Morning Routines and the Coffee Station

Everyone needs the same square metre at the same time. Separating the morning routine from the main prep zone removes the only genuine daily traffic jam in most kitchens.

Power, a worktop that stays clear, storage for beans, cups and filters directly above or below, and ideally a point of water nearby. Put it where somebody can make coffee without entering the cooking zone at all.

A roller-shutter or bi-fold appliance bay lets the machine, grinder and kettle stay plugged in and set up, then disappear. Nobody uses a coffee machine that has to be lifted out of a cupboard first.

Coffee grounds, filters and milk cartons all generate waste at that point. A small bin within the station, rather than a walk across the kitchen, is the detail that decides whether the station stays tidy.