One of the many amazing reasons as to why a guest would rather opt for an Airbnb over a hotel stay is for that unique and homely experience that an Airbnb can offer.
That’s why, when comparing the two, it’s clear to see that the major missing component of any hotel stay is the kitchen space – the true heart of any home.
Your kitchen’s importance will vary from guest to guest; some guests will have booked your rental because they can cook their own meals following their special dietary requirements, or simply because they want to save money by eating in. While others may just use your kitchen’s space as a coinvent place to store and reheat any leftovers from their meal out the day before.
Regardless of your guests needs, it’s crucial to make sure your kitchen is properly equipped so that your guests have everything they need when it comes to enjoying their stay.
Keep on reading to see what kitchen essentials you’ll need to keep stocked, ready for the influx of positive guest reviews!
#1 Kitchenware
When it comes to your kitchenware; your pots and pans, be sure to invest in some quality cookware.
The last thing you’ll want is to have grimy-looking pots and pans mentioned in your reviews!
You should opt for non-stick pans as they’re much easier to clean and typically have a longer durability than alternative options, in turn, saving you money in the long run as you won’t have to keep replacing your kitchenware every few months.
We recommend that as a minimum, your kitchen should include:
- 1 small cooking pot
- 1 large cooking pot
- 1 small frying pan
- 1 large frying pan
Another great idea is to purchase some additional kitchenware specifically for oven use. As an example, flat baking sheets, pizza trays, muffin case tins, casserole dish, the list goes on.
Having multiple kitchenware options available in your kitchen will grant your guests freedom to cook more than one thing at a time, in a variety of different ways. In turn, your guests won’t feel restricted on what they can or cannot cook because your Airbnb’s kitchen will be equipped perfectly for all of their cooking needs.
If your listing description flaunts about a fully-equipped kitchen, guests will likely be expecting high quality kitchenware, with a wide range of equipment. Keep this in mind when creating your listing description.
Being able to provide your guests with a variety of kitchenware will allow them to experiment, just like they would in their own home, without having to sacrifice or improvise on their usual cooking techniques.
#2 Silverware and Utensils
Ensure that you have enough forks, knives and spoons for the maximum number of guests you can host at any given time. For example, if your Airbnb can sleep or host 6 people at a time, you’ll need to have 6 sets of silverware for practical use at a minimum.
Top tip: Adding extra cutlery is always a good idea as guests may misplace or use multiple pieces of cutlery throughout their stay.
Ok, but what about other utensils?
Here’s some other essentials that at first, you might overlook as a host, but your guests certainly won’t:
- Spatula
- Scissors
- Whisk
- Tongs
- Cheese grater
- Tin opener
- Bottle opener
- Corkscrew
- And ladle, at the very least.
Try to think practically when it comes to choosing utensils for your Airbnb’s kitchen. Imagine being a guest and opting to cook at the Airbnb for dinner, you may end up purchasing tins without a pull tab, or wine with a cork top, to later find that you can’t use your shopping because your Airbnb isn’t adequate enough for your stay.
Not having some of these simple items could really put your kitchen’s inventory to shame and leave your guests feeling disappointed.
#3 Knives and Cutting Boards
Blunt knives just aren’t going to cut it – pun intended.
We all know that trying to prepare your meals with a blunt knife can be infuriating. That’s why it’s important to keep your guests’ expectations met, even with the smallest of details. You can do so by sharpening or replacing your kitchen knives every so often.
Cutting boards go hand in hand with a good knife set; you don’t want guests chopping food directly on your plates or surfaces. Make sure to provide large enough cutting boards to your guests, better yet, offer a range cutting boards in different sizes.
Providing good quality sharp knives will help to keep your guests satisfied and bad and blunt knife stories unmentioned in your reviews.
Read now: How To Deal With Negative Reviews
#4 Cups and Dishes
The same rule applies to cups and dishes, like we mentioned above under silverware – supply enough plates, bowls, mugs and cups for every person you can accommodate at any one time. If your Airbnb can host up to 10 people, then supply 10 of each to ensure that all guests can all eat at the same time.
It’s liable that cups and dishes can accidently break during a guests’ stay, so adding more than you initially need is always a good idea.
You should include a range of:
- Glass cups, or plastic for children;
- Coffee/tea mugs;
- Bowls;
- Small plates;
- and larger plates.
Top tip: Stick to a neutral colour scheme for your cups and dishes, such as white or cream, as they’re easy enough to find one-off replacements here and there, without having to buy whole new sets, for when the inevitable accidental damage happens.
#5 Kitchen Appliances
Now that we’ve spoken about the essentials behind your guest’s food preparation and dining practicality, let’s think about how they’re actually going to cook or bake their edible creations.
It sounds ridiculous to think this broad, however, you need to add features to your kitchen that will enhance your Airbnb and the guest experience – let us explain;
A dishwasher can seem like a luxury appliance to most people without one in their home. So, seeing a dishwasher available in an Airbnb can make your guests stay ten times better already, as they’re not having to spend their time meticulously hand scrubbing up dishes and cookware in the sink.
The same applies to our more so lazier guests, the ones who aren’t too bothered about the kitchen space, but want to nibble on something like their left overs. A microwave is an essential part of any guest’s kitchen and will come in handy for all guests a like.
Be considerate when choosing appliances for your Airbnb’s kitchen, such as a cooker or a fridge. You may or may not live in your Airbnb space full time, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid spending money where its due.
A larger fridge, oven or cooker is always appealing as you never know what your guests’ usual cooking practices are, therefore, more storage and space are always optimal. Don’t forget about including a toaster and a kettle too!
#6 Cleaning
Hopefully after you’ve carefully vetted your guests, and they’re happy to adhere to your house rules, they should be happy to keep their area clean, especially if they are staying for longer than just a few nights.
In this case, it’s important to provide your guests with some essential cleaning products, as well as some extra cleaning supplies too, such as:
- Dish washing liquid
- Cloths and tea towels
- Dishwasher tablets and salts
- Glass and surface cleaner
- Hand soap
- Broom, dustpan, mop and bucket
- Floor cleaner
- Household bleach
- Spare bin liners/bags
- Tissues and wet wipes
- Rubber gloves.
Photo by Crystal de Passillé-Chabot on Unsplash
#7 Luxury and Supplies
Last but not least, who can forget the luxuries and supplies? Our guests sure don’t.
On the Airbnb website, when you’re checking out a listing or going to list a property yourself, it mentions that oil, salt and pepper are considered as basic items on the Airbnb amenities checklist.
Therefore, you will be expected to supply these items as the bare minimum.
For other essential items, try to knock your competition out the park here. Feel free to provide your guests with a selection of teas, coffees, sugar, sweeteners and milk to make them feel a little extra special.
Some of our other luxury suggestions:
- Buy a coffee machine
- Place a cook book in your kitchen to inspire your guests to cook
- Supply some snacks and other related items too
- Free use of the herbs and spices rack
- Stock Tupperware, cling film or tin foil so that your guests can save their food for later.
Think about what you have in your own kitchen at home that makes your life easier. It could be a family favourite toastie machine, or even as simple as some oven gloves. Whatever you decide to supply in your Airbnb kitchen, make sure to keep your guest’s experience in mind.
Read now: What Amenities You Need to Supply as an Airbnb Host
Are you ready to set up your Airbnb for success? Get in touch with us over at Keey.uk to see how we can help you to improve your living spaces and double your bookings.