Max distance between kitchen eating area and food prep area
D
6 years ago
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Prep 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 MorePrep sink to stove distance -- 18 inches enough?
Comments (24)First off, back to the original question because I think you only got one answer on that. We have 2 feet between the range and our prep sink. An extra half foot to foot would be nice, but that is what we had available with a big prep sink, ~20" by 20". For over 20 years before we redid our kitchen, our prep sink was 10" by 10" - the same size as the sink in our wet bar but with a disposal. Yes, that is small but because it was in a convenient location for it, we did almost all our fruit and vegetable prep there. A prep sink doesn't have to be huge to be useful. Bigger than that would be good, but it doesn't have to be 18" or more wide. A 13" by 18" can be a very nice size - big enough to have a bowl or colander holding veg you are rinsing or soaking but still leave some clear space. Green Designs suggested that it should fit your biggest stock pot, but I don't feel that is necessary. I don't ever recall putting my stock pot in mine. I fill it on the counter or sometimes on the burner using the pull out faucet. (It just reaches because the sink is 2 feet from the range top.) Looking at your kitchen, I think the most convenient layout would moving the clean up sink to where the range is and putting the range on the wall between the windows - where your plans show the cleanup sink moving. You don't need to get rid of any of the windows if you do that and since it is an external wall, moving the vent there should be easy. A prep sink could go in the cabinet you show a D. That makes for a very good flow for preparation - produce from the fridge or the counter to the prep sink, then prepped between the sink and the range in front of the window. Plenty of storage for pots, pans and prep tools around the range and prep sink. The sink, DW and dish storage cabinets on the wall by the dining room are convenient for setting the table and after meal clean up. It can also be used as a secondary prep area such as you wanted for making lunches while someone else prepares breakfast. You said that moving the range to that wall would require more new cabinets, but I don't see why. Existing cabinets could be detached and moved so it shouldn't take any more new ones than what your are contemplating already....See MorePass through between kitchen and outdoor grill area
Comments (20)Ohhh...very useful discussion (thanks MrsPete!). I'm in San Diego and want a pass-through window of some sort for year round outdoor dining - I've been stuck on how to implement. I know I want the window down to the counter (thermal break concept noted). I plan to use a white quartzite inside and would prefer to use the same material outside as this ledge will be under an upper deck (I've heard that some white quartzite might discolor over time in strong sunlight?). The planned window, on the west wall, would be adjacent to an outdoor dining area in our side yard. Beyond that is the pool area (our house is sort of in the NE quadrant of the property with most space in the S-facing back and W-facing side). We most definitely want a window rather than a door (there are also doors on both walls, outside of kitchen area) because I want to be able to quickly hand out marinated meat for grill, finished kitchen items for outdoor table, or snacks to wet swimmers without actually having to walk outside. Speedier distribution means that something warm is likely to stay warm and the workload is properly distributed so that the cook only cooks and others set/clean up. Nano windows are too expensive. Sliding windows are a contender but I'd prefer to have the entire width open. We are all tall (mom is 6' and I'm likely to be the shortest in 4-5 years), so double hung windows might have us all bending down awkwardly to the openings. I'd like to find a casement-style window that can open all the way back to lay flat against the outside wall. Most casement seem to open only about 90 degrees (if that), which would put glass right out into a walkway. I'm not so concerned about the screen as the breeze comes in another direction so I'd usually have this window open solely for distribution. I do plan to blatantly steal Scrappy25's sitting bay with double hung windows/ledge for the south wall of the kitchen. It will be primarily for sitting and views outside (no cabinets on that wall), but will serve a quick pass-through if something is needed in the back yard... oh how I love Gardenweb and all you wonderfully creative people! Can't wait to hear what else comes of this discussion......See MoreCased opening width -Family room to eating area
Comments (15)I would consider: Switching the Kitchen and Eating Area Eliminating the 9' doorway altogether Increasing the doorway that's currently to the left of the ovens to 6' or more...now that it's the Eating Area doorway, sound/clutter from the Kitchen shouldn't be an issue Moving the door to the Screened Porch closer to the Safe Room door You still may not be able to fit everything b/c of some of the same limitations (e.g., the length b/w the Mudroom wall and the window wall on the opposite end of the space). I'd have to work with it to see if you could not get what you want. However, I have to ask...if your table is so close, do you really need seating at the peninsula? Maybe just have one or two seats instead of whole line with diner-style seating (where diners are sitting like ducks in a row so they don't have to look at the strangers sitting next to them.) I don't suppose there's another Dining Room elsewhere that we cannot see b/c the layout isn't the whole floor? Could you find another plan that might be easier to modify to fit your wants?...See MoreD
6 years agosheloveslayouts
6 years ago
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