How to Set Up a Kitchen Work Triangle
Efficiently designing the path connecting your sink, range and refrigerator can save time and energy in the kitchen
If you're about to undertake a kitchen remodel, odds are you've heard a lot about the kitchen work triangle. Although it's often hailed by designers as the best way to set up a kitchen, the concept of the kitchen work triangle can be intimidating.
In reality, it's a relatively simple idea that can save time and energy. In simple terms, the kitchen work triangle connects the three main work areas in the kitchen: the sink, the range and the refrigerator. But even though understanding this concept can be incredibly helpful, you can allow your design to bend the rules to suit your purposes.
In reality, it's a relatively simple idea that can save time and energy. In simple terms, the kitchen work triangle connects the three main work areas in the kitchen: the sink, the range and the refrigerator. But even though understanding this concept can be incredibly helpful, you can allow your design to bend the rules to suit your purposes.
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What is the kitchen work triangle?
The concept for the kitchen work triangle was developed in the 1940s, a time when kitchens were very small and appliances were generally very large. The kitchen was looked at as a space where only cooking took place.
The kitchen work triangle connects the three main work areas in the kitchen — the sink, the range, and the refrigerator. As a general guideline, the distance between these areas should be no less than 4 feet and no larger than 9 feet. The sum of all three sides of the triangle should be between 13 feet and 26 feet. If the distance is too small, it can make a kitchen feel cramped and blocked. If it's too large, it makes cooking a hassle.
Why should you think about it?
Even though it's a 70-year-old rule, the work triangle is still something to keep in mind when you're redesigning a kitchen. Keeping a certain amount of space between the main working areas makes cooking much easier and helps keep traffic in the workspace to a minimum.
The concept for the kitchen work triangle was developed in the 1940s, a time when kitchens were very small and appliances were generally very large. The kitchen was looked at as a space where only cooking took place.
The kitchen work triangle connects the three main work areas in the kitchen — the sink, the range, and the refrigerator. As a general guideline, the distance between these areas should be no less than 4 feet and no larger than 9 feet. The sum of all three sides of the triangle should be between 13 feet and 26 feet. If the distance is too small, it can make a kitchen feel cramped and blocked. If it's too large, it makes cooking a hassle.
Why should you think about it?
Even though it's a 70-year-old rule, the work triangle is still something to keep in mind when you're redesigning a kitchen. Keeping a certain amount of space between the main working areas makes cooking much easier and helps keep traffic in the workspace to a minimum.
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| How will this work in your kitchen? 1. Think about how well you get around in your current kitchen. What frustrates you in your kitchen? What causes problems while you're working? What could be added or removed with few changes and a limited budget? Thinking about what bothers you the most will help you figure out how to organize your kitchen workspaces within the triangle format. At the time the kitchen work triangle was created there was no space for decoration or entertaining in the kitchen. Now, kitchens are much larger. They've become the hub of the home and often share space with dining and living rooms for easy entertaining. If you're redesigning a kitchen, odds are you'll need to take entertaining, eating and doing homework into account. By keeping your main cooking areas confined to one part of the kitchen, you'll be able to make use of other spaces without any conflicts. |
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by Ben Herzog
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| 2. Measure your current kitchen work triangle (if you have one), and think about how much you'd need to add or take away for it to work more efficiently. Keep in mind that the lengths of the triangle don't have to be completely even. The shape of your triangle will differ depending on what kind of kitchen shape you have. Besides the recommended distance between the points of the work triangle, the most important thing to keep in mind is to make sure that the lines of the triangle aren't blocked by anything. Trash cans, islands and other kitchen necessities in the wrong place can end up making cooking harder. |
by Meredith Heron
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3. Take additional functions into account when determining your work triangle.
Because so many modern kitchens have become multipurpose rooms, it's important to really think about what functions you want your kitchen to serve. Determining whether you want a desk, homework place, bar, large island, multiple sinks and so on can help you figure out exactly how to position your work triangle.
Adequate prep space is often forgotten because it's not explicitly included in the work triangle equation. It's usually a good idea to have one prep space near the sink and one near the stove. Put utensils, pots and spices near the stove for easy cooking — it'll save additional steps.
Because so many modern kitchens have become multipurpose rooms, it's important to really think about what functions you want your kitchen to serve. Determining whether you want a desk, homework place, bar, large island, multiple sinks and so on can help you figure out exactly how to position your work triangle.
Adequate prep space is often forgotten because it's not explicitly included in the work triangle equation. It's usually a good idea to have one prep space near the sink and one near the stove. Put utensils, pots and spices near the stove for easy cooking — it'll save additional steps.
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| 4. Make adjustments and design decisions that fit your kitchen best — there are no set rules. Above all else, you want your kitchen to work for you. While the kitchen work triangle is a great guide, by no means is it set in stone. You may have to design a kitchen with everything on a single wall — in which case the work triangle would be impossible to set up. Just be sure to pay close attention to each and every measurement when setting up your kitchen workspace— a few inches can make a big difference, especially in small kitchens. |
Ideabook published on Oct. 14, 2012.
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I'd be interested to know what you think about Johnny Grey's take on the work triangle; maybe you could do a follow-up story on it some time?
In my current kitchen, the fridge and the cooktop are on the same side and the sink is in the island. The plumbing could not be moved, so we couldn't do it any other way. While I whittle away at my large cutting board next to the sink, I turn my back to the stove and when the exhaust fan is on, I can't even *hear* what is going on there. A couple of mishaps later, I get used to looking over my shoulder from time to time, but at first it was a nuisance.
It's a shame I couldn't remodel to make it more efficient, but simply put, I didn't want to buy the house after I lived in it for a while.
I loved the sink in the island across from the stove. And the matte white corian allowed the cherry cabinets to shine as the star. And the cabinet subzero tucked into the corner 5 ft or so from the stove (counter space for items you took out and slid over for cooking).
On the other hand, having a house with a jungle lot across the canal from our magnificent dock where our boat is - not a bad substitute!
One problem I have with many of the newer floor plans is having the table area too far from the triangle. Same thought about formal dining rooms which should be accessible to get an item which was forgotten before sitting down.
I do like pic 3; its my favorite.
The secret behind the double triangle in kitchen layout & design…
Most cooks know that the kitchen layout that is efficient has a triangle that is no more than 7 metres between the sink, cooktop & fridge. But did you know that there is a second triangle (known as Patto’s second triangle) that makes a very workable kitchen layout if it can be achieved within the space that is available.
The second triangle is between the pantry, fridge and cutlery & crockery space. The idea is that the rest of the household is usually in the kitchen to get something to eat or drink, not to cook or prepare food. If the two triangles meet at the fridge then you have the perfect kitchen layout solution. The rest of the house can do it’s thing without crossing the cooks triangle, clever isn’t it….So think about this when you are designing your ideal kitchen.
Patto’s Tip: Kitchen layout is important when it comes to a functional kitchen for both cook and family members.
www.thekitchenbroker.com.au
In going from a kitchen where the triangle was perfect from fridge to stove to sink as well as the other from dishwashing sink to dishwasher to cupboards - I now have a kitchen that ticks me off almost daily. Fridge on one side of the island with the dish cupboard next to it, island with stovetop, and then other side with sink and dishwasher.
If the builders had thought about the triangle, it would have meant the water would be on the same side as the pots to fill, the dishwasher on the same side as the cupboard, and a lot less uselessness in function.
It's certainly not a bad place to start.
I think everyone just assumes that WHEREVER the sink is, the dishwasher is immediately right or left of it. Wherever possible, a trash pullout is on the side of the sink that the dishwasher is not.
LOL!
I have the LEAST "designed" space on the planet--pretty sure a kids play kitchen was better "designed" than the kitchen in this house.
The sink is not in a bad spot--and the stove is in the "L" of the sink and between the entry to the room door. But---the distance between the sink and the stove is mere inches. You would THINK that this would make things EASIER but no---there is no "landing zone" for a hot pot or one going to the stove filled with water. OR after taking something OFF the stove to plate or set the pot prior to draining or adding ingredients. The "lazy susan" cabinet would be more useful if there was a spare millimeter between the sides and the trays---this could I suppose be solved by taking the old one out and re=doing it but---this is what occupies that "L" corner! IF you close it every thing falls about the place as the trays are shallow and probably bent--if you leave it open everything falls about the place because you whack into it a hundred times a day! And everything you are getting from the prep--more on THAT joke anon!--area drips or falls onto the trays and the stuff in the Lazy Susan!
On the Right side of the sink is a full size dishwasher. And ONE half sized floor cabinet! ONE!!!! The cabinet "run" just---ends! We dunno why. The overhead cabinet is there but the floor ones were NEVER there and never MEANT to be there! We have subbed in a small wooden table so as to have SOME room but---because the counter top ends when the cabinets do--at a fairly high height--. the difference between the table and the countertop is=-=-steep. The countertop itself is about 28" wide here. That's is IT for "prep area". Over this is one double door cabinet--with shelves on the top much too high for this short person to reach!---and the wall cabinet that SHOULD be over a single standard cabinet. Just--hanging there at the end of the run!
There is NO place for a garbage can---we have found one skinny one that we butt up next to the half size cabinet on the Left of the stove--but it is in the way all the time. There are NO spaces for pots so we have a wall mounted pot rack over the stove and one over the "island" we added at the other end of the cabinet run. Again--not easy for a short person!
On the opposite wall is the fridge. IN order to GET a fridge to FIT we had to remove the over the fridge cabinet! We have no idea WHY as this house was NOT built back in the day of lil short rounded fridges--it was built in 1977. And we never saw what fridge was in there orig as it was gone when we got here. Next to that---on the stove side--is the "pantry". Well--we call it that. But--it WAS a largish open--hole. We don't know what this was supposed to be. IT apparently never had shelves or a closet rod or--anything of the sort. When we moved in there was an old metal cabinet smushed in there with vintage Contact paper on the shelves---again, way older than the house so someone added it. We added shelves but it is kinda deep and dark. There is NO place for brooms etc. I am thinking of making the shelves somewhat shallower to allow a broom to hang and to try and get some visibility in there---and adding a crate on casters for pot and pan storage for things you don't need everyday.
On the other side of the fridge--are--the MIA cabinets for the OTHER side of the kitchen! My "solution" to this is--we are going to move those babies across the room and get a new countertop and place a free standing wood cupboard to hold pantry items and the microwave in the leftover space. Of course the cabinets cannot be "matched" and they would be solid wood---grrrr---U.G.L.Y but solid. Makes it hard to "justify" ripping them out--IF we could afford to .
But--I am not planning on staying here forever so---meanwhile we mutter darkly about how much we HATE this kitchen. And dream of a better day!!!!
Thank you Noah -
The proximity kitchensystem (R) is a new way to approach the design and execution of residential kitchens. I'm grateful for the recommendation.
The basis for my thinking is that of any manufacturing process. The sequence of tasks in changing raw materials (groceries) into finished products (meals) works perfectly in kitchens, since they are just exactly that: "meal factories". There are many other functions to be served in a modern kitchen space, but first and foremost I stand by that statement.
Before anyone gets into issues of style or aesthetics, please understand that the concepts I espouse are for LAYOUT first. This means that the system organizes a plan according to the sequence of tasks as they are performed in cookery; and then the elevations, in a slightly different but similar way: in each task center you want the things you use most often closest to you/easiest to reach. So I treat every elevation the same way I treat a plan - sequence and proximity (there's that word again) are absolutely the most important things to consider: everything else is a distant second.
This doesn't prevent a spectacularly good-looking result - in fact, I believe that the inherently functional nature of a design solution has its own beauty and augments whatever style you choose as a designer or homeowner.
As to my alleged preference for galley kitchens...this is mostly correct, but in a perfect world I prefer a "T" - shaped kitchen. This means the tall deep items (fridge, ovens and pantry) are massed on one wall, with two runs of counter perpendicular to them. The longer these counters are (within reasonable limits) the better.
The two counters house the "Wet Prep", "Hot Prep" and "Scullery" functions, with Wet- and Hot Prep next to each other on one contiguous counter or an island. Scullery is usually best on the opposite counter, as it provides a second wet prep area during prep in the same way the wet prep area allows for expanded clean-up during large parties and so on.
You will find as a result of this approach you can draw a triangle between various elements of the kitchen.
HOWEVER:
This is simple geometric happenstance, not a design principle. Many of the complaints about kitchens you read here are fine by the lights of the obsolete so-called "work triangle", but have islands in the flow between one task center and the next, or have the tasks out of sequence. This means that lines of flow are crossed again and again, resulting in a chaotic endeavor as opposed to a systematic one.
One last note on galley kitchens: The insertion of an island in a larger kitchen is, at it's core as a design strategy, the improved use of the large space which essentially re-creates the "galley" relationship between the island and a counter along a wall.
Obviously there is a great deal more on the subject and I'd welcome further discussion.
Feel free to reply privately if you prefer.
All the best,
Pete Walker
Founder, the proximity kitchensystem
I find Johnny Grey's approach to kitchen design is similarly illuminating and I'm just curious what you think of his approach? I admit his designs aren't for everyone, as they're perhaps too imaginative (and expensive!), but he absolutely ensures that form follows function, and his thinking is based on an educated knowledge of the history, demands, and challenges of food preparation. Even if one doesn't like his sometimes funky style, one can immediately see how amazingly functional his kitchens are.
It has been my observation of many designed kitchens that it's all about a huge island (in carrera, of course), and a huge gas range with no workable space close by (which to me is a safety isssue), nor an accessible sink. It's all about show, thus the tail wags the dog, and not vice versa.
I have nothing against expensive finishes and high end materials, but it bugs me to no end when home-owners have obviously spent a good 6 figures for a gorgeously-appointed kitchen that would drive most cooks bananas because everything is at the wrong height, in the wrong place!
I agree generally with your rationale of the T-shaped kitchen, just not quite so with the argument for longer is better, as ime one can get occasionally frustrated with trekking around the lengths when one is zipping around pulling a big meal together. JMO, though.
Longer is better "within reasonable limits..." just sayin'...
In a properly designed T-shaped kitchen, the balance between the length of the counters and access to Service (after Hot Prep and before Scullery) is crucial. I may have given the impression that the overall balance of the design was subordinate to other considerations. Each situation is unique, and the design solution has to meet it - with elegance - on that point.
Johnny Grey - I've always liked his stuff, especially some of the work he did with Smallbone in the 1980's. To the degree it was properly sequenced, I love it. Without proper sequencing and given its cost, I believe it fits the category about which you (rightly) complain above. So, yes, I love his stuff, to the degree it is actually functional.
I like Johnny Grey's horse-shoe shaped kitchen the best - he made a couple of them, I think. The cook is like the conductor to the orchestra - in control of everything at once on the spin of a well-turned heel and the flick of an elegant wrist.
I agree with your principles of efficiency, yes, but how, in your opion, is this kitchen not efficient, given the desirability of the T-layout? (hope this makes sense!).