While most of us have little say in how our kitchen is designed (stove and fridge placement), we are probably working with a somewhat ergonomic layout. It's how we organize the kitchen that determines its efficiency. This area is called the work triangle...
Organizing The Kitchen: The Work Triangle
Experts agree that the three main work areas are the fridge, the sink and the stove and if these stations are placed too far apart--you'll waste extra time running around prepping meals. Or, on the other hand, if your kitchen is stations are positioned too close, the area will be cramped and you'll have little space to work. Standard measurements for your kitchen triangle are;
Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet
The total of all three legs should be between 12 and 26 feet
It's important that you don't obstruct the lines of your triangle with islands, trash cans, or general household traffic--or you'll run the risk of the space not functioning properly. There are four main kitchen set-ups; Corridor/Galley, Peninsula, L-Shaped and U-Shaped. Check out the pros and cons of each set-up here. Our kitchen is U-shaped with plenty of counter and cabinet space. The space is set-up for minimal steps and we keep our triangle clear of obstructions for maximum efficiency.
How is your kitchen set up? Do you have a Galley, Peninsula, L-Shaped or U-Shaped kitchen? What are the pros and cons of your space?
Related Organizing In The Kitchen Posts
- Expert Tips: Organizing your Kitchen and Bathroom from Michelle Lefferts
- Good Questions: Best Kitchen Layout Plan
- Look!: Organizing Our New Kitchen Cabinets
- Flickr Finds: Katie's Kitchen Organization
[Image on first page from Before and After: Robin's Kitchen]
Comments (8)
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I'm dreaming of the day where the trash can won't be under the sink but in it's own little spot in a designated cubbert.
Every time one is at the sink, one needs to trash something.
view Marie-Eve's profile
My kitchen has an L made up of the sink and counters, with the range flung off in one corner and the fridge in another (with major traffic areas in between). It's a pain.
We plan to renovate, and I think a U or galley will work best. I definitely need counter space around the stove, and I would like it to be close enough to the sink so I don't have to cross traffic areas with hot pots.
The kitchen size -- 9x12 -- is perfectly sufficient, but it needs a more efficient design.
view heather77's profile
My kitchen is kinda wackadoo...
On the back wall, the refrigerator is set into a niche surrounded by a few cabinets that don't use the space effectively - they're flush with the front of the niche but don't extend all the way to the back, so there's lots of wasted space back there.
On the right of this and facing the wall is the dishwasher and the sink - then a peninsula counter with open shelves above is to the right again, and open to the living area: there's a narrow lowered section of counter on the back of this peninsula which is meant to be an eating counter but I'm going to remove that and install a built-in banquette to face into the living room. The open shelves end before they get to the kitchen wall, and the adjacent cupboard doesn't use this space either - so I've got about a vertical square foot of blocked off space completely wasted. There's also a few inches of blocked off space by the dishwasher which would be perfect for sheet pans, etc. if it were open...
On the left of the fridge is a pocket-door into the center entry hall, then a counter that has the stove offset to one side - about 8 drawers on the left and a narrow drawer and cupboard to the right.
Because I live in a round building, almost none of the corners are right angles: the stove wall across from the sink wall is angled so this room like most others in the apartment are Pie-Shaped - the fridge wall is narrow where the peninsula/ opening to the living room is wider.
view bepsf's profile
does anyone know if you can put a fridge or deepfreeze next to a stove?
my new kitchen we are moving into is so weirdly set up and I cannot stand it! I wish I could send in a drawing!
view ash_c's profile
ash_c: i have a stove & fridge right next to each other, with about two inches of breathing room between them. i wouldn't set things up that way given the choice, but it works fine.
view daniny's profile
thanks daniny for your response.
i just don't knwo what to do! it's so cramped otherwise! and the fridge jsut sticks out like a sore thumb...
view ash_c's profile
My kitchen is U-shaped but it's so damned small it would hardly matter how it's set up. Turn around and you're at the fridge! Turn to your right and you're at the sink! I suppose the 6'x6' tininess is really just efficiency in disguise! Honestly though, I love my mini kitchen and it's great for cooking. The appliances seem perfectly placed. I couldn't imagine what I'd do with any more space (besides get a dish washer).
view ihateacrylic's profile
The work triangle is a classic model. It came out of some of the first ergonomic studies conducted by the University of Illinois fifty years ago. And it's hard to go wrong if you hew to it.
On the other hand, we don't use our kitchens the same way we used them fifty years ago. We're much more likely to have multiple users, sometimes simultaneously. And we have more and bigger appliances.
Another approach is to think of the kitchen as stations. Although my kitchen fits the triangle model, I've been moving towards stations, and if I ever get around to remodeling, I may ignore the triangle. For example, I'll probably add a small sink, and share it between a prep station and a breakfast/coffee/snack station.
If you break down your kitchen tasks, you can see how they can be categorized: prep, cooking, plating/serving, cleaning dishes, breakfast, packing lunch, tupperwaring, and so on. Other uses might include phone/mail/computer, pets, nookie, etc. Placing appliances and tools and goods and storage spaces where they're right at hand for each station can make life much easier in the kitchen.
view mxjohnson's profile