The Problem with Kitchen Islands

[Ed Pawlowski]

Not every island has plumbing and electrical. They are just cabinets with countertop and casters to make them portable.

[Ed Pawlowski]

"David Combs" wrote

You are being shortsighted in your vision of kitchens. Depending on what you need and what the layout is, a turn around 180 degrees can be preferable to stepping six steps to the side. There are millions of scenarios with different recipes, utensils, appliances and numbers of steps that can show one or the other is preferable. One person cooking or two? Using the range or the oven or both? Prepping hot or cold? Making pasta from scratch while your partner is baking a cake or frying eggs makes a difference in what works best.

Not everyone works as you do, nor should they.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, No problem it's taken care of at design stage. Island is not fixed permanent. It can be moved easily few feet any direction if needed. But we did have any reason to move it yet after 10 odd years since the house was custom built from scratch.

[keith]

Clueless.

[DerbyDad03]

re: "So are your outlets under the counter so the cords get in the way?"

I don't have an island, but I have a workshop with a workbench.

There is a series of receptacles evenly spaced along the frame of the workbench, a few inches below the overhang of the workbench top. The receptacles face out into the shop.

When tools are plugged into these receptacles the cords hang straight down, out of the way, instead of running all across the workbench. Since there is an overhang, the cords are not any type of tripping hazard.

If I ever have a kitchen large enough to have an island, I would design it so the receptacles were installed in a similar fashion.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

I have a UK-published book on workshops (a few decades old now) that shows track (as in "track lighting") into which not only lights but also suspended power outlets could be installed. If it was safe enough for

240-volt supplies, one would think that something similar could be marketed for 120-volt systems -- although the wiring would have to be heavier because of the increased current.

Perce

[DerbyDad03]

Suspended receptacles, either short flexible cords or retractable cords hung from the ceiling are common place in many workshops.

I don't need them in my shop, but I do have some receptacles mounted on the floor joists in the main part of the basement that we use for ironing, vacuuming, etc.

The only issue I see with the "track" solution you mentioned is that shop outlets should always be on a different circuit than the lights. The last thing you want is a power tool plunging you into darkness when it trips the breaker.

If you have lights and receptacles in the same track, but on different circuits, I'm pretty sure code would require a ganged breaker, which would pretty much defeat the purpose of splitting the circuits.

[krw]

Of if it's just one, multitasking. SWMBO loves our island for baking.

My bet is that he's never used an island in a kitchen that's really large enough to fit one effectively.