30” vs. 36” cooktop

4 years ago

We are starting a major kitchen remodel. I had orginally planned on my range w/ double ovens facing the wall. In thinking a little more, I think I would like a cooktop in my island with double wall ovens elsewhere So I don’t have my back to everyone while cooking. My island is only 64” wide, the salesperson is pushing a 36”

cooktop vs. 30”. Worried there’s not enough landing space on the sides of the cooktop. Thoughts?

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cpartist

4 years ago

Your island isn't large enough for a cooktop in either size. If you put a 30" cooktop, that leaves you with 34" or 17" on either side of the cooktop. Not nearly enough.

The salesperson makes more money with a 36" cooktop but that only leaves you with 14" on either side.

And how much room is there behind the cooktop?

Plus what will you do for venting? And are you planning on doing gas or induction?

Only 10% of your time preparing meals is actually spent at the cooktop. 70% is spent prepping and prep work is done next to a sink.

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Comments (10)

Sammy
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
You’re right to question that; 30” is better. This salesperson isn’t designing your kitchen, is he? I hope not.
M
4 years ago
Post a scale drawing of your floorplan and some photos. That way, you'll get much better feedback. Also, this forum generally frowns on cooktops in islands. Most of the time, it's just not very practical.

For example, even with induction, which has less stringent requirements than gas, the vent hood will be much more difficult to get to work than for a wall installation.

Also, safety is problematic, especially when the island is on the smaller side.
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I suggested on another thread of yours that you hire a kitchen designer and the comment by your architect on stovetop size seems to reinforce that maybe he's not the best for this task. When you increase the stovetop size, you increase the stove's BTUs. This increases the size and power of the ventilation hood, which in turn increases the possibility that you will need MUA (make up air.) This is one example on why it's not a good idea to over-appliance yourself. Because you are a baker, I suggest you take your favorite baking sheets and pans and whatnot to an appliance store and try them on for size, so to speak. You wouldn't BELIEVE how many people find that even though their new oven is the same size as their old, their sheet pans etc. no longer fit. Lastly, most people have the dilemma of size and combos of stovetops and ovens. The thing is, everyone's cooking habits are different, so everyone's choices are different. By the way, a microwave/vent option is useless. You will need a real ventilation hood. A good ventilation hood to cover a 36" stovetop can easily be a fourth of your budget ($1000) alone.
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Width: 58" - 30" = 28" 28" / 2 = 14" of landing space/work space/safety margin on each side Depth: 36" - 24" = 12" behind the cooktop for safety margin Realistically, your island is not big enough to accommodate a cooktop...even the original dimensions were not sufficient...it would have only been 15" on each side. If you truly want to put a cooktop in your island, then your island, with a 30" cooktop, should be at least 78" wide and 42" deep, preferably 48". For a 36" cooktop, you would need an 84" wide island. That would give you 24" on each side of the cooktop for landing space/work space/safety margin and 18" to 24" behind it for safety...seaters/leaners or passersby. There was a thread a couple of months ago where we were helping redesign a kitchen that had a range in an island that was much too small. The OP's sister (??) hated the setup b/c there wasn't enough room to work or move. I think she had 12" on each side..which was only 2" narrower than yours. I searched for the thread, but I think it must have dropped off. Are you sure you cannot put your cooktop elsewhere?
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Just a few points. You don't need a window over the sink. Keep you corner windows and then do something like this for cabinets over the sink area. You're making this more complicated than it needs to be. cpartist and I both drew our fridges a few inches from the wall. I was anticipating that it would be understood that a cabinet would need to go there to allow the fridge door to swing fully open. I'm sure cpartist was, too. It's just hard to judge without good measurements and different fridges have different requirements for this. Having the door hinges on the left so the door swings toward sink/DW would not be recommended. Access would be clumsy. The difference between our suggestions is the wall oven. I wouldn't do it. The functional aspects of a wall oven would outweigh the decrease in your kitchen's aesthetics. It will create a big, bulky cabinet at the end of that run which will make your kitchen feel smaller and be darker due to blocking the light from the windows (doors?) to the left of the wall oven as well as blocking the corner windows. It ruins your long sight lines. Of course, your priorities might be different. I love the way light plays in a room and light makes me happy. It would be a worthy trade-off to me. May I suggest that if you must do a waist-height wall oven, that you don't take the cabinet to the ceiling. Maybe something similar to this shorter cabinet? It won't block all the light and won't be such a bulky hulk. See how the light still flows past the oven and creates an open visual line? So much nicer than a cabinet to the ceiling, imho.
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Most designs require some kind of compromise and you have to decide which things are most important to you and prioritize. Sometimes doing what is best for you goes against conventional design recommendations. Two 30” ovens was important to me, but didn’t have a great place for a stack. And I’ll be honest, I had a stack in my previous house and hated the top one because it was hard for me to reach across the door and into it (I’m 5’2”). I decided to go with 2 under the counter ovens in our new build. I considered the arrangement you showed with the cooktop directly centered over the 2 ovens, but was told the appliances we choose could not be installed in that configuration. So instead we have the ovens spaced out with the cooktop centered between them. We also went with ovens that are side opening rather than opening down. This way I’m not trying to reach across the door and into the lower oven. I saw one of these installed at below counter height and had absolutely no reservations about having to lift things up, and out of the ovens.
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Beth H. :
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I would never want a cooktop on an island. Venting is the reason why. Plus, like mentioned, you need a good chunk of space for prepping. I have a 36" against the wall with my wall oven a foot or so to the left. I do all my prepping on the right side which has adequate room and the sink is also right there.

I'd rethink your design.
wdccruise
4 years ago
When I remodeled my kitchen, I learned that the minimum width of countertop adjacent to a range should be 15". That's what I did (I didn't have much choice as the kitchen is small) but that space isn't very useful. I'd go with the 30" cooktop.

I have an aisle kitchen with the range on one side and the "prep space" plus sink on the other. I don't like having to turn around between the prep side and range side.
Design Girl
4 years ago
I'd never put a cooktop on the island, unless there really was no other place to put it. I'm sure there is. For me, a 36 inch cooktop is a necessity.
eam44
4 years ago
I think your initial plan sounds better. By all means post drawings!
scrappy25
4 years ago
There are other reasons nbt to put a cooktop in an island, but if it is an induction cooktop the 36 inch IMO has a lot of inherent landing space on its surface unless you are using all hobs at once. The most I have ever had going is 3 at holiday time and that still leaves 2 empty hobs for landing space. Love that smooth top and the instant off feature!
waverly6
4 years ago
I had put a 30 inch glass (radiant)cooktop into my kitchen in my island in my primary residence. I found that I only had one large ring to cook on, 1 medium and 2 small, so that did not give me the 2 large rings I really would have preferred. . At the time I did this, there wasn't as wide a range of choices. If you do go with a 30 inch, make sure there are 2 large rings.

Now that I am redoing the kitchen in my vacation home, I find I don't stand as much at the cooktop as I did (or thought I did )18 years ago so don't need it facing into the room and prefer the option of an overhead vent hood venting out an exterior wall. Do an imaginary walk through of your space preparing some meals and snacks and see how you work best and how long you actually spend at the cooktop. If you do an overhead hood, how will that affect your sight lines and will it make you feel more closed in. I have a downdraft with my cooktop and it really is insufficient with the big pots on the front large element.
widdy23
4 years ago
I have a 36 inch cooktop in my island that is 58 inches wide, house was originally built that way, even with 6 more inches I wouldn't do it again. I am a social cook that enjoys facing my family like you, but the lack of space surrounding is a safety issue with my young kids. I personally would need a 8 foot island to put that size of cooktop on. I'm planning a remodel soon to fix.

30” vs. 36” cooktop

cpartist

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Sammy

M

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Beth H. :

wdccruise

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