I forgot about dishtowels - both the couple in current use, and the clean ones waiting their turn. Ditto for sponges yet to be used.

Oh yes - In the clean-up area I want to store the plastic containers as well. I am considering when we move into the new kitchen tossing almost everything except the disposable Glad / Ziploc containers. I like the way they stack. We use them extensively for leftovers, often packaging and freezing single meals to be taken to work for lunch.

And we need to store my hubby vaccumm sealer. I think I read someone here had devoted a drawer to the sealer, pulling out an already plugged in unit.

Storage area in general: We put our refrigerator b/w the prep area and the storage area and the storage area b/w the refrigerator and cleanup sink. The refrigerator is used to both get things out for prep and for storing leftover food. When storing leftover food, the serving dishes are scraped into storage containers, storage containers w/food are stored in the refrigerator, and the serving dishes, now empty, are put in the cleanup area.

Sinks: Check out www.galaxytoolsupply.com. We're ordering our 2-bowl Ticor sink from them. We're going to get the S405D--dimensions: 21-3/8"W x 18-3/4" x 9"D (Left), 10-1/2" x 15-7/8" x 7"D (Right) They list both the overall and the individual bowl dimensions of their sinks. Unfortunately, I have found that most other sites only specify the overall dimensions! Galaxy also has SS sinks at a very reasonable price, they're heavier gauge than most, and they include sink grids for each bowl.

Under-sink storage: Be there when your plumber is working and be sure everything is as far over to one side of the sink as possible...plumbing, GD, hot water, etc. Then, you can install a pullout system in the part w/no plumbing, etc. Oh, and whatever sink you get, get one that has the drain holes in the back of the sink and over to the side....then use that side as the side the plumber puts everything.

Tilt-out sink tray: Some like them, some don't. I can see it getting grungy, but if you get a removable one you can take it out & wash it in the DW.

Vacuum Sealer: I think someone in the Finished Kitchens Blog shows it as a pullout shelf in a tall cabinet. Yes, it's already plugged in. It could have been a drawer...I don't remember for certain. I would think a shelf would be better in this case since you want access to the front of the sealer w/o a drawer front in the way.

Dishtowels: There are 2 or 3 recent threads on where to hang used/in-use dishtowels. Search using the search box at the bottom of the page, not the top. Clean ones, I'm storing b/w the clean-up zone and the cooking zone.

GD: We will have a garbage disposal under the large bowl in our sink.

Instant hot water: We will not have an insta-hot b/c (1) I have heard from locals there are problems w/them and our well water (acidic) and (2) budget--had to cut some items! But, I don't remember seeing any w/2-gallon tanks in my research.

Trash can: I think it depends on what size the trash cans are. If you get tall ones, there probably isn't enough room for a drawer. If you do get a drawer, think about what would put in it...remember there will be TRASH just beneath it! I'd hesitate to put food, utensils, dishes, or linens in that drawer.

BTW...Tupperware containers stack nicely; not as "tightly" as the disposable kind, but they last longer. I have some that Tupperware that is over 20 years old.

Hope all of this helps!

I was in the same single/double sink debate with my DH. We compromised with a double sink that had one sink as big as possible. It's the same sink that Buehl was suggesting, the Ticor 405D. The big side is large enough so a half-sheet pan sits flat in it:

Our instahot is an insinkerator, so it only has a 2/3 gallon tank. I haven't ever seen one with a 2 gallon tank. But we really like our insinkerator one in case that helps with your shopping.

We keep our sponges and scrubber in the tilt outs. They're nice, but we don't like them as much as we thought we would. For some reason, ours are shallower than most, so we have to careful how we put the sink stopper in them, otherwise it gets stuck.

There are double trash pullouts that are short enough to go in a cabinet under a drawer. Check out the revashelf 5349 series pullout I linked below. (I have one from this series and they're really nice.)

Even with our garbage disposal, instahot tank, neverMT, and plumbing for 2 DWs, we still have plenty of room to store cleaning supplies, trash bags and the collaspable dish drainer in the sink base. We do not store wraps or food storage containers there. We keep them in a drawer under a piece of counter that is near the fridge and rangetop b/c that's where we find is most convenient to wrap leftovers. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable storing things that come in direct contact with food in the same cabinet as cleaners.

Here is a link that might be useful: RAS 5349 series trash pullout

Thank you for the help. I would likely not have thought about being around for the plumbing. I don't know much about the 2 gallon water heater; I will have to have DH show me what he is thinking of.

I really appriciate the lead on the sink. I will check them out.

I have a couple of questions on the trash pullout. Looking at photos I have seen some cabinet fronts of these units use a knob in the center top, others have a door handle on the top side (as on the link above). Does the latter option make the unit open unevenly?

Also, I have seen references to ones with a foot pedal. How do these work? Is it an add-on or something ordered at the beginning?

My pull on my trash pullout is on the top center, so I can't say for sure how well the side pull works. But the slides are really nice, so I suspect it would work well enough.

The foot pedal is a seperate add on from Hafele. I have it on my RAS 5349 pullout and it works great with it! As long as you have frameless cabinets that is. I have heard of some people getting them to work with framed cabinets, but I couldn't give you a blow-by-blow with those like I could with the frameless cabinets.

A recent thread (Pull Out Trash) discussed this. It includes links to pedals for trash cans mounted on rails and for trash cans mounted on a base. While they are designed for frameless cabinets, a GWer, MeToo2, adapted his/hers for a face frame, full overlay. S/he has several posts in the thread--each with useful information as well as links to pictures showing how s/he did it.

As to a handle on the side or top, I would think a top centered handle would be better...to even out the pull when pulling the trash can(s) out. It would also save the glides by evening out the stress on them. JMHO!

HTH!

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread: Pull Out Trash

Vacuum Sealer: Claire de Luna has a vacuum sealer in a drawer. The drawer face is on a hinge that drops down to use the sealer. Her kitchen is in the FKB.

HTH!