I appreciate all these great answers, and I’d like to add another wrinkle. This is aimed at those who entertain frequently and find that everyone always ends up in the kitchen, often standing around the island - which in my case usually doubles as service area central. At least this has been my experience in my 32 years of home owning. I am designing and building my retirement home, and I have the option of having my island as far as eight feet away from the counters. After years of stressful entertaining because guests would naturally congregate in the space I needed to work and serve food in, I am inclined to distance the island quite far away from the wall counters, so that I can easily access everything I need at the counter space, without having to weave around guests or even have to wait to complete a cooking task because someone opened the refrigerator door and blocked me from efficient kitchen station movement . Realistically, I know I won’t walk all the way around the island when I’ve been blocked, I just wait till the door is shut, but my intention is to have plenty of counter to counter width to easily go around any obstacles presented by fellow cooks, guests, and/or people looking for snacks in the fridge when I’m preparing and serving meals. All this to ask has anyone who had the extra space given themselves considerably more than 48 inches from countertop to island countertop, and Do you find it too many steps back and forth to the island or just a lovely wide space that helps you avoid the frustrating traffic jams that frequently occur during food preparation, serving and even cleanup? Right now, I’m thinking 72 inches from counter top to countertop would be wonderful and I haven’t ruled out even more than that. But I don’t know if that distance is highly unusual because it causes some sort of efficiency problem or if it’s because most kitchens can’t afford that kind of space. I guess what I’m also asking is, has anyone who has actually created such a generous kitchen walking space had any regrets about it? Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts.

I haven't measured the exact figures since they just installed things - but we are roughly between 34 and 36 inches between the two. Edlakin - if I recall, you may be getting a Bluestar range. If so, you will find the door height is not that large. my spouse was pleasantly surprised how much room there is even with the oven door completely open

I also drooled over that wood when we did our last kitchen but I couldn't convince DH. I'll just have to drool over yours bbtrix. As for aisle width and holidays, if someone gets in your way, soho them away! It won't kill you or them :-). Our largest gathering so far has been 17, and it was no problem even with people on the kitchen side of the island (admittedly, I was just serving at that point, not cooking, but still...

The distance between our island top edge and the fridge door handle is 46". I have the same type of fridge and made sure I had plenty of step-back room (I think that's how someone referred to it) when opening the freeze door/drawer all the way. Possibly a more important meaurement you need to consider is the clearance required to remove the current fridge and slide a new one in, when (not if) that comes to pass. Envision pulling the fridge forward from its space, then turning/pivoting a quarter turn to move it out. We measured our fridge's diagonal dimension and even did a dry run before we finalized our island. ETA: Though, if your fridge isn't slotted into a confined space like mine is, then never mind. (Sorry!)