kitchen vs. no kitchen

[Quantum Buckyball]

I am getting a new apartment this summer, and I couldn't decide if I want to get an apartment with or without a kitchen. The rent cost is about ~$45/month different. I purchased a dining set for my current apartment last semester, and I have barely used it, I think I have used it for twice in the past 5 months. I do not cook at home that often, and whenever I do, I just use my coffee table in the living room because it's the same size as my dining table.

I think having a kitchen area is nice but I was trying to be practical. My colleague recommended me to get an apartment with kitchen, and I can always turn the kitchen area into a study area. I thought that was a good idea, but then it would be a bit odd whenever I have company over.

[Sparky]

By kitchen, do you mean empty space for a kitchen table-ish, or do you mean refrigerator, stove, etc? I can't imagine having an apartment without the latter, but probably the other way it is a wash.

 

Rent a place for the lifestyle you have, not the lifestyle you aspire to. Do you have company for meals a lot?

Edited January 30, 2013 by Sparky

[Usmivka]

I've seen apartments with no kitchen, just a hot plate and a mini fridge. You don't want to go there. But I too assume what you actually mean is that there is no dining room, which, meh.

[Quantum Buckyball]

By kitchen, do you mean empty space for a kitchen table-ish, or do you mean refrigerator, stove, etc? I can't imagine having an apartment without the latter, but probably the other way it is a wash.

 

Rent a place for the lifestyle you have, not the lifestyle you aspire to. Do you have company for meals a lot?

There is a separate area for dining room. Both apartments have a standard kitchen (sink, refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher etc.) But if you want the one with dining area where you can put your dining table and chairs, then that's extra 45 bucks/month.

[Quantum Buckyball]

I've seen apartments with no kitchen, just a hot plate and a mini fridge. You don't want to go there. But I too assume what you actually mean is that there is no dining room, which, meh.

Yeah, I know what you meant, some studio apartments are like that and I lived in one before and hated it. The one I'm getting this summer is actually one bedroom and one bathroom apartment, we don't have any studio apartments in this town.

[Eigen]

I haven't found our dining area all that useful. Even if we have a bunch of people over, we often sit on the patio or in the dining room to eat.

 

My kitchen, however, I couldn't live without. We cook a lot.

[Queen of Kale]

I never eat in my kitchen and we don't have a dining area but I could never cut down on cabinets, counters, or appliances.  I just need the kitchen itself and about three feet to move around in.  That said, $45 ain't that much.  I'd just pick the one in the better location.

[katerific]

There is a separate area for dining room. Both apartments have a standard kitchen (sink, refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher etc.) But if you want the one with dining area where you can put your dining table and chairs, then that's extra 45 bucks/month.

I have never had a separate dining area in any of the places I've lived in. Definitely had a kitchen with all the works, but a separate dining area seems superfluous. ALSO, you'd have to furnish it, right? More money and more stuff.

 

also, all my friends know I suck at cooking, so... I wouldn't invite them over for dinner, ha. Drinks and snack work well in the living room, though.

I think the only thing I would pay an extra 45/month for would be a treehouse. I mean, in addition to the apartment. Yeah.

[TakeruK]

We don't really have a "separate dining room" (or even a designated dining "area") but in the places we've lived, there's usually some convenient location in the living room that borders on the kitchen entrance where it makes sense to put a kitchen/dining table. We eat our meals on it and I also find it useful to have a nice big table (bigger than a desk) to sit down and do "project" like things (e.g. organizing all the bills/paperwork, decorating cookies, rolling up a ton of won tons to freeze etc.). But it's not really a separate "room", we just convert a portion of the living room for it. We also use it for the occasional time where we have 1 or 2 people over for dinner. However, for entertaining, we usually have a lot more people over so everyone is sitting in the "living room" area with plates in their laps, anyways. But the kitchen/dining table becomes a useful place to put the food for people to serve themselves with! 

 

Our current kitchen has enough space that we could put a small dining table and eat our meals there, but with all of the steam and heat created by cooking, I prefer having the meal outside of the kitchen itself!

[Tall Chai Latte]

My apartment has a standard kitchen, but no separate area for dinning. I usually just eat in front of my laptop while I watch movies, so my desk is also my dinning table lol. But having a kitchen is useful, it saves me money on eating out. 

[HigherEd2013]

I'm currently in a studio and I'm happy without a sitting area. I just use my couch and eat dinner in front of my laptop like Tall Chai. However, because it's a studio, I rarely have friends over. I always go out or to their places. If you want friends to come over for dinner a bunch, you need that sitting area. Otherwise, you'll be fine without it.

[ANDS!]

The heck is the difference between a Dining Room and a Dining Area?  

 

I used to have a place that had neither, and either sat at the computer or on a couch in front of the TV. . .I'll not go back.  There is something relaxing about being able to have a meal and it is just that.  A meal.  Not some spartan combination of dinner and studying or coding, but a dinner.

 

Plus it does give you an incentive to want to host gatherings once you get all buddy with your new best friends.

[juilletmercredi]

If there was only a $45/month difference, personally I would take the one with the dining area.  But I like to cook, and I like to have friends over, so I would welcome the space to have dinner parties or even just friends over for dinner.  If I didn't live in a tiny studio and had space for drinks I would have people over all the time.

Edited February 13, 2013 by juilletmercredi