Cooking vegan food does not necessarily require different equipment or a different setup than cooking omnivorous meals. However, if you eat a vegan diet, there may be nuances to the way you cook, store, and prepare food that are unique to your lifestyle. It's a good idea to keep these nuances in mind as you work with a designer to create your custom kitchen. Here are some kitchen design tips and ideas to keep in mind if you're a vegan.

Include Hooks for Fruit and Veggie Baskets

Chances are, you eat more produce than many people, and you certainly need a place to store it. Rather than leaving it out on the counter, design your kitchen with some hooks for produce baskets. With three different hooks and baskets, you can have one for fruits, one for veggies, and a third for herbs. It will be nice to have a dedicated space for these items to ripen before you put them in the fridge.

Include a Tall Pantry Cabinet

Even if you have a separate pantry, it's a good idea to also include a tall pantry cabinet in your kitchen. This way, you can keep all of your commonly used dry goods, such as legumes and grains, in this cabinet. Imagine shelves filled with matching glass containers, each one containing a different staple food product. When you rely on legumes as a protein source, it is nice to have them front and center.

Create a Garage for Your Blender

Do you use a blender to make a lot of smoothies and shakes? Consider having your kitchen designer include an appliance garage in your upper cabinet design. This is basically a pull-down unit that hides your blender as it sits on your counter. They are commonly used for mixers, and you can certainly have one installed for your mixer, too. But if you're a daily blender user, it's nice to have a dedicated place to store it.

Opt for a Built-in Dehydrator

If you use a dehydrator a lot, consider having a built-in one included in your kitchen design. A built-in dehydrator can be nestled between your lower cabinets, much like a dishwasher or oven would be. Large dehydrators are often better quality, and this will save you from having to pull out of your cabinets every time you use them.

If you follow the tips above, you'll have a kitchen that is better suited to your vegan diet. For more information on kitchen designs, contact a professional near you.