Working triangle in the kitchen: what is it and how to organize it?

Any housewife wants her kitchen to be extremely practical and comfortable, and spend as little time as possible on cooking and cleaning. To do this, you should properly organize the workspace or one that has another name - work or golden triangle.

Several years ago, research was conducted on how many steps a woman takes in the kitchen. As a result, it became known that every good housewife makes approximately 8,000 steps per day. And this is only on weekdays and only in the kitchen. Imagine if this is preparation for a family holiday or receiving guests? All this explains, as a result of which, when organizing a room for cooking, serious conditions and a special approach to business are put forward.

Scientists from Germany back in the 40s of the last century were solving an ergonomic problem - how to reduce the number of steps in the kitchen. The fruit of this research was the widespread working or golden triangle, the rule of which is still practiced. What is he like? The kitchen area is visually divided into three zones.

Naturally, this is a refrigerator, modern modifications of which have impressive dimensions. If it is not localized at the extreme points of the room, it will introduce dissonance and divide the work area.

The stove should be located close to the working surface, where the food is prepared for heat treatment. In the same time it must not interfere with free movement so that there is no risk of burns.

Actually, here the hostess spends the greatest amount of time when she is in the kitchen. The sink is considered to some extent the crown of the triangle.

The storage area, the sink area and the cooking area are the fulcrum, on which a qualified approach to the systematization of the usable space in the kitchen is based.

To make all movement in the kitchen acceptable in terms of the time and effort involved, the distance between the zones should not be extremely short, but also long. The optimal distance is if all working areas are at the corners of an isosceles triangle. It is preferable to leave a distance between the sections of at least 1.2 meters and no more than 2.7 meters.

At present, it is almost impossible to maintain the same distance between the sides of the golden triangle: kitchens in newly built houses are rarely less than 10 m², often more, since they are consolidated with dining or living areas. Of course, one should not forget that the distance in the triangle depends on the configuration of the kitchen and does not always have to be exactly the same.

Let's look at how you can organize a golden triangle with different layouts of furniture in the kitchen in modern conditions.

Linear or single row layout implies placing a kitchen set along the length of one wall - in this case, the triangle becomes one line on which the refrigerator, hob and sink are placed one after another. Often, a similar plan is chosen for small or not very wide and long kitchens. When the area is really small, it is more convenient to place the sink between the panel and the refrigerator.

The dishwasher, if you choose a place for it, should preferably be installed near the sink, so as not to complicate the procedure for loading dirty kitchen utensils. It is better not to use a linear layout for large kitchens, since the distances between zones will increase, and moving between them will be completely uncomfortable and energy-intensive.

The corner kitchen can be L-shaped or L-shaped, it all depends on the kitchen set. With such a localization of furniture, follow several recommendations for the location of the triangle: leave the sink in the corner, on the sides of it sections of the countertop (under the countertops - a dishwasher).

With this arrangement, the utensils can be conveniently stored in hanging cabinets above the sink and dishwasher. If there is no desire to arrange a sink in the corner, try to place the refrigerator and oven hob in two corners of the kitchen with the sink in the center.

A U-shaped kitchen is ideal for kitchens with a large footprint, then the "golden triangle" is planned on three sides. On parallel sides, storage and cooking areas are arranged, and between them is a sink with a dishwasher and a countertop. This layout is characterized by high comfort and spacious work surface.

Two-row, parallel or two-row placement of kitchen furniture is rational for wide kitchens, not less than three metersotherwise it will be cramped, uncomfortable and difficult to move.

For example, on one side is the sink and panel area, and on the opposite is the refrigerator.

An island kitchen is the dream of many housewives, as it looks attractive and implies the comfort of cooking and location. This layout should not be chosen for kitchens smaller than 20 m², as the island visually diminishes the space. With this layout it is wiser to place the panel on the island, and on the other side - the sink and storage area.

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. Therefore, its layout should be as comfortable as possible. The Golden Triangle Rule is not an immutable truth. If you don't know how to take advantage of this rule, then pick your combination by trying to arrange the zones in accordance with your project.

For the rules for creating a working triangle, see below.