What Is a Kitchen? Traditionally, a kitchen was a room or area within a dwelling or commercial Kitchens establishment that was used for cooking. This area would usually be accessed from a dining room or servants’ hall. Kitchens in rural farm houses were generally large spaces. Kitchens were usually connected to larders, servant-halls, steward-rooms, or sideboard-rooms. Kitchens were usually separated into several workstations. Each workstation had a sink, oven, and utensils. Kitchens were usually kept cool by having stone floors. A door to the garden was also a nice addition. Some kitchens had an ice-box or a chopping block, and others had overhead sliding hooks for storing meats. Kitchens also had a wet larder, a place for uncooked meats. Wet larders were usually accessed through a pantry, and they were often equipped with an ice-cooled refrigerator. In modern times, the kitchen has evolved into an expanded space. It may also serve social functions as well as food preparation. It may have a delivery hatch or a servant’s hall, and it may contain a service-closet. The size of a kitchen has been shaped by affluence and style. The average kitchen is 103 square feet in a single-story home and 238 square feet in a home with more than 4,000 square feet of living space. The size of a kitchen has increased over time as the size of the home has increased. Kitchens also differ by region. A kitchen in a rural farm may have large spaces, while a kitchen in a suburb might be smaller.