Sir Terence Conran on Planning Your Kitchen

Kitchen layouts - the 'working triangle'

Whether your kitchen is mainly built-in or contains unfitted elements, there will inevitably be fixed points in the layout corresponding to servicing arrangements - electrical supply, gas supply (if any), fresh water and drainage. Kitchen planning entails coming up with a layout that incorporates these fixed points in an efficient and workable manner.

The notion of the 'working triangle' informs kitchen planning. This concept specifies that the kitchen should be laid out with reference to three essential points: the refrigerator (or cold area) the hob (cooktop) or oven (or hot area) and the sink (or wet area).

Cooking and preparing food is a sequence of related activities. If the three points of the working triangle are spaced too far apart, you will waste time and energy producing even the simplest meal.

If they are too close, your working conditions will be cramped and awkward, and might even be dangerous. Ergonomic studies recommend that the total distance travelled between the three critical points should be no greater than 6m (20ft).

The working triangle can be applied to several different types of layout. These include the single-line layout, where the three points are arranged along the length of a wall; the L-shaped layout; the U-shaped layout; the galley kitchen; and the island kitchen. Island kitchens require the most floor space, while single-line and galley kitchens are more efficient if you do not have much room to play with.

Kitchen storage

Storage should be considered in the context of the working triangle. Begin planning the organization of your supplies and equipment by concentrating on the critical area between the sink and the stove. Anything you keep within arm's reach of this hard-working area should relate directly to preparing and cooking the kind of food that you eat on a regular basis. Here is the place to store the pots and pans you use almost every day, frequently used utensils, basic provisions and condiments, as well as cleaning products such as washing-up liquid and dishwasher powder.

Be guided by your own tastes and cooking preferences. If you hardly ever bake, you don't need to keep flour in this part of the kitchen; if you don't use the food processor very often, don't keep it on the kitchen counter.
The remainder of your provisions and equipment can be stored away from the main preparation area, organized according to type. Keep all tinned, preserved and dry goods in a larder cupboard. Store cutlery (flatware) and crockery close to the kitchen table to make setting it easier, but not too distant from the sink or dishwasher. Specific items of equipment or small appliances that you use from time to time, such as blenders and food processors, need their own dedicated storage area.

Organizing a kitchen on the basis of accessibility is no more than common sense, yet all too often people make things harder for themselves than they really need to be.