10 Kitchen Remodeling Trends in 2012

Have you been looking for new ideas to make your kitchen a more efficient and stress-free place in your home? Criner Remodeling created a list of ten trends that will make your daily life in the kitchen easier.

1. Microwave Drawer

In an effort to get them off the counter, microwave designers began producing machines that could hang from a cabinet or simply fit inside one. Microwave engineers have now gone a step further, creating appliances that fit beneath the counter top and pull out like drawers. No more leaning over the hot stove top to remove a dish from the microwave to check, stir or turn the food.

2. USB Wall Outlets

With all the mobile electronics we depend on to communicate in our daily lives we heavily rely on outlets to charge those gadgets. Most chargers come with adapters that consume a lot of energy when left in the outlet. These USB sockets only output energy if a device is connected to it making it efficient for your wallet and the environment.

3. Hidden Outlets

Outlets in your back-splash can be a real eye sore which is why we came up with smart solutions to hide them: under your cabinets or even under your island counter-top.

4. Hidden Sponge Storage in Front of the Sink

Another eye sore in your kitchen is the sight of sponges and other small cleaning supplies lying around your sink. Why not use the often wasted space in front of the sink to store them?

5. Pot Filler

Say goodbye to those days where you have to carry a heavy pot full of water from the sink to the stove.

6. Eye Catching Back-Splashes

Installing an eye catching back-splash with glass tile makes a great focal point in your kitchen.

7. Pull Out Mixer Stand

This unique kitchen feature allows you to store your mixer so it doesn’t clutter the counter top. And here’s the best part: this stand pulls out of the cabinet so effortlessly that you don’t have to lift the heavy appliance out of a base cabinet. It is also sturdy enough to just use the mixer right on it.

8. Induction Cook Tops

Cooks no longer have to choose between gas and electric. Induction heating offers a third option that’s energy and space efficient. Instead of a thermal heating device, these stove tops use electromagnetic fields to incite iron molecules in pots and pans. The heat comes from the pan itself, not the traditional burner, so rags, wooden spatulas, and even hands can rest beside the coils without getting burned. Induction stove tops save electricity, space and time.

9. Pull-Out Cutting Board

Being a daily cooking necessity, a cutting board should be easily accessible. This clever design solution will save you time and effort since it simply lets you pull out the cutting board whenever you need it.

10. Pull-Out Drawer Cabinets

No more reaching all the way to the back to find that casserole dish! Having the option to pull out the drawers makes it easier to organize and store all your kitchenware.