https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5972404/new-to-kitchens-read-me-first-2020-interim#n=17

Please read and heed the advice at the above link. You'll get more on-point advice from the pros that way.

I'm not a pro, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway.

It strikes me as unlikely that the raised counter you envision will hide your "dirty" stove from anyone sitting on the other side of the counter. Possibly the raised area will hide the stove from people further across the room, but that doesn't seem to be what you want. Also, if you clean as you go, your stove will probably not be so terribly dirty.

I encourage you to consider your new kitchen as a genuinely new whole, rather than trying to recreate something that worked in one space in a new, different space. Unless the new kitchen layout is identical in every single respect to the old kitchen, it will not work or feel or look the same way as the old kitchen. Look for solutions to the problems you have now, not the problems you used to have.

Thank you for the comment, I have done a mock up and it seems to hide my grates pretty well (that's really all I want as I think they tend to look meh after much use). Not really a problem, just a thought. New kitchen is definitely not the same, I love my island but that one thing if possible to improve. I was just wondering if there was an example of my description. And for what its worth...I do clean as I go.

You mean a two level island?

Something like the two tier islands that were everywhere in the 1990s ?

Most people are removing those now when they renovate their kitchens Those islands faced the living areas and the raised bar height portion was supposed to hide the "mess" in the kitchen.

Get an induction range or cooktop! You will have a sleek and easy to clean cooking surface for many years. No need to hide it.

Yes! The picture in the middle, modified to what I have in mind! I dont like the 2 level with bar height seating of days past. And with the ledge being something that if a future buyer (or myself) it can be taken off. Thank you !

I like that picture in the middle, if you are going to eat near the cooktop. I don’t want my plate sliding into the stovetop, and it will help keep the island countertop a little cleaner from spatters.

I have to admit, I'd never seen anything like the picture Beverly posted in the middle. I can see how that would work for you, tbsummer.

I'll leave my first comment up in case it helps somebody else, sometime.

thanks for the help! It also serves as a place for extras not needed full time in the eating area, like a bottle of wine you're working on or condiments...although the one in the pic is deeper than I want. I dont get the drawers either.

The drawers could hold napkins, rolled rolled-up placemats, candles, pens, chargers…little things you need where you perch or eat.

I am a chef I cook a lot for friends , catering and myself . My grates on my gas range are used all the time Iwash them in the DW often they look like they should look well used from cooking great food. . I would strongly dissuade you from doing a cooking appliance in the island with seating . I cannot even imagine how you would keep that clean and looking like new . You would need a very wide island to even begin to think about that addition. Rethink the layout and change is a good thing.

You should absolutely do what works for you but please know this will really date your kitchen and make it very niche and not for everyone. If you don’t care about resale etc then do what makes you happy.

Personally I would get the cooktop off the island. I would not want to sit at an island with a hood running. You are going to put a vent hood over your cooktop right?

Why don't you show the kitchen you are planning? We tend to love that which we get used to having, and I'd avoid a cook on the island like I'd avoid plague.

You're worrying on hiding grates on a range top or cook top, as a pot boils, or searing in a cast iron pan and it all takes place at the island with all your guests hanging there with a drink? You are hiding..........nothing: )

That said, and I have done it........

You have the fabricator build a "box" ledge. five sides finished, in same material as your counter top., to your specs height, length, depth etc. You just set it there, it's mitered, or do it in your cabinet material, and top it with same counter surface. Do NOT attach to anything. The weight alone will keep it in place.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts, I have it this way now and love it. I'm older and building what I like. When all of the kids come home, we all end up milling about...some washing, some cooking, some sitting at the island taking or catching up along side us while we cook...so the central island kitchen works great for us. Maybe unconventional or impractical, but again I wouldnt change it. I was just pondering the ledge and wanted to see a pic of the possibility.

I would recommend building the chef's ledge like the middle picture and making it fully separable. Like put it on small rubber feet so it can go away and there's a solid counter underneath it.

@tbsummer - I have looked and cannot find the picture I had that was exactly what I think you want.

The kitchen itself looked similar to this one:

But instead of the raised wood being all the way to the edge it was designed like this

I personally thought it was a great solution for those people who have a cooktop and seating at their island.

I can just picture this with the seating side being a raw edge and having a raw edge dining table in the dining room next to the kitchen. Having a couple of outlets with phone chargers so people could place their phone up on the ledge and charge them without danger of a drink being spilled on the counter and ruining the phone.

I liked this design because it still left some area without the raised section for rolling dough or decorating cookies or having a crockpot filled with soup that could be accessed from both sides.

That is a good idea posted by BeverlyFLADeziner(the middle one). @tbsummer - search for multi-level kitchen islands and you will see a few more examples. Good Luck!