I have my sink in the island with cooktop across the aisle like yours and it works very well. In the second layout your sink is quite far from the fridge and ovens. I vote for #1.

I also like the sink in the island. You have the advantage of looking out the patio doors, too!

Prepping will take place where there is water. If there's no water on the peninsula, prep will not take place there in the normal course of events.

So, if you want to use the peninsula for prep, you have three options:

(1) Put the only sink in the peninsula...but then you won't really have enough room to prep so you'll end up prepping in the space b/w the cooktop and sink (the more natural location, btw).

(2) Put the only sink on the perimeter near the corner so the peninsula is open for prepping...but you will still probably gravitate to the side where the cooktop is...

.....or.....

(3) Put your cleanup sink in the island and put a smaller prep sink in the peninsula (or near the peninsula) - this will allow you to prep and cook "facing the action"

How about something like this?

An alternate MW location could be next to the refrigerator in the 27" cabinet area. However, I prefer it off a through-aisle b/c of the hot food that will be coming out of it...it's still near the refrigerator and a water source. In addition, both the refrigerator and MW are on the periphery so those looking for/making a snack won't get in the way of those working in the kitchen.

With a zone map:

Buehl, wow! You are amazing!! How did you do that!? My husband (the cook) admitted that he's more likely to prep right next to the stove so you were right about the natural prep area. My only question is...I thought refrigerators and ovens can't be next to each other. Did you relocate it to get it more out of the way of the cook zone? Also, how wide is the island now? I love that you included trash!

Thank you again! I was against a prep sink because of the added cost (slab foundation) and because I thought it seems ridiculous in a small kitchen, but I'm really getting convinced now.

*deep, not wide.

Thank you!

The island is 30" deep so you have a bit of room behind the sink for the faucet and so you don't easily knock things off the back of the island. I'd like to see it more like 36" deep, but I think this will be OK. I wouldn't want to make either aisle any narrower (especially b/w the cooktop and island).

The usefulness/need for a prep sink is determined more by layout than kitchen size (as well as how much the kitchen is actually used as a kitchen - I'm not being sarcastic, some people have "show" kitchens and rarely, if ever, cook...we're all different.)

In your case, you want a multi-cook kitchen, you want to work facing others, and you don't have the room or room configuration to get it all with a single sink. Honestly, I think a prep sink enhances the functionality of most kitchens with a decent amount of counterspace - as long as they're placed correctly! Our kitchen isn't any bigger than yours (may even be smaller) and the prep sink is what makes it work so well.

I moved the refrigerator to:

(1) Give you more workspace for two nice-sized Prep Zones near water (peninsula + b/w cooktop & sink)

(2) Give you more workspace in the Cooking Zone

(3) Move the refrigerator so "snacker" traffic would not go through the prime kitchen work area

(4) Be able to move the MW so it is easily accessed by both kitchen workers as well as "snackers"

(5) Make the refrigerator more accessible overall from the FR, LR, DR (& the BRs LOL!)

As to refrigerators and ovens next to each other...they're both very well-insulated and it should not be a problem. If you're concerned, then consider a 9" Utility Pullout b/w the ovens & refrigerator (for broom, mop, etc.), reducing the 27" cab to 24", and changing to a 24" Pantry cabinet...like this:

I recommend keeping the refrigerator in front of the aisle that leads to the cooktop, etc. so the island does not become a "barrier island" b/w the main work zones (Prep, Cooking) and the refrigerator. [Note how it's a "straight shot" to the refrigerator from the cooktop & sinks - no running around the island.]

If perfect upper cabinet symmetry isn't a priority, I would actually do something like this to get even more workspace b/w the cooktop and prep sink:

Note that the upper cabinet space is a factor of 12 on both sides of the cooktop - you could work with the upper cabinets to have symmetrical doors or at least balanced doors (if that's important to you).

[Testing the post editing capability! :-)]

This post was edited by buehl on Mon, Nov 26, 12 at 18:03

OMG you are AMAZING. Seriously, I truly appreciate that you took the time to basically design my kitchen and explain the benefits to me!! Been working with my husband all day incorporating your design and we're basically going to do everything as you drew it. The question mark is the prep sink based on how many thousands of dollars it will add (stupid slab) but this is still so much better than we would have ever come up with. Even the custom cabinet designer who was supposed to be so helpful was terrible! We're not doing custom, but wanted to make sure we couldn't afford it. :)

Again, thank you thank you!!