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Kitchen Layout & refrigerator questions - advice needed!

abrshafer
10 years ago

I am trying to decide on my kitchen layout... Part of the problem is I am not sure if I want a regular side by side refrigerator or if I want two units- a freezerless refrig and a full size freezer with trim kit. If I do the combo- do I want them together as one big unit or to separate them?

I am attaching some views. This view is doing the combo but having the fridge and freezer separated.

We are a family of four. Two children 6 & 4 who are future little chefs (they love helping in the kitchen). I do buy in bulk and have one small deep freezer that I keep full now. I just don't know if I want to keep going to the garage to get the items in new house. That is where the idea of a combo unit in kitchen sounds nice! (though large).

Right now my working triangle is more of a diamond but I think I like that since island is in the middle and thats where I plan on doing all the prep work, etc.

Another idea for a layout would to eliminate the bar area where current sink is located and then lengthening the island (and adding sink to island)?

TIA

Comments (9)

  • abrshafer
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Refrig/Freezer together....

  • abrshafer
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Orginal kitchen floorplan. I have moved the double ovens to stairwell wall.

  • liriodendron
    10 years ago

    I wouldn't move the ovens all the way across the kitchen. Doing so would be step in the wring direction and be less functional. Though I might move them closer to the doorway to maximise the size of the counter between them and the cooktop.

    If you really want them a bit farther away from the stove counter then how about on the refrigerator wall on the left of the drawing?

    Having the ovens more than, say. three or four steps apart is problematic if you cook something that requires both oven and cooktop. I do things like that all the time: sear roasts, gravy making, keeping first batches of pancakes or fish fies warm, etc. Anything that starts, or stops in one, but also uses the other means that you'll be carrying a hot pot - perhaps a very hot pot across your kitchen and arouond a barrier island.

    The other problem with separating all the ovens is ventilation. For baking cookies and cakes, and even baking potatoes, etc., there are no noxious odors or smoke. Bur broiling (or even high heat roasting) is another matter. When the cooker is a range then the ovens are under the vent hood, so it doesn't matter. But as soon as you separate them the issue arises. Far across the kitchen and your fan will do next to nothing to get rid of the smell of garlicky, fishy, stuff that's broiled.

    One solution is a single oven range (not cooktop) under the vent hood where the the broiler is used and if you want a separate baking area, then a single wall oven over there. In that case you have the best of both worlds. No one wants to exhaust the smell of gingerbread cooking!

    I wasn't clear if the diagram you posted is the proposed plan or the before. Pictures of elevations aren't very useful for planning purposes, but a floor plan is. just wasn't sure if the one you posted was athe before, or you current plan.

    HTH

    L.

  • cookncarpenter
    10 years ago

    I really like the first version, separated by the counter, (with no bar sink) That would be very user friendly for me. I like a place to set stuff as I get it out of the refer/freezer.

  • abrshafer
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks L that is a good point about venting... I really want the cooktop to be centered but want the kitchen to be functional as possible...

    I should clarify a little. The two pictures are the two options I am looking at for my refrig/freezer placement. Either together as one big unit or two separate units on same wall. Currently they are on the wall that the floorplan shows as having a regular size refrigerator. I wanting opinions on which looks better . The floorplan scale also has the cooktop being 30 inches. We are looking at getting a 36 inch induction or gas cooktop and I am wanting to center it on the wall with a wood hood above. We might put a warming drawer under cooktop?

    Microwave will be a sharp micro drawer in island.

    Another option might be... Moving the refrigerator/freezer to stairwell wall and having double ovens on wall where current refrigerator is? I don't think there would be room to have both the double refrigerator/freezer and double oven on the same wall unless I went with a regular refrig.

    Thanks again and keep opinions coming!

    (Here's a picture of the electrolux double frig/freezer with trim kit I am considering. Any opinions on this versus a regular side by side?)

  • abrshafer
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks ctycdm, I like the look of first one better too and that is true about having the counterspace right there. Plus I would not need to buy the separate trim kit (above and below unit to make it look like one unit vs two)
    However, I also like how I have the two pantries flanking the combo on the second option and I would not need to buy granite for that wall..... but I am not sure if I like the huge combo unit look...

  • deedles
    10 years ago

    I like them separated, too.

    Check out the Frigidaire all-fridge/freezer, too. Excellent reviews on AJ Madison.com

  • mark_rachel
    10 years ago

    What do you need more? Pantry or countertop with some storage? I like the look of the first option much better. The combo looks to commercial to me. I would personally like the small counter top to set things out of the way or create a bar or something.

  • taggie
    10 years ago

    I like the separate ones with the coffee bar area in between. It looks like you can have practically an entire wall of pantry cabs along the back if you wanted to, so extra pantry space isn't needed on the side.

    I echo liriodendrum in that I would hate my ovens being across the room and across a major aisle from the cooktop. I'd be tempted to do a range so that I had an oven handy for dinner use where I'm popping things from stovetop to oven, and then an additional oven/micro combo stack on the back wall beside a baking zone. That way you'd have the best of both worlds ... might be overkill though. I'd also put water in the island.