gadgets on an island/peninsula?

11 years ago

I have looked for this on the forum but can't find it.

If you have your prep area on the island....where do you plug in, let alone keep your gadgets? (grinder, food processor, shredder, blender, etc.

I have fallen in love with the idea of having a prep sink looking out onto the family room........but this issue of gadgets is really stumping me.

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Comments (12)

User
11 years ago
Well, you have electrical outlets on one end of the island, and if you are a big gadget user, perhaps on a blank drawer front facing you. The island cabinets can house roll out trays that are adjustable in height to store your gadgets. However, with a decent chef's knife and some good knife skills, you really don't need 90% of those gadgets. I can julienne carrots by hand much quicker and easier than dragging out a food processor and then disassembling it and putting it in the DW when I'm done with it.
Annie Deighnaugh
11 years ago
My gadgets are kept in the pantry around the corner, and I added an outlet to the working side of my island specifically for use with gadgets.
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User
11 years ago
Electrical outlets can be located in a filler, or a drawer front in case the ones on one end aren't enough. But I also agree that good knife skills and a decent range will take the place of most gadgets except a blender and a crockpot.
Cloud Swift
11 years ago
We keep the food processors (little 2 cup one for little jobs like dressing emulsification and grinding small amounts of stuff and 12 cup one for jobs like big batch of pesto, big grating jobs, pie crust, etc.), stick blender, mortars and pestles in the prep sink cabinet.

A dual outlet is on a false drawer front on the prep sink cabinet so they plug in right in the prep area. There is also a dual outlet under the seating overhang next to each corner of the seating side. The 12" cabinet behind the prep sink (with a door next to the prep sink on the side of the island) has a pull out with a custom insert my husband made to fit the food processor accessories.

That makes it easy to plug in accessories either in the main prep space next to the prep sink or on the side of the island next to the prep sink - which sometimes happens when two of us are prepping at the same time.

This shows the prep sink with its outlet:

Blender (which I don't use that much for food prep) is on the perimeter counter across the aisle from the main island prep area. It's a turn and a few steps away and I can take the container from it to the prep area to fill and then put it back in place to blend so it isn't a problem having it on the other side of the aisle.

Mixer and bread machine are on the perimeter in the baking area.

View from the other side showing the bigger picture including the blender. The baking area is next to the main sink at the right in the picture. The kitchen is ~5 years old in this picture so the natural cherry has aged to its final color. The floor had just been replaced and cherry toe kick covers hadn't been reinstalled when it was taken.
nycbluedevil
11 years ago
Cloud

I love it every time you post your kitchen. It is one of my two or three favorites on this board. It is just gorgeous.
andreak100
11 years ago
My KA mixer will be in the island. An outlet will be installed inside that cabinet. We will probably have one additional outlet installed outside on the side that doesn't face toward seating for using the food processor, etc. The center of the island will have three drawers, the lower deep one will hold the food processor and a few other prep type items.

Agree that a good knife can often take care of quick chopping tasks, although I have come to enjoy my petit food processor for finely dicing up onions so I don't cry.
newhome123
Original Author
11 years ago
I don't have too many items I must admit. I don't have a food processor (though I want to get one for larger batches of food. I do bread by hand (though want to buy a stand mixer in the future...so I want to plan for it) I generally do all my backing things on my current island (NOT in the kitchen we will be redoing, we are renting this one) but I don't know if that is because I like to look out or because all the other counter space is taken up by stuff.

That is the other thing. I am messy. If I have to make an effort to put something away then I wont. I wonder if a peninsula would be better so that I could have a cabinet close by and just slide the electrics into the cabinet.
Susied3
11 years ago
I've asked this question as well. Agree on the good knife, but sadly, it won't open cans, and I DO use canned tomato sauce, chicken broth, some soups, etc., quite a bit.

I'm thinking of asking my cabinet maker if he can build a cabinet with a tall, say 10" drawer front with a wood base and short 2" sides to hold my can opener and hand held mixer which I use quite a bit as well, that pulls out much like you see trash pull outs. Only a miniature size of one. And, I want to see if we can have an outlet put inside that drawer.
Haven't seen anything like what I am thinking, but I think it would work and solve the problem of a can opener sitting out and the inconvenience. If there is enough room left underneath, I may even ask for a 24" or so trash pullout directly below that cabinet.

We meet with him next week so I'll be able to get answers on how that could be done, or if he has a better idea.

Good luck!
bellsmom
11 years ago
No question. My favorite gadget on the island is this:
That little round spot on the granite--

Looks like this close up:

And morphs into this with a light tug:

A super convenient outlet easily in reach from anywhere on the island.

I love it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mockett kitchen power gromett
Alice Johannen
11 years ago
That power gromett is COOL!!
weimom
11 years ago
My Mockett will be installed this week. I am so happy that I learned about these on this forum! It was the perfect solution on my island.
breezygirl
11 years ago
In my municipality, an island interrupted by a prep sink needs an outlet on both sides of the sink. (ggrrrrrrrrr). On this end, my MW drawer prevented the outlet from being placed more towards the cooking side of the island.

The other end was even more problematic. The trash pullout placement meant the outlet needed to be about 18" off the floor near the stool area. Stupid. Since I had an extra Sillite, my sparky convinced me I would meet code by installing the outlet on the backside of the island at the stool area. You can also see the standard duplex outlet on the pony wall panel that I planned to enable laptops, ipads, etc to be used from the stools or from the not-yet-installed banquette while charging. If I had to do it over, I'd have the outlets match, but with the stools in place now its not very noticeable.

Rarely using these island outlets, I usually plug small appliances in on the perimeter behind me. Toaster and both food processors live in the corner susan in my baking zone, and the stand mixer lives on the counter above. I don't use small appls very often. Most of the time its faster and easier for me to do my own cutting and slicing with my Shun.