3" of extra countertop doesn't seem worth anything.

I assume you'll have drawers in these cabinets. If you go with the extra depth, will the drawers be 3" deep, or will it just be empty space behind standard drawers? Be SURE of what you're getting.

Will that extra 3" of drawer be worth anything?

Assuming you're using a stone of some sort for the countertop, what type of slab have you chosen? Can it accommodate the extra bit of width? If this were to push you into needing a second slab (unlikely), I'd absolutely vote no.

How wide is your kitchen? Do you need to "close up" an extra wide aisle?

At a glance, my vote is no. I can think of loads of better ways to spend a couple thou. But it's your kitchen. What's making you consider this idea?

Yes, what you purchase is the 24” standard-depth base cabinets (hopefully mostly drawers), and pull them away from the wall 3”, and get deeper-than-standard counters. The counters should be 27”+ standard overhang of 1-1/4” or 1-1/2”.

Once you have 27” deep counters you will love them. It makes a big difference. I have them on just one side, and the difference from my standard-depth counter side is significant. I will never in any future kitchen go without at least one 27” counter. Never ever.

When you get the standard 24“ cabinets, not only will there be no upcharge, but there won’t be a problem of needing stronger drawer glides to support a fully open 27“-deep drawer, or, if a cabinet, having to dig to the back of a 27”-deep cabinet.

Note that you DO have to get deeper-than-standard upper cabinets if you are getting deeper counters. 15” deep uppers are wonderful because they will easily fit your dinner plates which many 12” deep uppers won’t. A number of posts on this forum have had issues with standard 12” uppers not fitting dinner plates.

Edited to add: I’ve just read Mrs Pete and Build Beautiful’s posts above. It is evident they have never had 27“ deep counters. They don’t know what they are missing.

“What's making you consider this idea?”

Mrs Pete - some of us oldtimers on the Kitchens Forum have seen this idea discussed many times over the years, with great enthusiasm. It is why I chose 27” deep counters (with 24” base cabinets) on one side of my kitchen. There is an older kitchen design book, “The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design with Cooking in Mind” by Donald Silvers. I first heard about this book on this forum years ago. While some of the book is dated, cause the book was written in 1994, it is still considered a “bible” of kitchen design. It talks about kitchen work zones instead of a kitchen triangle, and indeed, having counters that are deeper than 24”. So this idea has been around for a while.

Just regarding Lyndee Lee’s good point about a range. A freestanding range - the kind that has a back panel with clock and some controls mounted at the back - may or may not fit properly with deeper counters. A slide-in range - which has all its controls on the front - will need a strip of counter behind it to fill in the gap due to the counters being deeper. That’s what I have with my 30“ slide-in range, and it was easy-peasy for my fabricator. it was nothing to get a 30”-wide narrow strip from my slab and install it behind my range.

And, there is even a bonus to this! Big pots and my huge fry pan fit great on the back burners! With my previous 24” deep counters, they touched the backsplash tile and weren’t quite centered on the back burner due to their size and the backsplash being only an inch behind the range. Now there is room for them to be centered on the back burners.

However, make sure you buy a hood for over the range that is 27” deep front-to-back.

by all means get deeper counters, but IF you need them..... Standard depth counters in a kitchen that contains a couple runs of 48 in sections, or close to that, should not necessarily require deeper counters. It all depends on the space. You will pay for those extra inches of counters...so is there a need? In small kitchens, certainly the extra depth can be CRITICAL . Stick with standard base units.

The reason cabinets are a standard depth is due simply to the length of your arm.

... Edited to add: I’ve just read Mrs Pete and Build Beautiful’s posts above. It is evident they have never had 27“ deep counters. They don’t know what they are missing.

I'm 4'11" tall. I'm missing out on a lot of stuff. Well, I can see it, but I can't reach any of it. So, yeah, I'll stick with no extra depth.

I have 28.5" counters. That extra space is the most valuable to me in the kitchen. Blum makes Tandem plus full extension undermount drawer runners up to 30" in 3" increments. Here's a 27" for example. Comes with Blumotion self close. 150lb. capacity. You can map out if you need the extra depth for storage.

Thanks, everyone!

In my last kitchen, I only had 24" and one issue I ran into with my 36" gas rangetop was that the front of it protruded from the front edge of the cabinets very unattractively due to the granite strip left in the back. I ended up having the granite installer come back and cut it out so that I could push the rangetop closer to the back wall. It probably wasn't the safest but we never had issues except for that random time or two that my pots on the back burners bumped against the wall. Having a 27" depth would hopefully eliminate that issue this time around.

That being said, I don't really *need* any extra depth cabinet wise on the bottom for storage so pulling the cabinets out should work. I didn't really have any issues with 12" depth uppers before but I would like to have 15" if priced within reason.

I'll email the KD back and tell her to requote with standard depth lower cabinets and adjust the design accordingly since it'll affect overall kitchen layout on the other wall, which I'd probably not pull out to 27".

In my previous house I let myself be talked out of those extra inches and a year later I had the cabinets pulled 3" off the wall and never looked back or begrudged myself the cost. In a 9' x 10' galley those inches added up to a few extra square feet. Tallish family, so the back of the counter wasn't a stretch.

I'm also doing an extra deep run of counters on 1 side only, on purpose to "hide" a standard depth fridge.

Another deeper counter enthusiast here, though I don't have them. I helped a friend re-do his kitchen, and he opted for 27" counters with 24" base cabinets. Though like M Miller on this thread, he got them on just one side. His kitchen was small, and having the deep counters on both sides would have made the aisle too narrow. Once installed, it was fantastic. It really feels more spacious with more usable counter. Looks really great too. For my next kitchen, I will definitely get the deeper counters.

(Mrs Pete, I am 5'3", so am taller than you, but not tall, and I had no problem at all with reaching the backsplash with the deeper counters.)

"I didn't really have any issues with 12" depth uppers before but I would like to have 15" if priced within reason."

Shead - I think you don't really have a choice here; you must get the 15" deep uppers if you are getting 27" deep counters. For a few reasons: visual/aesthetic proportion, and reachability of the upper cabinets, and if you are getting undercabinet lighting, you want the lighting installed toward the front of the uppers. You want the UCL light shed on the middle of your counters.

@Shannon, I should have clarified. My current working design only has uppers on one wall (the wall I probably wouldn’t have 27” lowers on). If I do 15” uppers, I’d more than likely pull those lowers out to 27”, which might not be a bad idea anyway since my fridge is on that wall.

It seems like much of the discussion is debating the merit of deeper counters, which you are already decided on. The real question is if it is worth paying extra for deeper drawers.

That's a storage question. There is nothing I can't fit in a regular depth drawer, at least not due to depth restrictions. The extra depth simply gives you more space for more stuff. If you think you need more storage, then yes - 3 inches, multiplied by the length of the cabinet run times the number of drawers adds up to a fair bit of extra storage space. But do you need it? That question of "how badly?" determines if the cost is worth it. It sounds like you don't feel like you need extra storage space, so I would agree with just pulling the cabinets forward 3" and saving on the cost.

Now if you have mainly cabinet lowers, then I would say definitely not worth it As we all know, more space at the back of the cabinet is simply more space for items to get lost.

And to chime in on the debate of deep counters being problematic - I'm a shortie, and have no problems. But I don't even understand the argument of reach, as though I am touching my backsplash regularly. Extra space doesn't mean I will now have to work at the back of the counter. It means that when I place cookie sheets on the counter, I can fit two rows or turn the sheets vertically without risk of hanging over edges. It means that if I have a toaster on the counter, I still have plenty of room to work in front of the toaster. It means when dirty dishes start piling up as I cook, I can push them towards the back and keep going, without having to constantly clear my work surface for space constraints.

Deeper counters don't make anything harder. They simply detract from floor space and add to counter space. If you have the floor space to do it, it's a great upgrade.

I pulled base cabinets out to 27" on my prep/cooking wall, mostly to make the fridge look built in, but I really like the extra depth. If you keep canisters, small appliances, a utensil crock, etc. on the counter, you'll have 3" more clear space in front, which means 3" more space to prep, assemble ingredients, or stack dishes. The vintage cabinets across the room are shallower than the current standard, so I just traded some space. If I had more floor space, I'd have done 30" deep bases on the prep side.

Regarding the range and hood: I pulled the freestanding range out to match the cabinet boxes, and built a shallow shelf behind it. I put vertical trim at each end of the shelf, to box it in behind the range, down to counter height--the shelf follows the contours of the range, and is just the right depth for S&P shakers. The hood is also mounted 3" off the wall, with a filler at the bottom, covering the gap.

I kept my original uppers around the range, but added a new 18" deep cabinet between the end cabinet and the fridge surround. (The standard fridge is also recessed into the stud space, so it appears 27" deep.) The 18" upper transitions nicely, but I actually prefer the original 12" deep cabinets, and have no problem reaching them. At 5'7" I'm the shorty in the family--and I lose stuff in the back of the 18" cab.

Another resounding vote for deeper cabs! I had them furr out the wall to bring the cabinets forward by 4" which gives a deeper countertop using standard cabinets. for the uppers I used 15" deep cabs and cannot imagine going back to 12" deep uppers. For the range and hood, an extra furr out was built behind the range to the ceiling so the range/hood lined up as appropriate. One of the best decisions I made in this reno!!

@mamagoose, great idea about recessing fridge into studs! I definitely need to do that since I’m not getting a counter depth fridge. There will be an appliance pantry to the left of the fridge that I may make 18” and recess as well, if possible.

And yet another vote for deeper counters. We are going 27" base cabinets (15" uppers), and all drawers will be 3" longer (every inch counts). Yes, it's a big expense. If you can't afford it, don't do it - not worth going into debt over. But if you can, by all means, yes. More countertop space, more cabinet space, more drawer space (if custom). If you use 24" and pull them to 27", you still gain counter space. Think of the times you've needed just a few inches more depth, or the foods that have spilled because you needed just a wee bit more.

I don't see anything saying what your countertop material is going to be. Have you looked into the extra cost the extra 3" is going to run you?

If you're planning a plastic laminate top, you can get one but it would be without backsplash for a 27" deep cabinet. If planning on Quartz or granite, keep in mind that the extra depth could put you into an extra slab. Without knowing your layout, I can only guess. It would be advisable to get your top quoted on before making this decision.

Design Loft - that is a good question. I posted above about my friend doing the 27" deep counters on one side. He at first was going to do standard 24" counters. When he changed to 27" deep counters on one side the fabricator said it would make no difference, either in the cost to fabricate, or in the slab amount. Of course his kitchen was small. The fabricator said it is usually the length of the counter and how many corner turns the counter will have that is more of a determinant of needing another slab, than 3" more front-to-back. A larger kitchen may need a second slab regardless of the additional 3". But definitely this question needs to be asked of the fabricator from the getgo - it would be terrible to find you need a second slab much later in the planning - so it's great that you brought that up.

Thank you Design Loft. I wish i had read this before we ordered countertops. We opted for formica only because of the price vs granite. I too do not like the refrigerator sticking out past the countertop. Decisions, decisions. We are in the beginning stages of a remodel and I do like the deeper countertops. Mama Goose do you have pictures to share of your kitchen?

@Design Loft, I'm planning to use quartz. However, that is a good point to consider regarding slabs. Hopefully, it it did end up requiring an extra slab, the leftover could be used for bathrooms or laundry room. I would definitely not want a lot of waste.

My kitchen is 30" deep countertops on both sides and I love it. We have 27" Blum soft-close and everything is a pull-out so there is no issue with not being able to reach the back of anything. The uppers are 15" deep and raised 21" over the counters so proportional and don't feel claustrophobic working underneath. But I do need a step-stool to reach the back of the upper shelves.

We cook A LOT and have appliances out all over the counter because they are used nearly every day, so the extra counter space is super handy.

We are also a "zone" layout (vice triangle) so the flow from storage (fridge & pantry) to prepping to cooking to serving to clean-up is smooth. The only change I would make is it to add a second trash to the clean up zone because the only one we have is clear across at the other end of the prep zone.

FWIW, we did not require extra slabs or extra large slabs for our 27" deep (28.5 with overhang) countertops (installed on 2 sides of the kitchen), despite a very busy granite (movement) - as opposed to 24" deep. But yes, always wise to check. Warehouse told us 'maybe' 3 slabs, fabricator said no need for the extra.

“and raised 21" over the counters”

In case the OP or others are not aware, the standard distance from countertops to bottom of upper cabinets is 18”. People have different individual preferences, but I find 18” to be just right. Lower than that, and there is a confined feeling, and the coffee maker might not fit. Higher than that would raise the shelves too much for me, but many people are taller. Like the subject of this thread, countertop depth, there is a standard measurement, and then one can do what one wants in one’s own kitchen design.

I’m only 5’4” so 21” would be too tall for me.

shead - we are 5'8" and 5'9" so the feel of the uppers is much different from your perspective! But we don't have many uppers anyway, just around the main sink and over the coffeepot, which just barely fits! (the lights are mounted under the cabinet so lower than 21")

The worst house for kitchens was our neighbors who were quite tall - both over 6' - so they had counters that were 42" tall (or maybe 45"?) - very uncomfortable for me. But the new owners are both tall so I guess it worked for them - but definitely limited the buyers who wouldn't have to re-do the entire kitchen.

I have 24" deep lowers and they are just fine for me. BUT...I also have tons and tons of counterspace, due to it not being an open concept kitchen. I can still push things to the back of the counter so they don't get knocked off or are out of the way of my work. Deeper countertops are no substitute for plenty of nice long runs of counter.

The first time we got new counters the guy who ordered them said he would order them a bit deeper than usual. He said that extra inch or two would make all the difference. It did, but 5 years later when we redid the whole kitchen and got granite counters, I totally forgot about the deeper counters. I was shoving things into the backsplash thinking I've got that extra room for years. I would highly encourage you to get slightly deeper counters.

@Anglo, I had miles of counters in my last kitchen :) They were great but oh so much to clean!

This kitchen will be about the same as the other so with deeper counters, it should be fantastic!

Cleaning countertops is hardly an onerous task! It's not like scrubbing floors on ones hands and knees! I can clean all my countertops in 5 minutes.

We have 12" uppers at 16.5" above our 28.5" deep counters. Enough space underneath for all the appliances we have.

"Cleaning countertops is hardly an onerous task! It's not like scrubbing floors on ones hands and knees! I can clean all my countertops in 5 minutes."

Not onerous, but definitely a lot harder with 4 kids who are home ALL.DAY.LONG (we homeschool) making messes...lol. In total linear feet 24" wide, I had over 50 linear feet counting the 10+ft island twice because of its 54" width. The new kitchen will come in at about 40 ft :)