11 26 00 Unit Kitchens

11 26 00 Unit Kitchens

Unit Kitchens

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Unit kitchens are commonly used in instructional settings such as culinary schools, junior high and high schools.  They are designed to re-create home/restaurant cooking conditions for each student.  Unit kitchens were first introduced in 1916 for use in home-economics classrooms.  The unit kitchen allowed for actual training in a “real kitchen”.  The design of each unit in a high school, for example, would either be a small three sided room or a u-shaped area with essential cooking equipment.  Typically the equipment would include a sink, stove, work space, and necessary utensils.  The design would allow open area for the instructor to supervise the activities.  Later, as culinary/cooking schools emerged, they adapted the unit kitchen idea for the “real restaurant kitchen” experience.