by Liz Roberts

Created on: April 15, 2008   Last Updated: September 02, 2011

The modern kitchen today should have enough room to accommodate a family. Above all , it should have support a table, shelving and appliances. Should every kitchen have an island? No, having one takes away from valuable kitchen space.

There are a lot of people out there who would probably moan at the next few words but kitchen islands are really a waste of space. You don't need extra burners or another sink. You certainly don't need one that can support your cookbooks and wine. If you think you need one for prepping food , then ask yourself how much food do you actually prepare? It's understandable to whine about space when you're cooking holiday dinners or preparing party platters. Yet how many major holidays do you host in a year? Three at the very most. What about parties? Maybe six or seven a year counting barbecues. To be honest you can easily use your kitchen table as a prep station. As far as storage, many home cooks have ample room in their attached cabinets and shelving. Unless you have big food machines like a pasta or ice cream maker, you don't need more storage space. As for wanting a wine cellar, it's better if you create one in your basement where you can amass or start collecting a larger variety of vintages. Besides, island wine cellars are nothing more than mini fridges that hold only a couple of shelves.

For those of you considering a kitchen makeover this spring, think twice about wanting a kitchen island. Installing just a small one can take up valuable space. It's not a good thing to have if you have a large household because everyone will be bumping into each other.

You would be better off putting in a larger table for serious family time. You'll also have to figure in costs for running extra gas and water lines because today's standard islands have burners, ovens and sinks. Can your house carry all those extra lines as well? You may have to bring in a plumber and/or an electrician to reconfigure your kitchen. You'll also have to install a better or new overhead lighting to accommodate this new work station. Again, you'll have to put in more lines for your kitchen to handle.

Many homeowners have been seduced into installing kitchen islands. Greedy contractors have told them their lives will not be complete without them and that they'll be lousy cooks. Think again. There have been and still are many kitchens that have produced amazing food without these space wasters. Installing a kitchen island is not vital. It's just an extra.

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