Of course you are not over-thinking it! A kitchen remodel is an expense undertaking and must be thought through thoroughly before you begin. I actually re-thought my entire remodel idea when I realized that it would look cool but would add many steps to my day (I have a dog & a treadmill for that!) I really decided that a small, very organized work triangle worked best for my needs in my kitchen. Only you can decide what works best for you.

I found a website that discussed motion studies and recommended counting the motions of one favorite recipe in your existing kitchen and then go through the steps in your mind in your new layout. Mine doubled! I'm too busy as it is; that made my decision alot easier!

Best of luck! You will get there, I promise!

DH accuses me of over-thinking everything. I feel like I make so many unnecessary motions because of that aisle b/w prep and cook. My kitchen isn't large now, don't get me wrong. It's basically a galley with a small peninsula on one end that makes the aisle 5 1/2 feet wide. Plus it's the main walkway from one end of the house to the other which makes it an even worse layout. I think the layout idea I have on paper would certainly cut down on motions as it makes the aisle narrower AND provides a walkway for passersthrough.

I've imagined working in the new layout, but now I'm going to do it and count the motions. Thanks for the encouragement that maybe I am on the right path!

I prep on my island and turn or cross to cook at the stove. I really cook and my kitchen is not just a showplace. ;-) My aisle is just 3 ft and the prep-cook zone go together. It's only about a step more than if I prepped beside the stove and had to walk over in front of it to cook, but this way I can face out into the room, instead of at the wall, and have all that island surface to work on. I thought you were putting your prep sink and stove on the island, so no crossing....?

Your issue is your aisle width, not the fact that you're prepping across from the range.

What happened to your last layout w/an island (from June, I think) directing the traffic away as well as bringing everything closer?

If you're sticking w/the cooktop in the island, just make sure you have at least 24" behind it and on the sides. Think safety not just for your very, very young children now, but in the future when they'll be doing homework on the island w/lots of paper, books, etc.! Also, realize that an island range hood will hang over the island...

Rhome and Buehl--during my unplanned summer haitus from planning due to childcare responsibilities, I've been trying to mentally (not on paper yet) see if I could come up with a better layout than when I last left off. My layout from June is where I still am, but it didn't seem to have many fans here. I decided to rethink some of my needs to see how that shook things around on paper. One of those needs was to prep and cook in the same counter run. It seems much more efficient to me, but maybe you're right Buehl. Maybe the 11 years I've cooked in this kitchen has skewed my thinking about what I want and don't want.

And yes, my current plan has 24" behind and to the left and more than 48" to the right of cooktop. I didn't really want the island hood, but I'm convinced that a downdraft system won't vent the kitchen for the way I cook. Visually messy yes, but necessary.

Maybe the layout is as good as it's going to get, but I won't feel right about pulling the trigger until I've satisfied my last curiousities.

You can combine the two feet with the prep three feet on one side of the cooktop and call it three feet. So the counter run needed is 5 feet for areas around cooktop and 3 feet for the cooktop or 8 feet. If necessary, you could chop the 2 foot piece by 6-9 inches.

After living for a while with our grand 54" prep section on one side of the range, I'd be just as happy with 42-48". With 54", we (righty plus lefty)can both use the counter at the same time.

Bmorepanic--that equation makes sense. I was really hoping to get 54" of prep space! I would feel like a queen! Lately I seem to have a couple of complicated, multi-ingredient dishes going at the same time so I keep spreading out more and more. Wait, I mean the prep tools and food keeps spreading out, not ME. (Wait again. I do seem to be spreading myself!)

Thinking about a functional layout cannot be over thought. This from someone who cooked in the old kitchen with an extension ruler across the 8' island in order to determine my minimum continuous size main prep counter requirement.

I cook big time (in spurts) and I have cooktop and undercounter oven across from prep sink and main prep counter (42"). Additional 32" next to cooktop for prep. I know a lot of people say it doesn't matter but I'm pretty rigid in needing my prep counter to the right of the cooktop and the left of the sink. Agree with rhome that a 3' aisle makes it work.

Keep thinking until you can mockup and mime something that works for you.

I assume you must be right-handed like me. I am currently planning the prep area with the cooktop to the left and sink to the right. What a luxury to have so much combined prep space! I'm green. What kinds and brands of cooktop and oven do you have? I couldn't seem to find a combination of those that would work stacked like that.

I couldn't stack my cooktop and oven - I have a downdraft vent (it was a tradeoff and it works OK for me). However, the ct and oven would have fit stacked if not for the dd. My ct is Viking Designer series 30 gas" and the oven is Bosch 30" electric installed undercounter side by side - which is what gives me the 32" of prep space next to the ct.

Breezygirl, like Rhome I have an intentionally narrow aisle (35") between prep island and cook counter. I prep away from the heat and face the kitchen TV and anybody who's there, but it's a quick pivot-step to the stove. (I also chop on various plastic cutting boards that go with me and then into the DW.)

That said, it sounds to me as if you might really like your prep space alongside your stove (a wonderful location)--but on an extra-deep counter, maybe 30 inches, to greatly increase your work space. Sideways isn't the only dimension you have to work with. :)

Thanks Judeny.

Rosie, maybe part of my problem is that I do all my chopping on a thick 12"x18" wood Boos block. I've used that for over 15 years and I adore it, but that sucker weighs a ton! The prep zone and cooking zones are currently planned next to each other on a 48" deep island. I almost drool thinking of how much bigger a 51" area between prep sink and cooktop is to work in because of that extra depth!!

Having the aisle narrower between the prep area and cooktop seems to be the answer. Thanks for helping me out on this one!

breezygirl, I prep on my island and, as others have said, turn to the stove to cook. The aisle is 43 inches, which is not a problem. Prepping on the island gives me oodles of room to be messy and it's just an easy turn to the stove.

I think you are doing fine to review which time & motion things are highest priority.

Prep "next to" stove has many good points, but then as you point out there are other things to balance.

A high priority for me is prep next to, & have unimpeded access to, an undermount sink (which I do not currently have). I make my biggest mess while chopping, etc. I put all large stuff in composter, but all the little "bits" I want to sweep into sink. I am at risk of dropping or spilling some in transfer, but in a lot of ways I can minimize that--in a lot of my cooking I add ingredients at different times, so I use some shallow bowls for prepared ingredients to add to something on stove. Also, I want a prep area that can be accessed by others, so not just the stove (if one has room, then it can be great to have dual prep areas). Finally, ditto a post above, I have gotten used to prepping while looking outward and not at the wall, but am fine with cooking facing the wall ( I spend more extended time preparing the ingredients, salads, fruits to be available in frig, and so forth, compared to intermittent stirring and flippig, so will probably try to retain that.

Good luck with your analysis!

I'm with you Frankie. I MUST be near a sink also--for the small bits and for my constant hand rinsing/washing. I use small and medium prep bowls often, but not if, for instance, I've just chopped a large bunch of chard that is going directly in the warmed saute pan. Then I tote my cutting board across the tundra of an aisle to the range. Currently in my cursed kitchen, I prep facing a wall. I also cook at the range facing a wall. It's hard to get meals ready and watch the kids (including one crawler) with this kitchen. Trying to rectify that with remodel.