Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommended- With Some Reservations
Review: I bought this book based on the the fact that the author combines his design expertise with his commercial cooking background and because the book had received such terrific reviews. After reading the book, however, I'm of two minds: On one hand the book was VERY useful for broadening my understanding of what to think about when designing a seriously functional cooking kitchen, and for that I have no regrets about buying the book- and would recommend it to others; On the other hand the book amounts to a very informative 88 page info-mercial for the author's design services. Though he selectivly provides the reader with some very useful recommendations, he takes you only so far in describing how his various kitchen "subsystems" should function. He ends the book with a section on how to choose a kitchen designer where, once you apply all his kitchen designer selection criteria, the author emerges the obvious choice (what a surprise!). (The author's contact information appears conveniently in various places through the book- including the front cover.) The author has even chosen to include several references for his work- in the form of full page letters of thanks from various ecstatic clients. (I must say though, the author is promoting himself only and consistently refrains from product brand endosements, which I appreciated) Although the book left me wanting more, and I was turned off by its blatently self-promotional aspects, I still think buying the book might be the best $$ you'll spend in preparation for designing or re-designing your kitchen!
Rating: 
Summary: Want a functional kitchen? Get this book.
Review: I'll make it simple. Yes, the book is a little short and a little dated. It's not as detailed as I would like. But read the book. Put it down. Pick it up again a week or two later and read it again. After a couple of readings, the subtle ideas Don is trying to impart start coming across. If you are serious about cooking, and are designing a kitchen to cook in, you NEED this book. For example, one subtle theme is that the kitchen should be divided into three work zones: Prep, cooking, and cleaning. Each should have it own tools and appliances available where they are needed. And each should be able to operate without interfering with the other zones. As a professional chef, I can assure that this is the basic division that well designed professional kitchens use. But it is a revelation for home cooks.
How many kitchen designers have the skill and guts to cook a meal for you in your new kitchen after it's built to demonstrate how well it functions? None that I have even heard of, except Don.
After having talked to a bunch of Certified Kitchen Designers (CKD) after reading this book, I have decided that most CKD's are `wanna-be architects' who never bothered to get an architecture degree (because it's too hard?), and wouldn't know the difference between a sauté pan and a fry pan if it hit them in the head.
I don't believe some of the negative reviews this book has received. One reviewer blamed Don/this book because the plumbing leaks, the drawers stick, and the circuit breakers keep tripping in her new kitchen. This is like trying to blame the designer of the Titanic for that catastrophe, because the steel was of poor quality, the captain was an idiot for wanting to set a speed record in April, there were no binoculars for the lookouts, there were no red flares aboard, (only the white practice ones), and the shipping line removed most of the lifeboats to make the ship look better. None of it was the designers fault.
Another reviewer complained that there was still a `kitchen triangle' in the kitchens pictured in the book. The ultimate DUH is awarded to this reviewer. Why? The `kitchen triangle' is an area that is described by the fridge, sink, and range. Last time I checked my 8th grade geometry class, anytime you have three items, they HAVE to be in a triangular relationship, unless they are all in a straight line!
As I said, if you like to cook, and are remodeling or building a new kitchen, get this book. It's not perfect, but it is money well spent.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book but could be twice as long.
Review: In planning our new kitchen I must have borrowed a dozen books from our local library - this is the one I bought because I know I'll refer to it again and again. Mr. Silvers not only covers all the elements of designing a REAL kitchen (i.e., one that actually works well) but also has some terrific tips for cooks (like storing knives in your block upside-down, so as not to dull them as you pull them out; or keeping your tomatoes in the butter compartment so they're not too cold; and many, many others), not to mention a fantastic recipe for mango chutney chicken. He has a unique perspective on the history of kitchen design, and delivers it all in an funny, quirky, inimitable manner. The only problem with the book was that, while he covered all the elements of kitchen design (work flow, storage, choosing materials and appliances, etc.) there could have been an additional chapter on putting it all together. I certainly would have enjoyed reading more!
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read!
Review: Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind is a must for anyone planning to create or remodel their kitchen. Reading it will help avoid costly mistakes and make the right decisions. I can't praise it enough--it's full of great ideas and incredible photos. I have heard Mr. Silvers lecture AND have enjoyed sampling his phenomenal cooking--both of which are testimonials to his expertise.
Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read!
Review: Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind is a must for anyone planning to create or remodel their kitchen. Reading it will help avoid costly mistakes and make the right decisions. I can't praise it enough--it's full of great ideas and incredible photos. I have heard Mr. Silvers lecture AND have enjoyed sampling his phenomenal cooking--both of which are testimonials to his expertise.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a design manual for the amateur chef
Review: Nearly all the books and magazines I read on kitchen design as I was planning my own renovation seemed to only address aesthetic issues -- they do show beautiful photographs of elegant kitchens--with a smidgen of design ideas anchored on the sacred magic "triangle." As an engineer, I was despairing of ever finding a book that would base kitchen design on the true needs and requirements of a very active cook who also enjoys diverse company. The short opuscule by Don Silvers turned out to meet all my expectations (it does not have beautiful photographs). I found myself nodding, grinning and applauding as I turned page after page and discovered that common sense had finally triumphed in kitchen design. As an example, Silvers recommends the use of 30-inch countertops providing ample elbow room and space for tools and small appliances. While nearly all laboratory cabinets have a 24-inch depth (for the same historical reasons than kitchen cabinets), the tops are always a minimum of 30 inches. It is unfortunate that many of his brilliant ideas will probably never be implemented because the kitchen industry has set standards that will be difficult to change. For example, the narrow depth of nearly all residential ranges and cooktops prohibit the use of several large pots and pans at the same time. I will incorporate many of Silvers' design concepts in my new kitchen. I actually think that I will also generate my own cabinet lay-out as well as lighting and electrical schemes. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: A Kitchen To Enjoy!
Review: This book was written by someone who knows how to cook like a pro as well as how to make a kitchen both functional and beautiful. My philosophy about a kitchen is that it should "work" for me rather than me "work" a lot to clean and maintain it. A kitchen is a place to be enjoyed by family and friends. Read this book before remodelling your kitchen! It has many practical ideals and suggestions to make a kitchen "work" for you and your budget. You will AVOID many COSTLY MISTAKES in designing your kitchen. You won't regret the investment!
Rating:
Summary: inspiring but too short
Review: This booklet (I cannot call it a book for reasons which will become apparent) is certainly helpful in regards to designing a kitchen remodel, but [the price] for 88 pages is a bit steep. Some 20 pages in the booklet have a function other than contributing to your knowledge of kitchen design. That leaves only 66 pages for Mr. Silvers to impart his wisdom. Perhaps even more significant is the poor quality of the binding. When I received the book, I opened it from front and back working toward the middle, as you should with any new book. Then I sat down to absorb the information. By the time I was half way through the book, pages were falling out. When my wife got her turn at the book, it was a collection of loose pages inside of the cover, not my idea of a quality publication. As the saying goes, "you can't tell a book by its cover," and that is certainly true here. Despite my dissatisfaction with the small number of pages and the deplorable binding, the book was worth the price to my wife and me. In particular, the rationale behind putting the traditional kitchen triangle in the corner dustbin was particularly insightful. Another significant bit of information was to plan the kitchen so that there is not a traffic jam between someone carrying food to the eating area and bringing dirty dishes into the kitchen. It would take a kitchen much larger than in the average home to segregate those activities completely, but Mr. Silver gives some common sense tips on how to layout the kitchen to maximize efficiency and minimize conflict. For example, everyone knows that pots and pans, cooking implements like spatulas and spoons, and spices and other seasonings should be in ready proximity to the cooking surface, but are there some guidelines in regards to where these and other activity specific things should be? Interesting, but not particularly helpful to the amateur designing his/her own kitchen, was Mr. Silver's standard operating practice of preparing a gourmet meal for the homeowner when the kitchen is complete. When I asked the certified kitchen designer here in KC if he would do that, he gave forth with a guffaw that would rattle windows. I took it from his response that this is not a common practice in the industry. That is unfortunate to say the least. Although the book is less than ten years old, I could not shake the feeling that it was dated in regards to its content. Perhaps that had more to do with the author's style than content, because some of the kitchen devices he discusses are still hot gift items. Information wise, the book's biggest deficiency was the lack of more detailed problem solving examples and guidelines for the placement of specialized cabinets or other items in the kitchen. If you are into cooking or planning a new or remodeled kitchen, there are some other books that you might find of interest. In particular are the easy to read, exceptionally well-written, informative books by Roy Andries de Groot. They are all out of print, so you will have to find them in a library or through the used book section of Amazon.com or some of the other used book dealers on line like abebooks.com. The best of Mr. de Groot's books are: 1. Esquire's Handbook for Hosts;
2. Feasts for All Seasons, and
3. Revolutionizing French Cooking. The first two contain lots of practical information about kitchen equipment and segregating activities into work centers in the kitchen. They also have some excellent recipes with detailed instructions. The third could be titled "Getting the Fat out of French Cooking while Retaining the Flavor." His "Cooking with the Cuisinart Food Processor" is dated, but if you can fined it for $2.00 like the one I did, it is worth getting just to read the account how our kitchens became blessed with the Cuisinart. Another book that I found both interesting and useful was "The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook and Guide to Kitchenware" by Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams. One final note, If you are really into high quality pots and pans, i.e., copper, but the price tag on those items gives you a severe case of sticker shock, there is a possible solution. If you like to travel and are planning a visit to Paris, E. Dehillerin (www.e-dehillerin.fr) is nestled in a cozy corner just two blocks from the Châtelet/Les Halles métro/RER station. Although they do not have a complete collection of the Mauviel copper cookware line, their inventory is impressive, and their prices are significantly less than you will find either online or in your local gourmet kitchen shop. For example a 6L "Dutch Oven" (more properly bassine ragout) is $260 here in the US and 147.29€ in Paris after the VAT rebate. They have been in business since 1820, and, in case "vous ne parlez pas de tout français," the sales clerks speak excellent english. Hope this helps, and good luck with your kitchen. Bob
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