Where should appliances go in a kitchen?

A fridge in the wrong place, a dishwasher too far from the sink, or an oven door blocking a walkway will make a kitchen pretty frustrating to use.

You'll have heard about the "kitchen triangle" (sink, hob, fridge), and it's a useful starting point.

But most kitchens now need to do more than just cooking, so it helps to think in terms of zones instead:

• Food storage (fridge, freezer, pantry)
• Prep (worktops, sink, bins)
• Cooking (hob, oven, small appliances)
• Cleaning (sink, dishwasher, bin)
• Morning Coffee (sink, grinder, coffee machine)
• Even laundry if that happens here too!

The aim is to keep related things close together so you are not constantly crossing the room.

• Place the fridge somewhere easy to access without walking through the whole kitchen
• Keep the sink, dishwasher and bin close together
• Allow clear prep space between the fridge and the hob
• Avoid placing appliances where doors will clash or block walkways
• Aim for a bare minimum of 900mm clearance between runs of units, around 1000-1200mm is ideal

Ideally near the entrance to the kitchen so it can be accessed easily without disrupting someone cooking.

Make sure the doors can open fully without hitting anything, and still have space to move past when open.

Next to the sink and near the bin both for plumbing and practical clean up moving from one to the other.

You'll also want the dishwasher to be near where the clean plates and cutlery are stored so that emptying the dishwasher is quick and easy.

Make sure you can stand comfortably in front of the dishwasher while it is open without blocking the main walkway.

If it's built-in, take the opportunity to position the oven at a comfortable height.

Avoid placing ovens directly next to a fridge, as heat and cooling systems don't mix well.

Think about where hot trays will go when they come out of the oven.

Allow space either side of your hob so you have somewhere to put hot pans down.

Avoid placing it directly against a wall where possible, as pot handles can make things crowded in less space.

Think about the distance to walk from the hob to the sink with a boiling pot of pasta!

It's easy to focus on the big appliances, but small appliances often have a bigger impact on how your kitchen actually feels to use.

Think about:

• Kettles
• Toasters
• Coffee machines
• Microwaves
• Air fryers
• Blender / food processors
• Food mixers
• Rice cookers
• Slow cookers
• Toastie-makers

The key question is do they live out permanently, or get stored away? How often do they get used?

You need to plan for:

• Enough worktop space
• Sockets in the right place
• Not clustering everything in one corner

A common issue is ending up with all small appliances competing for one section of worktop near a single socket...

You need to plan for:

• Easy-to-access storage (not too high, not too deep)
• Enough space to actually fit them
• Somewhere practical to use them when needed

If you have to lift something heavy out every time you use it, you probably won't.

• Appliance garages!
• Dedicated breakfast cupboards
• Pull-out shelves

These allow you to:

• Keep appliances out of sight...
• ...but still plugged in and ready to use

Plan where your small appliances go alongside your plan for your sockets.

• Appliance doors opening into walkways
• Door clash
• Where hot trays go when they come out of the oven
• Where you stand when unloading the dishwasher
• How two people will use the kitchen at the same time

And even if you keep your appliances in roughly the same place, changes in...

• Appliance size
• Door opening direction
• Surrounding cabinetry

...can affect how usable the space is.

A layout that "worked before" doesn't always work with new appliances!