Even if you’re using an existing kitchen, or remodeling the one you have, it’s easy to invest a little time and understanding in cooking layout.
Kitchens give you room for cooking and cleaning, quick access to food, and valuable space in your home. They are meant to be thoughtfully arranged to take advantage of all the benefits they have to offer.
Designing the Three Main Areas of a Kitchen
The sink is ideally positioned in between the cooking area and the dining spaces. The refrigerators should be located near the cooking area, and dry goods storage should be located near the kitchen’s entry point.
A lot of personal preferences come into play with design, so use this article as a guide and not a rulebook.
Refrigeration and dry-good storage should be an easy access point to the kitchen. Placing a countertop to accommodate these items will make it easier to set items down while they are being taken in and out of the refrigerator.
The pantry can hold dry goods, cooking and baking supplies, and grocery items. You may want to store plastic bags and foil in the drawers as well. You will probably store use items for preparing meals in this area such as containers for mixing ingredients or measuring utensils.
Ideally, a prep and cleaning space consists of trash receptacles and dishwashers, as well as sink space.
Small kitchen counter space is best-left blank. In small kitchens, 36 inches of uncluttered space is best. Larger kitchens will require a great deal more counter space. This is one reason why islands are so popular, as they provide ample surfaces on which to prepare food.
The cooking areas should be arranged around the range, cooktop, and wall oven. Place pots, frying pans, and baking sheets in the vicinity of your burners and ovens. It is a good idea to place small appliances such as toasters and coffeemakers near these cooking appliances because it will leave your preparation areas unobstructed.
Place countertops on either side of your cooktop at least a foot or two in width. This will give you plenty of room for cooking and for holding the food to be cooked. Keep all your spices, bread, and pot holders within reach. Put all your serving dishes near the area where food will be served.
Other Kitchen Measurement Considerations
Correctly sizing all the different appliances in your kitchen is important for efficiency and maximizing space.
Some refrigerators are a lot deeper and take up more space. Freezers range in depth too, so make sure you pay close attention to the dimensions of models before purchasing them. Look for a depth of 30 inches or less, excluding handles, unless you can design your kitchen space to accept a deeper unit. When examining refrigerators and considering door swing direction, always make sure the fridge opening won’t hit any wayward objects.
The height of the cabinets matters in what configuration you use. Upper cabinets should be placed at 18 inches from the countertop and vary up to 42 inches high.
Taller cabinets, at 7 feet or 8 feet, may need to be accessed with a step ladder or step stool.
The standard dimensions for a base cabinet are 24 inches deep and 36 inches tall. The height is often customized to be either 38inches for taller people.
The distance between cabinets is an important dimension to consider. Consider entry points as little as 36 inches when there is a cabinet on one side. Stay at least 42 inches from the face of the cabinet to the other one. If it’s a U-shaped kitchen, you could get away with up to 96 inches.
