The kitchen is a mainstay in most people’s homes and according to a recent Consumer Reports’ poll, everyone has their own kitchen habits: who does the cooking and cleanup, how often they entertain, and what causes kitchen clutter.  

In conjunction with the magazine’s Annual Kitchen Remodeling report featured in the August 2008 issue, the Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a poll of 1,009 Americans to determine what consumers have and what they what they do in their kitchens.  Here are some of the highlights:

Dinner, Cooking & Cleanup

• Dinner as a family is still a tradition, with over half (56%) always eating together.
• Forty percent (40%) of adults eat dinner in the kitchen as opposed to the 29% who eat dinner in their dining room.
• Eight in ten (81%) women do most of the cooking, with a little over half (54%) of the men pitching in and cleaning up afterwards.

Entertainment

• Overall, adults are doing slightly more entertaining in their kitchens today than ten years ago, 44 percent entertain at least a few times a month, with over a quarter having guests spend most of their time in the kitchen.
• Adults enjoy media entertainment in their kitchen:  35% have a music system and 24% television.

Appliances & Clutter

• Dishwashers are prevalent in American homes, with 71 percent of adults owning one.  Eight out of 10 (81%) of those with a dishwasher rinse their dishwashers before loading them into the machine.  This is not always a seamless process, as 12% of adults say that loading and unloading the dishwasher causes disagreements in their home.
• Among adults with cluttered kitchens, small appliances were the chief culprit.  Small appliances rob counter space – microwaves, electric can openers, toaster/toaster ovens, and coffeemakers are the worst offenders.  Over half of adults with these appliances keep them on their countertops.

Green Kitchens

• Almost half of adults (42%) are being eco-friendly in the kitchen by having a designated recycling area.
• The full 28-page kitchen remodeling package is available in the August 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, available July 1, wherever magazines are sold.   It also features expert buying advice and 224 Ratings of countertops, flooring, cabinets, refrigerators, cooking appliances, dishwashers, and appliance stores.  The full reports are available online at www.ConsumerReports.org. 

Poll Methodology
The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone survey of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households.  1,009 interviews were completed among adults aged 18+.  Interviewing took place over April 17 – April 20, 2008.
The margin of error is +/- 3.1 points at a 95% confidence level.