Kitchen for One

A few nights ago, I had the girls over for a gals' dinner. Wine, food, dessert, and the intriguing conversation that always ensues. While there was a fair share of talk devoted to trying to figure out the mind of the human male, there were also a number of other germane topics. One of them, appliances and the single woman.

One of my friends noted that for Christmas, she received a number of appliances for her new home. However, they were all what we dubbed "single servings" - a coffeemaker without a pot because it just makes a mugful, a Crock Pot for 1-2 servings, a mini-fondue pot with just two forks...you get the idea.

This observation raised a number of questions among the group. First, the recipient of the gifts wanted to know, what does this say about her? And about how the people in her life view her? Are these items of convenience or items that say "you'll be single a while, honey, so let's just make it easier?"

We all began to ponder our own kitchens. I have a 4-cup coffeepot simply because I would never get through 8 cups by myself. Other people had received only 4 place settings of dishes or of glassware, and wondered if this cast the impression that they would never be entertaining because they're single. Have we reached the age where the downsizing of our aspirations and our current lives are showing through in our domesticity? By giving in, is each of us destined for a kitchen for one?