From a functionality standpoint, I think the "appliance shuffle" is a definite improvement. The refrigerator will now be accessible to the cooking zone w/o having to go around the island The cooking and prep/cleanup zones are now separated better so more than one person can work in the kitchen at the same time. In the original layout, an open DW was a danger to anyone standing in front of the cooktop. The 12" cabinet could be a great place for tray storage or for drawers for wax paper/foil/plastic bags, extension cords, batteries, junk, etc. You might even be able to put in double-decker flatware storage (depending on the depth of the drawers.) No danger of grease splattering or steam scalding people sitting at the island. It will be much easier and less expensive to vent from an outside wall than the middle of a room. That same vent will be less of a looming presence if it's against the wall. You could also make it decorative piece now, if you wanted to (wood or plaster surround). A prep sink would be of some value but is not necessary since you have a space that's not too spread out. If you can afford the loss of an 18" cabinet, then I would probably get a prep sink so someone could be prepping at the prep sink while someone else is cleaning up. It would also give you a water source very near the cooktop...if positioned properly it would be a simple twist and step to drain pasta or fill a pot. If this were my kitchen, I think I would put a sink in the island. In our home, when you walk in the front door and look straight ahead into the kitchen, the oven cabinet is all you see of my kitchen...it actually looks kind of interesting, at least to me 'cause I like the design of my ovens & the cabinet. I can't really think of any downsides right now!

Hi - sorry about your tooth! I hope everything is ok. I have been trying to think about how we prep/cook/clean up now and you bring up some good points. Currently, we have a galley and the sink is opposite the cooktop so I am used to that. It's small so I have 3.5' on one side of the sink and less than 2' on the other side and that is IT for prep/clean up/whatever else :) The cooktop is flanked by our wall oven and refrigerator and has less than 12" on either side (1962 codes!). Originally, we had planned to have the main sink in the island and then an eating nook under the windows and probably no prep sink. We couldn't make the nook work so then ended up with counters there and it made more sense, or so we thought, to move the main sink to look out the windows and to free up the island. I kind of assumed I'd do a lot of the work at the island and would get a bigger prep sink. However, now that I walk through those scenarios it seems kind of weird because the dishwasher will be on the other wall. For instance, making school lunches - I was going to have a drawer for their containers/boxes in the island, but assuming I use a knife and cutting board, would I then wash the cutting board in the prep sink but move the knife to the main sink? Seems odd. Am I over thinking this? I also envisioned prepping dinner at the island and on the range while my kids do homework on the other side. Regarding husbands, it's great having one who likes to cook even if he doesn't have much time for it :) After seeing a brief demo, and thinking about what we eat, it started to make sense. We steam or roast vegetables most nights and then grill or roast some type of meat/fish/chicken, etc. He fell in love with the Miele automation but I am skeptical that I will take the time to really learn it, especially once school starts up and our schedule gets busy. The Electrolux was my choice for a regular oven! We also seriously consider the Electrolux gas range. We still have time so am hopping to go to some of the combi steam oven classes or demos before making a final decision. It must feel good to have your appliances mostly decided. Have you started your project already?

1) I don't like the relation of the cooktop to the sink in option one. The island is starting to impede a straight walk between the two. 2) Your microwave should be closer to the fridge. Usually whatever you are microwaving is coming out of the fridge, so it makes sense to group the two. 3) Is there a specific reason why you want the ovens near the cooktop? Do you make a lot of dishes that start on the cooktop and finish in the oven? Unless you do, there isn't a functional reason to group the two, and it can actually be nice to have the ovens a little more out of the way. Takes a bit of pressure off the main work area -- can mean someone who is just baking can set up in a different area away from the cooktop action, etc. 4) You will get the best feedback if you post the floor plan for the entire floor this is on, not just the kitchen close-up. It is easier for us to consider traffic patterns in and out of the room if we can see all the surrounding rooms too. 5) There is a desk in the pantry? Is there a window in there too (which is not typically a good idea when it comes to keeping food fresh)? Because I cannot imagine wanting to sit and work in a dark closet when I could be out in the light and beauty and space of the dining room and using that big dining table instead. 6) This is quite a large kitchen, and you should be wary of creating a kitchen where the key components are too far away from each other to be convenient. You'll hear often people joking about needing roller skates to get around, and you are veering into that territory here. One thing that really would help cut down on that and also make it easier for multiple cooks to work at once would be a prep sink. If it is spread out from the clean-up sink, you won't ever be far from a water source while working, no matter where you are in thr kitchen, and that will be more convenient. 7) To the same point, having a lot of counter between the sink and cooktop is ideal, but you are almost verging on too much here. It's putting the cooktop and sink slightly too far apart to go back and forth between them easily (like to dump boiling pasta water). Definitely mock that distance up in real life and see if it feels comfortable for you. You might look more at having a deeper counter there (30-36" deep) rather than such a long counter. A deeper counter means you can line up your ingredients and appliances and still have room to work in front of them, yet you can reach everything without moving around as much, and the sink and cooktop could also then be a bit closer together. 8) The island is a barrier between your sink and your fridge in all of these. Imagine taking produce out of the fridge and wanting to prep it, which is almost always the start of any cooking process. The first thing you'd need to do is wash what you just took out of the fridge, so the first stop after you go to the fridge is almost always the sink. Currently, you will have to walk about 16 feet and around the island just to go from step 1 to step 2 in your normal cooking process. It's going to be annoying and feel a little ridiculous, especially if you forget one or two items from the fridge and start running back and forth. Ideally, we usually aim for kitchens where you might take, like, 3 steps or maybe one step and a pivot to go from the fridge to the sink to start prepping. For kitchens where the fridge gets a lot of action from non-cooks (snackers), it can be desirable to place the fridge a little farther away to keep those people out of the kitchen work zones, but we're talking maybe an 8 foot walk from the sink and still a straight line from the sink in such cases.

I'm not sure which layout I like best yet, and it might not be any of them. Here's why. Are you really going to spending your entire time entertaining at your sink? Point being, I actually think an island sink is in the way of any entertaining (and any view) and really limits your prep space. If I'm entertaining, I wash dishes at the end of the party. I try to load dishes into my dishwasher as the event progresses, but I like the island clear of anything since that's where people tend to gather. Having a sink in the middle of the entertaining space gets in the way of all the action. Add dishes that are waiting to be washed will just add to the mess. Having a clear island gives you a TON of prep space. Your prep space in all 4 of those options above is really choppy. So, I'd put your micro drawer in your island. You could also try putting either 1 or both your ovens in your island. Put your dishwasher and sink in your perimeter.