Ginny - I am in the same boat. I want a dedicated area for the coffee, etc. too! I have 2 spots in mind for ours, neither of which is next to the sink. I guess I am going to be back to pouring the water in from the pot (which usually creates a mess!). I hope someone on here has some good ideas, and thanks for posing the question. I'd been wondering about that as well.

A friend of mine has a coffeemaker that is 'plumbed' and built in between the wall studs. It has it's own water supply. Perhaps that would work. I'm sorry, I don't know the brand - I will check tomorrow and post back.

miele makes a fancy built-in coffee system. several friends have these, and they're quite the talk at parties, though I've heard they're still a bit cranky.

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele Coffee System

I don't have a picture of mine -- just the elevation drawing. We discovered the camera had been dropped and no longer focusses when trying to get a picture of the hutch. Mine is a little over 4-1/2 ft with the side trim. We don't have a sink, but the main sink is just a few feet down and our coffee maker has a tank that we fill every couple of days on average. I have a liter bottle I use to fill it rather than taking the tank over to it.

The center 24 inches has fridge drawers with 15 inch drawers on either side. It's a wonderful way to keep milk and juice close to the table for meals and keep that foot traffic out of the kitchen. The 15 inch drawers below the counter hold cereal, bread, lunch snacks, as well as extra coffee and teas. The ones above hold the current stash of teas, hot chocolate and such, wine gadgets and coasters, napkins, trivets and medications. No problems finding things to use little drawers for. We use the upper cabinets for glassware.

If the location would make sense for you to do it, you can get a 15 or 18 inch fridge for one side -- even put a panel on it. My sister says our hutch is her favorite thing in the new kitchen, and we all enjoy it. I think putting the fridge in really made it so useful and having it has meant more than we thought it would.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Here's my little coffee center. I have the built in Miele and we LOVE it!!! I would have liked to have it plumbed because it is a little bit of a hassle to fill the water container but it is still so very worth it! Hope this helps!

I'll post pics tonight, but ours is in an appliance garage in the corner - not exactly next to the sink but not too far away. I love having all the coffee stuff in one area!

FYI - I fill my coffee maker with a big cup (outdoor drinking cup, not even a coffee mug), not the pot; 2 of those from the fridge gives me the right amount of filtered cool water for coffee in the morning.

Carters5- Where did you get your chairs. I have been looking everywhere for black chairs like that. Sorry to bust in on this thread, but thanks!

Wow, I am getting some great ideas from all these replies! Thanks! I like the idea of having a fridge drawer underneath for easy access to my favorite food - half and half. :)

Carters5, I think I am going to bypass the built in for now, but wow, does that look sharp! Especially against your gorgeous dark cabinetry. What is under the coffee maker?

My problem not having a sink "right there" is that I use that Cuisinart coffeemaker with the built in grinder on type, and the grinder part has to be washed and dried before each use, plus you have to wash out the filter basket as well. I am sure I could take it over to the sink without a problem.

Still looking for anymore ideas for functionality as well as aesthetics. I am going for a French Country look. (I have so many pics to show my cabinet guy, he is going to kill me.)

Thanks again,

Ginny

Ps Designing the kitchen is the most stressful part of the build. It was fun until now, when I have to actually tell him exactly what I want!! I hate the words, final decision.

Here's a shot of mine. I have a coffee bar/quick snack center. Utensils are in the top drawer to the left of the fridge, Coffee supplies and syrups in the pullout to the right, dishes and glasses above and the narrow wall cabinet has the beans and a water carafe to refill the superautomatic espresso machine. It is a major center of activity in the mornings for breakfast while I make lunches in the kitchen, and after school while I'm prepping dinner in the kitchen.
{{gwi:1467504}}

We put ours in an appliance garage along with our phones.

Pattinsoldier: That entire dining set came from Mor Furniture. Not a bad deal for all for $500. The table even has a leaf.The wood is a little soft in that it can get marked fairly easily, but I just call them memories!

Gopack: Thank you for the compliment. The appliance under the coffee system is the Miele steam oven and under that is the Miele plate warmer.

Ginny,

I can't imagine a 'coffee centre' without a nearby sink. Not only do you need the water to make the coffee/tea, you need a convenient place to clean machine/filter basket and to dump grounds and filter, old coffee, tea bags, etc.

You don't want to be (or have someone perhaps not as 'careful' as you), dripping all that stuff back and forth over your new floor! :>)

If you can put in a small sink, I don't think you would regret it. (and you'll need a garbage area too).

Here's mine, sink is to the right. One of the most used corners/areas of the kitchen. Coffees/teas are in small cupboard on the left. Coffee cups are in cupboard further down, not right there, cuz it's closer to DW.

I needed our coffee maker close to the sink for water access and for making clean up easier (we're messy with coffee grounds and drips.) Our coffee filters are in the drawer below the coffee maker and the mugs and bags of coffee are in the upper shelf to the right. I have easy access to 1/2&1/2 since DH leaves it on the counter. I just have to put it away as I pass the fridge : )

{{!gwi}}

Thanks again for more pics and ideas! i do think it is necessary to have a sink near the coffee hutch. I may have to get a small one installed.

Ginny

I'm at the planning stage so can't show pictures.

I have a little counter area that angles off toward the breakfast table and the den. I'm doing a beverage center there . . . So far, what we're planning is a regular coffee pot and hot pot on the counter, possibly behind doors like makeitsew's above. Coffees, teas, spoons, napkins, etc in a drawer; mugs and cups in cupboard. Very small (second) microwave above the coffee pot -- we reheat! Small prep sink with instant hot water. Possibly small drinks fridge under for cokes and coffee cream. Hope this all works out!

It depends on how you make your coffee. We use a French press, so a sink next to the coffee area isn't needed or even desirable. Instead, it's more important that there be good flow from sink, where we fill the kettle, to range, where we set it to boil, to coffee area, where we grind the beans and pour the hot water. So, for us, having the coffee centre across from the range makes sense (or it could be beside it, but I am reserving that space as a secondary preparation centre).

I'm in the planning stage, too, so no pics ...

Not the best of photos with a couple of unfinished details:

The sink is 8-10 steps from this area but it is no biggie and by the time I get around to emptying the filter basket, etc. its all pretty dry so nothing to drip.

Cups, mugs, filters etc. are all in the drawer below the counter though coffee I keep in the fridge.

HTH

Here is mine. We used salvaged marble with some of the teak on each side to make it look inset. You can see that it is close to the sink. I use my grounds in the garden so no need to dispose of them. I keep a bucket for them.

Cabs above hold cups.extra coffee/tea bags and tea pots etc.

This was supposed to have been the breakfast station behind the banquette and table.

As it turns out, we discovered pretty quickly (thank god!) that the constant moisture from the coffeemaker and heat from the toaster was going to be rough on the wood above it. And that wood  eventually warped and cracked  would be visible from our viewpoint as we sat at the table. We should have had some kind of barrier built into the cabinet before it was installed.

Fortunately, we had an outlet installed in the deck of the bay window. So the toaster and coffeemaker moved over there.

Ours is pretty basic, no sink with it but the garbage can is right there, and the sink isn't far away. We like it. Since I took this picture, we've finished "decorating" and putting all the cups, etc., in the cabinet up above. Too lazy to take a new picture right now.

{{!gwi}}

Your kitchen looks lovely. I've been thinking of using the beadboard as a backsplash. Are you happy with it? Is it hard to keep clean? Thanks!

Did you mean mine with the cream colored beadboard under the red cabinet? That beadboard is just the back of the banquette. We didn't use it in the work areas.

Thanks for all the photos and ideas! I is so nice to see how other people use their space. I am still not sure what I will end up doing.

ginny

We're planning on putting a little countertop (4 feet?) next to the fridge to use as the "coffee area". It won't be next to the sink, but it will be next to the fridge with an external water dispenser. Good enough for me. Also, I plan on storing all of my coffee supplies in the cabinet above the counter or in the drawer below. No matter what it'll be an improvement over my current situation.

Just finishing our kitchen and we chose an island to move our espresso machine out-of-the-corner. I debated wether we had room for a sink and decided to plumb in the machine (my La Saziale required direct plumb), but without a sink. I did cut my granite for a knock box and, so far, don't miss the sink.

shermstead....what is a knock box?

Shermstead,

I love your granite and the large edge cut. What is the style of the edge cut? It makes your granite look very thick. Very nice coffee station!!!

Ginny

"shermstead....what is a knock box?"

The spent espresso grinds from the portafilter of an espresso machine is called a 'puck' and a knock box enables you to knock the portafilter against it and release the puck. You can see the stainless steel canister, that is the knock box, on the top left corner of the island.

"I love your granite and the large edge cut. What is the style of the edge cut? "

It's an eased edge of 2cm granite built up to 2 1/4 inches. We love the look of granite and, thus, the thicker edge. We were originally going to just do the island with the thicker edge, but changed our mind and went with 2 1/4" edge on all counters. When all the little details are finished (hopefully next week) I'll post more photo's.

Ginny -- our kitchen is not new, been living with it for 7 years. This picture was taken when the kitchen wasn't quite done. This cabinet is located right by the dining room door (to the left), and we use it to for coffee service, and preparing desserts during dinner parties. During dinner parties, I set up two cuisinart coffee makers, regular and decaf, and also serves as a "bar" when needed. It works well for our lifestyles.

Here is a link that might be useful:

I designed our coffee station which is more of a hutch located in the hallway between the kitchen and laundry room. Simple coffee maker with grinder, small sink, cabinet for coffee and drawers for mugs.

Scroll down to French Gray Island Kitchen and click on the Black Hutch photo to enlarge.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Coffee Station Hutch