Work Triangles vs. Work Zones

The industry standard in kitchens used to be all about the work triangle. A work triangle is the space between the three work centers in your kitchen during food preparation. The key element of this is clear traffic lanes among the sink, range and refrigerator which allows for speed, safety and efficiency while cooking. Today we look at kitchens in more of a zone layout than a work triangle. More and more members of the family are working together in the kitchen and everyone needs their own dedicated work space without getting in the way of the other workers.

Food has become more than just a meal three times a day, it has become a hobby and a healthy routine. Maybe you are teaching children to cook, or both you and your husband enjoy cooking together, or your mother in law is living with you and likes her own kitchen space. The most important thing to consider when designing a kitchen is who will be using it. Planning out a space for more than one cook is they key in creating years of quality time spent in the kitchen together.

Some helpful tips for a multi-cook kitchen are no major traffic patterns crossing each other, 48” of walk space in each aisle, a six burner range for each cook to have their own side of the range, separate prep spaces and two sinks are ideal. Think thru the different zones needed for the people working in this kitchen-cleaning, prep, baking, cooking.

Do you have multiple cooks in your kitchen? What elements do you feel are most important for sharing space. I’d love to hear. Email me at jessica@webbercoleman.com