- Is there enough space for preparation, cooking, cleaning and handling? There’s no point in cramming every appliance and feature under the sun into your kitchen if you don’t leave enough space to work in. At a minimum, you should allow:
- 15 inches of countertop space on the handle side of the refrigerator, or within 48 inches of the refrigerator front.
- 15 inches of countertop space to one side of an oven. If countertop space is opposite the oven, ensure the route does not intersect a walkway.
- 15 inches of countertop space to the handle side of a microwave.
- 24 inches of countertop space to one side of a sink, and 18 inches on the other.
- At least 36 inches by 24 inches in the primary food preparation area.
- The dishwasher should be located no more than 36 inches from the countertop space allocated to the sink.
Where countertop space intersects – e.g. if the landing space for the oven and microwave are the same piece of countertop – then you should add a minimum of 12 inches.
These are suggested minimum guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules – if you frequently cook for groups of people or create complex multi-stage meals, for example, you may wish to allocate more countertop space. On the other hand, if you live alone and never have much washing up to do, the countertop space to one side of the sink can be reduced.
- Is the ‘work triangle’ suitable? The primary work triangle is the area covered between the sink, fridge and oven/hob. This area should be minimised to make meal preparation more efficient. You should also make sure that no ‘traffic’ comes through the work triangle, to avoid people walking through your meal prep area.
- Is there space for bins? Bins aren’t glamorous, but you’d soon miss them! Make sure there’s a waste receptacle within easy reach of the sink, and another for recycling in a convenient spot.
- Are there enough electrical outlets? Not being able to find a spare plug is a real frustration that can be minimised with careful planning. Make sure to consider all likely uses – where will household members charge their phones? What appliances will be plugged in regularly? Will you have plug-in LED lights in cabinets? If in doubt, nobody regrets having too many spare outlets.