How to Eat at Kitchen Islands

Eat breakfast at the kitchen island to save time, effort and cut cleanup time in half. Prepare breakfast foods like eggs, cereal, toast and bacon at adjacent counters using built-in appliances to confine the meal to a central serving and cleaning area. Use cloth or plastic place mats, casual dishes and everyday silverware. Pass the soiled dishes across the counter to the dishwasher so nothing breaks when little hands decide to walk their plates to the sink.

Serve a casual dinner at the kitchen island if the evening meal is to be squeezed into a short period of time between work/school and evening activities. Make the meal one that requires little cleanup so everyone gets to their meetings, ball games and club meetings on time: a heaping plate of wraps filled with turkey, tuna and ham, individual dishes of potato salad, crunchy carrot sticks and fruit. Seat the kids at the counter; adults can stand if they prefer.

Entertain at your kitchen island. Gathering in the kitchen is nothing new – it’s been a favorite party hub since separate kitchens were added to homes. Remove the counter or bar stools to give guests room to put glasses and plates down on the island counter. Use the center of the bar as a food and drink station by arranging platters of cold food, chafing dishes and essentials like ice buckets, condiments, napkins and other party-appropriate supplies within this epicenter. Add a lazy Susan to keep things moving on your island.

Set your kitchen island up for a relaxed evening of games. Prepare a pot of chili, a stew or another "one bowl" meal selection on the adjacent stove top. Stack bowls, sides, flatware, napkins and seasonings on the counter beside the stove. Players can keep an eye on the board or their hand of cards while helping themselves to hors d'oeuvres kept hot on the stove and, since the area is segregated, greasy fingerprints won't wind up on your chess pieces.

Turn your kitchen island into a work center for kid’s projects or a job you’ve brought home from the office by dividing your kitchen island counter into two distinct areas: one for food and one for the project(s). It’s easy to slide over to “the eating side” for a few bites of nourishment while keeping an eye on the file you’re downloading from your laptop. As a bonus, you’ll avoid a common catastrophe: tomato soup that winds up in your keyboard instead of your stomach.