I have an almost identical set up with a small prep sink in the island, and the only thing I regret is that I didn't make the sink a little bigger. We use it all the time.

Are you going to have any pantry staples storage in your main kitchen? I'm totally envying your gigantic pantry, but I'm also envisioning a lot of back and forth toting flour and cornstarch and cereal and canned beans between the pantry and the kitchen. (Thinking back to some of the things I've retrieved from my [much smaller! haha] pantry this week.)

I guess the real question to ask here is this: what's more important to you looks or function? If looks, then you might prefer no sink b/c you like the "look" of an island with nothing on it.

If function is important to you, even remotely, then put the prep sink in. While most of us here are function first (or form follows function), there are some people who are all about looks. We see the dichotomy on this thread. However, know that it's easy to make a functional Kitchen look nice; but it's almost impossible to make a dysfunctional Kitchen functional without starting over.

Yes, a prep sink will help greatly with functionality and will make your Kitchen much easier and more pleasant to work in. IMO, it will not make it look "bad".

As to size, I recommend a sink that fits in a 21" to 24" sink base since you have plenty of room. Since your cleanup sink will be an apron/farmhouse sink, I would also make the prep sink an apron sink.

Trash pullout -- in the island with the prep sink. If you will only have one trash pullout, then put it on the end near the cleanup sink. If you have one at each, then put it next to the prep sink.

What makes a functional Prep Zone:

A prep Zone works best when it contains a water source (sink) and is next to or across an aisle no more than 48" wide or so from the Cooking Zone.

• Trash & recycle bins should also be in the Prep Zone. More trash and recyclables are generated during prepping and cooking and for much longer work time than cleaning up, so place the trash/recycling in the Prep Zone and near the Cooking Zone.
• It should have a minimum of 36" of counter space (with at least 42" much, much better) that is next to a sink that is uninterrupted by the Cleanup Zone (dirty dish "storage").
• If you have only one sink, then the Prep Zone is on the side of the sink opposite from the DW. (The DW side of the sink is the Cleanup Zone in this scenario.)
• No traffic (or very little traffic) passing through the Prep Zone
• Most pleasant place to work since (1) most of the work & time spent in the Kitchen is spent prepping and (2) it makes prepping/cooking much more fun (OK, that's my personal opinion!)

Your cleanup sink is in a major traffic path, so I would not want to be dodging traffic when trying to go from a the cleanup sink to the range.

(I don't recommend moving the Cleanup Zone to the island. I'm not a proponent of putting the Cleanup Zone in the island b/c it puts dirty dishes front & center and on display for all to see as well as "in the faces" of anyone sitting there.)

In your Kitchen:

Put the prep sink on the refrigerator end with at least 18" b/w it and the edge of the sink -- 24" would be better. Your island is wide enough for 24". That will be your landing space for veggies/fruit/etc. from the refrigerator and next to the prep sink. Wash/rinse and put the cleaned food on the other side of the sink where you'll now prepare the food. The 24" will also minimize splashing water on the floor.

One suggestion, starting from the refrigerator end of the island:

1.5" counter overhang

+ 24" drawer base/cabinet

+ 24" prep sink base

+ 18" trash pullout (so it's near the Cooking Zone as well)

+ 27" drawer base/cabinet

+ 51" of drawer bases/cabinets

+ 1.5" counter overhang

=======================

120" (10')

Island Seating:

• The seating overhang should be at least 15" of clear leg/knee space (more if you or your family are all or have long legs).
• Each seat needs at least 24" of linear space. With legs, that means your island will only seat 4 people along the back.

Aisles:

For your aisles...I would add another 3" to 4" to the aisle b/w the range and the island. Right now, you only have around 42" of aisle width. 48" would be better if more than one person will ever be working in the Kitchen.

Yes, it says 48"; however, it is incorrectly measured. It's measuring to/from the cabinet boxes without accounting for the doors/drawer fronts, counter overhang, or deeper appliances that stick out into the aisle.

Aisles are measured to/from the items sticking out into them the farthest -- counter overhangs, appliance handles, etc.

Ranges are around 28" to 29" deep (4" or 5" deeper than the cabinet boxes), the counter overhang on the island is 1.5". So:

48" - 1.5" - 4.5" = 42"

BTW...your refrigerator is located in a great place - near the Dining Room of condiments/drinks for meals, near the Cooking Zone, near the Prep Zone IF you have a prep sink in the island and on the perimeter so it's easily accessible to someone who wants a snack w/o getting in the way of those working in the Kitchen.

I recommend reading:

Humorous discussion of workflow and other layout topics (a.k.a., the "Ice.Water.Stone.Fire" thread): https://www.houzz.com/discussions/2699918/looking-for-layout-help-memorize-this-first

In the sink replacement business, I'm in a lot of different kitchens. Overwhelmingly, the main sink gets replaced and the prep sink shows very little signs of use and is nearly as pristine as the day it was installed.

Your results may vary, but from what I've eyewitnessed over 5 years or so, prep sinks look better on paper than they function in real life.

"I don't care if I need it I want it because some stranger on the internet told me I should and the real estate listing can say the kitchen has a prep sink."

Buehl — Ice, Water, Stone, Fire… that’s a great read. Thank you.

I recently stayed in a home with a similar layout. The sink was so far from the fridge it was frustrating. They stored all their plates and silverware in the island but it meant putting things away after taking out of dishwasher was very onerous and a long walk. It was a huge kitchen and lovely to stand in but hard to work in. I did prefer the location of entrance from mudroom though

The usefulness of a prep sink is all about the layout. There are two main considerations:

1. Is the prep sink located where it's actually useful?
2. Is it a true prep sink and not a "bar sink" (bar sinks are smaller and not very useful)

Without a prep sink, are you:

• running around an island or
• crossing a very wide aisle or
• crossing a major traffic path through the Kitchen or
• running all over the Kitchen back & forth or
• crossing through other work zones?

In many cases, the prep sink is located outside the main work zones or outside of where it makes sense to use it for prepping or where it's configuration and surrounding workspaces aren't functional, which means it won't get used.

In other cases, it's too small to be useful and, therefore, it's not used. You need one large enough to fit both your hands, the food, and any tools you use for washing/rinsing. The minimum size should be the largest that will fit in an 18" sink base, with 21" to 24" sink bases better.

In your case, if it's in the island & configured as we've been suggesting, it will be located where it's most useful with sufficient counter/workspace on both sides and large enough to be useful.

We have a prep sink and it gets used at least as much as the cleanup sink, if not more. I cook and my DH cleans up. He uses the cleanup sink and I use, almost exclusively the prep sink. That's primarily b/c of the layout. IMO, my layout only works well b/c of the prep sink (It's next to the refrigerator, Cooking Zone & cooktop, and across a 6' aisle from the Cleanup Zone). The same applies to your layout. A prep sink makes it work.

I think people will adapt to whatever kitchen layout they have. Is it better to plan a good layout that works for how you live in advance? Of course. But the kitchen work triangle that we have all been told to embrace is apparently morphing into a whole new zone structure. My rambling point is do what you think is right and don't feel pressured to incorporate things that you question whether you need. Like closet space, if you have it, you will fill it up. If you don't have it, you won't miss it.

My last kitchen was one of the most functional kitchens I ever cooked in and it was set up with the fridge then the stove along the back wall, a double 70/30 sink and dishwasher along the short wall and an 8' peninsula. I did not have a prep sink, but had this great space with seating that was perfect for serving food, for having the kids on one side working on homework while I cooked, or the smaller kids on stools decorating cookies while I was standing on the other side rolling and cutting cookies.

The only thing that I thought would make things better was to have a bit more room between the fridge and the stove, which you have.

My mom cooked dinners for 14+ people 7 days a week, with the help of my aunt and 3 daughters and we didn't have a separate prep sink. She had the fridge and sink on one side of a galley kitchen with 2 wall ovens and 8 burner stove on the other side. The only homes that I knew of that had 2 sinks in the kitchen when I was growing up were those that were kosher. I guess kosher homes will now need 4 sinks, 2 for prep and 2 for cleanup?

We don't cook near as much as most women in the 60s cooked. We don't have families with 5 or 6 or 8 kids anymore and yet those women typically had a 10x10 kitchen. How did they ever manage with out a prep sink and island?

I sometimes wonder if the prep sink isn't the answer because so many have gone to single bowl sinks and could do just as well with a larger double bowl sink that serves both as prep and clean up.

I don’t know that looking back at history and saying it was done before is a good reason to do it again. We can change and evolve. Most important is a kitchen that works for the family who lives in the home

I agree, we have changed and evolved.

https://www.foodonline.com/doc/how-much-time-do-you-spend-cooking-0001

In 1960, 7.2 hours a day were spent cooking and cleaning-up from the cooking and 14% of household income on food. In 2015, it was down to 1.2 hours cooking and cleaning-up from the cooking and 6% of income on food.

So why do we need bigger kitchens and more sinks?

2015 was almost ten years ago now so hardly accurate for current trends.

I think the biggest difference is a kitchen has evolved from a workspace to a family space. Many people spend a lot of time in the space doing things and want to be comfortable. All of them aren’t food related.

I've never had a prep sink and never wished for one. Count me in the "keep your island countertop a blank slate" group!

I'm (as usual) amazed that anyone, has to ask anyone else what they "need : ) but I am more amazed at the "carrying dripping whatever" from the fridge. Really....dripping what? You don't thaw frozen meat in a large dish or oversized kitchen bag? The drip on the floor? What about the mess in the fridge lol?

You know in your gut what you want and you have stated it. Do you have a prep sink now?

No matter what happens, this is a kitchen where there will be a lot of walking? So what? Less time on the treadmill.

Alternative? Plan a smaller kitchen....as some have mentioned, like the ones from the 60's. We had 12 kids in a postage-stamp kitchen. There was very little walking.

Design is about choices and there is "best" choice, but there are always trade-offs. Spacious kitchens with large pantries create more walking than smaller kitchens.

I am not against pot-fillers, warming ovens, prep sinks or most any other kitchen feature. But, you have to consider the cost, aesthetics and functionality when installing any product. If I heard you say, "I use a prep sink all the time and would hate to live without one," I would find a solution for you. But I am not hearing that.

Tell me if I am wrong, but I am hearing you say that you love a clean island.

Then, what leads you to think you might regret not putting one in? Experience? You use one all the time? Something you saw online/on Houzz/on HGTV?

Nothing to do with this thread, really.... but : ) as just above:

"You know in your gut what you want and you have stated it."

It is simply a curiosity to me - the approval factor that exists of late in all areas of life . That despite the wealth of images and information at our fingertips,or more importantly our own hearts.... we ask if we're "allowed" to love or hate any given thing. Threads go on for years here on Houzz, with queries as astounding as "where should the bow go on this wreath?? " Or "is this bowl of fruit the right colors for my centerpiece"

IT IS FRUIT!!! It is the color of whatever fruit it happens to be!

My favorite? "I have a blank wall above this couch, what should I get, or put here?" ..............

I think I might be having a cranky morning : ) but many days I am reminded of a couple of five year olds, sitting in a playroom stuffed with toys and books, crying......"there's nothing to DO!!!!, what can we DO!?"

Far more astounding is we all jump in with tales of what we love, hate, what to DO and it is the very thing that leads to the five six, seven year old thread and still the unfinished room that goes with the thread.

Dear Santa, please tell me what I want for Christmas!

Merry merry! motto for '24 - as a friend used to opine

"Only you know what you want, and ONLY you will be unhappy if you don't get it ,do it ..."

Ditto, ARG's point.

We prep near the cooktop, which... wait for it... is on the island. We placed the cooktop on the island because cooking and prepping is a social activity in our house and we don't enjoy the idea of having to stand facing a wall (which was quite literally a punishment when I was growing up) instead of interacting with others while preparing meals.

Our fruits and vegetables get a cold water soak with baking soda (as recommended by the FDA and CDC) before being put away and are not washed right before cooking. I don't quite understand why people rinse vegetables as they are being used. Rinsing isn't really effective, especially at removing chemicals, and properly soaking and washing everything at one time is more efficient, So for the way we use our kitchen a prep sink doesn't make a lot of sense.

"Our fruits and vegetables get a cold water soak with baking soda (as recommended by the FDA and CDC) before being put away and are not washed right before cooking..........."

I am genuinely surprised I am still alive : ) The "cuke" for my huge salad barely gets a rinse.

This kitchen has been influenced by the windows on one wall and the traffic flow through the work areas from the garage/family entrance. Those have been given priority over the highest level of function. If a person is using the sink and another the range . . .

They give way to traffic flow.

Tis seems an outside in design. Common architect workflow. The double sink in the layout is a giveaway in 2023.

I have a soap dispensor at my prep sink. Why would dirty dishes pile up at the prep sink when I have a clean up sink? And a prep sink would not go in the middle of an island.

A prep sink in our island works for the way we use our kitchen. We like separate zones. We do all prep and assembly at our island. All the ingredients needed for making a dish are brought to the island. The island drawers have everything needed for prepping-measuring spoons and cups, cutting boards, bowls etc. When something is done being used it goes to the cleanup zone to either be put in the dishwasher or placed in the sink to be washed. My husband or son can still be at the island prepping something while I start washing items not going in the dishwasher.

It is obvious you do not want a prep sink so don’t put one in. It is not mandatory. It is all about how you use your kitchen.

So why do we need bigger kitchens and more sinks?

Nowadays we need more efficient kitchens so we don't have to spend as much time in the kitchen.

"but I am more amazed at the "carrying dripping whatever" from the fridge. Really....dripping what? You don't thaw frozen meat in a large dish or oversized kitchen bag? The drip on the floor? What about the mess in the fridge lol? "

I guess you have never had a ziploc bag that developed a leak when you picked it up or a bowl with saran wrap that sloshed a bit and started to drip over the edge or your grip slipped on the dish and it started to drip? Not all of them left a mess in the fridge because they happen as you start to walk away from the fridge. Lucky you, with such a perfect life! lol

" I am genuinely surprised I am still alive : ) The "cuke" for my huge salad barely gets a rinse. "

I still taste one grape before I buy a bunch at the supermarket! I just rub it between my fingers to get any dirt off! I hate bringing a bunch of grapes home and finding out that they taste terrible and have to be thrown out. I do rinse the rest of the grapes when I eat them at home.

I eat raw fish, rare beef and pink pork too!

I gets me about all the only ONE way "pros". (and I use pro very loosely)> Must have prep sink, no cooktop on island. light bulgs bright enough to land a jet, no sectionals. No drapes or curtains to block windows at night, and so on and so on.

As Architectrunnerguy said, no one size fits all. I cannot stand those bight lightbulbs except in the bathroom. I hate having no coverings on windows. I want everything out in my kitchen. I am the only one in my kitchen unless I cannot keep anyone else out that wants to "help" clean. My husbands idea of cooking is a bowl of ice cream or cereal or to burn an egg. His only other contribution is to complain about a meal. He either loves it or it is the worst thing ever. Usually the exact aame recipe. I do not want a prep sink, I have a sink. I want it to be a double bowl. Why have a single bowl and then have to have a dish pan? Duh, that is a double bowl.

My living room is okay with a couch and chairs, but the den is NOT! The only thing that works is a sectional. I got talked out of my little sectional with recliners and now have junk couches that do not work.

I don't have a perfect anything! But I LOATHE a leak or spill in the fridge! One that then has me taking apart every bin and into a total cleanup, including bin removal , glass shelves and #$%^^&** and it will only happen on the day following a cleaned and immaculate fridge, or a half hour before guest!

For heaven sake......double!! zip bags or a BIG enough dish!

The same reason I empty ground coffee purchases from cumbersome container or any other packaging. The spill / cleanup only happens once as you chase particulate with a broom and you are already late to who knows where?

I am genuinely surprised I am still alive : ) The "cuke" for my huge salad barely gets a rinse

This is just a red herring fallacy. My point had nothing to do with how we wash vegetables, it was about when we wash vegetables. If you wash them when you buy them rather than when you use them it takes less time overall and you don't have the problem of cross contamination of washed and unwashed produce.

I never made any comment about how you wash your vegetables, but just in case you missed the important part of what I said... we use a lot of CSA boxes so this is not like vegetables that have largely already been cleaned at the Supermarket.

Bry911. I’m curious about the baking soda comment. Can you provide a link to FDA or CDC for that guidance please?

A prep sink in a very busy Cooks' or Cook(s) plus helper kitchen is a great addition. It depends entirely on what you and your family do in the kitchen. I think that's where you have to start. Set up your kitchen somewhere with boxes or tape on the floor as fridge stove counter etc. Act out what you do when you cook. Have the number of extra helpers you have in there to get a sense of whether that kitchen works in the ways you want it to. This method helped me decide in my case against a prep sink in the previous house. In this house I need that prep sink and use it frequently. Best of luck.

I had never had a prep sink before, but put one in for our new kitchen so I would not be walking past the range when going from the fridge to the sink. We really have enjoyed it. I like having a “clean” sink for prep and a “dirty” sink for dishes. We also have filtered water at our prep sink. Makes that end of the kitchen like a beverage station with the fridge, ice, filtered water, coffee maker, etc.

Otter Play, I too was intrigued by the suggestion to use baking soda to clean produce. I could not find anything on the CDC or the FDA websites regarding baking soda. They just say to wash them with water and a clean scrub brush. They don't recommend any commercial produce washing products.

Does anyone know how or what the OP cooks?

Mark- I cook all types of food. Cuban, Asian, Italian, etc. With a large kitchen I also hope to get into baking.

Also, with a lege sink you can put a cutting board over it and it's still a large blank slate with a faucet. Lol

Does the person that designed your kitchen know that?

Ok, read it. We did one garbage to the left of the clean up sink. One garbage to the right of the prep sink in the island.

This way you can prep on the island with a cutting board over the sink if you like, and easy scrape into the trash. Also nice to have a second garbage and recycling by clean up sink to scrape into. Out pantry is in that corner so that garbage gets filled.with food packaging often. You have more than enough storage I assume. We do and we have no uppers and our kitchen isn't quite as long. If you don't do the prep sink, you HAVE to keep up on dishes or cooking is a chore. Also if you don't have a second sink and don't have a pot filler then you have a long hike just to fill a pot. Our coffee pot stuff is to the left of the stove and the pot filler reaches to fill up coffee which was an unexpected godsend of luck.

You can always plumb it in and end up not using it. But I 100000% recommend it and wouldn't even consider not doing it this way. Your island is gigantic, you can spare the room. And we went big on the prep sink so in times of need we can wash large items (turkey pans, etc). I think the only change I'd make is to maaaybe ditch the double basin for either a single basin or one that's had the short divider but that's a toss up

Also, I had never seen a kitchen with two sinks before and asked if it was useful so just cause you're asking doesn't mean you wouldn't use one. We use our two sinks CONSTANTLY. If you have or will have kids it gives them a spot to wash up or get drinks without disturbing dishes and/or cooking. So useful.

If you're worried about sink clutter, won't your island get cluttered anyway?

Oh and soap, we just have a bathroom style foaming soap dispenser for washing hands and then a scrub bush that hangs in the sink or in that stupid door thing they insisted on putting in front of the sink which I hate.

Bry911,

You said: " I don't quite understand why people rinse vegetables as they are being used. Rinsing isn't really effective"

and then followed up with: " I never made any comment about how you wash your vegetables"

You are judgmental, but apparently are not even aware of it.

OP, if you are truly on the fence about a prep sink, then stub in for one in case you decide you want one later. If you aren’t on the fence, then just go for it. No wrong answer here. (Or you can trust to a flip of a coin with the understanding that you might not like the answer. — And that’s your answer.) Good luck with your project.

Lord: )

Sometimes your first instinct is the best instinct and the best reality.

"We are so hesitant on adding the prep sink because we have always pictured the island being a completely blank slate."

Your own words are worth listening to. Nobody else, including all and anyone here on Houzz, will be using your kitchen.

My problem with washing veggies early is the moisture sometimes causes early decay or mold. Not all veggies because you can dry them …like bell peppers….but green beans? Brussels sprouts? Asparagus? I think they break down sooner.

I have prep area by sink and by stove. 100% of time i prep by sink unless someone is already there. so much easier to rinse things and clean up (brush stuff on counter into sink). compost and trash are by sink as well. moving across aisle twice and not having sink for prep sounds annoying. i’ve certainly never had a prep sink before but would put one in this kitchen. But i have never dreamed of an open island.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BOCCHI-Baveno-Move-Single-Handle-Telescopic-Standard-Kitchen-Faucet-in-Stainless-Steel-2030-0001-SS/325305873

https://www.bocchiusa.com/baveno-27-with-covers-2-hole-faucet-setting-hideaway-undermountdrop-in-sink-27-with-covers-1633-001-0132-p

If you want the best of both worlds, you can by the bocchi telescoping faucet and bocchi undermount sink. They also sell covers, but I would look into seeing in the fabricators could create a custom cover for you.

So why do we need bigger kitchens and more sinks?
We don't "need" bigger kitchens, but when people add in extras like two dishwashers or two ovens, then an island (which requires more aisle space) and seating ... it pushes the size of the kitchen up, up, up.

My point had nothing to do with how we wash vegetables, it was about when we wash vegetables. If you wash them when you buy them rather than when you use them it takes less time overall

I agree that washing all your produce as soon as it comes home is faster ... but it means your produce doesn't last as long. So you've got a trade-off.

They also sell covers,

I don't know the brand of which you speak, but my brother has a prep sink (which is never used) that he keeps covered with a nice cutting board. This means he has the use of the countertop ... though the prep sink robs him of the under-counter storage.

Hey, you know what.you can do? Stub up for a drain and supply lines. I have concrete.slab on grade so I ran an extra set of hot/cold pex too. I'd definitely recommend at LEAST running the drain and supply lines and just capping them off. After cooking in your kitchen you may get sick of walking 20-25' each way to fill a pot for spaghetti or rinse off a spatula that falls on the floor.

Also, you could set up a test kitchen in your garage with boards on plywood and just fake cook. Walk to and from that one sink a few times while pretend cooking. You'll feel stupid but it's a tens of thousands of dollar decision.

As above! But fill a kettle please?

There are I think, many things we can worry on, many things we probably should. Most often, the potential calamities we spend hours worrying about don't ever happen, and those you never gave a thought ?...Do.!!

As to the sink? The best test is a few pieces of cardboard configured to island width /length - set on two garbage cans.

Sharpie in hand ? Draw a big sink on one side

such as 10 x 30....

Draw a 20 inch square on the other.

Realize you still have a lot of prep space?

Now, go back to what you said:

"I always envisioned"..........

Tell us what you decided and get on to the rest of your new house: ) ?

I haven't read all the comments, but we have nearly exactly the same kitchen layout as you (no door in the upper left corner) and I fretted over chopping up my beautifully large island space with a prep sink.

Here are pics of our kitchen Our island is about 4'x10'.

The prep sink turns out to be one of my favorite things about our kitchen. This is because:

1. I cook and DH cleans, and he tends to let dishes pile up, then do them in a batch. I love having an open sink to wash stuff in. His clutter is hidden from sight.

2. It's nice to be able to wipe counters directly into the sink instead of into your hand and walk over to the trash or sink. Faster/easier cleanup.

3. The obvious: no dripping produce when moving from clean-up sink to island for chopping up.

We don't need trash near the clean-up zone, because we compost all food waste. Our trash is generated in the prepping process. But YMMV.

We can (and often do) have 8 or 10 people standing or sitting around the island prepping at once. We love it!

We have disposals and Never MT dispensers on both sinks: dishwashing soap on the cleanup sink and hand soap on the prep sink.

Hope that helps!

Late to the party. Again. I have a very similar layout in our new build, and like you, debated on the prep sink. I am so glad I did. Clean up sink is strictly for clean up, and I love using the whole island for prep. I have a gorgeous granite island that I thought would be tragic to cut into for prep, but in the year we've had it, I've never once thought that it be better without a sink. It's a kitchen -- it's meant to be used as such. I should add that it's a dark black granite and we used a black Blanco sink and black faucets. And since it's just for rinsing veggies, I don't have a soap dispenser on the countertop. There's one underneath, but we use the cleanup sink for everything soapy.

I appreciate the time and thought this post has received. Really…thank you all! As much as it makes sense to add a prep sink on the island, we went with my original dream of having a clean island. Some of you mentioned here that my mind was made up from the beginning. That may be true. I think I just needed to look at all the options and hear about everyone’s experiences to really visualize if a prep sink was something our kitchen needed too. However, in an unexpected turn of events, we added a prep sink in our pantry! We plan to create a beverage center there and figured it would be a useful spot. Again- thank you everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts!

Well, congrats on breaking through to a final decision. I'm glad you'll have your nice, unobstructed island!