They are definitely not a room or space meant for hosting guests or entertaining. They were dark and prone to catching fire; they were filled with noises, messes and smells. They were extremely busy spaces and could be hot and uncomfortable. Thus, kitchen tended to be situated as far away as possible from the social or private rooms in a house. The upper classes even celebrated a disconnection from food and food preparation by situating their dining rooms far away from the kitchen, going so far as to mask the smell of food (Reagan, …show more content…
The countries included are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK, Ukraine and USA. Through its retail panel, GfK collects sales data for washing machines, tumble driers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, cookers and ovens, hobs and ranges, extractor hoods and microwaves in more than 90 countries worldwide.
In cooking know-how and experience, the US ranks among the top countries in the GfK study, with 35% of respondents saying they possess great knowledge about food and cooking while the global average is only 29%. A breakdown by age shows lesser feelings of kitchen prowess among the youngest respondents, with a score of just 22% for those 15 to 19; but all other US age groups ranked above the global average, with the 30-to-39 age range posting a remarkable 47% (GfK,