In many Singapore homes, Chinese New Year revolves around the kitchen as much as the decorations.
Whether you’re baking pineapple tarts, steamboat-prepping for 15 relatives, or hosting your first reunion dinner in your new BTO or condo, the kitchen becomes command central. And for many homeowners, this is when weaknesses in layout, storage and appliances become painfully obvious.
If you’re doing a last-minute refresh, here are the smartest upgrades and resets to consider.
1. Upgrade to a Built-In Oven That Can Actually Handle Volume
Countertop ovens work — until you need to bake six trays back-to-back.
A full-sized built-in oven with multi-level cooking saves time and keeps your counters clear. For smaller Singapore kitchens, vertical wall-mounted ovens free up base cabinetry and improve workflow during high-pressure prep days.
If you host yearly, this is less a luxury and more a sanity investment.
Consider this: The DG 7440 Stainless Steel/Clean Steel by Miele is a worthwhile investment for frequent hosts — offering precise steam control for consistent results, durable German engineering, and a fingerprint-resistant Clean Steel finish that keeps your kitchen looking polished long after reunion dinner ends.
2. Consider a Hob With Integrated Extraction
Integrated extractor hobs reduce visual bulk while tackling smoke and smells more effectively, especially in compact apartments. It keeps sightlines clean and prevents your sofa from smelling like mala the next day.
For hosting-heavy households, ventilation is design.
Consider this: The Mythos 2gether Hob Extractor by Franke offers powerful downward extraction that keeps steamboat steam and stir-fry smoke contained — without the visual bulk of a traditional hood.
3. Invest in a Second Fridge (Even a Compact One)
CNY means mandarin oranges, drinks, sauces, steamboat ingredients and leftovers.
If space allows, a slim secondary fridge in the yard, pantry or service balcony prevents overcrowding and keeps your main fridge functional. Even a compact beverage chiller can make a difference.
Consider this: The GB-B3445BE 344L Bottom Freezer Refrigerator by LG offers generous 344L capacity with a Smart Inverter Compressor™ for quieter, energy-efficient performance — making it a stylish and practical secondary fridge for festive overflow storage.
4. Add Pull-Out Pantry Systems for Visibility
If you’ve ever bought duplicate oyster sauce because you couldn’t see what you had — this is for you.
Pull-out pantry systems maximise vertical storage and improve visibility. Before CNY, do a full audit:
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Discard expired sauces
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Consolidate duplicates
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Group festive baking ingredients together
A reset pantry reduces stress when relatives start asking where everything is.
Consider this: The Utensio Plus H2 Pantry Unit by Häfele maximises vertical storage with full pull-out visibility and smooth soft-close mechanisms — making festive ingredient prep and everyday pantry access far more organised and stress-free.
5. Switch to Drawer-First Base Cabinets
Traditional cabinets waste space.
Deep, soft-close drawers offer a far more efficient alternative to traditional cabinet doors — allowing stackable wok storage, easier access to heavy pots without bending awkwardly, and clear separation of utensils so everything is visible at a glance. During high-pressure hosting moments like reunion dinner prep, that improved accessibility and organisation can make your kitchen workflow noticeably smoother.
Consider this: The METOD / MAXIMERA Base Cabinet with 3 Drawers by IKEA is a practical upgrade for hosting-focused kitchens, offering three deep, fully extendable drawers that make heavy pots, woks and serving ware easy to access without bending or rummaging. The stainless steel Vårsta fronts add a clean, professional look that’s durable and easy to maintain — especially useful during high-traffic festive cooking periods.
6. Declutter Your Countertops Before Guests Arrive
Before styling festive trays, remove visual noise.
Before the guests arrive, take time to clear visual and physical clutter from your countertops. Store away rarely used appliances, remove old spice racks that have accumulated over time, and consolidate mismatched containers into a more cohesive system. A streamlined surface not only makes food prep easier during reunion dinner rush hour, it also instantly makes even a compact HDB kitchen feel calmer, more spacious and intentionally styled for hosting.
Clear surfaces make even compact HDB kitchens feel calmer and more intentional — especially when extended family is judging your housekeeping (quietly, of course).
7. Create a Temporary Hosting Workflow
Design isn’t static — it adapts to the occasion. Before reunion night, consider temporarily reworking your layout: move the microwave to free up valuable counter space, designate a drinks station outside the kitchen, and set up a self-serve snack area in the living room. By redirecting foot traffic away from the main prep zone, you reduce congestion, improve workflow, and give yourself a far calmer hosting experience.
Happy Chinese New Year!
