The only thing that will be affected by this decision is resale. Low countertops would be a deal-breaker for most people. Will you be in this house long?

I lived in a kitchen designed for a woman who was 5' tall (as am I). I thought it would be great, but gad I hated that kitchen!!! Those stupid low counters were not a good idea. In addition they couldn't rent to anyone with kids because the counters were low enough for a small child to be able to reach quite a ways up and they worried about safety. Personally, at 5'3" (way taller than me) I think you'll hate them, and you'll limit your house to only be available to the little people :OP Which could be a very costly mistake!

I LOVE my 33/34" counter heights!

I wanted a kitchen that would work for me. I refuse to try to guess what someone may want later. If we were ever to sell this house, maybe someone would want to tear out the kitchen, or at least the counters and could adjust it to their liking then. How can I guess now if they'll be 5 ft tall or 6 ft tall? It's my opinion that you can always add a butcher block, etc. to make a counter higher, but can't do much to make it lower. Especially important to get it right if you have back pain.

I'm just under 5'4" and know that in our last kitchen we all fought to use the island, which was designed at 33" for baking. It got used for all kinds of prep and other projects, as well as the intended rolling and kneading. So in this kitchen, I have different heights in different areas. The cleanup run of counters is at standard height. The dishwashers needed it, and since you reach down into a sink, it wasn't necessary to have it lower...and I've worked in sinks that are too low and it caused its own problems. Also, our 'breakfast counter' where the toaster oven sits is at 36". But, the island, the rangetop run, and the baking counter are all at 33-34". I love it, would do it again, and would recommend it. It's nicer for using downward force like for chopping, kneading, and rolling, and provides better visibility for seeing in pots, the mixer bowl, and for looking over projects like making sandwiches. Better on the neck and shoulders for stir-frying and for tending to food in taller pots.

My almost grown up kids are about my size and find it comfortable. My dh and oldest son are 5'10-6' and don't complain either. Visitors to the kitchen don't notice until I tell them.

Best wishes.

Rather than lower the counters (which would be VERY permanent), what about creating a 4" high solidly built platform in front of the cooking area? I realize this could create a trip hazard which is something you really don't want around a cooking area but it would solve the problem without permanitely altering the kitchen.

I have a 32" counter in my peninsula that I love. I use it for everything except chopping. I know I would also love a lower cooktop if I could. I say go for it.

I am building a kitchen for me and if I were using a cooktop (jswitched to an induction range) I'd build it lower. I'm 5' like igloo and find when I use my huge stock pot; I literally have to stand on my tiptoes to stir to the bottom. I personally would not use a platform... I know myself. I have a step stool I hardly every use, but if it were in a convenient place like a little flip doored nook like rhome has then I might use it more.

That = The long perimeter cabinets in the kitchen, with clean-up sink and D/W will be at 94 cm, i.e., 37").

OP is talking about lowering the cooktop only.

I'm 5'5'' and wouldn't mind having my cooktop a bit lower, esp. when I'm canning.

So, yes, I think it's a good idea. BUT, I'm concerned about how you're going to handle the adjacent workspace. A lower cooktop means that you'll have to lower sections of the counter next to the cooker. I can envision something of a stand alone cooking center with an unfitted look to it.

I understood you only are talking about your cooktop. I was saying (in a long-winded way) that I did the cooktop and much more and still don't have regrets, so I think it's a good idea. For cooktop only, I think I'd still want some expanse next to it at the same height...Like if you were able to have 18" or so, 12" minimum, to each side at the same height. Not only useful for setting off pots and doing some prep, but you might need some clearance for safety reasons so you don't have sides coming up right next to the cooktop. It could look nicer, too.

I"m so glad so many of you like the shorter height!!

I'd meant to say that our plan is to lower the cabinets on the entire 8x3.3' island. This island will contain the induction cooktop, prep space, prep sink, and landing space for groceries & things going into/out of the fridge & pantry.

Lastly, on the back side of the island is 3' of drawers, plus small seating area (50" wide, 12" deep). Might be even more shallow if the counter is 33" tall. but that's the only part that might not work well at 33". Wonder what type of stools a 33" high counter would need??

If yoy have your seating in front of/behind your cooktop, please do NOT make the overhang less if you have a cooktop there. There have been several threads over the past few months about the safety of cooktops in islands and peninsulas. If anything, the overhang should be deeper (maybe 24").

I understand your desire for a lower working height. I guess in your case that includes the cooktop height...but I do have to ask...do you have small children or are you planning on children? If so, you will be making your cooktop more accessible to a small child than it normally is.

in a thread last week about higher than average counters, many people said they had one counter high and one not high.

The cooking counter is always the lower one.

-david

I lowered my cooktop side of the kitchen (I"m 5'0" tall). The U-shape is standard height, the back wall is 34". I absolutely love it. I've got 25" of counter on each side of the cooktop, my favorite place to do prep work. I wish I had more, Rhome's set up is wonderful. In fact, the wooden pull-out cutting board in the old kitchen, which I used constantly, was my example. I pulled it out and told the contractor to put the counter at that height. An added bonus is that he built the cabinets in proportion, so my uppers are 2" lower than the old ones. Now I can reach 2 shelves without a step stool. Everyone in the family thinks it is great.

Resale was not part of our decision. I wanted a kitchen comfortable to us. I've read numerous articles and interviews with chefs over the years that recommend lowering the cooktop, so even taller people may prefer it that way.

I think when it is all said and done, you will like the lower height.

If you're moving from gas, remember your new cooking surface will already be a little lower.

Keep the ventilation in mind, too--I and my spouse are about the same height as you and yours (I'm shorter though) and some vent hoods hit him wrong. You might need more power and coverage higher or a popup vent. Both those are good for islands.

And don't worry AS much about kids and lower height. Induction does remove a few of the dangers of a cooktop.

I think you should go for it!

Boy do I understand, you could compromise and consider one dropped working counter or working island that would make prepping easier for you (at least I never chopped on the range, just stir) but keeping the main appliances standard which of course would work better for you DH and resale.

Thanks, y'all!

I sure wish we could do 24" overhang opposite the cooktop. It would be very nice to have that much space. However we have only 43" between the island and a pantry wall, so we can't get more than another few inches depth.

However we will have a downdraft vent behind the cooktop, so if there are hot pots on the induction range, I can also raise the vent as a barrier.

I have worried a bit about resale, but would rather build the kitchen to suit me. And, yes I had already designed a pull-out step, but envisioned that very likely I or SOMEONE else would trip over it -- I definitely wouldn't want to land on a hot pot after tripping. So that's what led me to consider just lowering the whole island instead. But, mindful of buehl's warning, I might go for 34" rather than 32 or 33", to reduce the low cooktop hazard.

I'm with you on the step thing. I would certainly back or somehow dangerously step off any kind of stool or pullout step, and probably wreck an ankle at the least. You need to be able to move around quickly, and with knives and hot pans and not worry about tripping and throwing hot food across the room...or on your family!

Although I was scared for my kids to be around the gas rangetop when we were first getting used to it, I didn't feel the couple of inches height difference exacerbated any problem, and with induction, I wouldn't worry at all about the kids and lowering the height.

My DH and I would love to do this on our next house. I took him to see Frank Lloyd Wright's model Usonian house, and he flipped (as did I) over the lowered cooktop with stainless steel integrated surround. I'm 5'6" and he's 5'11".

No way would I do a step or platform - I'm a major klutz! Four years ago I broke both leg bones falling 6" on concrete stairs outside.........add in pots full of boiling water and I would be looking for big trouble, LOL.

When I first read this, I thought immediately of my favorite kitchen, where they say they included "a submerged cooktop that stays modestly out of view."
I love this idea, as the burners do not rise above the counters. I have not seen other kitchens where this has been done, but I'm considering it myself.

As I looked through the other posts, it seems to me that OP is referring to a flat cooktop, not one with gas burners that rise above the counter heights, but thought I'd share anyway :)

That's a pretty photo, but I'd be really, really wary of having the cabs so close to the burner sides on a gas rangetop. The major heat loss on gas burners goes straight out to the sides. At the Usonian House cooktop we saw, there was a full 4" of space around both sides and rear of the burners.

A while back there was a guy who posted the photos of his Bluestar with the stainless backguard that had seriously discolored due to the high-heat burner being used that was right next to it. I think having to allow the extra airspace around the burners would be the major disadvantage of using gas, vs induction/electric in a lowered cooktop.

Also, having the cooktop dropped down like that would limit the size of cooking vessel you could use-- I wouldn't be able to fit my big cast iron skillet, for example.

I think the point is that if you have a dropped cooktop, it's important to adjust all the nearby cabinets, so that skillets and all frypans' handles will fit.

IMHO, both are goods reason to drop the whole wall's base cabinets (or in my case, the whole side of the island) with the cooktop. Gas or induction, I think that the NKBA guidelines would also advise 12 - 24" on each side at the same level as the cooktop.

I have a huge corner desktop in my kitchen that is lower than the other countertops. I use it for rolling out when baking and I have now found it indispensible when using a Fagor 8 quart multicooker. I am 5’8” and even at my height, seeing down into that pot would be difficult if it were on a 36” high counter.

We will only be considering induction for our next cooktop and I have thought that I may consider purchasing a standalone induction unit to try and I would definitely use it on the lower cabinet rather than on my regular cooktop. If it weren’t for resale, i would probably have just one or two of the Breville Smart Freak induction units that are professional level accurate (but very pricey) and forego a standard cooktop and locate them on the lower area.

Our local kitchen center once did a kitchen with a lowered cooktop and it made so much sense to me when I stood at it, since my shoulders and arms could relax. I know resale is important, but so is how comfortable you will be in this kitchen.

And would anyone say that the kitchen above with the ”submerged” cooktop would be a dealbreaker for resale? I don’t think so!