Steve, In all situations, even the electrical hook-ups, the manufacturerÂs instructions are the Âlast word for installations of appliances. You might find that an instruction would read something like: "Maximum length of discharge hose is six feet." or "Use only the discharge hose provided with the unit." Basically, thatÂs Âlegalese that says: "Some customers do whatever they need to do. But we wash our hands of any liability or support at six feet." Does that mean seven wonÂt work? Almost certainly not. It means the design specifications are valid up to six. It is the nature of a pump  the central work-horse of a dishwasher  to have design limits. The pump that does a commendable job of spraying the washing streams on the dishes and sticky pots is the one that must discharge the effluent. So, what if the distance is not as expected? Distance has a similar, vectorial, effect as Âhead (the effect of the weight of the water due to its rise.) The rise of water from the floor to the drain is typically about two feet. When the dishwasher is next to the sink, the horizontal component is about two feet also. That makes the direct path about three feet. Typically a dishwasher discharge hose is about twice that, to accommodate the true path. If you keep the hose shorter, the job is done more efficiently. But that doesnÂt mean that dumping the output downward to waste would be like washing the dishes so well you wonÂt need detergent. The range of working hook-ups should include virtually any compromises that are required in a small kitchen. A large kitchen hardly needs compromise. The average home-owner should be able to stretch their hook-ups to their needs, being mindful that the least extension is the better choice. Pinoke

I usually cook alone, and my dishwasher is in my prep area right now. I find it's always in the way. These are reasons why I might need the dishwasher while prepping/cooking. I'm listing them in case any of them might come up for you: 1) The dishwasher just ran a load. This is common if the kitchen is such a mess that I have to clean it up before I start cooking. It runs and finishes while I'm cooking, and then I would prefer to be able to open the dishwasher door and let the items in it finish drying/cooling down so I can unload in between cooking steps. That frees up the dishwasher to be loaded with the dishes I just created from cooking after I'm done. 2) I have a few minutes free while cooking and start cleaning up my cooking dishes -- I usually have most of the kitchen cleaned by the time I'm done cooking. 3) I forgot that some of the utensils I need for cooking are sitting in the dishwasher and have to open it to retrieve them. Other considerations: The plan where your dishwasher is next to the cooktop also puts the dishwasher much farther from the sink and perpendicular to it . That is far less ergonomic for loading purposes and involves way more dripping on the floor than a dishwasher that is simply right next to the sink. You need space between the fridge and the wall to its left to allow the fridge door to open far enough for you to be able to get the fridge drawers out. Usually people do a 9-12" skinny pantry pullout between the fridge and wall. If you are not already planning for this, typically we recommend that your hood be 6" wider than the range (so a 36" hood for a 30" range). Steam/cooking fumes spread as they rise, so a slightly wider hood does a better job capturing it all. In lieu of a counter overhand, you might make the banquette top material something that could also serve as a counter -- butcher block, maybe -- for the times when you want to sit while you work. It'll be a much bigger work surface, so you can spread out, and people generally find table height seating more comfortable than counter height seating anyway.

I recently had a total kitchen remodel and layout change. I spent a huge amount of time on the kitchen forum and got great ideas. There are some great people there who are wizards with layout! If you post and don't get response try a new post Title, Layout help! I found it very helpful to tape off my "new" layout with blue painters tape in the correct size and dimensions in my actual kitchen then try walking it and cooking in it as if that was where things were. You will quickly see what does not work for you, make notes. Hopefully the designer gave you a blueprint with specs. As for your main sink, I would put a dishwasher to my right and a trash/recycle on my left as I face the sink.We separate trash and recycle here but only into 1 recycle bin and 1 trash bin. I empty both as needed and cook from scratch so for a family of 4, I can empty 1 time a week. I move left to right with dirty dishes on left, trash below counter to scrap into, rinse in sink then right to DW, no dripping. Then I would locate a second dihswasher, if needed, near the storage cabs for glassware and dishes for large loads or parties. Look at your daily patterns, trash needs and dish use to decide IF you really need 2 dishwashers and 2 sets of trash pull outs!

@C. First of all, if you are 5'10" and have really bad back pain, then a 38" countertop height might still be too low for you. I'm barely 5'7" when when standing up as straight as I can, and a 38 3/4" countertop height is very comfortable for me. At 5'10", you could easily go up to a 40" countertop height. It is uncommon for kitchen designers to specify countertops much higher than 40" for anyone except a frequent kitchen user who is taller than 6 feet in order to retain the general usability for varying heights of potential users, but you may always do what you find best for yourself. I would encourage you to do a mockup of a 40" countertop height and try different tasks like chopping on a cutting board and stirring in mixing bowls to see how you like it. Remember that you should allow 1/2" for cabinetry leveling, so find your perfect height, and then subtract 1/2" (from the total of cabinetry plus countertop) when placing your order. The minimum possible front countertop ledge width is determined by factors which contribute to the risk of a break. I will guarantee you that ledge width in your picture is probably wider in person than it may appear here. Few fabricators will cut a continuous ledge (meaning without seams) less than 2 1/2" to 3" wide, and some fabricators will even burden you with a 4" or greater ledge, though that is excessive. The Galley issues guidelines for cutting the sink hole with no seams around the hole, but this technique complicates the handling and transport of the piece because that area is so delicate once it is cut. If I understand, correctly your countertop will only be 1/2" thick which may mean that you are using porcelain or something of that nature, and in that case, the substrate will dictate that you will need a seam for a narrow front ledge rather than having the sink cut from the middle. Porcelain is already fragile, and it won't survive the handling, transport, and installation with a pre-cut, narrow, continuous sink ledge. Be cautious of any fabricator who wants to install steel rods to help stabilize a front sink ledge. Those rods can get wet and swell and cause future breakage. The best policy is to avoid rod reinforcement. In terms of ergonomics, the height of your countertop and the height of your sink is relatively more important than how far forward you stand to the sink, but if you have really bad back pain and want to give your best effort to eliminating that in your kitchen, then an apron-front sink still needs to be on your list for consideration. I regularly operate within the full confines of the apron front which brings dishes and other tasks such as cleaning the sink very close to my body and allows me to stand mostly upright. It is the leaning forward at a sink that strains your back, and you will lose at least a hand width's advantage with a non-apron-front sink of your ability to work closer to your body to minimize leaning. For many people this is not an issue, and due to the fact that non-apron-front sinks are usually less expensive and more plentiful in terms of brands and styles, plus more aesthetically pleasing in many instances, the majority of kitchen remodelers are not using apron-fronts. Both Rachiele and Havens offer texturing for their stainless steel sinks, and if you look at their portfolios, you'll see that a hammered or otherwise textured finish is actually very pretty for an apron front sink. I have a textured finish, and it hides water spots and scratches and it looks as new today as it did several years ago when I had it installed. My only caution is that the interior of the sink should preferably be smooth to aid with cleaning. I believe that texturing can be applied only to the forward-facing and top ledge part of the apron front if you like that look. Spillage over the apron front is not a problem for me. Every now and then, I might get a small drip down the apron front, maybe after loading the dishwasher with something wet, but nothing more than you would sometimes get from a sink with a ledge that gets water on the front ledge and drips down occasionally. I would be hard pressed to say if I even have to wipe drips of water off the apron front even once per week. It just really is not a problem for me. It sounds like you are on the right track to helping with your ergonomics. As I mentioned earlier, your first step is to see if you can raise those countertops up to 40". If you do a lot of bread kneading or something where you need your arms straight down, you might consider doing dual levels somewhere in the kitchen. Generally, 41" to 42" is the upper stretch of a modified countertop height, and that would be for someone taller than 6 feet. The reason that we don't like to raise the countertop much more than that is because then they become unusable for people who are shorter. However, at a height of 5'10" with back problems, 40" is not at all out of reason. Be aware that if you wear shoes with thick soles when you are working in the kitchen or if you intend to put down a comfort mat on the floor that has substantial thickness, those factors could alter how you feel about your cabinetry height. Mocking up a height and doing various tasks is the most reliable way to determine what is best for you.