The few times I prep near the sink I like to be to the right of it. Easier to sweep things into it. I am right handed so if I prepped on the left I would be sweeping to the side back handed. That is also why I prefer my DW to the left of the sink. Easier to slightly pivot to load and unload rather than reaching sort of "back" or to the side.

I also have a single sink for prep and cleanup. I prep to the right of the sink and to the left of my stove. I'm righthanded but I'm not sure that really makes a difference. My DW is to the right of the sink and under my prep zone. It doesn't make a whit of difference to me. I tend to let dishes, etc. gather in the sink and then I put them all into the DW at once. I'm not in and out of it all the time. This arrangement totally works for me, despite what the kitchen layout mavens claim.

Whichever side has the most counterspace! Seriously, I think you just get used to doing it whichever way the layout works best. Of course if you have the luxury of planning a kitchen around it, I think it might depend on whether you are right or left-handed...to sweep stuff into the sink or into a bowl or pan to move it to the cooktop.

Just remodeled kitchen and spent a lot of time planning how I prep and clean up. I choose short counter to right of sink as a place to land from refrigerator and a place to stack dishes to go into DW (to right of sink and below that short counter). I am right handed but prefer a large open area to prep food. So I do it to left of sink with trash and recycle between prep area and sink, standard cabinet size. It does not affect my ability to rinse and I have extensive counter to left of that for serving etc. I have one prep area for food and baking and one huge sink, no prep sink. My stove is to left of prep area and directly opposite the sink. Works great so far. All a matter of personal preference.

I've prepped on both sides in various kitchens although more often on the right. Never really thought twice about it. Mostly depends on location of dw and stove and where there is space! Right seems more normal to me but I think that is just because that is the most common setup that I have used.

If it's clean, I kinda spread out on both sides of the prep sink. Or I pile up items on the fridge side and process them on the range side. In theory.

Left to right. If I go right to left it messes with my head.

Maybe I missed something.....I always prep between sink and stove- no matter which side of the sink that may be ;^)

Right of sink, but if cluttered, then left or island,

But, but...heatheron40. Then, my back is to the action in the family room. I will have two prep areas with the remodel with my back to the action. If there is no action I do prefer between the sink and stove. Don't tell, I do prep over the DW.

I prep b/w the cooktop and prep sink - and that happens to be to the left of the prep sink. to the right, is the landing space from the refrigerator, but it's so close that I usually just take the food to my prep space. I'm right-handed.

I don't think handedness makes a difference, I really think it depends on your layout and workflow and, of course, where there's a clean spot! :-)

I have 1 sink and 2 dishwashers, so I'm always prepping over one of them. Never, ever has it been an issue. I use the right side to prep when I need the trash accessible, it's a pivot to the right. I use the left side when trash isn't necessary and I need more room to spread out.

One double sink. Dinner prep between sink and cooktop. Breakfast/lunch prep to the left (usually cold prep, so closer to the plates and paring knives)

The left side of the sink is used for rinsing and the disposal. The right side is of the sink has my half-width suspended dish drainer and the things destined for hand-wash that haven't been washed yet like the big sauté pan that would elbow everything else out of the DW.

We also prep between the sink and stove, which happens to be to the right of the sink.

Am I the only one who preps right at the sink?

My daughter likes to prep on a large cutting board over the sink. I prefer the left side of the sink, between it and the range, even though it's mostly corner space.

I'm usually a creature of habit, but on Mother's Day I made sub sandwiches for 18, so I moved to the island, across from the fridge--all I had to do was open the fridge, lay out the deli meats and cheeses, and set up an assembly line. Bread was baked the evening before, and lettuce and tomatoes prepped earlier (to the left of the sink ;)--I just had to step across the aisle to grab a handful of each, for each sandwich. I assembled the sandwiches on large cutting boards, which were picked up and moved to the buffet counter, on the other side of the island.

In the old version of my kitchen, the only place for prep was about 30 inches of counter and corner to the right of the sink and the left of the stove. In my remodeled kitchen I still prep to the right, but I also have a work table across from the sink and when people are around while I'm cooking or baking, I turn around and prep there so I can see them. With seating at the peninsula and the nook, this works beautifully. The work table has a lower top, too, which I love (I'm short).

Depending on where I am, it can be either left or right.

But in both cases, the prep area is between the sink and the range.

algeasea! I just referenced your soapstone on another thread!

Lefty here and I prep to the right of my sink and left of the stove. As a lefty growing up, I had to learn to do some things right handed cause things just seem to be made for right handed people.

In this circumstance, I don't really think it would matter which side of the sink I'm on because I do things with both hands.

I chop food with my left and sweep food into the trash with my right. No different than when I'm eating a steak....I cut my steak with my right while I'm eating with my left so I don't have to keep switching my utensils around like someone who could only eat and cut with the same hand.

Ediblekitchen, Do you mean you prep IN the sink? I have a cutting board that fits in my sink and I never use it. Creature of habit I guess. I do have a colander that expands over the ledge of the sink, so I'll rinse vegetables I'm chopping or pasta in it. I prep to the immediate right of sink over my pull out trash area.

the right side of the sink, between sink and stove, above garbage can, disposal is immediately to the left of the work area easy to dispose of "garbage' i also have a window above that area and excellent lighting....

Left of sink is drainboard over DW. Right of sink is coffee maker with flat top surface. Sometimes it's the only place in my kitchen to prep. I'm tall, so I can make it work..... at least until I can move!

If I prepped between sink and stove, that would be on the floor.

We have a dedicated prep area in the corner, to the left of the prep sink. There's about 2' of counter between the prep area and sink. I made the prep corner out of laminated maple (what they erroneously call 'butcher block' now days), and there is no cabinet under it, so you can sit and do prep work (and gaze out the window). The cutting boards are in a rack under the prep area, and the knives are in a drawer to the right. I haven't worked up the courage to actually cut on the maple counter yet.

For the spatially-challenged.

Without an automatic dishwasher, the counter to the left usually has clean dishes, the side to the right next to the stove has dirty dishes. I prep on the end of the counter about 3 paces away from my sink.