Secret life of the kitchen
The average British family kitchen is host to a staggering 384 arguments, 192 heart to hearts, 26,280 meals and 7 romps, a new study has revealed.
Research has shown the typical family lives in a house for 8 years during which time their kitchen sees all of the extremes of family life – from intimate moments to blazing rows.
It plays hosts to 16 burnt dinners, 1,824 kisses and six life changing decisions as well as being redecorated and refurbished twice.
The study also revealed 13 per cent of couples had decided to get married while 15 per cent had decided to divorce whilst in the kitchen.
The survey of 3,000 Brits was commissioned by Siemens Home Appliances to mark the launch of the world’s first ‘super-green’ fridge freezer.
Jane Massey from Siemens Home Appliances said: “These findings reinforce just how important the kitchen has become, as the heart of any modern-day home. It’s the place where couples go to have an argument, shed a few tears and have heart to hearts. It’s more than just where the meals are cooked and that’s shown not just in the money spent on a kitchen but by the time we spend in it.
“As the room gets more and more use so do the appliances within it, whether they are things you wouldn’t necessarily find in a kitchen like computers or televisions or the fridge. Whether it’s to grab a well-earned beer at the end of the day, sneak a naughty treat or pull together the ingredients for a romantic supper, the kitchen is at the center of action.”
“With so much of our lives being played out in the kitchen, families have high expectations about how their appliances should look and function. A lot of the people came back from the research saying their kitchen had been redecorated and redesigned at least twice as fashion and styles have changed. There were also a lot of people saying that environmental concerns have led them to look for more energy efficient ‘green’ machines for their kitchen and home.”
We spend approximately two hours a day in the kitchen and a fifth of Brits watch TV while in there.
Even more have a computer set up in their kitchen spending an hour and half online a day.
An average of seven parties will end up in the kitchen and Brits are likely to sneak off to the kitchen for a quiet cry six times.
The smoke alarm will get set off every six months and we will spend 10 minutes a day doing washing up – equating to a massive 29,200 minutes over the 8 year period before we are likely to move home.
One in six Brits admitted to having thrown crockery in the kitchen and one in ten exercise in the kitchen.
More than a quarter eat dinner round a kitchen table and five per cent of Brits even have a sofa in their kitchen.
Jane Massey from Siemens Home Appliances said: “We understand how important the kitchen is to family life and that’s what we design our products around – family life. And as families change and their tastes and attitudes change we change as well. The super green A+++ fridge freezer is an example of this and is a response to how our customers are now looking to be as environmentally friendly as possible in their kitchens and reduce their energy bills.”