Gone is the simple kitchen of the past, where limited counter space was always an issue and the only thing on the counter was a toaster and a coffee maker. Today's kitchen has endless space. Rows of cabinets fill each wall from countertop to ceiling. The long countertops are lined up with variable speed gadgets and handheld kits to go along with each machine no cook can live without. What used to be a cozy tiny kitchen where the family gathered to eat and talk is now an automated, high-tech mini-factory that churns out meals in seconds.

The kitchen of today is still the center of the home as it was in by gone years. This is still the place family gravitates to and gathers in at the start of the day and at the end of the day. The last light to be turned off before the last person heads off to bed is that in the kitchen, and the kitchen is usually the second place that comes to life when the morning starts. Coffee makers are turned on and the toaster is set to work on bagels and toast for the children first thing in the morning.

Today's kitchen no longer suffers from cramped conditions caused by limited counter space. It is not unusual to see variable speed blenders and mixers, along side toasters, microwaves, coffee makers and espresso machines on the counters of today's kitchens. Under cabinet vacuum food sealers and dispensers of every sort join the myriad of machines and tools on display in the modern kitchen. Most of these items are no longer exclusive for the professional cook or the food aficionado; they are bought and used by the average cook too.

Even though the modern kitchen looks more like a high-tech center than a cozy room, it still functions as the heart of the house. Families do still gather around the refrigerator and toaster and discuss the happenings of their day. As meals are removed from the oven and dishes are placed in the dishwasher, there is energetic conversation in most kitchens, especially if all members of the family are encouraged to meet at least once a day for a meal prepared and eaten together.

It would be reasonable to expect with the replacement of the tiny kitchen of the past with a modern and machine-filled kitchen of today that the warmth has been removed, but that is not the case. The look and equipment is different, but the expectation of its owners is the same, a place where family members can come together to enjoy not only the food that they prepare, but also one another's company and conversation. Today's kitchen offers the opportunity for families caught up in the rush of modern life, to cook faster meals so they can spend more time at the dinner table discussing the events of their day and the plans for tomorrow. Without the conveniences of a high-tech kitchen, meal preparation would take longer cutting away at the time families have to spend around the table talking and sharing.