The Extremely Cool Kitchen Computer

By Ryan Joseph

I have a computer in my kitchen. That fact alone is not unusual, as placing computers in the kitchen is growing in popularity. Some are recommending that computer placement be taken into account in new construction just like telephones. In 2004, Microsoft wrote an article discussing the benefits of a computer in the kitchen.

And such benefits are numerous. There are the obvious ones, like being able to look up recipes, quickly Google a substitute for an ingredient you realize you don’t have, and listening to music. But there are quite a few benefits that you may not have considered, like using it as a digital picture frame when you’re not using it, creating shopping lists right in the kitchen, and even doing your every day email and Internet surfing while waiting for the water to boil.

The author of the Microsoft article opted to make room for a laptop on the counter and to compute the traditional way. This is certainly a viable option, especially if the kitchen is large enough to have excess counter space. However, in my experience, very few kitchens have enough counter space available for a laptop.

A laptop on the counter is certainly the easiest option — just open and go. It is also easy to see the problems with this choice. Aside from the loss of a considerable amount of counter space, there is also a very real risk of damage. Kitchen’s are not the safest place for delicate electronics. Splatters, spills and accidents are bound to happen. Plus, as we all know, if something is not bolted down, it tends to walk away. It’s all too easy to “temporarily” borrow the kitchen laptop for another use… and it will likely never make it back.

So what are the other options? When I first had the idea of putting a computer in the kitchen, I knew I wanted to go beyond the simple laptop on the counter. I wanted a machine that was nearly invisible except for the screen. One that was easy to use while working on other tasks. One that was not an eyesore in the kitchen and one that was never in the way. That meant building the computer into the kitchen somehow.

That is a picture of the final product. Now I want to walk you through the process of getting there. The first step is to get a laptop. Most of us probably have an old laptop laying around somewhere, but if not, you can get one fairly cheap on eBay or Craigslist. The system does not have to be top of the line, since the vast majority of its use will be simple Internet surfing. I found a laptop on Freecycle that had a bad hard drive. I replaced that for 25 dollars.

The next step is the screen. Unfortunately, you probably will not be able to use the screen from the laptop itself. Most laptop screens connect to the motherboard via a proprietary cable with dozens of wires. So unless you want to cut, solder, and extend that cable, the easiest option is to purchase an external LCD monitor. I found one on Craigslist for $50. If you remove it carefully, you can always sell the LCD from the laptop to recoup some of that cost.

Next is deciding where to place the computer. I liked the option of mounting it inside a cabinet door right at eye level. Since I live in an apartment, I could not chop holes in the cabinets. Therefore, I had to build a new cabinet door. I purchased a cheap piece of plywood, cut it to size, and cut a hole in the center. After painting and mounting, it was ready.

That is a picture of the computer after being mounted under the cabinet. I also built a small shelf for the power supplies. The screen was way too thick to go inside the door as it was, so I took it apart and removed all the extra plastic and metal parts until I was left with the LCD itself and the various circuit boards. Using small pieces of foam, I attached the circuit boards to the back of the LCD, thereby making it thin enough to fit into the door and allow the door to close.

That is a picture of inside the cabinet door. As you can see, due to the shelf, everything had to be very thin, hence removing all the extra plastic and metal from the monitor. The wires were run inside the cabinet and through a hole in the back where they attached to the computer underneath. Heat was becoming an issue for the laptop, so I cut a hole in the plastic panel under the hard drive and added a small fan. This brought the system temperature from a blistering 136 degrees to a cool 91 degrees. Once everything was mounted, I wanted to make it look nice. After another trip to Home Depot, some more painting, and careful cutting, I had the front piece of trim ready and mounted it under the cabinet, thereby hiding all the various computer parts.

Now for the coolest part. After much consideration, I decided that I didn’t like the idea of having a mouse and keyboard dangling down under the cabinet. I considered the possibility of using small, wireless ones and hiding them under the cabinet with Velcro when not in use, but ultimately decided for a more elegant option. I purchased a touchscreen kit on eBay, which ended up being the most expensive part of this entire project.

This was attached to the front of the LCD very carefully using hot glue around the edges. Once the glass was in place and the wire run inside the cabinet and out of the way, the final step was to put a frame around the screen to hide the metal edges. One final trip to Home Depot, some more painting and cutting later, and it was done.

This project took a considerable amount of time to complete. Even now, when I walk into the kitchen, I cannot believe it is finally done. Here is a breakdown of how much everything cost:

• Laptop: Free
• Laptop repair: $25
• New AC Adapter for laptop: $15
• Touchscreen: $90
• LCD monitor: $50
• Various Home Depot trips: approx $75
• Total: $255

250 dollars is not bad at all for a fully functioning, touchscreen computer mounted in a cabinet door in the kitchen. I think this is a project that most people could do and one that everyone could benefit from. I’ve already had people ask me if I could build one for them. Who knows, maybe Ryan’s Custom Installed Kitchen Computers could be a viable business in the future.

This project turned out better than I expected. If you think you would like to tackle it in your kitchen, do not hesitate to ask any questions!