Appliance Placement in The Kitchen : Dos and Don’ts

Many plans place appliances according to a "sprinkler” system that is, appliances are sprinkled throughout the room with little logical connection to the progression of tasks takes place in a kitchen, fact, appliance logically the gression of tasks takes place in the kitchen.

Sink/Dishwasher

• Provide sufficient "loading space" at the sink the dishwasher to make loading and unloading The average person needs approximately 20 to 24 inches to stand and perform these tasks comfortably.

• Place the sink cleanup area near the middle of the work pattern, if possible, since it is So heavily
• Provide sufficient counter space for a dish drain on one side and food preparation, cleanup. and leftover storage on the other, if the plan does not call for a Sink.
The dishwasher door should not obstruct the aisle when it is open.

Microwave Oven

- Microwave at preferably, below eye level. Otherwise, it is awkward to remove hot dishes. Other good alternative are placing it at countertop level (if you have the luxury of significant available counter space), hanging it below a wall cabinet, or setting it several inches up from countertop, housed on a shelf.

- Place the microwave so that it relates easily to the refrigerator /freezer

- Do not place the microwave below countertop level in an island unless you provide a pull-out board for landing space. This type of arrangement may be suitable for a wheelchair-boundcook. It should be hazardous if there are young children in the family, however, particularly if they use appliance unsupervised.

Refrigerator

- Place the refrigerator so that easily accessible not only to the cook but also from a snack counter or dining table. Provide enough landing space adjacent to the refrigerator, preferable on the side of the handle, so that such space won’t be blocked by the open refrigerator door. 

- Avoid placing the refrigerator next to ovens, unless there is an aesthetic imperative to do so and sufficient landing space is provided along adjacent countertops or a nearby island or peninsula.

Place the refrigerator at the end of a run of cabinets.

You can read: How the Kitchen Function

Conventional Ovens

Plan double wall ovens so that the upper oven, when open, is about 3 inches below the cook’s elbow. The break between the ovens should be at 36 inches off the floor. Avoid placing ovens within the primary work pattern unless the cook relies heavily on them for day-to-day cooking.

Cooktop

- Provide a short, direct path between the cooktop and sink so that other household traffic will not intrude.

- Provide sufficient clearance in front of a drop in or freestanding range/oven combination so that you can comfortably bend down, open the door, and use the oven.

- Don’t place a cooktop near a combustible wall.

- Don’t place a gas cooktop close to a window, where an open flame can ignite curtains

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