preparing food and as 
a second drain board. A dish¬ 
washer makes possible the ex¬ 
peditious and sanitary accom¬ 
plishment of this most unpleas¬ 
ant part of kitchen work. 
Locating the Range 
The range should be but a 
step from the kitchen cabinet. 
Whether a coal, oil, gas, alcohol, 
electric or a combination range 
is used, it is economy to procure 
the best make possible. If an 
electric range is selected, it may 
be placed close to refrigerator 
or cabinet, as is most convenient. 
The heat from such a range is 
not diffused but insulated as in 
a fireless cooker. The space be¬ 
tween range and cabinet may 
have racks for pots and pans. 
(Continued on page 56) 
Shelves built against the wall op¬ 
posite the sink are convenient for 
seldom used utensils 
Modern kitchen arrangements are based on simplicity and 
space and labor economy. The detail elevations of this 
plan are shown below 
The range should be but a step The electric refrigerator may be 
from the cabinet. A high stool in the most convenient place, 
and chair are essential features regardless of other arrangements 
If not needed for light, the win¬ 
dow space could be used for a 
small utensil cabinet 
