Why functional pantry’s are an important part of your Kitchen…
We’ve worked with so many #selfbuilders, #homeowners and #contractors, that we could easily say we’ve seen and advised on over 1000’s of kitchens. Some miss out on a key element of food storage…the pantry.
In a new home the kitchen is too warm for the storage of bananas and soft fruit. But the fridge is too cold. Fruit straight from the fridge does not have its full flavour.
Fridge manufacturers are now offering Fruit and Vegetable drawers. The only benefit is a higher relative humidity, but the temperature is still too low. Kitchen manufacturers often offer a “pantry” – but in fact it is a large storage cupboard with no improvement in climate for the storage of fruit or vegetables.
The answer is a proper pantry. Here’s a few tips on what to acquire when looking for a kitchen pantry.
- It should be warmer than the fridge but much cooler than the kitchen.
- It must be insulated from the surrounding rooms.
- It must be ventilated separately from the heat recovery ventilation system.
- The door requires draught proof sealing on all four edges.
- Within the pantry there should be enclosed drawers / cupboards for the storage of vegetables so that a higher relatively humidity is created to greatly extend the shelf life of these.
Reinco has been advocating the inclusion of a pantry in the homes they have helped with, over the last seven years, with great success.
On return visits to many people who are using a pantry we have learned from their experiences. While the climate in the pantry is specifically designed for soft fruit it’s also suitable for storage of utensils and all foods.
Simply put – When you improve the comfort in your home, you need a proper pantry.
Pinterest is uploading many designs for pantries. They illustrate great shelving and storage systems. What they are missing is consideration of the temperature and relative humidity. Now Pinterest has gone further.
The latest addition is a wine cooler. The waste heat from the refrigeration system on the wine cooler will raise the temperature in the pantry. A pantry should not have appliances which generate heat. A proper pantry should be cool and have ventilation to remove moisture.
Are you making adjustments to your home or are you currently working on a #selfbuild project?… Reinco can offer advice on ways to save #money within the home whether you building a new home or just renovating, speak to the experts.