Right now, almost every home has a kitchen, even in the city where other options for food are plentiful. Consider what life would look like without the kitchen:

  • Homes cost less to build and renovate. For example, renovating a kitchen in the US can cost $10,000 to $100,000. 

  • Every meal is eaten “out”, which means getting outside more often.

  • The time spent cooking can be used for other things, like spending time with the kids.

  • Going out of town becomes easier because there’s no food left at home to spoil.

  • Grocery stores become less of a thing, clearing space for homes and businesses.

  • Some of the most common causes of fire are eliminated.

  • Cafes, food trucks, food carts, and other inexpensive options open up to serve people who are eating all of their meals out. 

  • 10% of a home’s space is a kitchen (probably more in cities), which can be used for other things, including entirely new homes, restaurants, public space, or parks in the long run. 

  • Jobs are created to serve all of the extra meals needed, perfect for people who love to cook. 

  • New types of businesses become possible, such as kitchens that can be rented out for events

Getting rid of kitchens isn’t really feasible when the nearest restaurant or cafe is a 30 minute walk, but it makes a lot more sense when considering how to use the very limited space available in our biggest cities. For example, in Taiwan I noticed that many people never cooked, and instead ate at inexpensive corner shops (often moble, on a cart). A similar thing already happens for many people in the US who order delivery 7 nights a week. And yet, every home still has a kitchen.