Food Preparation Area

The main piece of equipment of the food preparation cook area is the range. Whether a free-standing, a built-in, a drop-in, or slide-in unit, the cooking equipment should be the latest design, offering all of the labour and time-saving devices. Ideally, the range should be handy to the dinner area used more often by the family. However, do not place it next to a door that may open onto a constant parade of children. A cabinet or counter surface at least 15 inches (38 cm) wide between the door and the range cuts down the number of accidents. Do not forget that space should be provided on each side of the range for elbow room and pan handles, with at least 24 inches (61 cm) of counter on one side for serving and 12 inches (30 cm) on the other. Also, the range or built-in surface unit should not be installed under a window. Any curtains could catch fire, and the operation of such a window could be hazardous. Often local building codes have something to say about range placement. Check their requirements first.

A Suitable Range

While a built-in range top and separate oven or ovens are generally considered the most convenient of all range styles, they use up the most wall space. They also cost more to install, and replacement of the oven is difficult if the new model does not fit the cabinet for the old one. A separate oven should not be located directly next to the range; counter space is needed next to each. If necessary locate the oven away from the busiest kitchen area. A wall oven should be installed so the inside top surface of the fully opened door is 1 to 7 inches (2.54 to 18 cm) below elbow height. If a double-oven unit is used, the bottom of the upper oven at counter height (36 inches, or 91 cm) is about right for most people. Never install a built in oven too high. High mounting makes it difficult to remove pans and can result in burns. Allow 24 inches (61 cm) of counter on at least one side of the oven. A heat-resistant surface, such as stainless steel or ceramic glass, provides a place to place hot pots or utensils. A plastic laminate countertop should never be subjected to heat over 270 degrees F. Avoid having the wall oven at the end of a line of cabinets where the door opens into a traffic lane. Also avoid installation in a corner. Easier loading, unloading, and cleaning are possible with space all around the open oven door.

As for the range itself, several kinds are available There are the familiar freestanding units of counter height as well as freestanding units of the “over and under” design (with an oven on the top, an oven on the bottom, and the cooktop in between). There is also drop-in or slide in units with a separate built in cooktop and wall oven or an eye-level oven and cooktop stacked on a cabinet. The most common cooking facility for the least space is a 30-inch wide (76 cm) range with an eye level oven above the range top and another oven below it. However, a very short person often finds it difficult to handle a hot roasting pan in the high oven, while a very tall person may find the view of the back burners on the range blocked by the upper oven. Have the home owner stand in front of the model being considered and go through the motions of cooking to see if it can be worked with safely and comfortably. Handicapped, or seniors with restricted movement, must be kept in mind.

Ventilation Requirements

Whenever possible, the fumes from the food preparation/cook area should be vented to the outdoors. The most efficient arrangement is to have a hood and exhaust fan with a grease filter over the range, with the shortest possible duct to the outdoors. The duct may go through a wall, but avoid directing cooking odours toward an outdoor sitting area. The duct may also go through the roof, but it should never end in an attic. Check the local codes for installation standards. A ceiling or wall fan located away from the range draws the cooking fumes over the intervening surfaces. A non-ducted hood and fan trap most of the grease and some of the odours but none of the heat and moisture from cooking. These hoods are recommended only for interior locations from which outdoor venting is impossible. Storage space is needed in the food preparation/cook area for small appliances, pots, pans, cooking utensils, and so on. Wheelchair users benefit from roll-out storage, narrower doors on cabinets, and side by-side refrigerators.