Kitchen island ideas

[Tripletmum3]

What are peoples best advice about design and layout for a new kitchen island? Extractors? Quiet ones? Induction jobs? Layout of drawers?
I am intending to have a large island ( nearly 3 metres) in our new extension and will have the hob on the island at one end with stools for our teenagers to sit on to one side.
I love cooking and am looking forward to being in the centre of things. So want some advice.

Power. Too many islands built with no power sockets- waste of space

Only drawers, not cupboards. I hate low level cupboards, too much having to bend down low to find anything. Unless they are narrower depth cupboards

Think carefully about what tasks you will do on the island and how to store stuff needed for those tasks

Personally now I’d never have an island, they look trendy but are actually a waste of space- peninsula much more effective use of space.

I agree with power, at least 2 double USB sockets in the seating area and another not far from the hob. I only had seating ones last time and it drove me mad trying to stretch my hand blender to the hob to blitz soups and sauces.

Pan drawers. At least a couple of sets. My island was 2.8M and I had pan drawers under the hob and all the other cabs were drawerline. Suited us fine but I would probably have another set of pan drawers next time.

Definitely induction gets my vote. So sleek and easy to clean. The one we’re about to have installed is a flush line one so completely flat. I never had induction either, but then I’ve always found induction to be a bit lame in all my houses so usually just open a window and shut the kitchen door. Personal preference though.

The last 2 “inductions” were meant to say “extraction”…..no coffee yet 😂

I have the IKEA induction with the built in down draft extractor. Love it, though definitely wouldn’t say when the extractor is on fully that it’s quiet, but having it on low is quiet enough and effective.

Thanks for all this advice. Power sockets and pan drawers useful. I will have a think about all the things I like to use when using the hob and then link them to the drawers/ pan drawers.
Any recommendations on the extractor? I have been looking at Bora but I don't want it to be too noisy. Thoughts?

When I was planning I wrote out lots of examples of how we use the kitchen and we went through each one to see if it worked

Tripletmum3 I have a Bora with downdraft extraction and it can be noisy on full power but only need that if boiling pans of water. We also have cupboards along the side of the island away from the cooking area but set back so there is still room for legs under the counter.

Everyone saying they hate islands but I love mine.
I deliberately had no appliances in the island, it's all workspace with stools and storage underneath. I have a pop-up power socket for 4 plugs and USB, 3 stools, and 6 cupboards and 3 drawers, masses of storage. It's 2.5 metres long. People sit on the stools and chat while I'm cooking. It's really sociable. Like a big kitchen table, but at a good height to work at.

I've been looking at Bora hobs today. Love the style.

I'm going for a silestone worktop. Kitchen co said I could have an island max 3.1M wide without a join.

Most quartz comes in 3m runs so don’t worry too much about that.

If you have cab space to spare I’d think about a Neff hob with built in downdraft extraction. Extraction over an island will always look a little odd otherwise.

I'd go for an island that was 2/3 quartz and 1/3 wood. Quartz at the "working" end and wood at the seating side for warm arms. I'd want a herb / champagne trough with drainage. Drawers everywhere rather than cupboards. Lots of bins..

I'd want a herb / champagne trough with drainage
What is this, @chillibeansauce?

@chillibeansauce that is exactly what we are having fitted next month. We have cornflower blue units and navy quartz/oak on the island! The units around the walls will be navy blue with the oak worktops; great minds think alike!

Well I've googled herb/champagne trough. Well that's a new one on me!!