Hello, dear friends and guests of our site! Today we are talking about what the optimal height of the countertop in the kitchen should be from the floor.
This work surface includes several designs. This is a regular countertop for cutting, slicing, and cooking. This also includes cooking surfaces, elements for kneading and rolling out dough.
When choosing furniture for the kitchen, it is important that it is comfortable for a person to use. If you choose the wrong height, it will result in back pain, lower back problems and a simple reluctance to do something and cook.
Standard kitchen countertop height from the floor
Kitchen furniture must have a work surface, which is formed by a tabletop laid on the lower cabinets. It has a built-in sink and hob. The level of their location may be different.
Experts have determined the optimal values:
- from 76 to 82 cm with height up to 150 cm;
- from 86 to 91 cm for heights from 160 to 180 cm;
- 100 cm with height from 180 to 200 cm.
Standard sets assume that all countertops are located on the same level, most often on the middle one. For Russia it is 89-90 cm, for Europe it is 2 cm higher.
Companies working to order can fulfill any client’s wishes. Their “working” levels range from 85 to 95 cm; other values can be used if necessary.
The standard countertop height in the kitchen can be slightly adjusted. You need to know that it consists of three elements:
- plate thickness, which is 3-4 cm;
- desktop size, always 72 cm;
- base
If the first two components are constant, then the last one varies. This allows you to change the final dimensions. Literally a few centimeters will be enough to make using the work surface as comfortable as possible.
The bases are available in two variations: 10-12 and 15-20 cm. The right one is selected depending on the height of the person who will use them most often.
Cutting vegetables and kneading dough
This is interesting!
Installing a faucet in the kitchen: choosing the best way
The main work surface is focused on cutting vegetables, cooking, as well as a number of other culinary procedures.
Here, the optimal location of the elbows is considered to be at a distance of 13-15 centimeters.
But there is an important nuance. Some people are actively involved in preparing baked goods and various dough dishes. Or they regularly work with meat. And for such operations you need to put in more effort. Agree, chopping onions or grating carrots is not as difficult as kneading and rolling out the dough into a thin sheet.
Therefore, for such needs, it is optimal to make the tabletop a little lower. Approximately at waist level. In order not to disturb the configuration of the kitchen, and not to make a ladder out of it, it would be correct to order furniture with a retractable table. You can knead on us, as well as roll dough or cut meat.
Physiological comfort
Most work in the kitchen is done while standing. In this case, the load falls on the spine, its vertebrae, and intervertebral discs. When tilting, even slightly, tension in the muscles of the back, neck, and lower back increases.
For a healthy person this leads to rapid fatigue, but for a back patient this is generally a big problem. Therefore, the height of the tabletop should minimize tilting.
Depth of lower boxes
The bottom of the kitchen is planned so that the countertop protrudes beyond the frame along the front and rear edges.
There should be a protrusion along the front edge, since the facades (which are 16-18 millimeters thick) are still attached to the frame. There should be a small “canopy” of the countertop above the facades, so that if water gets on it, it does not fall on the facades, but runs off it (by the way, for these purposes, some countertops have a so-called “drip pan”).
So, the tabletop should protrude beyond the box along the front edge by 40-50 millimeters.
But, often, the specific indentation is determined by the built-in technology.
For example, when designing lower boxes for some models of dishwashers (which have certain tolerances for installation depth), this indentation has to be made 30 millimeters in size so that this equipment can be built into the box.
Along the rear edge, indentations are also made to accommodate all kinds of communications and other things in the resulting niche. Its size, on average, can be 90-100 millimeters.
In such cases, the depth of the lower boxes is taken to be 460 mm (for guides measuring 450 mm, plus 10 millimeters of free gap)
This is how it turns out:
- Tabletop width – 600mm
- Table protrusion along the front edge – 40mm
- Overhang along the rear edge – 100mm
- Box depth – 460mm
We check:
40+460+100=600 (mm). Everything fits together.
But this is not an axiom.
For example, for a standard tabletop, the depth of the box can be 510mm. (for possible guides, size 500mm).
Then, the protrusion of the table along the front edge will also be 40mm, and along the rear edge – 50mm.
Also in options with an angular bottom, when one of the kitchen wings is planned to be 420mm deep, then the depth of the lower box is usually planned to be 355mm (for guides measuring 350mm).
Ergonomic expediency
It has been proven that correctly calculated all dimensions, including the height of the countertop in the kitchen from the floor and the optimal location of all elements of the kitchen set, can reduce the housewife’s physical costs by 30%.
It has been found that if you do the same work in the kitchen while standing upright, you use half as many muscles as if you do the same work while leaning slightly forward towards a lower countertop.
If the height of the countertop from the floor in the kitchen is slightly higher, then the number of muscles of the person working behind it still remains the same, but the amount of load on them increases. This leads to the fact that they will get tired faster.
Therefore, choosing the height of the countertop is an important matter, especially if the owner of the kitchen will need to do a fairly large amount of work in the kitchen.
Review by Alexander D.
Review by Alexander D. about Enitop company
I'm glad I met your company. Everything is done well, with high quality. I am grateful to the sales manager Alina, the measurer Maxim and the installers. Please encourage me.
Corner tabletop for Alexander
This kitchen surface has a familiar shape and is quite compact in size. At one end the table top ends with a smooth curve. There are holes for mounting the hob and sink. The overhang of the countertop (the distance by which it protrudes above the front of the kitchen cabinets) is 20 mm.
Drawing of a kitchen countertop for Alexander
Stone for countertops
We recommend paying attention to the stone that Alexander chose. This is Vicostone Taj Mahal quartz stone. Its appearance exactly repeats the pattern of natural marble, but at the same time it retains all the unique properties of durable and reliable quartz.
Alexander countertops are made from Vicostone Taj Mahal quartz stone
Details about the order
Popular edge
Alexander asked us to make one of the most popular T-40 edges for the tabletop. It is especially good in combination with a skirting board of a similar size: 40 mm in height.
Skirting for Taj Mahal stone countertops
Skirting board 40×12 R3
The order also included a plinth: it served as an excellent decorative element, creating an aesthetic transition from the plane of the tabletop to the wall. The top of the plinth is slightly rounded - just like the edge of the tabletop.
How to increase it yourself?
If the height of the tabletop is small, you can independently bring it to the required values.
Adjustable feet
Many ready-made kitchen modules are equipped with adjustable legs, with the help of which you can increase the height of the kitchen unit by 3–5 cm or install new holders yourself.
Some companies produce products that differ from standard sizes. The main thing is that the diameter of the legs is at least 4 cm. Wide legs ensure a more even distribution of the weight of the entire structure and affect its stability.
Changing the standard tabletop thickness
Today, there are surfaces on the market up to 15 cm thick, but such materials will not allow you to attach a meat grinder to them in the kitchen.
Among the advantages, it is worth noting that monumental surfaces are more resistant to damage and durable in use, and it is also easier to install built-in appliances into such surfaces.
Place the kitchen set on a pedestal
This method is used when it is not possible to increase the height of the finished kitchen unit for a tall person or to visually zone the space.
Holders
Separation of the countertop from the kitchen unit using “legs” or side holders. This method is only suitable for completely closed drawers, leaving free space between the drawer and the countertop.
Kitchen cabinet sizes - what are the standard sizes?
Standard sizes of kitchen cabinets make it possible to pre-design the size and location of the furniture set, taking into account the area and configuration of the room.
When buying or making a kitchen set yourself, you need to focus on the standard sizes of kitchen cabinets. They were developed strictly for a person of average height and dimensions. During their calculation, indicators obtained during rest (storing and placing various utensils) and during movement (getting things from the upper shelves, squatting to the lower shelves, bending, performing various actions in a standing position) were taken into account.
Technical aspects were taken into account, for example, the placement of water pipes, open wiring, etc. It is not possible to take into account absolutely all the points without special knowledge; if some standard parameters are not suitable, they can be slightly adjusted to suit you: increase or decrease. In a small kitchen, hanging kitchen shelves , preserving space and convenience.
Design tips
You should adhere to the following recommendations from professionals:
- For small rooms reserved for the kitchen, it is worth using the method of divided zones; The work area is located separately from the sink and hob and can serve as a dining table.
- If the kitchen has a window , then it is combined with the work area with a solid countertop, which adds additional meters of the work area.
- In large kitchens, an island or a single shape resembling the letter P is used.
- The distance between parallel zones reaches up to 1.5 meters for convenient and fast movement.
- The process of installing a countertop does not require any special skills.
- The finished surface is installed on kitchen drawers and fixed with screws or corners.
- Each kitchen set has crossbars installed in the upper part of the body; they serve as the basis for connecting the countertop and the drawer.
- An unfixed tabletop , despite the fact that it has sufficient weight, can move off the surface on which it is located if the sets are different in height or are on an uneven floor.
- The sink and hob are installed after fixing the countertop - the future location of objects is marked on the surface, holes are cut using a grinder.
- The junction of two tabletops is covered with a metal or wooden frame; The gaps between the countertop and the wall are filled with a kitchen corner, and for additional protection from moisture and dirt, the gaps are coated with sealant.
Work surface with different levels
Consumers are increasingly choosing multi-level countertops. It is not only beautiful and convenient, but also very practical:
- during long cooking, the housewife does not feel tired, since the muscles of the buttocks, arms, and back experience insignificant tension;
- the working surface is divided into several functional zones, which greatly simplifies cleaning;
- You can harmoniously and practically play around with a non-standard shaped room, increasing the usable space, integrating surfaces into niches or free corners, behind which it is convenient and comfortable to work.
The upper tier is positioned so that you can reach the second shelf without standing on your toes. It is important to take into account the distance from the lower tier to the cabinets located above. It should be at least 450 mm, which will allow you to arrange household appliances and kitchen appliances with utmost convenience. The acceptable distance between the floor and hanging tiers is 550-600 mm, taking into account the fact that the kitchen will be used by people of average height.
Room area
The placement of furniture and the number of elements included in the set depends on the dimensions of the room. Based on a standard length of 1.8 - 2.6 meters, a width of three meters and a wall height of 3 meters, experts recommend using at least three components of the headset:
- gas stove;
- a cabinet with the surface area necessary for sorting and cutting food;
- washing
Such necessary units as a washing machine and dishwasher are installed in the free space, a refrigerator, a garbage bin and other necessary kitchen appliances are installed.
Triangle
This is a completely reasonable and very convenient arrangement of three zones in the kitchen. There are two main types of beautiful three. One includes:
- gas stove;
- microwave;
- working surface area.
The second includes:
- washing;
- dishwasher;
- drying area.
Packing and cutting food products, cooking requires systematic movement between these zones. The most effective way is to place the triangles in close proximity, without obstacles to passage.
Various types of cabinets complement free spaces and are designed to accommodate dishes, electrical appliances, food, and hygiene products.
Important! The height of the bottom row should correspond to the height of the person working in the kitchen.
Golden Rule. Correction of the height of the floor row is carried out as follows - for every fifteen centimeters more or less than the standard 165-170 centimeters of human height, the height of the tabletop should increase or decrease by five centimeters!
Taking this rule into account will create a comfortable environment while cooking.
Atypical option
The standard layout of a kitchen set with a countertop that matches the height of other furniture elements is not always the most comfortable for work. An unusual headset configuration with different heights from the floor can make the room ergonomic and the interior original.
A good solution would be to combine higher countertops with the height of the dishwasher, and a low table will fit perfectly into the composition of the hob.
Combined premises
One of the elements of the furniture set can act as an element delimiting the space into a work area and a resting place. For example, this could be the bottom row of cabinets with built-in appliances. The length of the module depends on the size of the kitchen, and the height can exceed the standard 90 cm.
Main condition:
- clear zoning of the premises;
- proper use of free space;
- availability of silent household appliances;
- installation of a powerful hood and a well-functioning ventilation system.
If the above rules are followed, the combined room becomes a functional and comfortable room.
Kitchen furniture - errors in selection
Kitchen furniture is always placed in special stores, as a separate and independent category of factory products. A set for arranging a functional room is very different from furniture for any other living room. Even the table, despite the common name with a dining or writing table, also requires a special one - a kitchen table.
Despite the endless variety of industrial options on offer, buying the right set of kitchen accessories and items is never easy. And even if everything looks perfect in the photo or video, the housewife always has complaints about the new kitchen furniture:
- then it turns out that there is nowhere to hang towels, potholders and an apron, because there is no free space left to place hooks or a hanger;
- often the height of the cabinets is greater or less than it needs, or the cabinet has blocked the socket for household electrical appliances;
- sometimes the height of the upper kitchen cabinets is not chosen correctly, and in order to get the necessary household items from there, you have to stand on a stool;
- The situation is approximately the same with electrical appliances: the space left may not be enough for the purchased device or the special niche does not want to accommodate it.
This does not mean that the measurement method used in choosing a headset was initially incorrect. After all, there is a direct relationship between the dimensions of the room, its functional purpose, the height of the selected furniture and the main inhabitants.
The height determines at what level the expected limit of wall kitchen cabinets or small mirrored bathroom cabinets may be.
Only the upper tier in the kitchen depends on the average height of the woman who spends working time here, and the cabinet in the bathroom should be accessible to all family members. The child should also be able to reach it; a wardrobe with clothes in the nursery should also be placed within his reach.
Types and functionality
The furniture industry produces 4 types of kitchen equipment. This does not include the kitchen counter, dishwasher, or cooking stove. They are not included in the standard set of cabinets, colloquially referred to as a wall. The need for such equipment is determined by the specific use of the kitchen area and its functional purpose.
Kitchen lower cabinets: standards
Floor cabinets, unlike upper kitchen cabinets, require horizontal placement on the floor and do not require adjustment.
Commercially available sets of kitchen furniture are designed primarily for Caucasian women, who can reach a height of 174–180 cm, so those who exceed the design parameter of 167 cm may experience certain inconvenience during the work process, since for them the height of the cabinets will be quite low.
If you raise the floor kitchen cabinet a few centimeters, you can save a person from the consequences for the spine and shoulder girdle. However, the standard height parameter is 85 cm, as is the minimum height of the sink.
The dimensions of the lower tier cabinets are also dictated by scientific research based on the structural features of the human body, but not individual, but averaged.
If the height of the lower kitchen cabinets is designed for the comfortable work of the average European woman, it can be adjusted for a tall figure by making legs or a pedestal base. However, it will be easier to look for a set in which the height is not 85, but 90 cm.
You can also order the lower tier according to an individual project. The remaining parameters remain virtually unchanged. In this regard, it is worth noting the following:
- The depth is almost always, regardless of the size of the room, 45 cm. Otherwise, objects located inside the cabinet will present an inconvenience when removing the internal contents.
- The width of a kitchen cabinet can vary from 40 cm to 1 m (not often), but the rule of the opening door works here, which in a limited space implies a limit of no more than half a meter when swinging open.
- A pull-out kitchen chest of drawers is the optimal solution for small spaces. This option allows for significant space savings, which is why it is almost always present in sets for small kitchens.
- The working surface of the kitchen countertop should not be deeper than 0.6 m, otherwise it is no longer practical. At the rear, in order to ensure freedom of wiring, it should protrude by 10 cm. Moreover, if it protrudes in front by more than 5 cm, a precondition for domestic injuries may be created.
- For a small kitchenette, the dimensions may be somewhat reduced, but the minimum height of the bottom is rarely less than 85 cm.
When purchasing kitchen cabinets, you need to pay attention to the ceiling height. If, as in Khrushchev’s small-sized car, it is 2.50 m, certain difficulties may arise during assembly. Especially when the height of the wall cabinet is 100 cm or, even more so, if the height is close to 120 cm.
It will be difficult to hang cabinets correctly while maintaining the proper distance between the upper and lower tiers in a space of 2.5 m. Obviously, such a canopy will not be safe and convenient either.
Fashionable Ikea can recommend different heights of furniture (countertops or kitchen cabinets), with the ability to adjust the height. But there are certain patterns on the basis of which the distance of 250 or 275 cm between the ceiling and the floor is demarcated.
Upper kitchen cabinets: standards and location rules
The hanging level of kitchen furniture must be mounted so that the distance between its lower edge and the surface of the countertop is at least 45 cm.
But the top of the suspension should not be closely adjacent to the ceiling. Otherwise, the wall tier easily forms a limited space between it and the suspended prefabricated or single structure. It will be difficult to clean there, and a layer of dust and grease contaminants will easily accumulate.
The length cannot exceed the same parameter of the lower tier of furniture elements in order to avoid injury. But the width of the product is determined by the same opening of the door as for cabinets standing on the floor.
With a total standard cabinet height of 900 mm, one person will be able to comfortably reach the top shelf even at 920 mm, while another will have to stand on a stool or step even at a height of 850 mm.
Those lucky enough to live in a spacious kitchen of a later standard building have had much better luck with the range of furniture available in the furniture industry.
However, neither the ceiling height nor the overall space excludes difficulties with the rational selection and placement of all the necessary items. Sometimes the conditions are dictated by the free opening of the door.
Often the countertop has to be raised to accommodate a washing machine or at the same level in relation to the gas stove. And the corner cabinet, so temptingly depicted in the advertising picture, turns out to be difficult to install and interferes with the operation of the stove or sink.
Rationality and expediency
The height of kitchen cabinets from the floor is designed for the average height of a woman (167 cm), as is the method for determining where a hook for textile accessories or a dish drainer will be hung. Attaching such devices with maximum rationality is an ergonomic installation.
