It depends on the space as a whole & intended use to determine the most functional option.

A great designer can layout a unque space to fit an individual's tastes & uses, while keeping within the guidelines of good, overall functional use.

Why do you ask?

Do you have a project coming up or just interested in the design process in general ?

It's a great subject either way ;)

Open floor plans lost the wall cabinet storage which brought about the popular island & peninsula as the solution.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-the-island-became-the-star-of-the-kitchen-248309

IMO the perfect kitchen layout is the one that works for how you cook . That is where a good kitchen designer ( not cabinet salesperson) comes into the picture . Not all kitchens need or should have an island , I love true pullot pantries in the same wall as fridge and use that design often for clients but not for all . If you are really wanting some help with your kitchen please post a to scale floor plan showing all windows , doors and adjoining rooms . If plumbing needs to stay show that. BTW I dislike walk in pantries they waste space and are rarely in the most conveinent place.

If you're doing research or planning for a future kitchen, take a look at the NKBA guidelines. Starcraft's illustrated version.

The New to Kitchens? thread is also an invaluable resource.

I know several kitchen designers that work collaboratively with cabinet designers & cabinet salespeople. I also know some great cabinet & kitchen designers who are hired in cabinet sales positions. It depends on the individual & the place they work whether they are focusing on selling or designing for the client. Choose the right person for each trade for the project based on their experience, skills, & integrity.

In terms of best layout, the advice in this older Kitchen Forum post is hard to beat,

Looking for layout help? Memorize this first

Starcraft also has a very good page on pantry layout,

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/kitchen.pantry.htm

And seconding mama goose's links. The "New to Kitchens" thread has lots of useful information that helps you figure out how you and your family use your kitchen, because a lot of the planning IS person specific. One link in the New to Kitchens thread takes you to this separate thread, and I highly recommend the third post down by Buehl, under the heading "Additional Information",

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5500789/faq-how-do-i-ask-for-layout-help-what-information-should-i-include

Here's just the start of that post, and there's a lot more,

We also need to know something about you and your family. We're not being nosey, we need this information to help both you and us understand how your space will be used now and in the near future.

Please answer the following questions:

What are your goals? E.g., more counter space, more storage, seating in the kitchen (island? peninsula? table?), etc.

What is your family composition? Adults? Children? Age ranges of children? Current? Future?

How many kitchen workers are there? Cook(s)? Cleanup? Helpers? Now? Future? (E.g., if you have young children, plan for them to be helping out very, very soon as you begin to teach them to help out and, eventually, cook. Also, plan for them as teens for "sizing" since that will also arrive much sooner than you think!)

Do you or anyone in your home cook? (No, this is not a facetious question. Some people do not cook and their kitchen is a show place only. If that is what works for you & your family, that's fine! We just need to know that.)

How do you see your kitchen used?

-- Just for cooking/cleaning up?

-- Children doing homework while you cook?

-- Party place?

-- Something else?

Do you entertain a lot? If so, formal? Informal?

Do you want your kitchen to be a "hang out" place? Parties only? Everyday?

Do you have a separate DR? Do you use it frequently? Infrequently? If infrequently, do you want to begin using it more frequently (e.g., for daily/nightly family meals)?

Would you like to open up the kitchen to adjacent areas? Close it up?

Do you plan to merge two rooms/areas (e.g., Nook and Kitchen into a Kitchen only)

Do you have a basement under the Kitchen space? Crawl space? Slab?

Where are you flexible?

-- Can windows or doorways change size?

-- Can windows or doorways be moved or eliminated?

-- Can windows be raised/lowered?

-- Does the sink have to be centered under a window?

-- Does it have to be under a window at all? (Sinks under windows are an old paradigm left over from the pre-Dishwasher days. Today, we spend far, far less time cleaning up; in fact, the majority of our time spent working in the Kitchen today is spent prepping.)

I spend a lot of time lugging groceries in from the garage and through the laundry room to the hall and then to the kitchen. I want my pantry and fridge right where I enter the kitchen. I want an island side across from the fridge and pantry with a prep sink. So I can drop the groceries on the island and put things in the pantry and fridge. Same when I use the stuff. Take out everything I need, put it on the island top. Prep veggies at the sink across from the fridge. I don't like upper cabinets. I need my large range across from my island main sink and a dishwasher and trash/recycling pullout. I need a beverage center with another sink on one wall with a chiller and icemaker. I need drop down seating for six. All with tons of lower storage, mostly drawers and pull outs.

Some really great comments here and links. Thank you!

laura, is this for a reno or a new build? What stage are you at with your planning?

It's always fun to revisit Marcolo's treatise on layout:

marcolo_gw Looking for layout help? Memorize this first.