I think ranges are more often found against the wall because the venting is easier and more effective at this location. That is what our architect told us when we asked about putting a cooktop on the island. That being said, I'm sure there are effective ways to vent an island cooktop as I know a lot of folks have them. We were also deterred from doing it because of the size of our kitchen (mid-sized) and location of the island. In our situation a big vent hood in the middle of the room would be overwhelming so we decided to go with the wall placement (I didn't want a downdraft vent because that was said to be not very effective so that wasn't an alternative for me from the aesthetic perspective).

There are quite a few threads on the island v. wall cooking issue, with many very thoughtful responses. You might want to do a search to see if you can find some of them.

My personal opinion is that if I had to choose between a sink or a cooktop in an island, I would choose the sink any day. Hot grease can jump out of a pan and burn, but a little water won't hurt. Also, if you do go with island cooking, I would look into induction, which supposedly cools off instantly and seems like it wouldn't be quite as scary as say, a gas or electric cooktop.

As AFR66 noted, venting is probably the biggest consideration. Much easier to do on an outside wall and more efficient. That said, you can do it on an island. The one question to ask though is aesthetics - you mention a vaulted 15' ceiling? is that the height over the penisula where the range would go? If so, think about what a vent chimney rising 15' will look like there. In some cases, it may look great. In others, it may not be the look you want

Not only is venting easier on a wall, having it there won't block a view into or out of the kitchen the way an overhead vent over an island or penisula would. Downdraft vents are not an option unless you plan to get a low powered cooktop.

We spend far more time doing prep & finish work with guests than at the cooking area. We deliberately put our range, which is a focal point in our kitchen, furthest away from our "public" area, so turning our backs to cook is something that happens away from their space & not for very long.

I would not put a cooking area very near where anyone will sit. Besides the safety issues of heat & hot spatters, cooking areas tend to be messy and you need space for staging. With a vent fan going, conversation will be difficult to hear, unless you have it away from guests.

Finally, architects are great for space & design, but tend to be terrible at functional kitchen design unless they actually cook.

We prefer drawer storage for spices, using wide jars from Specialty Bottle so they sit upright & all measuring spoons can be used. If you prefer conventional jars, then lay them on their sides in a shallow drawer, or upright in a deeper one. We have oils in an upper, but you could store them in a lower pullout or drawer.

Easier and less expensive venting is the main reason for putting the range on a wall. Also, most of the time spent cooking is spent doing the prep work, not actually standing in front of the range so an island or peninsula is a good place for doing the prep work. That said, many people do put their range or cooktop in an island or peninsula. It's really what you decide is best for you.

I went thru the same decision. I had the wall taken out between my living room and kitchen, making it one big room. I had really wanted the range in the island until I considered the venting. I decided I did not want to have the vent be the focal point of the kitchen when you looked in from the living room. My rooms are not that large(kitchen 11' x 22' and living room 15' x 15'). I also have only 8' ceilings, and I thought that the vent would overpower the room. If you have large rooms and a 15' ceiling, that might not be an issue. Best of luck with your decision.

Thanks for all the responses. Good point about grease spattering, flames being hazardous, etc. I have those reservations myself. I plan to make the vent hood a focal point of the kitchen...I am thinking of doing some decorative painting and faux copper finishing on the hood itself, up to the point where the it meets the chimney, and then it will be venetian style plaster, like the rest of the walls. Because I am an artist, I can do all the finishes myself. I can adapt the design to either wall or island mounting. DH thinks maybe we should do SS, like so many of the glossy photos in the magazines...I wonder who is going to go up on the ladder to clean that much SS!

One of my dreams for the home is to have gatherings where cooking is the activity...so in that case it does make sense to have the range in an open area...but the safety concerns are something I will have to think through. Does anyone have induction in an island? Can you get induction with the griddle option, like the Wolf? I hadn't considered induction because of the expense, but Wolf isn't exactly a discounted item, either.

Do you have children or grandchildren (or plan to)? To me, aesthetics was a distant second to safety. Having a range or cooktop/rangetop on an island or peninsula w/seating for anyone is dangerous...even more so w/children and/or w/high powered cooking. Grease splattering, high heat, and steam are all issues w/cooking where people will be sitting. If you do insist on putting it there, then be sure you have a minimum of 24" b/w the BACK edge of the rangetop and the seating area.

Children or others doing homework or projects on probably the largest expanse of counter in your kitchen will be dangerous b/c of the flames, etc.

Cooking as an activity...is actually mostly prep...cutting up veggies, etc...and then presentation--and they can both take place on an island or peninsula w/o being hazardous to others.

Time spent actually standing in front of the rangetop is far less than you think. Do you stand over something the whole time watching it cook? No, you check it, stir it, and go away to do something else...so you're not really spending all that much time in front of the range. For those few times that you do need to attend to something (e.g., making eggnog when you have to stir constantly) you probably need to pay attention to what you're doing anyway and you will be better off away from the "socializing". Even if you think you don't need to pay attention, those times when you must hover over the rangetop are usually few and far between.

Can you actually hang a plaster hood from the ceiling easily? Don't you need extra support (via a back wall)? Maybe it's not as heavy as I'm thinking it is...but I would think about that as well.

Lastly, think about the size it will be...can your kitchen handle something that big? The capture area needs to be at least 54"W, probably closer to 60"W, by 27" or 30" deep for a 48" high-powered rangetop. That's 5'x2'6" of venetian plaster hanging down b/w the kitchen and the adjacent room.

Yes, several people here have opted to put their ranges/cooktops in an island or peninsula, but most (no, not all) have (1) a raised counter for the seaters so there is some protection from the range, (2) have no seating across from or next to the range, or (3) have a large expanse of counter b/w the cooking surface and the seaters.

I ask you to seriously consider all these issues before making your decision. Your architect does not have to live w/what he's designed...you do! As others have mentioned, many architects are great at overall aesthetically pleasing designs but not very good when it comes to actual functionality.

In the end, if you do put the rangetop in the peninsula, at least you do it knowing that you made an informed decision, not an emotional decision! It is YOUR kitchen, so ultimately it's your decision...Good luck!

I have noodled on this too, and I decided that when I was using heat I wanted to be focused on it, primarily, and not chit-chatting away. And as others have pointed out, relatively little time is spent standing and looking at your pots when compared with all the other activities.

Plus I didn't like the cooking show set-like atmoshere of a range in the island - and mine is 48" like yours. I wanted counter, prep and plating space to face outward in the room. I don't have an "open" to rest of the house kitchen as I prefer to keep it separate, but more than half of my exterior walls are windows, which I like looking out of from behind my island, and with my stove at my back (and easily vented through an adjacent exterior wall.)

I think an artist-created hood sounds lovely, but I think one big enough to cover a 48" range and extending up 15 feet to the ceiling may be overhwleming unless the overall space is huge. Can you create a mock-up to get a feel for it, in advance?

Molly~

I have strong feelings against having a cooktop on an island. Others have already stated the obvious, but let me repeat - Island hoods do not work as well, they are more prone to room drafts. They are big, and loud and get in the way. And with vaulted ceilings you'll have a huge, long column of something -stainless, whatever above the hood. Your guest will not love being 'smoked out' when you grill a steak or shrimp either.

If you want to be able to cook and look at your guest, or let them see what's going on, put the range to the side, against the wall.. it would help to see a proposed layout.