Pro Chefs Talk About Home-Kitchen Design

Counter Space is Most Valuable
Surprisingly, chefs are more passionate about counter space than they are about stoves. Stowell explains, "I need a lot of room. I like to spread out my ingredients, like I'm making a list of what I have." For his countertops he prefers "all wood, butcher block. It's easy to maintain and I like the feel." Ponzek increased the amount of counter space in her kitchen when she renovated and is very happy with the marble counters she had installed: "They're a really nice surface to work on, especially for pie doughs." Bernstein agrees about the need for counter space and likes the black granite she chose for her kitchen. She is careful to maintain it — and her knives — by cutting on boards, not on the granite directly.