Why aren't kitchens the the UK as nice as the ones in the US?

Question

Whenever I see things on British homes, the kitchens are very primitive and small...why is this?

Answer 1

The UK is a LOT more crowded than the US so houses and therefore kitchens tend to be much much smaller. Culturally less importance was placed on the kitchen than other rooms in the house, though I'd say that's changed over the last few years as British culture is now much much more food orientated than it used to be.

As the quality of food increases so does the quality of kitchens, in terms of quality (not size) I'd say the AVERAGE UK kitchen will be the same as the AVERAGE US kitchen in a few years, possibly less.

Never been in a US kitchen (and yes, I've been in a few) which I would say had more (or even better) appliances than the average UK one though.... so I'm not sure what you mean by primitive.

Would also suggest that UK TV is a lot more down to earth and gritty than in the US, could it also be a matter of perception based on cultural difference in TV ?

Or even just slight misrepresentation, bit like a Brit basing their opinion of US cars by watching 'Cops', where every car seems to be falling to bits with drugs in the boot (sorry trunk).

Interesting Q though... would like to see if you have a bit more detail on what makes a kitchen 'primitive'

Cheers

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Edit.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there, so many UK kitchens are small and hence aren't the 'heart fo the house' like they are in the US (or to be fair in some parts of the UK) so people just cook in them and eat elsewhere, not a room you tended to spend time in and therfore money on.... though as I say I think that has changed of late.....

I also wonder if what you think looks 'old fashioned' isn't what the owners wouild call 'traditional' or 'rustic' ....  a matter of taste perhaps.  Being an older country we tend to have older looking things, even if they are in fact quite modern.

For example some people in the UK spend huge amounts of money on a brand new AGA cooker which is in fact just a coal fired stove (my wife would kill for one, but it ain't happening !!) personal choice I guess.

Totally agree with Carina's points below as well

and just as a final note.... when I watch US house improvement shows, they always make kitchen units with what they refer to as 'European hinges', suggesting that they are better than traditional US hinges... as these have been standard in the UK for years,  we must be getting there !!

Ciao  and all the best

Answer 2

yea, american houses are much much bigger and much more spacious, therefore you can have these bigger appliances. also, in europe , american sized fridges and ovens etc. are much more expensive, sometimes double the price, and the british culture is not to care about the kitchen or the bathroom!! most british homes have small, old fashioned kitchens and bathrooms, often with the cupboards falling apart etc. but dont bother doing nothing about it, its just the way we are :)

Answer 3

Cos Americans are all big fatties and spend half their lives in the kitchen so it makes sense to invest in it.

Answer 4

I am an American and it is because we have to have bigger and better things then the rest of the world...plain and simple truth and its pretty pathetic.

Answer 5

I'm sure If you have the money then you can afford many fancy appliences and things but alot of us can't afford luxuries at the moment!!

Answer 6

reading what you said about your kitchen at home, I think the difference is that on average we don't tend to have the big kitchen-dining room ... traditionally we tend towards a kitchen which is for food preparation and either a separate dining room, or a dining area of the living room (and when a family gathers together, they're more likely to congregate in the living room) ... I guess one of the reasons for this in the UK is that historically the kitchen was for the servants who prepared the food and the dining room was for the family that ate it ... OK so it's a long time since the average middle class family had servants to prepare their food, but the tendency to design a house that way is still there

I'd be very careful about judging the UK by movies or TV though

Answer 7

As someone has already pointed out, the UK is a lot more crowded than the US. We have a population of over 60million, whereas you have around about 200million (correct me if I'm wrong), and if you compare the sizes of the countries...you'll see why our houses are so small and expensive..The UK is minuscule compared to the US.

Also, the quality of our kitchens are no less than yours. If you see the old stove ovens, they tend to be in countryside houses, for added culture and character to the house. Most people who own those are middle-aged to retired home owners who thrive to live in the countryside and to bake food the old fashioned way. The wood used, yes I agree it seems a little old-fashioned, but that's just to suit the old character of old houses - since we like to keep our old buildings to show off our history. There are a lot of houses in the UK still standing, being built in the 1800's and even earlier. My school even, was built in the 1800's, which isn't even a snooty private school, it's just a normal public school.

If you actually go round most fairly modern houses here, they will have modern kitchens (still small, but the 'quality' is there).

Answer 8

Having been in several US kitchens I cannot say they are better than UK.  Appliances in UK are far more sophisticated (sorry, but it's true) and the selection of kitchens on offer are far larger.  I think you may be judging on films you have seen and depending on the subject of the film may not be representative of UK kitchens in general.  Yes, they may be smaller, land prices are horrendous here, and house buildings costs too, so ours tend to be a bit smaller.  I have always been shocked when in the states at how basic washers and ovens are compared to European models.

Answer 9

it's not so mutch that the US kitchens are better than the UK it because of cultural differences. some places are different than others. plus the appliances the US makes have different wall sockets than the UK limmiting the appliances.

Answer 10

yay UK. <3