Do you even need a prep sink? I know everyone does them, but ...do you need it in a kitchen that small where you've said you don't do a whole ton of cooking?

Perhaps it's just me: I'm a clean as you cook sort of person, so my dirty dishes go directly into my dishwasher and I've never thought "oh I wish I had another sink..."

Do I need one??? No probably not, but I do think one would come in handy, and since I'm getting ready to reno this kitchen, I think now would be the time to put one in. I have an even smaller kitchen now and there are times I wish we had a second sink.

Without a prep sink, that small strip of cabinetry between the sink and the range is where all of the kitchen action takes place. With a prep sink, prep will occur on the island.

I'd want the trash nearer the main sink and the MW facing the refrigerator. I'd do the prep on the far left and then your 24" drawer cabinet, then the trash and then the MW cabinet facing the fridge.

I guess I don't see the problem in that - prepping on that 24" between the sink and stove. How much space do you REALLY use when prepping food? I know for me I generally stay in one spot the entire time I'm prepping and that happens to be the area covered by my one cutting board. The items I need sit behind the cutting board on the rest of the counter. for me prepping and then constantly having to turn around to mind the stove would be a total annoyance. I cannot be the only one who cooks this way. And I cook every night of the week.

Buffetgirl, just because you've gotten used to something sub optimum doesn't mean that there isn't a better way to do it and that you couldn't get used to something much better! :) I have 6 different cutting boards and use at least 2 of them during most prep sessions. I also use way more than 24" of space, even for a simple meal. 36" next to a water source is the minimum recommended prep space. When you start to combine prep space with needed emergency landing space from the range and plonk space needed next to the sink, even 36" isn't enough room for all of the activities that need to take place safely unless you compromise some of those functions.

I don't think the trash is in the right spot either. I have my trash pullout to the left of the perimeter sink, so I can access it when cleaning up after meals and also when prepping. Additionally, I have a small pull out trash underneath the sink in the island. I think Green Designs idea about trash placement would work well also.

GreenDesigns... I can change it around like you suggested, move the prep to the far left, move the trash closer to the main sink and move the microwave to face the fridge. I think that works better.

Right now I have a peninsula and that is where I do most my prep and my main sink is on the opposite wall. So I actually do think having the prep sink on the island would be beneficial.

New plan:

Mercy- I really like the new plan! You've done so much work and I think it's really paid off. Can't wait to see the new kitchen! :)

I agree with what the others have said and also after having read your previous thread, like this arrangement much, much better. You will enjoy facing others as you prep and will find yourself spending much more time prepping than cleaning. Also it's nice to have the clean up sink so accessible to the range, it's nice to move hot frying pans, sauce pans, etc. directly to the sink instead of spinning 180 degrees and crossing an aisle with them, I think.

- you may not cook a lot now, but if you have this set up I guarantee you will cook much more, really. We used to eat out a lot and now it's rare -- a good set up makes all the difference. Be sure to factor that into your costs of the kitchen reno, particularly when making the final decision as to whether to add a prep sink or not. I think it was about 1000 to add it on to our plan, and in the 2 years since we finished, it's paid for itself many times over with savings from not eating out.

-- also agree with putting the trash centrally located between the prep area and the clean up sink. I don't think it really matters whether it's on the perimeter or on the island as long as when it's open it's easily reached by both workers.

-- and, I also agree with moving the prep sink to the corner. You'll appreciate having as big of a continuous work space as possible and it's not necessary to have a landing spot on the other side of the prep sink. Plus moving it to the end of the island will prevent the prep person from bumping bums with the person at the range when you have two people working in the kitchen at once.

Thanks everyone for your help, I like this design too.... #957!! LOL!

lavender lass... I can't wait to see it now also!!! However we are still talking months away :(

The trash location is the first thing I noticed. I'm not sure where it is in the latest layout you show... But I wanted to share that I use mine most for 2 things: Prep/cooking and scraping plates during cleanup. I LOVE that it's handy to both spots. As long as it is in the island, I think it's most important that I can reach it without walking as I load the dishwasher.

rhome... The trash is the 3rd cabinet from the left in the island.

You can always keep a small trash can under the clean up sink for scrapings.

If it were me I'd do it the way you had it the first time, with the larger sink and dw and trash all in the island so you can prep and clean as you go, while others could still use the secondary sink. But that's just my personal preference because as I'm the main (okay only) cook in our family.

Personally I'd hate walking the dishes and prep things across the aisle to the separate cleanup sink, and going back and forth between trashes. We very rarely have two people working in the kitchen at once ... it's pretty much always just me working, and DH doing his best to get in the way. :-) With separate prep sinks and cleanup sinks, chances were still good that DH would be in my way when he was at one or the other sinks. So now we have the main sink in the island and a secondary *beverage* sink elsewhere, and it's heaven! Works perfectly for our needs, but the 'prep' sink wouldn't have.

YMMV. Just think about how you'll really use the kitchen before committing one way or the other.

Oh geeze taggie!!! I thought I had it all figured out!!! WWWAAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Actually the points you made were why I put the main sink in the island initially. Oh, now I don't know what to do!!

:-(

No, no, no. Don't look back. I promise you, you will love this layout. However, you can have the best of both worlds by making your island sink bigger. It looks like your island is 7 ft wide. This would give you room for a 24" sink, 36" drawer base and 24' pull out trash that would accommodate both rubbish and recycling. You can actually fit two bins in a pull out cab thats only 15" so you have lots of flexibility. The above layout looks like the perfect kitchen to me.

Oh NO!!! I'm starting to feel like a ping pong ball!! LOL! Prep sink in the island - prep sink in the perimeter - prep sink in the island.....

I think a lot of this will hinge on how much adding the prep sink will cost. And since these are my designs (not a KD) when I order my cabinets, I will see what the KD thinks (even though I really want this to be my design).

If the prep sink is too costly, I will probably put the main sink in the island like I originally planned.

Yes, an extra sink is, unfortunately, not inexpensive. Between adding the plumbing, and the cost of the sink and faucet and garbage disposal, it can get pretty high. I would gladly give up something else to have it, that's how much I hate working at the clean up sink but our kitchen is just too small. :( Good luck when you see the KD.

actually, GreenDesign, it's actually pretty darn perfect for me. I'm a very efficient cook, and I like having everything within arms reach so that I'm not wasting steps. I can chop and waste goes either directly into the garbage disposal or the trash below me, I can dump directly into the oven or stove top, all without every moving my feet. My knives and utensils are in the draw below me, my spices are to my left, my other cooking items are above me, my bowls in my corner lazy susan. Anything bigger is obtained before I begin cooking. I don't need emergency landing spaces - it's food - not nuclear waste. lol

So perhaps there are better ways. I hope you all find them. I've found mine.