The Working Chef’s Kitchen Work Triangle

Canadel came up with this Kitchen Island ISL4272-PQ which is perfect for the rustic kitchen work triangle setup.

If you are thinking of a kitchen remodel, then you have probably heard of the kitchen work triangle. Most designers hail this to be the best layout for a kitchen but not a lot of homeowners would want to venture to this kind of project.

As soon as you take it on, you would find out that it is a relatively easy idea. It also allows you to save your time and energy. In layman’s terms, kitchen work triangle is the fusion of three work areas in every kitchen – the range or stove, the sink, and the refrigerator. There are concrete guidelines to help you set up this work triangle but, of course, your preference can always bend the rules.

Now, here’s a little historical background. The kitchen work triangle concept came into existence in the 40’s. This was during a time when the kitchens were small and appliances were quite huge. The kitchens then were perceived as a place where cooking is done – nothing else.

Each of the three areas represents these –

The sink is where the food is cleaned and prepared
The refrigerator is where food is stored and preserved and
The stove is where food is cooked.

Chefs who love working in the kitchen know that there are several steps to food preparation, cooking and serving. Kitchen work triangle marks the distinct spaces also called the work centers. This is an ergonomic design that will reduce the total distance and effort that chefs put into running the kitchen.

The Kitchen Work Triangle – Is It Now Irrelevant?

You may hear critics saying that this kitchen concept is no longer relevant. To understand what they mean, you must first know how this concept came to be in the first place. It was the University of Illinois School of Architecture that devised the concept as a part of their design study. This was conceptualized in the post-war 1940’s.

The world was pretty different then. Only men were considered breadwinners and women were pictured as the picture perfect wives who still looked prim and proper even after a day’s worth of household chores. But those days are long gone. Mommies no longer stay at home all the time; they don’t bake all the time; and they do not prepare packed lunches anymore.

Nowadays, food can be processed in restaurants and the quicker alternative is fastfood. But if this kind of food preparation drives you nuts, and if you are the type who still wants to eat food politely in your own dining room, then you can always bring back the kitchen work triangle concept.

The Universal Furniture Dining Room Chelsea Kitchen Table 316751 is perfect for the improved kitchen work triangle. Today, diners are welcome inside the kitchen, a place used to be left only to cooks. Families can also share hot, scrumptious meals, in simplistic style.

Going Beyond the Kitchen Work Triangle

The kitchen work triangle still has a huge role to play in today’s kitchen. Here are the glaring benefits of this concept –

Two or more people can use the kitchen at once. You could install a second sink where more work can take place.
People who are left-handed would find this layout advantageous.
Rectangle can be created from what used to be a triangular work space. More appliances can now be brought in.
The dishwasher can be positioned at an angle where it is most accessible. This is often in relation to the area where the sink is installed.
The stove top and other work centers can now have a clearance that is much more spacious than what it used to be.
Foot traffic is prevalent on the work and seating areas so the kitchen triangle layout would be the perfect solution to space problems.
The kitchen space will now relate to the rest of the rooms in your home. The chef or the cook in your home would no longer be shut off from all the other activities.
TV and computers can be safely installed.
The kitchen work triangle can accommodate all sorts of needs, impairments and abilities.

Tags: high traffic kitchen, kitchen work triangle, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, working kitchen

This entry was posted on Friday, February 26th, 2016 at 5:28 pm and is filed under Interior Design 101, Kitchen Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

The Working Chef’s Kitchen Work Triangle

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