lower counters and stainless steel

yolande_1951

15 years ago

I am about 5' 1 1/2" tall and find stirring cake batters, chopping etc. on a 36" high counter, somewhat difficult. I would like to lower some of our counters. How much is a reasonable height to lower them to?

I plan to do the bulk of my prep at our island (105" x 52") - and I thought to lower it, but my husband is not sure that this is a good idea, although an inch or 2 might be fine. We have 2 other counters along a wall that also includes the double ovens and refrigerator. One part is 45" long, the other 30"; Although it is not my preference to work facing a wall , I thought that the 45" one could serve as a baking centre, and could be lowered by 4 inches. Any thoughts?

I also am thinking of putting stainless steel on the 30 inch counter between the ovens and the fridge so that I could put down hot things. The rest of the counter tops will be angola silver granite, almost black with silver flecks. I now have tile in that same area and I love putting hot stuff on it without worries. The cabinets will be white.

Again, all thoughts are welcome.

Thanks,

Judy

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Comments (5)

tamjo44
15 years ago
Judy,
I am a bit shorter than you. We lowered the back wall of our kitchen by 2", and we kept the U shaped area at standard height. I have 30" of counter on each side of a cook top. Since my daughters are my height or shorter we definitely wanted some space that was ergonomically suited for us. When the cabinets were installed I panicked as it seemed too short. However, I LOVE the lower counter. Stirring big pots, reaching to the back of the cooktop, chopping, rolling dough etc is so much more comfortable. Now I regret not doing more at the lower height.
remodelfla
15 years ago
I"m 5' tall and plan on creating a prep/baking island that will be about 32" tall with the granite. I was also considering lowering my cooktop but was concerned it might look weird. My cooktop will be an induction unit installed in a long wall run. I still might stagger the heights to have a lower cooking unit. Haven't gotten anywhere near that stage yet...
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rhome410
15 years ago
I am 5' 3", but prefer a lower counter for chopping, stirring, kneading, rolling, etc., etc...Almost everything that is done on counters except where the cleanup sink is. Having a lowered sink gets too hard on the back. In our new kitchen, the stove run of counters is at 34 or 34 1/2". The baking counter and island are between 33" and 34". The only ones at 36" are the main sink run, and a counter we use as a breakfast center, where the toaster oven sits.

I also thought they looked low when first installed, but they're great.

We have stainless counters on each side of our rangetop. Love those, too.
chefkev
15 years ago
I'm 5' 8" and like standard counters for some tasks, but prefer a lower height for a lot of baking tasks like rolling dough and piping. Definitely get at least one prime counter prep/baking area that is at an ideal height for you. This is really important as you will have more energy, more productivity and a happier back when you work at the right height for you.

See if you can get some type of temporary 30" high unit and some way to adjust the height in 1" increments like shelves, large cutting boards, plywood... that you can place on top. Work at each height for and hour or two straight doing a similar task or set of tasks and pay attention to how you feel when you finish. Your back will tell you the right height.

Ergonomically speaking, you want your spine to stay as straight as possible so weight and stress are carried down to the hips and legs which can handle it best. Working with a slight bend in your knees, your pelvis rolled slightly forward and your shoulders rolled a little back will generally accomplish this. A counter height where it is easy to do this is what you want. (This is what I learned from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago when I was having back problems after working over a counter in one place 10-12 hours a day or more.)

Incidentally, If your DH like higher counters, would it help you to get one of those Gel Mats to stand on? It can easily be moved and would give you a little extra height and comfort. Just a thought. Best wishes.
rhome410
15 years ago
Besides the mats ChefKev recommended, I always thought a taller person could work at a nice, thick butcherblock to have a higher surface...Portable, too.

lower counters and stainless steel

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