LPBeier:
Thanks for taking the time to make some thoughtful suggestions. Yes, this little canning kitchen is pretty much designed at this point, but if there are a few tweaks that could still make it better, I'd be foolish to ignore them.
The one suggestion you made that I'd not considered was the bar-sized dishwasher. It still may be overkill, given that the location of the main kitchen in the house is just 5 or 6 feet away from this canning kitchen, and the dishwasher about 20 feet. I'm trying to avoid duplicate appliances where there's not an absolute reason for spending the money on them.
After your suggestion though, I did a search for small dishwasher and discovered one that may be worth considering. It's only 18" wide so it would basically take up the space of just on standard-sized cupboard. I'd probably only use the hot water cycle on it, too. I guess the question is whether there's really a benefit to giving up some already limited storage space to accommodate what may be a redundant appliance.
Here's the particular model.
I'm familiar with many of the drawer dishwashers out there that are twice as wide and half as high as this model above, but I'd prefer going with a skinnier dishwasher, rather than a shallower one.
My original thoughts had been to simply using the main dishwasher in the house to sterilize jars, since it's close. I'd have a simple pair of wooden crates made, much like bushel apple boxes but with the wood sealed, each sized to hold exactly a case of canning jars. I'd sterilize the jars in the main kitchen, carry them into the canning kitchen 20 feet away, and slide each box into an open shelving space beneath one of the counters sized to fit it (or possible on a open shelf above the counter.)
The question is whether the benefit is really there to justify spending the extra money on this second dishwasher.
I'm open to feedback.
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As for the basic design of the kitchen itself . . .
1) The room will indeed be 8’ x 7’, comprised of a 24" wide U-shaped counter that wraps around the little kitchen on three sides, with a 3’ x 6’ aisle inside of the U.
2) Directly opposite the door, at the bottom of the U, will be a 33" wide double sink with 12" deep bowls. The sink will have a commercial faucet system with a pull-down spray head. The model of sink I’ll be going with will be this one:
3) I’ll definitely be adding a wall-mount pot filler behind the cooktop to be able to fill large pots while directly on the cooktop. The model of pot filler I’ll be going with will be this one:
4) Floor will be tile with central drain to enable the floor to be hosed down to be cleaned.
5) I’ve gotten rid of the original 2 burner idea I'd considered, and have upgraded to a 5-burner cooktop which will be center along the left counter top. The cooktop will have two 9,500 BTU burners, one 14,000 BTU burner, one that adjusts from 5,000 to 1,200 BTUs, and a powerful central burner that adjusts from 18,000 to 450 BTUs. The cooktop will be this model specifically:
6) I’ll be designing the cupboard space beneath the counters to maximize their storage capacity. To do so, I’ll be adding two Hafele storage units that will take full advantage of the ‘blind space’ in the far two corners of the room beneath the counters. I’ll be going specifically with these Hafele LeMans units:
7) The long countertop on the right side of the room will be for cooling, labeling and packing. The top shelf of the storage area beneath it will accommodate a couple wooden boxes, each the size of a case of quart canning jars, so I can easily sterilize the jars in the main kitchen and carry them to a shelf in the canning kitchen to be stored out of the way until needed.
8) I'll be adding a large butcher block to the counter space between the sink and the cooktop, and will be cutting a hole (probably 6" wide) in the counter top, right next to the butcher block, so any organic material to be composted can drop through the counter into a large composting bucket, much like this set-up:
9) The room will ventilate both via a 12" x 72" awning window above the cooktop, as well as through a powerful ventilation fan in the ceiling that has a built-in humidity censor.
This indeed will be a small canning kitchen and run the risk of feeling a bit cramped, however there will only be one person using it at a time. I think if I clean as I go, and keep everything in its proper place, out of the way, this little kitchen should be capable of great things.
John