How to fit your workplace kitchen: 21 essential items

You or your workmates will all be in there at some time in the day: to catch breakfast, maintain the caffeine levels, keep the bank-balancing packed lunch fresh till you get an actual minute to eat it, (finally) take your turn to make the afternoon tea or heat the microwave meal to keep you going for just another couple of hours to get the project over the line.

We suggest 20 essential items for your workplace kitchen.  

 

 

Laptop and pizza on desk
Home office kitchen on your desk
 
 
 
 

 

 

  1. Coffee machine
  2. Fridge
  3. Microwave
  4. Dishwasher
  5. Coasters
  6. Dining Table and Chairs
  7. Bar Table and Stools
  8. Bin
  9. Mugs
  10. Glasses
  11.  Shelves
  12. Wine cooler
  13. Can and Wine Opener
  14. Food Containers
  15. Boiling Water Taps
  16. Kettle
  17. Crockery
  18. Chopping Boards
  19. Cutlery
  20. Popcorn machine

The 20 essential items for your workplace kitchen:

1-Coffee machine

The type of coffee machines differs as manual (espresso) coffee machines, pod (or capsule) coffee machines, bean-to-cup coffee machines, filter coffee machines (Pump coffee machines).

  • Manual (espresso) coffee machines

The manual (espresso) is the barista type of coffee machine that provides you with the best quality espresso. You can either make espresso or other alternatives as latte and cappuccino with the help of the pressurized water. It has some work and care; however, you can easily succeed coffee in your home office.

  • Pod (or capsule) coffee machines

 If you are not sure that people could manage to do it in a co-working office, go with the pod (capsule) machines. You don’t have to ask someone to look after the machine. Since they are very easy to use and clean.

Everybody could use the machine without any skill. It is faster to get coffee than manual ones. The best popular and well-known brand is Nespresso. Since the cost of the capsules may be expensive, this type is most suitable for the workspaces. Besides, there are limitations to the variety of capsule.

  • Bean-to-cup coffee machines

If you prefer a coffee machine between manual and capsule ones, the bean to cup is a perfect choice. It has an in-built grinder to deliver freshly ground coffee at the press of a button that makes easy to use in offices and workspaces.

  • Filter coffee machines (Pump coffee machines)

For regular black coffee, the filter coffee machines are the best. You can place it anywhere significantly the places where people do not look for a sophisticated coffee experience and the quick-serve is the matter.

There are a variety of factors to choose any model for your coffee machines that these are your taste, style and amount. Whether you are OK with filter coffee or prefer barista type experience narrows the options. Then you should consider how many people your coffee machine will serve.

Should you are working at your home office, you can go with the single-shot models. You could choose a mini espresso for your home so that you enjoy the real coffee shop experience while you are working without spending a budget. Whereas you are in an office with quite a number of people, you should consider buying barista or commercial types.

 

2-Fridge

If you are working at home, the fridge may not be the main issue. You can either have put lunch in the fridge in your kitchen or you may prefer to use a mini tabletop model in your office room.

No surprise really…the most essential item.

Size does matter here…think how many people will want to use it.

A freezer compartment? Handy, but not necessary. It’s more important to make sure that there’s plenty of space for what is going to be used on a day-to-day basis…assuming, of course, that someone remembers to get the milk!!

 

3- Microwave

Two can indeed be better than one, particularly for the co-working space or the bigger office.

For your home office, it is same as the fridge. You can either use the one for the house, or you can buy a separate one and place it close to your working area or room.

There are three types of microwaves as solo, grill and combo types. And you can cook as you work with ‘smart microwave’ – just add your Wi-Fi enabled the microwave to your IoT.

 

4-Dishwasher

Prevention is better than cure. Avoid that mess in the sink – and the arguments over whose turn it is to do the needful.

A slimline domestic model might be all that’s needed, but for the busy workspace consider a commercial one.

Just make sure someone remembers to switch it on!

 

5-Coasters

Their usage is basically for two purposes: Protect and promote! 

It’s obviously good to avoid ring marks on your tables, but why not have your coasters branded with your company name and logo to create a memory (okay, it might be subliminal) for your visitors? 

 

6-Dining Table and Chairs

Keep the keyboards crumb-free! And having an eating area away from work stations should help people to take a productivity-boosting break.

Homeworkers are likely to use their existing dining furniture. For those in an office or co-working space, the surface might be multi-functional, however: anyone for table tennis?!  

 

7-Bar Table and Stools

Make downtime cool, but, for once, it’s substance over style. 

Though the table and island depend on the style, or they may usually built-in designs, I do strongly advise going with metal, wood or hard- recycled plastic materials for the durability and clean look. The weakness of the material carrying capacities such as textiles or artificial leather makes the bar stool look very cheap and dirty after a very short of use.

 

8-Bin

Little or large, but something you can’t do without.

It is important to separate the recycling large dustbins and provide small litter bins for individual or daily use in co-working space. Separate your dustbin for organic, paper and cardboard and others. R

There are now “smart bins” that can do the sorting for you.

 

9-Mugs

Head off another source of office tension – get everyone to design their own mug. Or promote corporate identity – the company logo seen with every sip! Or even sell some advertising space…but perhaps not to your competitors!

 

10-Glasses

Go for the cheap and cheerful. Some of them are bound to get broken.

 

11- Shelves

Storing doesn’t have to be boring! If they catch the eye, they might get used more

 

12-Wine cooler

Much cooler than one with water – though the wine should perhaps be kept for after five o’clock – and easing pressure on the fridge.

A narrow under-counter wine cooler impresses your visitors and clients. It is an appliance to keep your wine and champagne bottles cooler. You can store soft drinks also- which allows more space for storing the other stuff in the fridge people’s lunch in the office.

 

13-Can and Wine Opener

Not all cans have ring pulls and not all wine bottles are screw top!

These are the items that usually forgotten or lost. So it is a good idea to buy a couple of them or as an economic package. During the office life, you can hang it on the wall that people always place/hang it the same place that it won’t get lost.

 

14-Food Containers

Obviously handy for storing nibbles, muesli and breakfast cereals and the like, but why not go for the co-ordinated look and provide matching sets of containers? Setting the tone for the office begins with every day.

 

15-Boiling Water Taps

Environmentally friendly (just the right amount of water and electricity for that cup of tea or coffee) and not as expensive as you might think.  

 

16-Kettle

Don’t let the kettle get you into hot water when it comes to health and safety, and this may be an issue in a co-working or office space.

There is a wide range of wall-mounted and counter-top commercial boilers available, but they may be beyond the budget of (and a bit over the top for) the young start-up business or the solo freelancer. If so, just put that kettle on…and everyone can have tea or coffee.

 

17-Crockery

Consider being practical with the plates and bolder with the bowls.

And when it comes to the numbers, don’t forget about the inevitable breakages!

 

18-Chopping Boards

Protect the work surface and the workforce.

Less chance of damage to either – no knife scores on the former and an extra layer of hygiene for the latter.

 

19-Cutlery

Remember health and safety when it comes to the knives and where you keep them!

 

20-Popcorn machine

Not as indulgent as it seems…a happy office is a productive office; a healthy office is a productive office. Popcorn is a happy, healthy snack…and a nibble with a difference for an office event.

 

Conclusion:

I suggest these items because of my experience in co-working office design and working as a freelancer at home and offices with shared desks. I hope it will help you. 

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