My parents are both left handed and have had the same u-shaped configuration as you for almost 50 years. I'm sure it's purely what you are used to and you will adjust if you change it. I am right handed and my stove is to the left of my sink. I didn't have any problems adjusting tho I had grown up using a kitchen that is the opposite. Same with dishwashers. My parents' is to the left of the sink, mine to the right. I loaded their dishwasher on Christmas and despite having mine on the right for the last 18 years, it didn't feel weird to me at all doing it to the left.

I think it matters for the dishwasher. I'm right handed and prefer the dw to the right of the sink. At my mom's house it's on the left and I hate it.

I'm ambidextrious but when I cook, I tend to stir with my left hand and hold the pot handle with my right. I've had kitchens laid out both ways and its always worked fine for me.

I've got 2 dishwashers now, one directly on either side of my sink and comfortably use both all the time.

I hear about this only when it comes to the dishwasher. For what it's worth, I am massively, MASSIVELY right-hand dominant, and I have never once minded using a dishwasher on my left. I really think it is purely what you are used to.

I am left handed and don't currently have a DW. When discussing a possible DW for my new kitchen, I told the KD that I wanted my DW to the left of the sink since I'm left handed. She pointed to my dish drain, which is to the right of my sink & asked me if that had ever bothered me.

Over the next week, I paid attention to how I do dishes... I hold the dish in my right hand, while washing it with my left. I proceed to rinse the dish, still holding it in my right hand - then I move my right hand a foot farther to the right to place the dish in the dish drain...

It may not be your imagination - it might be something like the available clearances to the burner. Like perhaps the range is too close to the corner for you to comfortably stand to one side. For me, if the range or sink is jammed against a corner on the left side, it's more ok than if its jammed against a corner on the right.

Also, it takes a few days to pick-up new habits instead of trying to do the same thing in a different arrangement.

That said, I am right-handed, but I pick up pots and turn on water left-handed. I inadvertently bought a right-handed faucet and it's still slightly uncomfortable 3 years later.

I think kitchen layout matters slightly more, I am right handed but decided to put DW on the left of sink for kitchen flow. To the right, the DW would have been stuck in the corner and might have interfered with range if both were open. Little inconvenient on the left, but by far makes more sense for the layout. So I think it depends on if everything fits the function of your kitchen.

I agree that the overall layout is the most important. Right handed and always had the dw on the left which seems completely comfortable. It would be odd to me to have it on the right but if it fit the layout I would get used to it quickly.

A DW does not belong in the prep zone. You can easily adapt to loading dishes to your left or right. It's harder to get used to chopping onions while somebody yanks open a steaming DW door into your crotch.

I think the relative position of things to each other is more important than the handedness. I would not put the dishwasher in a position that interfered with something else in the work triangle just to get it on one side or the other.
If you can get it to work for you in both circumstances in a certain position, fine.

As a disclaimer I am Extremely left handed (so much so that for years I would not even pick up eating utensils or surgical instruments with my right hand, I would pick them up with my left, place them in my right and then pick up what I wanted in my left hand second)--I work in a number of operatories that are Right handed and you quickly adapt, or at least I have. So I've had dishwashers on both sides and after the initial few uses I can't really tell a difference.

Not sure if it is a matter of handedness or what I'm used to, but we are temporarily housed in a condo that has kitchen oriented the opposite to what we have at home (dishwasher included) and it drives me nuts. We've only been here for about 10 days, so I may get used to it, but I don't think so.

My dishwasher is to the left of the sink, and I wish it was to the right...only because it's right under the main prep area (between sink and fridge.) Marcolo is right. It's a major pain, guaranteed to annoy both spouses trying to get things done.

I think I could get used to either direction, but I'll sure avoid the above in the future.

My DW is to the right of the sink. But the cabinet with the dishes is to the right of the DW. I load to the right, and unload from the left. It doesn't matter at all.

And it would have to be a very desperate situation for someone to open my dishwasher while I am standing in front of it chopping. I prefer to leave my dishes to cool.