Prep sink next to range--how close is perrrrfect?
Fori
10 years ago
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lavender_lass
10 years agoFori
10 years agoRelated Discussions
? for single basin sink owners: prep sink, yes or no?
Comments (15)Lisa...I think in your kitchen you could go either way. Regardless of where your (main) sink ends up, it will still be close to the cooktop & you will have room to prep b/w them. If the sink moves to the refrigerator wall, you will have even more prep space b/w them. While a prep sink would be nice, I don't think it's a necessity to make your kitchen work. Yes, it would add an additional prep area for you at the island (b/c there will be a water source) and, possibly, reduce some zone crossing, depending on the location. Right now, to get to the refrigerator from the cooktop you have to either cross the Cleanup Zone or go around the island. How many people will be using your kitchen at once? Will they all be prepping/cooking or will there be a mix of prepping/cooking/cleaning up? If cleaning up is in the mix, then the zone crossing could become an issue, especially when the DW is open. As to location, I like Elizpiz's setup best, but I can see where it would definitely reduce available counter space. If you put it on the left side across from the cooktop, it would be readily available from the cooktop as well as the "outside" part of the island for prepping there while someone else is cleaning up on the "inside" as well as be available for outsiders for a drink of water, etc. However, it will reduce that 42-1/4" to approx approx 24" of workspace directly across from your cooktop; but, as I mentioned b/f, you will still have add'l room on the wall run. If you put it on the refrigerator end, I think you're right in your assessment...I find that I use the counters across from both my refrigerator & ovens much more than the counter next to them...both for removing things from them as well as staging things to put in them. (I have approx 32" b/w the Ref & DR peninsula end and approx 44" b/w the ovens & the end of the "mini peninsula". Both have landing space right next to them as well.) We do have a prep sink, but in our kitchen it was a necessity to make it work. Our cooktop & sink are opposite each other, separated by approx 6'6" of aisle...the main aisle through the kitchen. By adding a prep sink on the cooktop wall, we were able to separate the Cleanup Zone from the Prep & Cooking Zones as well as protect both zones from kitchen traffic (inside a "U" w/short legs but long base). During the week, there are usually two of us in the kitchen...one prepping/cooking (me) and one cleaning up (DH) with an occasional child helping make veggies. On the weekend, there are sometimes all four of us working in the kitchen! When baking (usually a marathon!), there are usually two or three of us. (I seem to bake in spurts...when I bake, I seem to go all out!)...See MoreAre your main sink and prep sinks close or far and why??
Comments (9)The point in having 2 sinks is having separate zones so that people aren't crossing paths and running into each other or standing on top of one another...and, also, so you're not trying to wash food over dirty dishes. We positioned our prep sink so it is multipurpose. It's actually on the corner of the island so it can be reached and used from 2 sides. The purposes in our kitchen: -hand washing when coming into the kitchen -washing prep items for the rangetop -washing prep items from the fridge for salads, etc. done on the island -washing hands from baking projects at the island or mixing counter -draining pots from the stove or things cooked in the microwave -adding water to things cooked in the micro, cooked on the stove, when making smoothies, when mixing baked goods, when making coffee or rinsing the pot (coffee pot kept on counter under the microwave cabinet) -filling water pitchers (making juice) for meals Maybe you won't often want to have the dishwasher open while someone is trying to use the sink...But maybe you will and why create an unnecessary limitation? In our kitchen, it happens often that I want the dishwasher cleared for table setting, or loaded from dishes used during making dinner while other cooking and prepping activities happen. If you don't want more than one person able to work at once, it seems unnecessary to me to have the 2 sinks...It isn't necessary or preferable for everyone to have a 2nd sink. Best wishes on getting your best plan figured out! Here is our layout so you can see sink location/separation and how someone in different zones might access each one:...See MorePrep area next to sink or prep area next to cooktop?
Comments (13)What are you putting on the island...cooktop or sink (please tell me sink........)? While it's less than ideal to put a sink or cooktop in an island, the lesser of two evils is the sink in the island. If you're putting the cooktop in the island & it's b/c you want to visit with people while cooking...remember this:70% of your time spent in a kitchen is Prepping 20% is spent cleaning up 10% is spent cookingSo, what does it make sense to do on the island if you want to spend most of your time visiting while working in the kitchen? Prep. The least sense? Cooking. Now, safety...cooking is the worst thing to do in an island (or peninsula) unless you have at least 24" of countertop behind & on each side of the cooktop. Yes, it's more than NKBA states for non-seating (NKBA is silent on seating...which might mean it's a "no-no"); but from experience and common sense, 24" is better. [Think about someone spreading homework or the newspaper out on the island while you're cooking. Think about the steam from boiling water drifting over to the people sitting there. Think about how far grease splatters. Think about someone walking by or even running by while you're cooking...carrying papers, backpack, etc....and not being careful where they are in relation to the cooking surface.] Hopefully, all this is moot & it's the sink in the island...(even then, if you have seating at the island strive for 18" b/w the faucet and edge of the seating overhang to minimize visitors being splashed; 15" will work, but 18" is better). **** As to prep.... Unlike others, my prep area is driven by where my sink & cooktop are, not where there's a view or social interaction. I find the easiest and most natural place to prep is b/w my prep sink & cooktop...and that faces a wall. That area has about 40" of workspace (not counting the peninsula). If I need more room, I find myself working on the other side of the cooktop where there's about 5' of workspace b/c of the corner, even though there's no sink there and, again, it's mostly facing a wall. I have a peninsula on the other side of the prep sink that's across from the refrigerator w/about 30" of space, so it could be a logical place for prep. I also have my cleanup sink in front of a big bay window and the refrigerator is on that same run with 51" b/w them. However, 9 times out of 10, I prep b/w my cooktop & prep sink...and I have no problems with it. It's not like I can't visit with others while working there. They can sit at the peninsula and I can glance over to the right at them while I work or I can glance over to the left to see what's going on in the FR. To be honest, when I'm prepping, I prefer to keep my eyes on what I'm doing since so much of my prep work involves knives... All of this leaves the peninsula free for the kids to do homework or work on projects, or for me to setup my laptop when I'm working from home. It leaves the cleanup sink run clear for cleaning up only. No more conflicts! Would I change the location of anything b/c of this? Except for adding a trash pullout in the prep are, I wouldn't change anything else. It works great for us! [Well, maybe I'd change the location of the TV to where I wanted it in the first place but my DH thought he knew better...that way my DH wouldn't keep moving the stool to the "U" so he can be really close to the TV while eating breakfast. I keep biting my tongue to keep from saying "I told you so!"]...See MoreSize of prep sink and prep area
Comments (7)Thanks for the feedback. Here is an early drawing of the new kitchen layout (I'm waiting for a revised set): <a href="http://s1377.photobucket.com/user/greasetrap/media/InitialKitchenSketch_zpsf653f107.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1377.photobucket.com/albums/ah58/greasetrap/InitialKitchenSketch_zpsf653f107.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo InitialKitchenSketch_zpsf653f107.jpg"/></a> You'll see that the island measures 66" long, but, due to the angled corners, I calculate that the work area is about 42" long. I asked our KD/GC to increase both the length of the wall with the cooktop and the island by 9" and add a prep sink, so I think the work area will be 51" long. My idea is to have the prep sink towards the end of the island across from the rangetop. That would make it easy to dump pots of hot water there. The colander we normally use is about 13" across, although we occasionally use a bigger one. Put another way, how much space is recommended for a prep area and how far from the edge can a sink be placed? Our current prep/everything space is 27" long and there are times when it would be nice to have more space. If we keep 30" as a work area and place the sink a few inches from the end, that would leave us enough room for a 16-18" sink. Would that be big enough for typical prep cleaning and dumping pots of water from the cooktop?...See Moresjhockeyfan325
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