The kitchen work triangle is a popular design concept that prioritizes easy movement between the sink, refrigerator, and oven. It is defined by a triangular layout between the stove, fridge, and sink. This layout is considered the best way to design a kitchen. To create an efficient kitchen work triangle, it is essential to measure your kitchen and draw a plan.
The kitchen triangle is based on the three main working areas: the sink, the refrigerator, and the stove. The rules of the kitchen triangle include having each side of the triangle be 4-9 feet, all three sides equal 12-26 feet, nothing should block the sides, and traffic flow should not intercept the triangle.
To understand the rules, consider the three main working areas of the kitchen – the cooker, the sink, and the refrigerator. Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and nine feet each, and the sum distance of the triangle should not exceed 26 feet. The total perimeter of the kitchen triangle should be no smaller than 3.9 meters and no larger than 7.9 meters.
To create an effective work triangle, form the three points within an L-shaped kitchen or across the aisle in a galley. The sum of the three sides of the triangle should not exceed 26 feet, and each leg should measure between 4 and 9 feet.
📹 The Kitchen Triangle FAILED Me
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What is the CM rule for the kitchen triangle?
The kitchen should have a minimum distance of 120 cm between runs, with an ideal distance of 140 cm or more for multiple users. The work triangle should be 7 meters or less, and there should be at least 40 cm clearance between the worktop and wall-mounted cupboards. The worktop height should be 90 cm, with elbow height a few centimetres above the worktop height for comfort. For tall users, an enlarged plinth may be necessary, while for short users, a lower plinth may be necessary.
What are the dimensions of a kitchen triangle?
The work triangle in a kitchen should have no less than 1. 2 m (4 ft) or more than 2. 7 m (9 ft) legs, and the sum of all three sides should be between 4-8 m (13-26 ft). Cabinets or other obstacles should not intersect any leg by more than 30 cm (12 in). If possible, there should be no major traffic flow through the triangle. A full-height obstacle should not come between any two points of the triangle.
Work aisles should be no less than 110 cm (42 in) for one cook or 120 cm (48 in) for multiple cooks. A sink should have a clear counter area of at least 60 cm (24 in) on one side and at least 45 cm (18 in) on the other side. A refrigerator should have a clear counter area of at least 40 cm (15 in) on the handle side or 120 cm (48 in) across from the refrigerator. A stove or cooktop should have a clear 40 cm (15 in) area on one side and at least 30 cm (12 in) on the other side. At least 91 cm (36 in) of food preparation area should be located next to the sink.
What are the disadvantages of a kitchen triangle?
The Kitchen Work Triangle design, originally conceived for single-cook households, is not without its shortcomings. It is not conducive to the needs of multiple cooks and is not compatible with all kitchen layouts. Consequently, it is a less optimal design for multi-cook households.
What is the golden rule for kitchen design?
The work triangle in a kitchen design connects the cooktop, sink, and refrigerator, ensuring efficient movement between tasks like cooking, cleaning, and food preparation. The distance between these zones should range from 4 to 9 feet. The kitchen layout should also include provisions for power outlets and electrical appliances like the dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, stove, chimney, and RO water filter. Ensure that the doors of the refrigerator or dishwasher do not hinder movement within the kitchen.
How far is the kitchen triangle rule?
The work triangle in a kitchen should have no less than 1. 2 m (4 ft) or more than 2. 7 m (9 ft) legs, and the sum of all three sides should be between 4-8 m (13-26 ft). Cabinets or other obstacles should not intersect any leg by more than 30 cm (12 in). If possible, there should be no major traffic flow through the triangle. A full-height obstacle should not come between any two points of the triangle.
Work aisles should be no less than 110 cm (42 in) for one cook or 120 cm (48 in) for multiple cooks. A sink should have a clear counter area of at least 60 cm (24 in) on one side and at least 45 cm (18 in) on the other side. A refrigerator should have a clear counter area of at least 40 cm (15 in) on the handle side or 120 cm (48 in) across from the refrigerator. A stove or cooktop should have a clear 40 cm (15 in) area on one side and at least 30 cm (12 in) on the other side. At least 91 cm (36 in) of food preparation area should be located next to the sink.
How do you arrange a kitchen triangle?
The kitchen triangle rule is a kitchen design concept that focuses on creating a functional and efficient layout for the sink, hob, and refrigerator. The triangle is based on the idea that these three zones are the most frequently used in a kitchen, with the sink for food preparation and cleaning, the hob for cooking, and the fridge for food storage. The work triangle should not exceed 26 feet in length, measure between 4 and 9 feet in width, and not cut through a kitchen island by more than 12 inches.
The implementation of the kitchen work triangle will vary depending on the kitchen’s shape, such as straight, U-shaped, parallel, L-shaped, or G-shaped, and the use of a kitchen island. Examples of kitchen triangles for different kitchen shapes include:
What is the best layout for a U shaped kitchen?
A U-shaped kitchen is a design style that consists of three adjoining walls arranged in a horseshoe shape, with an open area in the middle. The walls act as the base, with one wall featuring the cooker and/or sink, and the other two acting as its sides and typically featuring storage and work surfaces. The U-shaped kitchen is typically associated with larger kitchen spaces and often includes an island in the central area.
To create a stylish U-shaped kitchen, consider the “kitchen work triangle”, center the kitchen around a window, incorporate seating with a peninsula, use an island as a fourth wall, use open shelving, and use smart storage in corner spaces.
What is the 3×4 kitchen rule?
The 3×4 Rule is a crucial rule for home cooks, stating that there should be three separate counters, each about four feet long, dedicated to each cooking phase. This ensures that cooked food is not placed on spaces that previously held raw chicken, and dirty mixing bowls do not crowd out fresh vegetables. The four-feet-long rule provides enough space for boards, bowls, baking sheets, and other paraphernalia for each phase of a typical recipe.
Potter suggests that this rule is approximately the size of two cookie sheets in the oven, with room for a bowl of cookie dough in between. This optimizes the kitchen for efficiency at all stages of cooking.
What is the U shape kitchen triangle rule?
The U-shaped kitchen layout consists of three walls of cabinetry and appliances, creating a compact and efficient triangle. This layout allows for short distances between the three points and ample counter space. A galley kitchen with a work triangle features two parallel walls of cabinets and appliances, with the sink and refrigerator positioned on the opposite wall from the stove. An L-shaped kitchen with a work triangle has two adjoining cabinets, forming a kitchen triangle L-shaped for smooth workflow without crossing into other functional areas.
A kitchen layout with an island implies a central island that can house appliances or be used for prep. A kitchen work triangle with an island can be created by placing the sink or stove on the island and the other two points on the surrounding walls.
The single-wall layout has all appliances and cabinets along one wall, working in a linear sequence with appropriate spacing and creating a functional workflow. If needed, adding a kitchen island can be added to arrange essential zones in the same style as the kitchen triangle in a galley.
The golden triangle kitchen design may not work in every kitchen, as modern kitchens often include more than just three appliances (fridge, range, sink). It is crucial to plan ahead and create a layout that allows easy movement in the space. If kitchen sizes allow, it may be time to consider a more creative way of zoning the kitchen.
What is the triangle rule for kitchens?
The kitchen triangle rule is a crucial design principle in kitchen layouts. It requires a triangle with three sides not exceeding 26 feet, each leg measuring 4-9 feet, and no side cutting through a kitchen island or peninsula by more than 12 inches. The rule also prohibits major traffic patterns from crossing through the triangle. A second triangle can be created by adding a second sink to an island or fourth-wall peninsula, creating a specialty workstation for baking or vegetable prep.
The work triangle guidelines are not laws, but rather guidelines. The rule originated in the 1940s as a utilitarian work area for housewives to create family meals. Today, kitchens are large, multi-functional, and serve various functions, leading to a shift towards a work zone approach.
What is the triangle rule in interior design?
In a kitchen, the work triangle is formed by the sink, refrigerator, and range, with a straight line between them that is between nine and four feet in length.
📹 Kitchen Planning Guide – Step 2: Plan the working triangle
The second thing you should consider when planning is the kitchen working triangle a concept we use to ensure that kitchen …
One HUGE difference between the way I work and the way my great grandmother worked is that she sat down. A LOT. If she was doing any tedious task that was going to take awhile, she sat at her kitchen table. Peeling vegetables was a huge one. I’ve noticed for decades that I don’t do that and it took a long time to figure out why. She was running a homestead. She was out doing chores for a good portion of her day. She was constantly working in her garden, hanging laundry, and running all over the place. She needed every minute that she had to sit down because her poor little feet and legs were getting a constant workout. Taking ten minutes to sit and do a task was the only time she got to sit at all. Because of my computer, I sit a good portion of my day. I sit much more than I stand and when I get an opportunity to stand, it’s a relief. When I’m working in the kitchen, sometimes that’s the only opportunity I have to stand and walk all day. I don’t WANT to sit in my kitchen. “Busy” for me, usually means sitting. My great gram would never understand that, The computer really changed the way we move and that’s had a profound impact on how we use our kitchens.
I wish you could see my kitchen. It’s a new build (10 months) and I designed my kitchen from my own previous experience, perusal your articles and a few others on YouTube. You’re speaking to me with most of your ideas. My home is in a seniors community (kind of), I’m a younger retired senior and I designed the kitchen to function for me for the next 20 year. My upper cabinets, 2 of them, sit direct on the counter because I’m so tired of reaching upper shelves. Cups/mugs are kept in a drawer beside plates/bowls. I bake and cook lots and there is not one thing I’d do differently. I love my kitchen. It’s white and it’s my 6th IKEA centric design.
8:20 My husband and I solved this problem immediately OUTSIDE of the kitchen. We have a large, wide hallway there and we put a ‘command center’ in that hallway. Charging stations, batteries, basic office supplies that we share and are always reaching for, calendar, whiteboard for notes, drop zone for mail, and so much more. Until we gussied up that hallway, we had an area right inside of the kitchen that was a magnet for all the junk. The hallway was designed to collect ALL that stuff. In our case, the hallway links the kitchen to both our offices AND our primary (side) door that leads to the garage. That’s where groceries are brought in and passes through the mudroom with the freezers. This is the best layout I’ve ever had and we need to start adding things like this into basic home design. It makes such a huge difference. My daughter has large dogs and she dreams of putting a dog washing station in that mudroom. Catch it all before it’s tracked into the house.
I’m only 5’0″ and I can reach the top shelf on all my wall cabinets without a stool or expensive pull down unit except for the top shelf over the corner base. There I can’t even reach the second shelf without a stool. I simply adjusted my shelves and added bins so I can pull the bin off the shelf. The ones I have on the top shelf have an open grid pattern that I can stick my fingers through the holes to get a grip to pull it down. I also store my cereal on the top shelf on the skinny side of the package with the bottom of the box toward the back of the cupboard. Upright on its side it’s easy for me to grab too. I don’t have any cupboard over my fridge or stove in my current kitchen.
As we are restoring our 1946 house, we are making our kitchen the way we want. Little to no cupboards, the refrigerator is located similar to yours so that you can take out what you need to place directly on the counter across from it. Our range is where yours is as it is also close to the long prepping counter. We keep all of our prepping supplies on top of or below the very large vintage countertop we have.
I’m in the UK. The most usually encountered type of fridge here is a single door style, rather than the double everyone in the US and Canada seems to have. These are pretty much universally designed so that you can swap the door hinge from one side to the other. This means that, when you’re getting stuff out of the fridge (or putting it in), you can have the worktop adjacent to the fridge immediately accessible, rather than having a door on each side blocking access. Of course, single-door fridges have less capacity, but aren’t we in the middle of an obesity epidemic?
Work triangle is outdated because of the dishwasher? I thought the idea was to have no obstructions between areas used in food preparation. What on Earth are you cooking in the dishwasher? Also, if storage is more important than the outdated work triangle, then couldn’t you get more cabinets in by moving the refrigerator out to the garage? I think the work triangle is still a valid concept.
My kitchen was a magnet for clutter. Then I discovered Clutterbug and Cass had a article which I think was designed just for me about mail clutter. I thought I was just lazy. Turns out I was only overwhelmed and was actually always cleaning but only succeeding at moving clutter piles around. My kitchen and dining table have been junk free for months now. I still pretty much hate my kitchen layout, quite passionately at that. But at the end of the day, i gotta admit it looks pretty good.
My problem with the triangle is the things it misses out. You have the fridge, but not the pantry or any other storages – which may include a freezer in a garage or basement. You have the sink, but not the dishwasher or the bins. You have the stovetop, but not the oven or any of the small electrical cooking appliances we use now. And it completely misses the concept of work spaces! The triangle does not allocate any priority to a space to cut up vegetables or mix and roll pastry or carve the roast or plate up dinner or .. well, anything, really. It simplifies the kitchen to the point of absurdity.
Pulldowns! I’ve been wanting these since I first heard about them some years ago. I knew I’d want those in any remodel: pullouts and pulldowns. I’m a little over 5’4″, and I feel for all previous cooks in this kitchen. The design sucks; the house layout sucks, but it’s a product of its time, so just gotta make it work smarter in spite of that. And don’t get me started on junk drawers.
I’ve just moved into my newly built home. I have a galley style kitchen with the sink, dishwasher, cooker and fridge all along the back wall. The top shelf of the overhead cupboards are to store Christmas items or items rarely used. I wanted my kitchen designed so I could have views out to the pergola and future small garden. My kitchen island is 4.4m long which is 2.9m island with all drawers that lowers to table height for a 1.5m table. Allows me sit at the table if I am doing some lengthy food prep and allows for future accessibility needs.
I think having a few minor poor choices in your own kitchen makes you more aware of the impact of minor poor choices in clients’ kitchens. So long as you keep the attitude of “I did this because I wasn’t thinking about it, and it’s not great” and don’t fall into “I did this and I put up with it so who cares if you have to put up with it too” then you’ll be fine.
I bought extra shelves for all my uppers (because of course the lowers are drawers!) and it makes it so much more useful. My old cabinets were 50s steel and fixed shelves so to use the vertical required stacking bowls on plates, etc. Now my uppers look like a layer cake of shelves, I installed them as I loaded stuff back into the kitchen. For instance an extra shelf above the vitamins would increase your storage and efficiency. My top layer is all the stuff I only need randomly (and I have a library kick stool to access those when I need it!)
How much space is too much space between the back wall counter top and the island counter top. My wife and I are remodeling a kitchen that has U shape and we’re opening it up and doing a parallel design. Plan is for a long wall of cabinetry and a long parallel island. The current U shape kitchen has 108 inches of space between opposing counter tops. Obviously want to narrow that, but I see a general recommendation of 42-48 inches but that requires a lot plumbing relocation. Considering having about 60 or up to 74 inches of space between the 2 countertops. Its an open concept design with the living room and it’s a large space with cathedral ceilings. (With it being such an open space we definitely have our work cut out to add some character in this open space.)