How high should a kitchen countertop be?

In the eyes of an unenlightened person, working in the kitchen is an elementary and effortless process. But this is only at first glance. In her work in the kitchen, the hostess uses up to 40 types of muscles of the entire muscular system of the body. The irrational organization of any work, including kitchen work, significantly increases the muscle load, leads to early fatigue, followed by irritability, malaise, dissatisfaction with oneself and family members.

In this context, the optimal mode of work organization necessarily includes a convenient and comfortable arrangement of the kitchen, where kitchen sets and their standards become the main factor.

The standard parameters of furniture structures, as a rule, are obtained empirically, focusing on operating experience. Often times, different sizes and distances are determined using ergonomic criteria focused on creating work and recreation areas. The goal of ergonomics is to create a functional, comfortable and safe space for efficiently solving and performing specific tasks.

In this context, the most correct and well-thought-out working kitchen area up to a centimeter can save a housewife up to 30% of the time spent on cooking, as well as significantly reduce the level of energy consumption, preserving health and contributing to maintaining a good mood.

Standards for distance from the floor in kitchen units are, perhaps, the key values ​​in the entire sizing system applied to headsets. Such standards are closely related to the physiological parameters of the human body and are designed to fully meet its needs.

The height of the countertop should correspond to the height of the housewife who spends a lot of time in the kitchen. Usually, the standard sizes of kitchen modules are obtained empirically or calculated in ergonomics from the calculation of the average female parameters. For an obvious reason, the height parameters in different countries vary in the range of 10-15 cm.

It has been empirically established that when the user grows up to 1.5 m, the location of furniture modules with countertops at a height of 76-82 cm is optimal. Accordingly, with a growth of up to 180 cm - 88-91 cm; for people with a height of 1.8-2 m, the recommended parameter is about 100 cm. Practice shows that many manufacturers adhere to the standard size of 86 cm.

Often, the standard values ​​do not fully satisfy the demanding and tidy housewife. In these cases, there are a number of ways to adapt the actual sizes to individual tastes. For example, if the height of the countertop in the kitchen is insufficient, it is quite possible to bring it to the required values ​​on your own. This is accomplished in several ways.

1. By adjusting the special legs. Modern kitchen modules are often equipped with special legs, with the help of which it is possible to increase the height of the headset by 3-5 cm. You can also mount suitable holders yourself. In this case, the diameter of the legs should be at least 4 cm. Wide legs allow the weight of the structure to be distributed more evenly, ensuring its greater stability.
2. By changing the thickness of the countertop itself. The modern market provides surfaces with a thickness of up to 150 mm, but such dimensions are not entirely convenient for installing a meat grinder. Nevertheless, the possibility of adjusting the height of the tabletop by its thickness, albeit within small limits, is present here. It is worth noting that massive surfaces are more resistant to damage and durable in use. In addition, it is more convenient to mount embedded equipment into arrays.
3. With a special pedestal. The method is used when there is no possibility of increasing the height of the finished kitchen module for a tall person or when visually zoning the kitchen space.
4. By separating the table top from the headset using "legs" or special side brackets. The method is used in the presence of tightly closed boxes, when a free space is formed between the boxes and the countertop.

With this variant of the location of special operating areas, each of them has an individual height. This non-standard approach pursues the solution of several problems:

• creating a more comfortable working environment;
• a significant decrease in the level of stress on the back;
• if it is impossible to use standardized methods for installing the tabletop, the workspace is divided zonally.

Usually, the total area of ​​the countertop is occupied by: a sink, directly a working area, a stove. In these cases, it is recommended to mount the sink 10-15 cm above the working platform, where products are prepared and cut.

If it is not possible to raise the tabletop, overhead sinks are used, installed on the finished surface, where a hole is cut out to drain the water.

The hob in the multilevel zone is located slightly below the cutting zone, which makes it easy to move hot kitchen items. In addition, it becomes possible to install the oven at the level of the human body, which reduces the risk of injury and burns when removing hot food from the oven. The cutting area is left in its standard values.

Kitchen rooms, organized in a multilevel order, are classified as non-standard options.

As the practice of sales shows, most of the housewives make a choice in favor of countertops of different levels. Such ready-made modules have a high-set working area, since it is an independent area equipped with drawers in the plinth to accommodate various kitchen utensils. The highest point of the working surface can reach dimensions of 115-130 cm. The design and manufacture of such sites is always carried out taking into account the personal opinions and recommendations of the housewife.

Multilevel headsets allow you to significantly relieve the spine due to a more even distribution of loads. In the course of work in such a kitchen, the hostess does not have to constantly be in one position, since when moving around the room, the poses will change.

In the process of choosing custom kitchen furniture and in its manufacture, it is necessary to take into account a number of conditions:

• washing and cutting surfaces must be placed at a certain height so that the housewife does not have to bend over during the operations;
• the approximate height of the location of the surfaces should be at the level of the person's belt;
• the main working surface used for performing the most time-consuming manipulations should be located slightly above the main zone, which will reduce the load on the muscular system and the spine.
• it is better to plan the cooking zone at lower levels.

Thus, the approximate parameters for the installation of non-standard kitchen furniture will be:

• for washing - 1 m high;
• for the working surface - 0.9 m;
• for the cooking zone, the height will be approximately 0.8 m.

Ideally, the cutting surface should be the same height as the sink and be close to it, since all the slices are pre-washed and cleaned. An actual characteristic for this zone is its suitable area. The area where the meat products are cut and the dough is kneaded should be located just above the waist. Curly cuts are more comfortable to perform at a slightly higher height.

The benefits of custom kitchen furniture are most evident in large families., where the diversity of family members in growth is natural.

As a rule, a multilevel set is made to order, based on the wishes of the customer. It becomes possible to add new elements to the structure, as well as to choose any height for placing each of them.

The norms for the sizes of countertops in freestanding elements of kitchen modules are brought to a certain standard, depending on the average growth of business entities. In some cases, when it comes to custom-made furniture, special methods of calculation are used, taken from practice.

So, for the selection of the height of the sink-cabinet for a certain height, there is a special algorithm. The height of the hostess is measured from the end of the elbow to the floor, then the previously measured length of the fist is subtracted from the result obtained. The obtained result will be the optimal value of the sink height. It is important to consider this size when choosing the height of the countertop, since the process of alteration and fitting of inconvenient modules will require certain additional costs.

The hob is located slightly lower than other zones, since its height is increased by the dishes placed on it, which are located during the cooking process. The best option is a height of 82 cm. Having the height of the sink, you can specify the dimensions of the cooking surface by subtracting 10-11 cm from it.

You can also empirically determine the optimal slab height. Experts in the field of ergonomics recommend 80-83 cm. You can clarify the recommended figures by placing a high capacity on the extreme burner. And if the manipulation of stirring and control over the cooking process is convenient for the housewife, then this option will become the most acceptable.

The standard value for the height of the kitchen table from the floor to the countertop (according to GOST) for people of average height is 165 cm. The required size can be calculated using the algorithm: H = Rcr * Bgst / Rst,

H is the required height;

Рср - average height of adult users;

Vgst - height according to GOST (750 mm);

Рст - average height of an adult (1650 mm).

In large designer kitchens, in addition to work areas, recreation areas are often provided (for drinking cocktails and alcoholic beverages). When creating such zones, the postures of the person resting behind the counter (sitting or standing) are taken into account. It is important to foresee in advance the types of seats planned for use in the home bar (special bar stools or ordinary chairs).

The standard height of the bar counter is 105 cm. Nevertheless, manufacturers often overestimate this value by 5-20 cm. This is due to the height of bar seats, which are usually used in studio rooms as a conditional partition between the kitchen and the bar. Racks made as part of kitchen modules are produced 15-20 cm less (taking into account the basement dimensions and countertops - 86 cm).

The racks should be selected taking into account the height of each family member.

Calculation of the level of furniture for a certain height is inseparable from clarification and selection of other sizes of kitchen modules:

• the width of the opening for the installation of boxes;
• the height of the lower headset;
• installation level of bottom and wall cabinets, hoods;
• the size of the apron;
• distance between worktop and drawers.

Although each parameter has its own standard values, additional individual measurements may be required.

According to the standard, the distance between the worktop and the hanging drawers should be kept within 45-60 cm. This size is the optimum for full coverage of the entire working area and maximum free access to the accessories in the hanging drawers. In this case, the distance to the hood will be 70 centimeters or more.

Calculations made with errors can lead to various negative consequences:

• discomfort when using the working area and cabinets;
• inconvenient location directly behind the countertop during the production of working operations;
• poor-quality (not in-level) installation of the headset.

Which countertop is better to choose, see below.