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Property/DIY

Hob facing the wall or into the room

37 replies

langlandgirl · 13/02/2016 13:22

what would you go for?

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allegretto · 13/02/2016 13:23

I'm not sure what you mean.

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Ughnotagain · 13/02/2016 13:31

What kind of layout are we talking? How close to the wall?

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BYOSnowman · 13/02/2016 13:32

Do you mean on an island or on a wall?

I hate having a hob on an island as it makes a mess and I think it's dangerous if someone is sitting the other side

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langlandgirl · 13/02/2016 14:00

sorry .....have a choice of against the internal wall, on a peninsula looking across to the dining table and into the garden beyond or on an island looking towards a different internal wall.

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BYOSnowman · 13/02/2016 14:15

I would rather have it against the wall

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MrsDeathOfRats · 13/02/2016 14:18

I think I would go for into the room/view option.

But having said that... The wall provides the cleanliness of a splash guard which would be better then always having to clear up splashed fat/grease etc

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BYOSnowman · 13/02/2016 14:22

And if someone is sitting the other side they may get splashed too!! And then there's the extractor fan issue - the only nice over island ones I've seen are expensive

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EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 13/02/2016 14:26

I would always choose against the wall. I don't like islands with things built into the top, I prefer a good clear surface.

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BYOSnowman · 13/02/2016 14:28

Yes me too - miss my big island surface!!

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KanyesVest · 13/02/2016 14:33

Facing into the kitchen. I refuse to spend an hour a day for the next 20 years facing a wall.

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SchnitzelVonKrumm · 13/02/2016 14:42

I'd go for wall side - our architect was keen for us to put the hob on the peninsula but I felt it would be dangerous to have pans of boiling water/hot fat that could potentially tip and spill over the other side. Also, I don't want to talk to anyone and be watched while I'm cooking!

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SchnitzelVonKrumm · 13/02/2016 14:43

Also have extraction problem.

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langlandgirl · 13/02/2016 14:58

we've got an extract problem full stop as there is no external side wall. I'm finding planning the kitchen really stressful which is surprising as i thought it would be fun!

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LizzieMacQueen · 13/02/2016 15:15

I think it depends on your style of cooking.

If you do a lot of stirring/adding ingredients whilst chatting then put it on the island. If you do a lot of boiling/simmering and basically leaving food to cook itself, then facing the wall is better.

Mine is facing the wall.

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Titsywoo · 13/02/2016 15:15

Yeah the idea is nice but I don't think anything on an island is practical. My island is a large empty countertop and we do all the food prep there but the hob, oven, sink etc are against the walls. It works very well and is much cheaper for installation! We have no external vent either so got a good hood that has carbon filter in that we change every 6 months and is works well.

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BYOSnowman · 13/02/2016 15:19

Maybe put the plan up and people could suggest

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EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 13/02/2016 15:30

I just came back to post the same thing Lizzie.

Obviously when planning you have to take into account the shape of your room, position of windows and doors and where the external walls are.

In our kitchen, following all the regulations (water away from electricity and so on) points were
1 Keep equipment away from doors or thoroughfares for safety reasons
2 Plenty of clear space either side of the hob and oven
3 Position fridge and place to make hot drinks, toast etc. away from the main cooking area so that people coming to get drinks if I'm cooking, are out of my way and it doesn't get congested
4 Position of dishwasher and crockery cupboards the same principle, so people don't get in each others way
5 A deep larder cupboard which gives loads of storage
6 Bookshelves for cookery books, radio and stuff like that

Most of the time we keep the island unit clear with just a plant, vase of flowers or bowl of fruit on it, but I do use it for prep work sometimes too and it cleans down easily

If there's nowhere else, you also need to think of where the ironing board, mop, vacuum cleaner and that kind of thing are going to live.

Have a look at some sample layouts that would fit your room and try and imagine yourself cooking and spending time in there. Get a feel for it.

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EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 13/02/2016 15:32

Forgot to add that my extractor is on an inside wall, the pipe runs along the top of the wall cupboards to the vent on the exterior wall, but you can't see it.

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snowgirl1 · 13/02/2016 15:34

Ours faces the wall. Our peninsula is a nice wide work surface with nothing on it, which is how I like it.

We have an extractor issue too. At the moment, we don't have a coooker hood and just open windows.

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PigletJohn · 13/02/2016 17:22

First work out where you can fit an extractor, then put your hob under it.

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UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 14/02/2016 02:57

We had this dilemma. Our peninsula had to have something on it as the run of units facing the wall is only long enough to have either the sink or the hob. We opted to have the hob in the peninsula and the sink facing the wall, and I'm so glad we did.

When I cook, I can chat to whoever is in the diner/family room bit. I can look into the garden, it feels very sociabke. I would hate to cook facing a wall - it's what i did before we had the kitchen redone, and i wouldn't go back.

The splashing thing is not an issue. The dc quite often sit the other side of the peninsula from the hob and have never been splashed by hot oil. The peninsula is 120cms deep, so they are 60cms from the hob. They are teens though, it might be different if your children ae small.

The work surfaces and hob get a wipeover after cooking, I don't see how this is more onerous than wiping a splashback or tiles. In fact, i would say it's less work, having done both.

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EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 14/02/2016 13:26

I've never had a peninsular but often think that if I did I'd like an upstand on the room side with a narrow worktop. It'd serve to put plates on when they were going either way and also screen the work area from the dining part.

They seem to do that a lot in Australian all in one cooking/dining/living rooms.

Again I suppose it depends on the width and overall size of the room.

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Marmitelover55 · 14/02/2016 14:18

We had this dilemma and I chose to put the cooker against the external wall rather than the peninsular. Our peninsular is only 900mm wide though. We have windows at the end so this had no impact on our decision.

I would really worry about not having a splash back on an island.

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langlandgirl · 14/02/2016 18:02

ok so this is the proposed plan. Ignore the kitchen layout, it is fair game at the moment - i want u shape with peninsula part facing dining table and diagonal view into sitting area, dh wants long island and doesn't care what goes in it etc so long as its all flowing in the same direction with no peninsula! We do not have a very large budget for this as most of it being gobbled up moving kitchen from it current location which is the proposed sitting area! Comment gratefully received.

Hob facing the wall or into the room
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BYOSnowman · 14/02/2016 18:07

I think id rather have the kitchen in the doing area as I prefer a bright kitchen to a bright dining room!!

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