Whether you are planning a one week kitchen face lift or a 4 month complete renovation a temporary kitchen is a necessity. With a bit of planning and a temporary lowering of dining expectations you can survive the inconvenience without having to move out of your home for the duration.

Here are a few tips and things to consider while planning your temporary kitchen.

Where? If you are blessed with a great laundry room this is the best area to set up the temp kitchen. You will have a sink available and outlets for the electrical appliances. It is ideal to have at least two outlets on separate circuits even if one is from an extension cord from another room. Chances are you will have more than one heat creating appliance going at once and want to avoid tripping the breaker each time. You can use a corner of your main living space as well but get as close as you can to a working sink to make clean up easier. Bottled water can be used for meal preparation.

When? The best time to set up the mini kitchen is before you start any work on the renovation. This will allow you to adjust for any changes you need to make before things get really desperate. Use your temporary kitchen for a day before you actually need to to make sure you have everything set up in in case the reno takes longer than you plan. If possible time the work so you can make full use of an outdoor bbq for meals. Being able to have your meals outdoors makes it less of an inconvenience and more like an enjoyable experience.

What? Use your existing fridge if possible so you still have your freezer available. You will need a microwave, coffeemaker, toaster or toaster oven and an electric kettle. A slow cooker can also be handy in this situation. If you want to cook an electric frying pan and a wok might be easier than having a hotplate. Use paper plates and utensils for easy cleanup if you don’t have a sink in the space. Don’t forget a can opener, salt, pepper and some large utensils.

How? If your existing kitchen is being demolished set up the temporary kitchen using pieces of the existing kitchen. A section of base cabinet with counter works great as the main kitchen area. If this is not an option a folding camping table is handy. You can also get complete camping kitchens which have the sink and tap built in. I have a garden sink from Reelsmart (pictured) that I have used as a temporary kitchen sink during a renovation. It has a great pressure rewind system that you can enjoy using in the garden after your new kitchen is installed.

Perhaps the best way to get through losing your kitchen is to think of it as a holiday from cooking. Take home meals, frozen dishes and sandwich dinners can all make this experience easier. You might even receive a few home cooked meals from sympathetic neighbors and friends.