The NKBA kitchen work triangle — sink, range, and refrigerator

The NKBA work triangle links sink, range, and refrigerator: each leg 4–9 ft, the three legs 13–26 ft total, and no leg cut by traffic or an island by more than 12 in.

A plan view of a kitchen with the work triangle drawn between the three primary work centers: the sink, the cooking surface, and the refrigerator. Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet, and the three legs together should total between 13 and 26 feet. No leg should be cut by an island or a major walkway by more than 12 inches. Keeping the three stations within this range is what makes a kitchen efficient to cook in, and it is why cabinet and appliance placement is planned around the triangle rather than filling walls one cabinet at a time. — Source: NKBA Kitchen Planning Guidelines (the work triangle)

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A plan view of a kitchen with the work triangle drawn between the three primary work centers: the sink, the cooking surface, and the refrigerator. Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet, and the three legs together should total between 13 and 26 feet. No leg should be cut by an island or a major walkway by more than 12 inches. Keeping the three stations within this range is what makes a kitchen efficient to cook in, and it is why cabinet and appliance placement is planned around the triangle rather than filling walls one cabinet at a time.

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    <img src="https://remodelcalculators.com/api/figure-embed/kitchen-work-triangle" alt="A plan view of a kitchen with the work triangle drawn between the three primary work centers: the sink, the cooking surface, and the refrigerator. Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet, and the three legs together should total between 13 and 26 feet. No leg should be cut by an island or a major walkway by more than 12 inches. Keeping the three stations within this range is what makes a kitchen efficient to cook in, and it is why cabinet and appliance placement is planned around the triangle rather than filling walls one cabinet at a time." width="800" height="520" style="width:100%;height:auto;border:0" loading="lazy">
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    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/kitchen-work-triangle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The NKBA kitchen work triangle — sink, range, and refrigerator</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
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