You want a minimum of 15" as a safety landing zone on the short side of the cooktop, then your 36" cooktop, then 12" landing zone, then your 36" of prep space, then 21" for the sink cabinet to house the 18" prep sink, then at least another 12" beside the prep sink. Plus 1 1/2" of overhang. You're up to 135", which is why most people concentrate on just having the prep zone on the island, which takes care of 70% of the time you spend in the kitchen rather than the 10% actual cooking time.

If you want seating, add in 15". Plus add in 42" all the way around for aisle space. If the kitchen has at leas a run of cabinets across the end (L shaped plus the island) your kitchen is up to 22 feet long just to have both zones and seating on the island.

I'm even more safety conscious...I think there should be at least 24" on the sides (left, right) of the cooktop and 18" to 24" behind it, depending on whether you have seating directly behind the cooktop!

If you have seating directly behind the cooktop, you should aim for at least 24" from the back of the cooktop to the edge of the seating overhang for safety's sake. Without seating directly behind the cooktop, 18" should be enough for no seating (yes, I have seen grease splatter 18" or so...and more often than not). With someone seated behind the cooktop, they will probably be leaning over the counter a bit, so another 6" is best for your visitors' sakes (18" + 6").

I think the island should be:

Width: 1.5" overhang + 24" cabinet + 36" cooktop + 42" landing/workspace + 21" sink base + 12" cabinet + 1.5" overhang = 144" = 12'0"

Depth (front-to-back) with seating behind cooktop: 1.5" overhang + 24" deep cabinet + 1" decorative door/panel + 23" seating/safety overhang = 49.5" = 4'1.5" (round down to 49" = 4'1")

Depth (front-to-back) with no seating behind cooktop: 1.5" overhang + 24" deep cabinet + 1" decorative door/panel + 18" seating/safety overhang* = 41.5" = 3'15.5" (round up to 42" = 3'6")
(*with 15" or so deep cabinet behind cooktop + 3" overhang in front of 15" cabinet. Seating along rest of island, if desired.)

On the plus side, it gives you a nice big expanse of workspace for small and large projects. On the negative side, that's a pretty big island to be running around.

Have you considered putting your cooktop on the perimeter behind the island so you could prep on the island and just swivel/turn to use the cooktop? That would leave you a lot more workspace and still have a smaller island. For example:

Width: 1.5" overhang + 12" cabinet + 21" sink base + 54" workspace + 1.5" overhang = 90" = 7'6"

(Or, if only 42" of workspace, then 66" or 6'6".)

IMO, 42" to 48" is the ideal amount of workspace when b/w the sink and cooktop - enough for cooktop emergency landing space + workspace or for the full space to be used as workspace, but not too far from the sink that you're hiking over to it.

With no cooktop in the island, the full space is available for working and it leaves you with a wonderful expanse of countertop for large baking projects (like cookie baking & decorating), gourmet cooking, crafts, school/science fair projects, staging food for a buffet, appetizers + people sitting at the island, etc.

As Live_Wire_Oak mentioned, for the large majority of us, 70% (or more) of our time is spent prepping. Additionally, 20% of our time is spent cleaning up and only 10% of our time is spent cooking. So, just putting your Prep Zone in the island will mean you are still spending the majority of your time at the island.

Do you have a floorplan/layout we could look at? If you're open to help, we can help you with your layout to get the best layout possible for you and your family... If you're interested, see the "Layout Help" topic in the "Read Me" thread (linked below).

Whatever you decide, good luck & keep us posted!

Here is a link that might be useful: New To Kitchens? Posting Pics? Read Me!

Our island is a little over 10' long and 45" wide with a 36" cooktop. On the left side of the cooktop we have 24" and on the right side there is about 5' of counter space. I do not have a sink on this island, but have the main sink on the perimeter across the way from the cooktop. We do not use this island for seating.

We have a second smaller island (6' x 3.5') for breakfast/entertaining and it has a second sink.

I would think that 10' length is not too small for cooking/prep as long as the sink is not oversized...not sure about seating around a working island as you are configuring.

...and don't forget about an overhead range hood!

If you put your cooktop in the island, then you should have a hood at least 6" wider than the cooktop (42" hood for a 36" cooktop) and 27" deep. In addition, it should be powerful enough to overcome cross-breezes...maybe 600cfm or so - more if you grill or do a lot of frying/stir-frying/high-heat/high-grease cooking OR if you mount it higher than the specs state.

If the cooktop is on the perimeter, it is still recommended that your hood be 6" wider, but if you have surrounding cabinets it's not as crucial, so in your case 36" would probably be OK (although I do support the recommendation of 6" wider). As to depth, 24" should be sufficient. For cfms, 600 is probably fine unless you, again, do a lot of frying/stir-frying, grilling, etc. OR if you mount it higher than the specs state.

Why do you need a wider & deeper hood if the cooktop is on the an island (or peninsula)? Open spaces like that are subject to more and stronger air currents so smoke/steam/grease/odors/fumes/etc. will start drifting and expanding more quickly as they rise. To handle this, you need a larger capture area - which means wider and deeper - and sometimes more power (especially if you mount it higher or grill).

clarygrace..your island sounds like it's an ideal size for what is on it!

I wouldn't like to have as much space between the sink and cooktop as buehl and live wire are suggesting. I like being able to stand in one place between the sink and rangetop and be able to rinse things out in the sink or dump peelings, stems and such into a bowl in the sink and tend to a pot on the range while prepping.

I have 24 inches between the prep sink and the cooktop and it works for me. Another 6 to 12 inches would be nice - up to 36" between sink and rangetop.

We have 12" on the other side of the rangetop. 18" would be better, but I've never had a safety issue with it. It is just that when I stir fry it would be nice to have more room for my mise en place dishes.

I've also seen emergency landing space mentioned a number of times in posts here and I don't understand the need for it. What causes a landing space "emergency" need? I check for where I'm going to land something before I open the oven. Often I land things on the rangetop because most of the times I don't cook on all 36" of my rangetop. When there isn't room on the range top, I set up a cooling rack or hot pads before it is close to time to take something out of the oven.

We have the sink on the corner of our island - the same distance from the side as from the front. I don't find I need any counter on the other side of the sink and it is convenient for people entering the kitchen to be able to wash their hands from the side of the island without getting in my way.

I also don't know how buehl gets the range on her grease splatters that they go more than 18" "more often than not". I usually fry on the front burners (easier reach for me) and I haven't found splatters on the counter behind the range. Any splatters therefore are within one foot when I cook.

Our island is 8'. If we had had the space 9' to 9.5' would have been useful.

Our island is 51" deep. 24" of cabinet on the rangetop prep sink side and 12" on the seating side with a 15" seating overhang. Before the remodel, it was 48" which was enough to keep pots on the rangetop beyond arms length for small children sitting there.

Thanks for all the feedback, you guys are awesome! I met with my architect because I was worried about how some other elements of the remodel would work with a 10 foot island. It will be fine, so 10' it is. I will have space for the recommended layout, even if I don't follow it to the letter. Now, my experience has been similar to Cloud-swift...I have my cooktop in my island now and haven't run into any of the problems mentioned except I have really missed having a sink within arms reach and 24" of prep next to cooktop is NOT enough for me.

I like to stand at the cooktop/prep and not take any steps. Currently the fridge is pivot distance behind me, and I will do that again. I may decide to put the sink behind me as well, but I like the idea of 36-42" between the cooktop and the sink on the island.

I get the idea that we only spend 10% of our time actually cooking...but with my prep area next to my cooktop I find myself going back and forth from stirring, heating, searing and prep pretty constantly. I like the seamlessness of it. I don't prep first and then cook. I am not the most organized cook, maybe that's why...I am also pretty extreme in my dislike of facing a wall. My desk is in the middle of my office perpendicular to a big window with a wall behind me with my files within arms reach.

I manage in vacation houses and rentals etc. when I have to face a wall but then I am always SOO excited to be back in my kitchen facing out! It is such a joy to me, so of course I will be planning my new kitchen that way :)

I absolutely plan to have the ideal venting situation in this kitchen. Even when I was on the forum designing my current kitchen 7 years ago the idea of proper venting was stressed. The previous owners didn't have venting, I was intimidated by adding it over the island and it wasn't a priority, so I went without. I have no idea where all the grease and junk from my cooking GOES but it doesn't end up on the ceiling or on the glass pendants that hang over the island. I guess a fine layer covers everything in my house :) Eww!
Cooking smells definitely do linger longer than I would like and I am excited for proper venting to take care of that.

Sounds terrific. It's always nice to watch someone who knows what she wants work it out. And to see the different ways of working various people have found right for them.

I'm right with you, BTW, when it comes to working facing walls, like a kid in the dog house. Try searching offices in Houzz sometime. It'll stand your hair on end. Not only that most of them face featureless wall, regardless of the size of the room, but also that an amazing number are built in, apparently there for the millenium.