What else do we need to keep in mind regarding planning a kitchen
and zones?

.

Dish Storage...works best when it's near the DW and near the serving/eating
locations (island, DR, Nook, etc.)

.

Food Storage...works best when it's near the "action". It's nice to be able to store staples, etc. at
their point-of-use, so food storage can be spread throughout the kitchen. E.g., flour, sugar, etc., in a "Baking
Center", spices in the Prep or Cooking Zone, cereal close to where
breakfast is eaten, etc. If you have a
dedicated pantry, it's nice to have the pantry near the point where the
groceries enter the house as well.

.

Refrigerator...works best on the periphery of the kitchen so it's easily accessed
by people working in the kitchen as well as "outsiders" looking for a
snack without the "outsiders" getting underfoot of those working in
the kitchen. It should also be near the Prep & Cooking Zones inside the
kitchen and, if possible, near the main meal location(s) for ease of access
during mealtime.

.

Microwave (MW)...this also works best on the periphery of the kitchen so it's
easily accessed by people working in the kitchen as well as
"outsiders" looking for a snack without the "outsiders"
getting underfoot of those working in the kitchen. If possible, it should
be somewhat close to the refrigerator and a water source – but not at the
expense of getting in the way of prepping and cooking a meal.

.

Zone-crossing -
avoid!...When planning zones, etc., try to minimize
zone-crossing. For example, if you can
avoid it, don't put the refrigerator such that you have to cross through the
Cleanup Zone to go b/w the refrigerator and the Prep or Cooking Zone.

.

Protection...of all the zones, the Cooking Zone should be the most protected
from through-traffic as well as general-kitchen traffic. The Cooking Zone contains the range/cooktop
where you will be dealing with fire (if gas), hot foods, etc. You do not want to have to cross a busy aisle
when taking a pot of boiling water from the range/cooktop to the sink for
emptying...or anything else hot, for that matter!

Zones and Kitchen Workflow

.

When designing your
kitchen, ideally, the zones should follow the normal/usual workflow in a
kitchen:

Refrigerator/Pantry
(Storage) > (Prep) Sink > Workspace > Cooktop/Range > Table OR
(Cleanup) Sink > (Cleanup) Sink > Cabinets (dishes, pots/pans, etc.)

Which translates to:

Refrigerator/Pantry >
Prep Zone > Cooking Zone > Serving Zone > Cleanup Zone

You don't necessarily
have to have this exact flow, but something very close. For example, you might have the Cooking Zone
located between the Refrigerator and Prep Zone. This isn't necessarily bad b/c these two zones
are tied so closely together. On the
other hand (OTOH), it's not a good idea to put the Cleanup Zone between the
Refrigerator and Prep or Cooking Zones on the same run or on the same aisle if
it's a narrow aisle. In this case, the
DW and someone cleaning up and/or loading/unloading the DW will be in the way
of anyone prepping or cooking because the refrigerator is an integral part of
both prepping and cooking. And, of
course, the reverse is true....someone prepping and/or cooking will get in the
way of someone cleaning up!

Common Zones, Appliances in
that Zone, and Suggestions for What to Store There:

.

• Storage…pantry &
  refrigerator--Tupperware, food, wraps & plastic bags

• Prep(aration)…sink &
  trash/recyclables--utensils, measuring cups/spoons, mixing bowls, colander,
  jello molds, cutting boards, knives, cook books, paper towels

• Cooking…cooktop/range & MW (and
  near a water source)--utensils, pot holders, trivets, pots & pans, serving
  dishes (platters, bowls, etc.), paper towels

• Baking…ovens/range--utensils, pot
  holders, trivets, pots & pans, casserole dishes, roasting rack, cooling
  racks, cookie sheets, foils, rolling pin, cookie cutters, pizza stone, muffin
  tins, paper towels [often combined with Cooking Zone]

• Cleanup…sink & DW & not too
  far from trash--detergents, linens, dishes & glasses, flatware

• Eating/Serving…island/peninsula/table/nook/DR--table
  linens, placemats, napkins, dishes & glasses, flatware

• Utility…broom, dustpan, swifter,
  mop, cleaning supplies, cloths, flashlights, batteries, extension cords

• Message/Communication/Command
  Center…keys,
  phones/answering machine, charging station, directories/phone books, calendar,
  desk supplies, dry erase board or chalkboard, pens/pencils, sticky notepaper

.

Less Common Zones:

.

• Tea/Coffee Bar…tea/coffeemaker (and near a
  water source)--mugs, teas/coffees, sugar, teapot

• Snack/Beverage Center…near MW & refrigerator
  or small refrigerator--snacks, snack dishes, glasses [often combined with
  Tea/Coffee Bar]

• Pet Zone…feeding area--food, snacks,
  leashes, medicines (if no small children in the home), etc.

Overlapping of Zones

.

Due to space
constraints, some zones often overlap. If this is the case in your kitchen, be
sure there is enough work space in the overlap for both activities. Zones that
commonly overlap...

• Prep &
  Cooking Zones…These zones should be adjacent to each other, so this is a
  common overlap and is generally not a problem. Just be sure you have enough
  room for prepping as well as landing space for the range/cooktop. (It is
  strongly advised you have enough room for emergency landing space on both sides
  of a range/cooktop.)

• Prep &
  Cleanup Zones…If there is only one sink in the kitchen, these zones will be
  adjacent to each other because of the need for a water source for both zones.
  However, true overlapping is not generally a good idea. Instead, try to keep
  the cleanup area separate from the prep area by putting the sink between them.
  E.g., DW on one side, Prep Zone on the other side. (You should strive to keep
  the DW out of the Prep Zone as well as out of the path between the sink and
  Prep & Cooking Zones and between the refrigerator and Prep & Cooking
  Zones.) Also try for at least 36" (42" or more is better) of room on
  the Prep Zone side of the sink for ample workspace as well as accommodating the
  inevitable dirty dishes that will accumulate next to the sink.

+++++ PLEASE DO NOT BUMP – THIS THREAD IS REPLACING THE FAQ AND WILL BE REFERENCED FROM THE "READ ME" THREAD! +++++

+++++ PLEASE DO NOT BUMP – THIS THREAD IS REPLACING THE FAQ AND WILL BE REFERENCED FROM THE "READ ME" THREAD! +++++

++++++++++ OBSOLETE -- DO NOT BUMP ++++++++++

UPDATED:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500762/faq-kitchen-work-zones-what-are-they