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Category: Design & Furnishing
By: Brittany Simmons
Reply by Megan O'Connor:
After 400+ guests I've basically heard every kitchen complaint imaginable, so here's what I've settled on. For cooking you need at minimum: a good non-stick skillet, medium saucepan with lid, large pot for pasta, baking sheet, mixing bowls, two cutting boards (one for meat, one for produce), a chef's knife and paring knife that can actually cut things (this is important — dull dollar store knives are more dangerous and guests WILL complain), spatula/wooden spoon/tongs/ladle, measuring cups and spoons, a colander, and the holy trinity of openers: can opener, bottle opener, and corkscrew. Two oven mitts. For dining, stock enough for your max occupancy plus 2 extra: dinner plates, bowls, mugs (oversized — nobody likes tiny mugs), water glasses, wine glasses, full silverware sets, and steak knives. The "+2 extra" thing matters because something will always be in the dishwasher or a guest will break something and not tell you. Appliances: a coffee maker (Keurig is the most universally liked), toaster, and microwave. Keep dish soap, sponges, paper towels (at least 2 rolls), trash bags (extras visible and accessible), dishwasher pods if applicable. Always stock: coffee with creamer and sugar, salt and pepper, cooking oil, and dish detergent. These are things guests don't want to buy for a 3-night stay but absolutely need. Upgrades that get positive review mentions: Nespresso or espresso machine, a blender (smoothie guests love you for this), electric kettle (basically essential for international guests and tea drinkers), a basic spice rack, food storage containers, and real wine glasses instead of plastic. Things to never include: cheap knives that can't cut anything (you're creating a safety hazard), incomplete sets (3 forks in a 4-person unit is embarrassing), and anything rusty, chipped, or stained. The cleaning fee calculator at https://strspecialist.com/tools/cleaning-fee-calculator can help you factor kitchen deep-cleaning into your turnover costs.
Reply by Chris Nakamura:
The sleeper hit nobody mentions: **a handwritten "local favorites" card in the kitchen.** I write (well, print in a nice font) a card that says: - "Best pizza delivery: [name + phone number]" - "Best breakfast spot: [name + address]" - "Best coffee shop: [name]" - "Closest grocery store: [name + distance]" - "Our favorite restaurant: [name] — ask for the [signature dish]" Costs nothing. Gets mentioned in reviews ALL the time. Makes the kitchen feel more personal and helpful. And guests love having local recommendations versus googling everything. You can build a full digital version using the house manual generator at https://strspecialist.com/tools/house-manual-generator — it has a local recommendations section built in.