Kitchen islands are becoming an increasingly popular component of large and open concept kitchen designs. When a kitchen layout starts to become so large that the trip between the sink, stove and refrigerator starts to make cooking and use of the kitchen cumbersome, the kitchen island becomes the ideal spot for the stove.
Laying out the Kitchen Design
When laying out the kitchen design, it’s important to take into account the working space between the most utilized areas of the kitchen. The sink, stove and refrigerator are the primary working areas of the kitchen, and when laid out properly, should form the design of a triangle, known as the working triangle.
To maximize the use of the kitchen design, the working triangle should have a total distance between the three centers of no more than 26’, and each leg of the triangle should be no greater than 9’. In extremely large kitchens, and open concept kitchens which open into other rooms of the home, the working triangle in a conventional design may start to get too large to remain functional. In this case, including a kitchen island in the design, and installing the stove or cooktop at this point makes the kitchen more user friendly.
Venting a Kitchen Island Stove
All cooking surfaces must be correctly vented according to code. While most codes specify venting each cooktop according to the manufacturer’s specifications, there are some guidelines to follow.
A cooking vent should be wider than the cooking surface by a total of 6”; 3” on either side and the vent must be ducted to the outdoors. There are two styles of vent that are generally available for an island stove, although specifications will vary by manufacturer.
A kitchen island hood is available and is the most effective form of venting from a kitchen island. The hood comes down directly from the ceiling and should be centered over the stove, extending both outward on each side, and behind the stove by 3”.
If ducting and venting the kitchen island through the ceiling not available, some stoves and cooktops are available with vent which resides inside the kitchen island until needed. At this time, the movable vent can rise out of the island, extend upward behind the cooktop and vent as required. This form of venting however should only be used as a last resort, as these styles of vent may not provide adequate ventilation for all cooking.
Nearly any form of stove or cooktop is available to be installed in a kitchen island. In some cases, just the cook top may be installed, with the oven placed inside cabinets nearby. The choice should be made based on the cooking habits and kitchen usage of the homeowner.
Consider the use of a kitchen island stove or cooktop to maximize the working triangle of the kitchen design and get the most use of the kitchen today.
Sarabeth Asaff - Sarabeth Asaff is a freelance writer and artist with a passion for cooking and good food. Growing up in the kitchen of her Lebanese ...
