A good kitchen design features a work triangle, which is a work area defined by the location of the sink, stove, and a refrigerator. Kitchen work surfaces should have three distinct work centers: Preparation and food storage, Cooking, and Cleaning, that form a work triangle!
When a kitchen is routinely used by multiple people at once, it’s a good idea to incorporate the kitchen work surfaces into its design! It is also called as kitchen work center or zone.
To plan your kitchen work surfaces, the very first step is to determine the total space available for your kitchen, as well as examine the traffic patterns through the room. Once the kitchen’s space is defined, think about the tasks that are performed frequently!
Here we have listed the six different kitchen work surfaces that are required in a kitchen:
- Food Preparation Center
- Cooking Center
- Cleaning Center
- Breakfast Center
- Baking Center
- Homework Center or for any Other Activities
Different Kitchen Work Surfaces for your Kitchen Layout
01. Food Preparation Center
The preparation station is the kitchen work center, where the food is prepared and combined prior to being cooked! The activities that take place here include washing, cutting and mixing of fruits, vegetables, etc. You can also use a kitchen island for preparing dough. Know the important points to consider.
- Have enough countertop space for working
- Provide storage for items like knives & utensils, cutting boards and mixing bowls
- Be within the reach of commonly used seasonings & ingredients
- Make sure that it is close to the refrigerator & sink
- Offer easy access to kitchen towels, aprons, and hand soap
02. Cooking Center
The name itself implies as a center which is used for cooking, where food is actually cooked. Cooking is a major task that is performed. while baking and roasting may also be done, particularly if the kitchen has a range rather than separate cooktop and oven!
Know the important points to consider:
- Make sure that you be centered on your kitchen work center
- Provide the countertop space on both side of the cook-top as a staging area
- Include the storage for pots, pans, lids, trivets, spatulas, etc
- Make sure that the commonly used seasonings & spices like salt, pepper, sugar, etc are easily accessible
- While using oven use ovenware or glove to be safe from any burns. Keep your first aid kit in an easy reach when required
03. Cleaning Center
Again, as the name itself implies, the Cleaning area where items used during the cooking process and the meal are cleaned!
Know the important points to consider:
- A deep sink is ideal for both washing large & small items and also hiding dirty ones from guests until they can be washed!
- Provide a required storage for cleaning supplies like dishwashing detergents, sponges, cloths and towels.
- If your kitchen has a dishwasher, then it should be located within 0.9 meters (36″) of the sink.
- Consider sufficient countertop space to collect the dirty dishes and also allow clean the items to dry.
- Also, consider its proximity to storage for the things used in the other kitchen work surfaces/centers, including mixing bowls, utensils, tableware, and pots & pans.
04. Breakfast Center
The breakfast Center is where you can have your quick breakfast! You can keep this center open or closed with storage, as per your requirements. You can also use a kitchen island as a breakfast bar.
Know the important points to consider:
- Provide seating and countertop or tablespace that is used for snacking
- Be within reach of silverware/cutlery, dishes, drinkware and table linens
- Have easy access to condiments (like salt, sauce, pickle, etc) and the refrigerator
- If this will often be used as a place for entertaining, you may want to design an Eating Center that offers a view of the other work centers and allows interaction between cooks and guests.
05. Baking Center
The households that do a lot of baking may want to consider a kitchen baking center! This kitchen work center is similar to a food preparation center, in that the foods are measured and mixed here, but differ from the standard preparation area, here the prepared foods are usually finished in the oven!
Know the important points to consider:
- Provide sufficient storage for baking pans, sheets, and cooling racks, as well as baking ingredients
- Use a thick marble or granite surface for rolling pastry
- Lowered your countertop surface for easier dough kneading
- Have an easy access to spatulas and spoons
06. Homework Center or for any Other Activities
Other possibilities for kitchen work surfaces might be used for chitchatting, paper or mail sorting, or as a homework desk! You can also provide extra space for your kids to play!
Regardless of the above points also know this basic consideration for all the kitchen work surfaces:
- Continuous kitchen work surfaces permit straightforward movement and cleansing, hence are more economical and efficient.
- The width of the Counter should not be too wide as it is inconvenient to reach the back and it should not be too narrow as it is inadequate for many activities like for a Sink or Stove.
- The Height of the working counter should permit a comfortable working posture from the floor which is considered as a comfortable working height.
- A person should be able to sit while performing some kitchen tasks, like cutting vegetables etc. For this, there can be a provision for a table and chair.
- The kitchen sink bowl should not be located in the corner where two counters meet, as it is not easily accessible. The drain board next to the sink should be on the right side, for convenience.
Hope these guidelines will help you design your kitchen work surfaces in the right way!
Also Read:
Kitchen Sink Buying Guide: All You Like to Know!
The Secrets of Kitchen Layouts: Types of Counter Arrangements!
17 Secrets For Your Functional Kitchen!
