TINY OFF-GRID HOUSE KITCHEN DESIGN

The Tiny Off-Grid House kitchen prioritizes energy efficiency and safety.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY::

Energy efficient appliances use the electricity generated by renewable energy more efficiently. Inaddition, an induction cooktop does not contribute to indoor pollution often associated with natural gas & propane ranges.

Natural gas is mainly comprised of >95% Methane. When Methane burns it becomes a catalyst between Oxygen (O2) and Nitrogen (N) creating Nitric Oxide (NO) & Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2); an indoor air pollutant known as Nitrogen Oxide (NOx). NOx is known to cause cardiovascuar and respiratory illneses.

According to the International Journal of Environmental Research, the use of indoor gas stoves, ovens and leaking gas pipes causes indoor air pollution which is attributable to 13% of childhood asthma rates in the United States. Several cities in the U.S. have passed laws banning the use of gas stoves and ovens in all “new” buildings construction: Berkeley, CA, 2019, San Francisco, CA, 2020, New York City, 2021, with several more cities being considered.

For more information please read: “TINY OFF-GRID HOUSE ENERGY EFFICIENT INDUCTION COOKTOP”

STORAGE:

The use of smart storage spaces in the Tiny Off-Grid House along with a sustainable lifestyle that desires less accumulation of stuff may reduce, if not eliminate, the need for multi-functional equipment.

In contrast to traditional swing-out doors, deep pull out drawers are used for the food pantry & under the countertop work area to prevent back strain from having to bend down to access items; especially, those stored in the rear of the shelves. The deep drawers feature soft close push-to-lock and are capable of containing stacked pots & pans. Concave notches to pull open the drawers are less intrusive than protruding drawer handles. Toe-kick drawers, under the main drawers discreetly store items used infrequently.

The use of closed overhead cabinets are avoided to maximize the flow of air ventilation and light. However, if necessary, open shelving facilitates the flow of ventilation and light in the kitchen. Open shelving does provide an opportunity to display exquisite pottery & dinnerware.

WASTE REDUCTION & COMPOSTING:

The focus of Tiny Off-Grid House sustainable kitchen is to prevent / reduce the waste. Fruits & vegetables kitchen scraps and organic waste can avoid the landfills and become a resource to help nurture the growth of plants & trees through composting. The compost can be a small worm bin where the composting process takes place indoors or simply a holding container for food scraps to be later deposited in to an outdoor hot compost pile. These are proactive measures from garden to table and compost that facilitates living a sustainable lifestyle.

The Tiny Off-Grid House incorporates the use of reusable food storage containers / bags which has been proven to dramatically reduce, if not, eliminate food packaging waste.

Cooking healthy meals at home reduce / eliminate the reliance on single-use food containers. Take-out food disposable containers can overwhelm a kitchen waste container; even if recycling is a possibility. Groceries wrapped at the store or farmers market in sustainably food-grade packaging such as reusable cloth bags for vegetables and reusable mason glass jars for smaller food items all can help reduce / eliminate food waste in the kitchen.

Cooking healthy meals at home using home grown ingredients, for instance from a kitchen herb garden or vegetable garden, motivates people to become more aware in how their foods are grown & acquired.

The use of reusable food grade containers and encouraging more healthier cooking at home goes beyond reducing waste; it encourages a healthier society and environment.

SAFETY & ERGONOMICS: During research it became natural to avoid stumbling on accidents caused by design. The kitchen has the potential to be just as hazardous as the bathroom—if poorly designed.

In contrast to the traditional kitchen trifecta design, an open-space single wall kitchen design is situated to work with a natural linear task flow from left to right. A food prep workspace is sandwiched between a sink to the left and a convection cooktop to the right. High voltage electrical cooktop separated from water sources; while the refrigerator is to the left of the sink, far away from hot appliances.

The most important area in the kitchen is the food prep work space. Items can be either deposited in to the sink to the left or food deposited immediately after prep in to a cook pot / pan to the right. Very little physical effort and movement in distance is expended in performing these two task.

The large countertop space provides a level work area with sufficient space & lighting to safely use sharp utensils in the preparation of food; while maintaining a clean food prep workspace. The kitchen countertops will be elevated above the waist-line to avoid lower back strains while performing cooking task. A custom design kitchen can incorporate wheelchair accessible countertops for wheelchairs to roll under.

A L shaped countertop may create an inaccessible corner that only a device such as a Lazy Susan can take advantage of. However, a lazy susan does have its storage limitations. A straight countertop eliminates this waste of valuable corner space while maximizing efficiency.

VENTILATION: An exhaust hood is positioned above the induction cooktop. By positioning the vent hood directly above the source of moisture and fumes these contaminants can be quickly evacuated in order to evacuate indoor humidity and airborne contaminants.

LIGHTING: Task Lighting in kitchens should be position over food prep areas to safely illuminate where sharp or blunt force utensils will be used. Kitchen food prep areas dimly lightd or with shadows can hide potential dangers while performing food prep tasks involving sharp utensils or mechanical appliances.

The UV rays from sunlight can have a detrimental effect on the surface of cabinets & floors; along with the efficacy of certain foods like olive oil.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY:: Energy Star rated appliances are used; where ever possible, to use the electricity generated by renewable energy more efficiently.

MATERIALS: The countertop work area & sink are made of stainless steel. The nonporous surface is durable and easy to clean. The sink is deep enough to hold dishes until time for cleaning; reducing the need for constant water usage.

MINIMALISM: There seems to be a kitchen gadget for every cooking need. Manufacturers try to convince consumers that every step of the cooking process requires specific gadgets or the food just wouldn’t turn out right. A selective quantity of kitchen utensils and appliances can be maintained at practical levels sufficient even for the home chef.

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