THE KITCHEN ZONES : Designing Your Home Kitchen With Functional Zones

Throwing Out The Age Old Kitchen Triangle

For decades now, Kitchen design was considered to be good if it followed a 3 sided triangular pattern for organization between the Stove/Range, Sink and Fridge/Freezer. The problem with the ‘kitchen triangle’ approach is that it has nothing to do with how people physically function in this space. At no point have we ever as humans traveled equally between these 3 points in order to prepare meals, entertain or gather with family.

Designing Your Kitchen with Specialized Zones

Cooking cannot be represented by a single Appliance point on a triangle. It involves a Range, or a combination of Cooktop / Ovens, possibly also a steam or combi oven, microwave, toaster oven, etc etc. Same goes for a Fridge/Freezer - it is not the only point of Food Storage, but includes Pantry items, vegetable baskets, pots with herbs, and even countertop spices. Cleaning starts with a sink, adding in recycle/garbage station, secondary sinks, and sometimes multiple dishwashers. 

Instead of triangle points, it helps to view Kitchen task grouping for organization as Zones. Zoning is helpful in creating travel patterns between multiple people in the Kitchen to reduce bumping - and the potential for unnecessary accidents. It also helps with movement efficiency - not having to run between two ends of the Kitchen for the ingredients to make one meal, for example. Correct organization means having what you need at hand where you need it, within as few steps as possible.

Kitchen Design Organization in Zones

There are 4 major organizational Zones in Kitchen Design, listed below. Having a thorough understanding of each of them, as well as their individual relationships, helps to plan the most functional and efficient space possible for each unique cook.

The PREP Zone

Believe it or not, the Prep Zone - missing completely from the old Kitchen Triangle - is actually the biggest use space in the Kitchen.

80% Kitchen PREP Principle

For passionate home cooks, up to 80% of our time in the Kitchen can be spent in the PREP Zone. We will visit the FOOD STORAGE and CLEAN Zones, but for the most part we stand fairly firm (get a good mat!) in this spot.

Designing Kitchens with Space to Prepare

Because this is where we spend most of our Kitchen time, it’s important that everything we use in preparing food is close at hand. We shouldn’t have to reach or step to grab our chopping knives or prep bowls. Herbs and spices should be nearby, and cutting boards a quick grab. Beyond that, prep requires SPACE. A good, solid chunk of space for our (washed up) foods, our immediate garbage or compost (sometimes a bowl on the counter that is emptied after prep is done), our cutting boards and our prepared mise-en-place.

Connecting the PREP Zone to the COOK Zone

While we dip into the CLEAN Zone to wash up some veggies, or stop by the FOOD STORAGE Zone to pick up our ingredients, the main Kitchen Zone relationship is PREP - COOK. Next to preparing food, the second biggest account for time in the Kitchen is cooking. Being able to turn with ease between these two Zones is critical. They have a direct connection and should be across from or next to each other whenever possible.

Small Prep Appliance Storage

When preparing food, often small Appliances are necessary for processing ingredients. Keeping small Appliances close  to your PREP Zone is handy, even if they’re hidden in a cabinet.

The COOK Zone

Believe it or not, the COOK Zone is actually the SECOND most important space in the Kitchen, after the PREP Zone. After carefully preparing all of our ingredients, it’s time to cook them. But cooking doesn’t only mean our stovetop - it includes ovens, toasters, microwaves, konro’s, rice cookers, air fryers and more.

The Main Cooktop

Our most-used cooking appliance is, however, typically our cooktop. We spend time attentively stirring, grilling, searing, poaching, and boiling. As such, our Cooktop should be given a lot of careful consideration when choosing Appliances.

Ovens

Oven cooking is often ‘press and go’, so they can be located a step away from our main PREP-COOK relationship if not connected to the Cooktop (ie a slide-in Range). For those who bake seriously or who need steam/sous vide functions, etc, different parameters should be considered when choosing this Appliance. Unfortunately not all brands that make a great Cooktop ALSO make a great Oven, so mixing and matching is often required to ensure your cooking needs and styles are met in the best ways.

Small Cooking Appliances

With new technologies coming out all the time, there seems to be a small Appliance for almost everything! And they’re never pretty. To avoid cluttering up your countertops, consider a small Appliance cupboard that is near to both your PREP and COOK Zones for multiple uses. Place microwaves in drawers, or if not as used in a secondary Zone like a Coffee Station.

Connecting the COOK Zone to the PREP Zone

Once we prepare our ingredients, the next step is cooking them for safe and delicious consumption. Carrying our mise-en-place about, or turning quickly for an extra chop of this or that, shouldn’t require us to move more than a half-step. Too much space to move can lead to unnecessary spills, accidents or wasted energy. Moving back and forth between these Zones is a dance that shouldn’t interfere with other movement patterns (ie avoid conflicts with the paths of another person cleaning and putting dishes away).

Outdoor Cooking as an Extension of Indoor Cooking

Not to be forgotten, outdoor Kitchens are a great extension of our indoor ones. We can cook in bigger, bolder, smellier ways with a lot more fire than we can inside. Keeping an outdoor Kitchen in close proximity allows a cook to keep an eye on both while making the most of the ‘right tool for the job’ for the dish at hand.

The FOOD STORAGE Zone

While the Fridge/Freezer combo often comes to mind first when we think of storing our carefully chosen - sometimes  organic and expensive - ingredients. But not all vegetables need refrigeration, and pantry goods can take more space than refrigerated ones. Home grown herbs and our favorite spices are all foods that require space to be stored. While it helps to group all of the Food Storage as closely as possible, proximity to PREP and CLEAN Zones are not always equally possible. The most usage and therefore the preference would be placing FOOD STORAGE closer to your PREP Zone.

Fridge & Freezer Appliances

By size, the Fridge and Freezer take up the greatest amount of space in your Kitchen design. Your main Fridge is the most used, and having a small Freezer adjoined or adjacent is helpful. Beyond that, however, secondary Fridges/Freezers, condiment Fridges, beverage Fridges, deep Freezers, dry aging Fridges, etc that aren’t used as immediately or often as your main ingredient Fridge can be located a few extra steps away.

Pantry & Canned Food Storage

Not everything is fresh, and

Fresh Roots

Not everything fresh needs to be in the fridge! By rule of thumb, if your item wasn’t refrigerated at the grocery store, it probably doesn’t need to take up valuable fridge space at home. Having a well-ventilated, easily accessible (from the PREP Zone), cool, designated space for things like potatoes, onions etc will help keep your countertops clear.

Storage Solutions

While a variety of Food Storage is required in the average Kitchen, it helps if there is a singular FOOD STORAGE Zone. Anytime ‘food’ is needed, there is one area of the Kitchen designated for it, reducing back/forth movements and the need to stop and wonder which area of the Kitchen you’re heading to depending on which ingredient you’re looking for.

The CLEAN Zone

The CLEAN Zone includes your sink, garbage/recycle, and dishwasher(s), but it also includes your cleaned dishes! The main dishwares you use every day should be quick at hand to your washing stations so that storage is easy. Often proximity to your eating spaces will also be desired if both are possible.

Sinks & Faucets

The traditional sink and faucet in the Kitchen has always been a main place of cleaning - washing vegetables, rinsing dishes, scrubbing pots. With today's Workstation Sinks it can also be a secondary PREP Zone. While most garbage happens closer to the main PREP Zone, often it’s placed here by the sink and faucet.

Dishwasher

Dishwashing is a messy but needed task in the Kitchen. Due to the necessity for plumbing lines and for many items to be rinsed prior to washing, the main Dishwasher is typically placed directly beside the main Sink. In some Kitchens, multiple sinks and additional Dishwasher drawers are present to help with other adjacencies - ie a smaller sink and Dishwasher drawer next to the PREP Zone.

Space for Cleaning

The CLEAN Zone requires space adjacent to the sink for inevitable piling of dirty dishes from the PREP and COOK Zones and Eating areas on one side, and clean ones on the way to their shelves and drawers on the other.

Garbage & Recycling

While most garbage and especially compost  happens closer to the main PREP Zone, often it’s placed here by the sink and faucet. Recycled items are often rinsed first which puts means this container makes more sense next to the sink.

Other Areas to Consider in Kitchen Design

While the main Zones are common in every Kitchen, some spaces include special extra Zones. They can be both useful and serve as beautiful features, adding character to your special dream Kitchen.

The Coffee Station

Perhaps the most popular is an additional Coffee Station. It can be convenient to have a separate spot for morning coffee or evening tea that doesn’t interfere with the walking patterns of the rest of the Kitchen. They can be located close to stairs to Upper Bedrooms, and/or even inside the Primary Suite.

The Wine Station

Often located at the outer edges of the Kitchen so pathways don’t cross, Wine Stations can be a special jewel that can shine when hosting and entertaining, and can stand alone or be incorporated with a Bar.

The Fermentation / Canning Station

More cooks are getting excited about home fermentation or returning to canning for preservation of ingredients that are in season. Space can be provided with an extra large PREP Zone, a set of cabinetry that moves out for extra counter space when needed, or a secondary space for both developing and storing preserved foods.

The Pasta/Baking Station

For those who love to bake or make fresh pasta, a large open space is needed for rolling, kneading and cutting doughs. A large enough PREP Zone may provide this, or a set of cabinetry that moves out for extra counter space when needed. Sometimes for serious bakers space for rolling tray stands have also been incorporated into the Kitchen Design.

Layout Planning with Zones in Kitchen Design

Planning a Kitchen Design layout with Zones can be more complex than the old Kitchen Triangle method of organization. Often, multiple cooks or secondary Zones also need to be considered. Studying lines of travel between the Zones helps to avoid conflicts that lead to bumps and accidents in the Kitchen - which can be dangerous with sharp objects and boiling liquids in hand.

Space Saving Design Strategies

A 50-seat Restaurant can cook a fine dining menu from a main 9’x9’ space, with additional storage and prep areas a few dozen steps away. We don’t need massive Kitchens to make incredible meals. Save space by focusing on the most-needed tasks being close at hand, within a step. For smaller spaces, try incorporating smaller or half-size Appliances - like a Dishwasher drawer - and keeping larger storage in another space. Where possible, let one Appliance do the work of a few - like a Combi Oven that can sous vide, convection, steam and toast.

Efficient Kitchen Design Layouts

The most efficient design layout for a single cook is a ‘U’-shaped ‘command center’ layout. However, many of us have more than one person and even multiple cooks or users in the Kitchen in which case two exit points allow for movement flexibility making a linear or ‘L’-shaped Kitchen with an Island more efficient.

Kitchen Islands

Designing the Ultimate Island

Kitchen islands are a great design element for the PREP-COOK Zones relationship, for providing a large PREP countertop space, for permitting multiple cook movements while minimizing conflicts, and for creating a screen of sorts to keep beloved guests out of the work space.

Work Flow and the Kitchen Dance

We all have a way of moving about the Kitchen space. An individual method of doing the work of preparing sustenance. Habits that have been formed over years of repeated actions. Your Kitchen space should be organized to suit your natural dance. Is it a dance for two? Plan the work flow so that it remains a dance - and not a collision course.

Ergonomic Kitchen Design

Kitchen Design relies on standards - 36” high counters, 24” deep cabinets) mainly for the purposes of construction and the efficient use of a piece of plywood. Dimensions were developed from the table heights of medieval times and with the average housewife from the 1950’s in mind. But what if you’re 6’-6” tall? 5’-1”? What if you work best with no upper cabinets in your peripheral mind space? What if you need tons of natural light or prefer a calm dim? Your Kitchen should be created to match your personal and collective ergonomics in your group of home cooks, not just industry standards. While COOK and CLEAN Zones may work best at 36” high, PREP Zones may not. Adjust accordingly.