About 41% of the respondents to a survey conducted by Statista say they enjoy cooking and baking and consider it a hobby. But what’s more important than the meals cooked in a kitchen is the people many of these home cooks share the space with.
The kitchen is often considered the most important room in a home. The average American spends over 1,000 hours per year in the kitchen, and 90% consider it to be “the heart of the home.” It meets their needs, holds a comforting atmosphere, and provides a space to spend time with family and friends.
The OnePoll survey, conducted on behalf of Whirlpool, looked at the time spent in different parts of the home. Nearly half of respondents host guests at least once a year (49%). When they have others over, 51% spend time together in the living room, while 32% prefer the dining room.
But one in seven cherish the times they spend with loved ones in the kitchen.
Making Memories
From the traditional farmhouse home to the ultramodern kitchen, there’s something about a kitchen that brings people together. It might be for a meal, which 73% of those surveyed said they enjoy cooking at least sometimes. For more than half, cooking a meal is just as – if not more – fun than eating it (53%).
Seventy-four percent of respondents even say that they wouldn’t mind guests lending them a hand in the kitchen. Research from Purdue University shows cooking together often creates stronger bonds and creates lasting memories for everyone who helps out.
Getting family members, including the little ones, involved in the cooking process is important. Not only does it make the work easier for everyone, but it’s a great way for everyone to spend quality time together.
“The kitchen is where some of our earliest memories with family are made,” says Bree Lemmen, Whirlpool kitchen brand manager. “Our goal is to create a sense of care in the kitchen, bringing generations together to learn new skills and, of course, try new foods.”
The kitchen can also be the place where people find themselves sharing time with others. Maybe it’s over a meal, morning coffee or late-night drinks. The kitchen is where guests come together and spend more time together.
“My kitchen is at the center of everything,” says Tiffany McCauley of The Gracious Pantry. “It’s where my small family connects. It’s the epicenter. The meeting place. We’d be lost without it.”
Cleaning Struggles
But in the end, it doesn’t matter what room your guests are in – having guests over means one thing for most respondents: cleaning up the day before (74%). Messy homes prevent people from spending time with loved ones, as one in six Americans finds it difficult to focus on other things when their home isn’t clean.
Although many love spending time in the kitchen, they tend to fall behind on their list of cleaning priorities. More than half of those surveyed claim they “always” or “often” think about needing to clean their home (53%), but that doesn’t always mean the work gets done.
Kitchens can get dirty really quickly. Cooking and baking multiple times a day can pile up dishes, make the stove sticky, and cause the floor to miss a few rounds of mopping.
Appliances in the kitchen aren’t immune from the constant use, resulting in dirty surrounds. Respondents use their microwave (46%), dishwasher (50%) and stove or oven (51%) seven or more times a week but often skip cleaning them at the end of the week. In the kitchen, 61% of those surveyed are most likely to clean the stove or oven (53%) and warming drawer (53%) two or fewer times a month.
Luckily, smaller appliances are often easier to clean and take care of. That might be why respondents prefer to heat food using the microwave (25%), a countertop appliance like a toaster oven or an air fryer (24%), while 24% of people prefer to use their oven.
“So many of us can relate to the idea that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Our goal is to help preserve that sentiment with appliances that are reliable, efficient and enable people to focus their time and energy on what’s important,” says Lemmen. “Regular upkeep of appliances helps to maintain cooking and cleaning performance, and in turn, create more space for making memories in your kitchen with family and loved ones.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.