Whether you are an aspiring chef or like to do the bare minimum in the kitchen, you need to upgrade your kitchen. Nowadays, we are in the age of convenience, so there is no reason why your kitchen should not be doing more work for you. Improving your kitchen can be a simple way to make a part of your life easier.

Additional Lights

Installing additional lights in the kitchen is a great way to brighten up your space. Under-cabinet lighting can make it easier to see on your countertops. You also do not need to rely on large overhead lighting if you only need to accomplish a small task, saving you money on your electricity bill. For added light, you can even install lights in the cabinets themselves, or for lighting the way underneath the cabinets. When you can see what you are cutting, where your favorite pan is, or the way to the pantry for a midnight snack, extra lights make it easier for you.

A Wider Sink

Wider sinks, like a farmhouse sink, give you more space to do your dishes, especially large pots and pans. You can opt for a dual basin sink, perfect for multitasking, or a single basin sink for optimal space. A larger sink also gives you more options of what you can use it for, like hand washing clothes or soaking plants. They are often more durable than smaller sinks and are a great addition to your kitchen. When you have a space with multiple functions, they become more convenient for you to use.

Extra Cabinet Space

An organized kitchen is an easy-to-use kitchen. Chances are, you are not using your cabinets to their fullest potential. Kitchen cabinets will reduce clutter and restore your peace of mind as you cook. You can even organize the cabinets further with pull-out drawers or rotating shelves to optimize the space in each cabinet. If your cabinets do not reach up to the ceiling, you can extend them up and put items you do not use often in the hard-to-reach places. If you have appliances, you can use larger cabinets to declutter your counter space.

A Dishwasher

Most homes have dishwashers, but if you do not have one, or you have an older model, a new dishwasher could transform your cleaning experience. Washing dishes and cookware by hand can be a laborious task. It is much easier to throw your dirty dishes into the dishwasher. With many modern dishwashers, you can even skip the step of rinsing the dishes first, saving you even more time. Newer models are also more energy efficient and use up less water. While dishes are washing, you can accomplish other important tasks, or start it up before you go to bed and wake up with clean and dry dishes.

Island with Chairs

If you are more casual and would prefer not to eat in the dining room for every meal, you should look into adding an island to your kitchen. An island gives you more cabinet space and gives you a surface to eat off of right in the kitchen. However, you do need to consider if your kitchen is large enough for this addition. Otherwise, it could become a nuisance to your kitchen. That said, an island is useful if you have children, or when you are entertaining a large group and need extra seating. Some islands can have an extra sink or cooktop if you need the extra appliances in your kitchen.

Pot Filler

One of the most common annoyances in the kitchen is filling up a pot at the sink and carefully carrying it over to the stove, in hopes that you do not spill any on the ground. A great solution to this is getting a pot filler installed above your stove. You can adjust the spout to wherever you need it and pour water directly into the pot. This is much more convenient than waiting for the pot to fill up in the sink, bringing the pot over, and then boiling the water because you can already have the stove on as you fill the pot. You can also watch the other pots or pans of food on the stove at the same time.

Upgrade Appliances

Chances are that your kitchen has many outdated appliances that are no longer working correctly or as efficiently as they used to. Convenience is achieved through efficiency because your appliances are doing the work for you. For example, smart fridges can keep track of what you need to buy so when you are at the grocery store you can look into your fridge with an app. You can also get appliances like pressure cookers or air fryers that can cook meals in a fraction of the time without sacrificing flavor or texture, as you would with a microwave. Convenience does not have to mean worse quality.

Touchless Faucet

Hands-free faucets are the epitome of convenience in your kitchen. With a touchless faucet, you can skip the step of having to physically turn the knob. This is particularly useful after handling food, like raw meats, when you do not want to transfer bacteria onto another surface. They are also more water efficient because they do not keep running when not in use. The surprisingly large amount of water waste comes from leaving faucets running. The model you will have at home is less temperamental than those you see in public bathrooms. Often, the faucet is not motion triggered, but presence triggered, meaning that it will stay on as long as something is in front of it.

The more time you spend in your kitchen, the more room you will find for improvement. However, preparing food does not need to be an unenjoyable, labor-intensive process. You can find pride and happiness in your kitchen. By updating your kitchen to be more convenient, you can once again focus on what makes cooking and entertaining fun as you move away from manual work.

Read this next: How to Make Your Home Easier to Sell When the Time Comes