Critique our kitchen layout please!

[Greenleaves20]

Just about to finally press the order button for our kitchen. We think we’ve got it as we want it! Can anyone see any glaring mistakes please? Dishwashers and bins are on the sink side, FF is between oven and microwave. Gap between back wall and island is 1.4m then 1.1m on the window side and 1.25 m on the wall side. Door nearest the oven is a possible pantry although might just be a plain wall. Main entrance to kitchen is by the table. Thanks!

It's lovely! Sorry for commenting as I know how hard it is when you are ready to press buy... but you asked :)

Having recently done our kitchen, I would move the ovens next to the microwave so appliances are side by side, or have the microwave down next to the extractor for the hob (assume downward draft?). I would also add in another F2C unit to create a double door pantry, they are amazing and it is my favourite part of my kitchen.

I also think the dining and sofa should be switched but I know that was for illustration.

How close are your sink and your hob? You don't want to be walking far with hot pans. My bins are next to the sink, makes sense to me.

I'd have more deep drawers rather than cupboards if you can.

Where is the fridge? I always think it's good to have that accessible without getting under the feet of someone cooking/working in the kitchen if possible (so that people can get drinks etc).

I'd put the ovens next to the microwave so they fridge freezer and pantry cupboards are together. Then there is a food storage area and a cooking area.

I'd have more deep drawers rather than cupboards if you can.

Yes this! Make the two cupboards under the chopping board a graduating trio of wide drawers. Plus think about doing the same on the island. So much easier than rummaging at the back of a cupboard.

I would like a worktop next to the ovens so you can lift things out easily eg to add seasoning, stir and pop back again. Could you switch them with the microwave? I also like worktop next to my fridge so that if you are having a bit of a tidy up or getting out stuff from the front to get something from the back it's easy but not sure how you could do both.

Yes to drawers and worktop next to the oven.

Looks lovely @Greenleaves20. Is the hob on the island? How are you extracting from it? Where are your sockets? Do you have any on the island unit? Have you considered the distance between the door to the kitchen and the chairs nearest it? Can it fully open and a person get round it? It looks tight from the picture.

I agree re the deep drawers. Also where are you going to put boiling hot pans when you take them from the oven? I’d consider a pantry and/ or breakfast cupboard too. And the other thing is from the plan it looks like there will be a really small gap between the top of the high units and the ceiling- would it be worth considering a line of small cupboards above the full height units to keep stuff you only use occasionally there?

I agree about deep drawers rather cupboards under the counters and the apparent lack of extractor fan.

Another vote for drawers instead of cupboards wherever possible.

Also the current fashion for eye line ovens is great as long as the top one isn’t too high BUT oven definitely needs somewhere to the side to put hot stuff on when taken out of the oven.

Nice long cooking space between the sink and the microwave gets my thumbs up - assume the bin is in a cupboard somewhere and is big enough for all varieties of food waste/recycling/landfill?

Boiling water tap?

Thanks everyone! So we need to look at more drawers then. We picked the cupboard below the bread board rather than drawers for keeping plates and bowls etc in. Haven’t ever stored these items in a drawer, does that work well?

Having a surface next to the oven is something we had thought about… we thought turning round and putting on the island might be ok but I agree it’s not ideal. We use the microwave and FF a lot more which is why we’d put them closer to the main kitchen if that makes sense. Probably use these items daily whereas oven maybe twice a week and then for Christmas etc

Extractor fan is in ceiling above the hob - will be hidden behind the steel there as we wanted it out of the way.

Good point about the space between the door and the table - we have swapped table and sofa around now and won’t be having a corner sofa.
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It does look a bit like a kitchen for people who don't like cooking!

The oven placement worries me, definitely don't have a door next to it, and it would be safer getting things in and out if it wasn't so close to a wall.

I don't think it's ideal having an oven adjacent to a fridge/freezer.

@Brusca we do like cooking, just do a lot more hob based meals -stews, stir fry’s etc maybe this is because we’re vegetarian? The hob is on the island to allow for sociable cooking. The door near the oven isn’t a pathway and probably will just be a plain wall anyway.