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Original poster

Kitchen islands: do you have your hob on yours?

29 replies

BogeyNights · 22/12/2014 12:07

We are embarking on an extension to the kitchen and this will involved ripping out the old and having a new one (yipeee!)

The new space will have a run of units along one wall. Half of these will be full height to accommodate the fridge-freezer and oven; the other half will house the sink or hob area. As the room is a kitchen/diner, we are going to have a large kitchen island opposite the wall of units.

I would like the sink to go on the island and the hob to go on the wall. But due to plumbing, drains and the like, it is probably more practical to have the hob on the island and the sink along the wall.

I've never been a fan of a hob on an island. But I want you, dear mumsnetters to persuade me otherwise...

Anyone got any advice, strong views or opinions??

OP posts:

Pinkje · 22/12/2014 12:54

Think about the hob extraction unit. We put our hob in a run along the wall as I didn't want to see the extractor.

AnnoyingOrange · 22/12/2014 12:58

We have the hob along the wall and a vegetable sink in the island. Also another larger sink along the wall

MissClemencyTrevanion · 22/12/2014 13:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Marmitelover55 · 22/12/2014 13:56

I don't like the idea of having a hob on the island, especially if you are having bar stools on the other side. I think it could be dangerous with hot oil spitting etc.

Haveimiscarried · 22/12/2014 14:03

We have sink on the island. I spend a lot more time washing up dishes/paint brushes etc than I do stood at the hob, as theres not THAT many things that require you to stand watching the hob the whole time.
Although it's nice to sit the kids on the island to bake, and then slide them round to wash hands in sink before they get down. We have two sinks so that things drying can be inside the second sink and therefore not sat on the island looking messy. Dishwasher is also under the island.

Haveimiscarried · 22/12/2014 14:05

Also I agree that extractor fan in the middle of the room is annoying. Happy to send you some pics of island if you want to PM.

Theorientcalf · 22/12/2014 14:16

You can get extractor fans that sit in the ceiling and don't hang down. Look at Neff.

mandy214 · 22/12/2014 14:46

We did this recently, electrician said we were nuts for having hob in the position we'd planned it but he agreed when I said the only other place for it to go was on the island unit.

Ours isn't particularly large (the island unit) but it is already becoming a bit of a hub - children sitting on stools on the other side. The hob and extractor would certainly compromise that and I wouldn't think it was safe. Although you say its more social, you'd have guests underneath a noisy extractor fan and / or steam coming off the pans blocking your ability to have a proper conversation with them!

Kitsmummy · 22/12/2014 14:49

It's just always struck me as dangerous having a hob on the island and the potential for kids to be running just behind a pan of boiling water

Roussette · 22/12/2014 15:17

Really really didn't want taps and a sink stuck on an island, felt it would spoil the look. Have inbuilt induction hob so completely smooth surface on the island that looks good. Never thought of it being dangerous as it's up one end and we sit at the other.

Have feature extractor fan above. My sink is at the window overlooking the garden with dishwasher next to it. Really wouldn't put a sink into an island unless I could have the dishwasher alongside.

annalouiseh · 22/12/2014 15:44

Hobs on islands can work well if the island it set out correctly for your requirements, same for sinks on the island.
we have had one and it worked well.
if you are worried about the hung ceiling extractor - look at a flush ceiling extractor as these tick a few boxes.
downdraft extractors also work well but you need a bit more space behind the island for the motor (20cm's etc) or hidden somewhere where your unit depth will suffer.
Attached is a franke ceiling hood my dh done with a hob on the island.
As you will see the hood does not intrude too much on the visual space eye level.

Kitchen islands: do you have your hob on yours?

Original poster

BogeyNights · 22/12/2014 16:20

Thanks for your comments mumsnetters...

haveimiscarried and mandy you sound like you're on my side of the fence. I agree that I don't hang round the hob much, except if I am prepping - but if I had a lovely space on the island to prep, I'd probably prep there (whilst watching the TV interacting with the kids). Plus I am planning for the dishwasher to be on the island area too.
On the other hand...annalousieh I really do like that extractor in your picture... hmmm
Think i'll stick with hob at the wall and sink on the island.

OP posts:

Jungfraujoch · 22/12/2014 16:26

I have two sinks on my island and the dishwasher is there also. Hob is on a run to the side. I like when I stand at the sinks I'm looking out towards the garden.

memyselfand1 · 22/12/2014 16:30

I really don't understand the craze of having an island. An island works well if you have:

A hob or a sink in it, and
Enough space for food preparation (at least 60 cm to each side of the hob or sink, and
speace to sit at least two people to keep you company while you are cooking.

Otherwise, it is just a liability and something that makes the kitchen significantly less ergonomic.

If you can't fit such a big island in the space, keep the sink/appliances by the wall and leave the middle space empty for a good table.

Original poster

BogeyNights · 22/12/2014 17:24

We can def fit it in the area. We want it so that we can have bifold doors into the garden. If we didn't want the bifolds, we could make the kitchen a kind of galley kitchen, so the island would become a run of units up to the outside wall. But I want bifolds. And an open kitchen diner. And I don;'t want to be 'trapped' in a galley kitchen with one route in and out.

Two sinks would be good, to "hide" the washing up that doesn't make it into the dishwasher ...

OP posts:

lilttlemarvel · 22/12/2014 18:51

We've got our hob on the island - with bar stool opposite but haven't found that to be a problem. I like it as it is quite sociable as it faces into the more open plan family area.
We decided not to bother with an extraction unit though - haven't found that to be much of an issue as the room if pretty big (10 m x 6.5 m), but not ideal.

Eastwickwitch · 22/12/2014 19:15

I had a hob on the island in my last kitchen. It was induction so flat and had plenty of space for prepping either sides. The induction was similar to the one
AnnaL showed so very discreet, if a bit noisy.
I think a hob is preferable to a sink that's often full of washing up or things draining on the side.

Having said all that I've designed my new kitchen that has nothing on the island although everyone tries to discard their junk

Apatite1 · 22/12/2014 20:36

I'm having hob in the island plus a small prep sink. Double sink facing back wall. Extractor will be flush in the ceiling. The island will be 3m long by just over 2.5m wide, I agree that you need adequate space around your hob to make it worthwhile putting both hob and seating at your island.

I don't like cooking facing a wall plus the room is open plan so I get to survey my domain whilst cooking this way

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 23/12/2014 03:53

We have an L-shaped kitchen diner, with a peninsula rather than an island, but similar principle. We have the hob on the peninsula so that, when I'm cooking, I'm facing into the large part of the room. The sink is on the side wall.

It works really well for us. In contrast to a pp, I spend much more time prepping and cooking at the hob than I do washing up - we have a dishwasher, so almost everything goes in there. The part of the worktop our hob is on is 120cm deep, so perfectly ok for people to sit on the other side, on breakfast stools, without getting splashed by food cooking on the hob. We have a flush-fitted ceiling fan.

If youre in the dining part of our kitchen, looking back across the peninsula, its much more streamlined as our hob is almost invisible (induction hob). I think it would look more cluttered if there was a sink and taps there.

Haveimiscarried · 23/12/2014 07:40

We have bifolding doors into the minuscule garden too :)

coltsfoot · 23/12/2014 08:00

We have the hob on an island too, love it! I can cook and chat at the same time. The island is pretty big though, 120x280, so plenty of space for preparing things next to hob.
Extractor fan in ceiling (with remote control) and it works well.
I have the oven opposite the hob so all I have to do is turn round to transfer things.

Small detail, but one of those hidden plug things on the island is great too, just pull up to use for mixers etc.

MaliceInWinterWonderland78 · 23/12/2014 08:59

We have an induction hob on our kitchen island. We also have a prep sink and a work area - but the island is over 3m in length. We have an upstand which separates the working and sitting side of the island - which prevents little hands from reaching over. It also meant that we were able to put in some bench sockets (the surrounds of which are made from oak - which we're rally pleased with) as we weren't too keen on getting those pop-up sockets.

I've attached a pic of the unfinished kitchen - which shows the Island. Not everyone's cup of tea, but we like it. Having the hob elsewhere wouldn't have worked for us - even though we'll have a sepate range (which will also provide heat)

MaliceInWinterWonderland78 · 23/12/2014 09:48

Also OP, I'm not sure of the wisdom of not having a sink immeidately to hand to fill/drain saucepans etc. You wouldn't really want to be carrying a pan of hot water to/from an island.

Theorientcalf · 23/12/2014 10:19

You do have to think about how much distance you're going to be walking across to get things in the oven etc, carrying hot food. Especially if little DC are running about.

Original poster

BogeyNights · 23/12/2014 15:58

Oh yes. I hadn't thought of pans of boiling water & getting them to the sink. Seems like a little sink next to job would be a great idea. In which case they'll be a sink on the island come what may.
malice I like your island. And the upstand is good for the sockets too. Guess I am going back to the drawing board. ...
haveimiscarried we have very tiny garden too. Will be even smaller next year :(

OP posts:

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