Whatever works for your situation and needs. But then your island appears not to be usable for anything else as islands usually are. No seating or extra work space. I use my island as a buffet table for holidays, breakfast seating for a quick bite, the guests gather here as we prepare our feast, and I occasionally use it as a cutting table when I sew, the top is the perfect layout size and with my ironing board set up next to it. With a cook top in the island, when you are cooking and it's splattering all over and hot, no one will not want to be near it especially kids. You will need a vent hood above the island which are big and take up head room and visual space. But if that's what YOU want and it fits your lifestyle then you are the boss and not your kitchen contractor. Good luck

I have seen Jenn-Air installations on islands before in addition to stove space. They can be vented down and with the overlay plates, can give you more cooking space. I prefer island capability for cooking to be in addition to a more conventional setup. Just be careful of your working triangle when you do this.

thanks for your comment. My kitchen is too narrow to have seating on the island..so no loss there but I have a breakfast area. also he put my double oven in a way that when I open it , it would block a doorway...that doesn't seem ok to me.

I know about the triangle and I had that before but now things are kind of everywhere. Part of the problem is I have a lot of doorways. UGGGHHHH very frustrating. ...I was flooded in sandy and wasn't expecting to have a demolished house. Usually when you do a kitchen you spend months planning it

It is a safety issue from three stand points: 1) insufficient landing safe for utensils, bowls, plates, etc., 2) insufficient space for escaping splattering hot grease, in other words someone walking by or leaning against the island can get burned my spattering grease and 3) insufficient room for pan/ pot handles, making it easy for a passerby to knock a pan off the cooktop/range potentially burning themselves or someone else.

How would the cook on the back side reach the controls for the burners?

Controls would be to one side of the cooktop, so one does not have to reach over the cooking area, correct?

Hello Estie, if you want your cooktop to be installed as part of island, that should be just fine and I have seen it done before. I think, it is nice, since you have all the available counter space for your other appliances. Also, having the cooktop where you want it, may give you a bigger preparation area. I think it is neat. I will suggest you to also look at some of the backsplash designs for the areas where you do have backpsplash. You may visit www.artpalette.net and check the designs there.

I've had my various cooktop (over the years) on the island and would never have it any other place. It is 30" wide, the remainder of the island is 52" with a small bar sink on the end. A ton of good cooking has taken place in this little space! Good luck, you are not crazy!

yes the controls are on the side....thanks guys for your input..I really enjoy it on the island cuz two people can use it at the same time and not be in each others way...we have a lot of cooks in our kitchen