We don't call the kitchen the heart of the home for nothing. It ticks elements in every level of Maslow's needs triangle.

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http://www.kitchensbymiketaylor.co.uk/blog/2013/08/27/the-kitchen-and-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs/
The Kitchen and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
If you’ve ever wondered just why the kitchen plays such an important part in our lives, taking a look at
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reveals just how many of our vital boxes the kitchen ticks.
In fact, the kitchen ticks boxes in every level of the ‘needs’ pyramid.
Physiological
The base of Maslow’s pyramid rests on basic necessities like breathing and sleep, food and water.
These are the absolute fundamentals of life, and without them we couldn’t survive. The kitchen is
the goto place for at least two of these basics – food and water – and you could stretch the point
to include breathing when you consider the way cooking aromas also satisfy comfort and security
needs on a subconscious level.
Safety
Knowing where to find food when you’re hungry is important, of course, but one of the other ways
the kitchen helps us to feel safe is through sound. Kitchen sounds echo through the years from
childhood. The rattle of lids on steaming pans as mum cooks dinner, the metallic shuffle of cutlery as
the table is laid, the sound of the kettle boiling or the gentle hum of the fridge in an otherwise silent
room.
It’s gives us a sense of family, of the giving and receiving of sustenance. When these things are in
place we can confidently move on to other aspects of daily life.

2. Love and Belonging
We all need friendship and family, and the kitchen is so often where the two come together. Whether
we’re entertaining friends or just making toast for a family breakfast, that sense of belonging that
comes from all being together in the kitchen helps to bind us together.
The kitchen is an intimate room, a little like the home’s inner sanctum. We may take casual
acquaintances into the sitting room, but close friends and family gather with us in the kitchen,
fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion.
Esteem
In the preparation of food for ourselves and each other we show respect for others and gain respect
in return. Breaking bread is the oldest of friendship rituals.
We gain confidence through the learning of new skills, and help our children gain confidence in turn by
encouraging them to trust their abilities to learn new skills.
Self-Actualisation
At the top of Maslow’s pyramid is self-actualisation. When every other need is taken care of, we can
come into our own and move forward to the more abstract and creative areas of life.
Creativity and spontaneity in the kitchen comes from the freedom to experiment with flavours or
take a risk in pairing up unusual ingredients. Having a kitchen that works, for cooking, entertaining,
playing or experimenting open the doors to a freedom of expression that would not otherwise be
possible.
Linking up Maslow’s theory with all the functions of the kitchen may be a little unconventional, and
certainly the theory is very much deeper than the points we’ve included here.
But we think relating the two to each other goes some way towards explaining and understanding
more about our life-long love for this very special room.
(image source)