Kitchen islands add a fashionable touch to today’s kitchens. They’re available in many multi-functional styles. The key is to choose the features that work best in your kitchen and blend in effortlessly with your lifestyle.

Choosing the perfect kitchen island takes thoughtful consideration. You can choose an island to showcase appliances, but make sure it doesn’t take away from seating areas or serving spaces. Take into consideration how much cooking will be done, along with how much kitchen time will be dedicated to serving drinks and entertaining. A professional, well-respected home builder like Alair Homes can help with advice on the best kitchen island for your needs.

The Best Kitchen Islands For Chefs And Aspiring Chefs

Cook-top Kitchen Islands

Islands featuring several burners for cooking and extra preparation space may be ideal for those who cook a lot and don’t want to face a wall while cooking. The biggest thing to consider with these islands is ventilation. You’ll have to vent cooking smoke and odors out of the kitchen. A large ventilation hood can take away from the island’s attractiveness.

Sink Island

These kitchen islands are perfect for food prep and for washing vegetables before use. They usually feature a sink as the centerpiece or off to one side, along with preparation space. They are also attractive to those who love serving drinks and being sociable while they prepare meals. The island sink can either be the main kitchen sink or a smaller bar sink.

An Appliance Island

Cooks who love having all their latest gadgets on display will enjoy being able to store appliances on the island. This frees up valuable counter space for other food preparation tasks.

Kitchen Islands For Entertainers

The best kitchen islands for those who enjoy entertaining are islands that offer extra seating space along with room for people to relax in the kitchen while they work on computer tasks and socialize. Here are some recommended kitchen islands for entertainers:

Bar Seating Island

The ultimate in kitchen islands for entertaining is one that features several bar seats. Guests and family will love watching food prep take place while they enjoy sipping their favorite beverages. These islands can also have open space underneath to showcase pretty kitchen flooring.

Island For Informal Dining

People enjoy eating meals at islands featuring opposing seats, because it allows them to have conversations during meals. Some islands feature two seats, while others expand with extensions to add four or more seats.

Cantilevered Style Island

This island features a counter top that can be expanded to provide extra seating opportunities, with a cantilever style counter top that has brackets underneath that allow it to be raised or lowered. This provides more versatility than islands created strictly for extra seating or food preparation.

Multi-tiered Kitchen Islands

These decorative islands are often made from materials like rich cherry wood. They usually have a lower space for food preparation, along with a higher space for serving and enjoying meals.

Personalized Choices Of Kitchen Islands

The smart choice is to find the kitchen island that works best with your lifestyle, cooking and entertaining style. Any kitchen can be more beautiful by choosing the right kitchen island.