52 Blum Inspirations Roast ing or steaming Europeans will have a hard time finding an oven in a Chinese k itchen. Bamboo or stainless steel steamers are used instead. By contrast, Nor th Amer ican k itchens are equipped with ver y big ovens so that families can cook whole turkeys for Thanksgiving. Minimum or maximum Kitchens in China of ten have a minimalist design because they have to fit into a small footpr int. In other countr ies such as South Afr ica, k itchens of up to 538 sq. f t. (50 sq. metres) are not uncommon. They are the place where family and fr iends gather. Dr y and wet kitchen Oils used in Asian cooker y are incredibly impor tant and used liberally. This causes airborne grease and odours. That is why some households have t wo separate k itchens. Guests are invited to the dr y k itchen, but the heav y cook ing and fr ying takes place in the wet k itchen. By hand or machine In many countr ies, for example in Finland or Russia, washing up is usually done by hand. These k itchens have a cabinet with a built-in dish rack mounted above the sink. Dishes dr ip dr y out of sight. Fresh or food stocks While people in Asia t ypically buy fresh produce at the market, Europeans like to stock up. This has an impact on their storage space requirements in the k itchen. The most spacious pantr ies can be found in Australia and New Zealand, where people are likely to shop less frequently because of the distances they have to travel. Kimchi or crushed ice Kimchi is a Korean national dish. Koreans are so keen on the food that they might splash out on a special k imchi fr idge. Talk ing about chilling appliances, XL freestanding refr igerators with ice and water dispensers are character istic of the USA. Gas, grill or electric The advantages of a gas stove are appreciated in Asia and France. In Germany, however, people prefer electr ic cookers with easy-to- clean ceramic or induction hobs. In Ghana, despite modern k itchens, some dishes are traditionally prepared outdoors on a charcoal gr ill. Masala or merlot Herbs and spices are essential to Indian cuisine. No Indian cook could do without a spice box (masala dabba). By contrast, top pr ior it y is given to the storage of wine in France. Preferably in a wine cabinet (armoire à vin) directly nex t to the practical pull- out for baguet te. ‘We can only develop the r ight solut ions for k itchen f urniture i f we k now what users want – in markets across the globe.’ Sandra Boehler, Requirements Research Julius Blum GmbH
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