Half of Brits consider their kitchen to be the “heart” of their home – and will spend a total of nearly two-and-a-half years in their room over their lifetime, a study has found.
A poll of 2,000 adults revealed that, on average, Brits will clock more than 300 steps a day in the kitchen alone – with four in ten saying most of this time is spent running between the fridge, the oven, and the microwave.
During a typical week, a total of six hours and 50 minutes is spent in the kitchen – with 43 minutes spent stirring food, and the kettle getting boiled an average of 12 times.
But two in five (41%) say the kitchen is more than just somewhere you cook food – with 27% calling it their “happy place”, and 41% spending most of their time there.
Other uses for the kitchen include working from home (18%), a space to read (20%), and somewhere to listen to music or podcasts (28%).
And one in five say most of their time in the kitchen is spent setting up or disassembling gadgets, like coffee machines or steamers.
A spokesman for Howdens, which commissioned the research, said: “They say home is where the heart is, and for most people the heart of the home is the kitchen.
“Throughout the decades, the role of the kitchen has changed – it used to be a room only used for cooking, but now it’s become a hub for so much more.”
The study also found a quarter of those polled describe their kitchen as “lively”, while 27% call it “busy” – but for 22%, the atmosphere is generally “peaceful”.
When it comes to big life events celebrated in the kitchen, a fifth found out they were going to be parents in the room, while one in ten had their offer accepted on a new house.
More than a fifth (22%) often use this space for entertaining – with the typical kitchen hosting four parties, six games nights, five book clubs, and six seasonal celebrations, such as Halloween or Christmas dinner.
And one in three (34%) find themselves gravitating to the kitchen when they have guests over.
But despite one in six (16%) of those surveyed, via OnePoll, claiming they are proud of their kitchen, 36% said it’s the room they’d most like to renovate.
Of those who have recently had a new kitchen fitted, more than one in ten (11%) said it has transformed their lives.
The spokesman for Howdens added: “It’s important to have a kitchen space you are happy with, as it acts as the hub of the home for most people.
“From using it as an office when working from home, to celebrating your child’s first birthday, it has evolved from “just a room you cook your food in”.”
