Kitchen dimension, confusion

[atlasfever]

Hello,

Not a period property specific question, but trust your feedback.

For a NON-GAS hob, so electric/induction, is there a minimum height between the hob and the bottom of the wall unit? I believe there is no official requirement (with gas, yes). A kitchen company has been suggesting 65cm, but I was more assuming 45/50 cm, which is the norm in north america.

Any feedback? I am not going to have a different height for the wall units directly above the hob, vs above the regular counter. It will be one standard height across the counter/wall unit.

Thanks

 

[Zebra]

I can't think which of the Building Regs it would come under, but I think there must be something about distances of things over cookers.
You could work out the normal height for the bottom of a wall unit, by taking the height of a full height tall larder unit, which are around 2m high, then subracting the height of a wall unit, which are around 725mm high. Assuming that the tops of standard wall units would be level with the top of a tall larder unit, that would give you the height of the bottom of your standard wall units. If you're not having any tall units then there is a bit of leeway with that. Top of worktop is usually more or less 900mm from the floor, I believe.
However, I wouldn't think it were advisable in any case to have a normal wall unit above your hob, even if the Regs don't specifically prohibit it, which I think they must do. The bottom of the wall unit will warp with steam, peel, and become greasy. Quite apart from the fire risk.
The normal thing to have above a hob is a cooker hood extractor, are you just trying to squeeze in extra cupboard space?

 

[plasticpigeon]

The people that made our kitchen (which has been sitting in the front room for nearly a year) advised that we mount our cupboards so that the bottom of the cupboards are 50 cm above the top of the worktop just as Atlas has described. I think this is pretty standard. However when a cooker is mounted below cupboards, I have always seen a break in the wall units with an extractor placed higher above than the rest of the wall cupboards. I don't know the regs for an induction hob but I think not having a break above the cooker might look a little odd even if it is not needed. This website has all the building regs for the uk on it.

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/

 

[LadyArowana]

Any feedback? I am not going to have a different height for the wall units directly above the hob, vs above the regular counter. It will be one standard height across the counter/wall unit.

Thanks

I can only echo what others have said that this probably isn't the greatest plan. Even if you don't cook very often ( and I can relate because I dust my hob more often than it needs "cleaning" ) any time you do, the bottom surface of the cupboard would get condensation, heat or grease splatter, and typically those surfaces are not intended to handle that in the way that the underside of an extractor hood is. If you need the storage then, I would look at a smaller cupboard with the extractor underneath, that is what we have. So although it looks like it's all cupboard, it isn't. I don't have a picture with the door open unfortunately.

 

[Penners]

I wouldn't think it were advisable in any case to have a normal wall unit above your hob, even if the Regs don't specifically prohibit it, which I think they must do. The bottom of the wall unit will warp with steam, peel, and become greasy. Quite apart from the fire risk.

I entirely agree. Within a year or two I think the wall unit would deteriorate badly, and the fire risk shouldn't be ignored.

I also suspect that you would find a lower-than-head-height obstruction above the hob to be a damned nuisance when cooking. You frequently have to lean over pans to check or stir things, and this would be very difficult. Our hob is in a chimney recess with a bressummer slightly lower than my head height, and I'm forever bashing my bonce on the beam.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Well that's entirely your fault for trespassing in the Little Woman's domain, Penners. Unless you're heating tar or melting lead on the hob, there should be no need for you to go near it.

 

[Penners]

Well that's entirely your fault for trespassing in the Little Woman's domain, Penners. Unless you're heating tar or melting lead on the hob, there should be no need for you to go near it.

I'll have you know, Mr H, that my kitchen prowess is renowned. I prepare toast and expertly boiled eggs for the Light Of My Life every Sunday evening.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Well that's entirely your fault for trespassing in the Little Woman's domain, Penners. Unless you're heating tar or melting lead on the hob, there should be no need for you to go near it.

I'll have you know, Mr H, that my kitchen prowess is renowned. I prepare toast and expertly boiled eggs for the Light Of My Life every Sunday evening.

Do you still describe it as "breakfast"?
I must admit, I need a pretty long run-up to any kitchen-related activity too.

 

[Lime]

Re. overhanging cupboards.
If the electric hob is all induction I think the additional fire risk is minimal.
However all the other disadvantages still apply.

 

[Penners]

Do you still describe it as "breakfast"?

Good heavens, no! One never has candelabra on the table at breakfast.

 

[Penners]

If the electric hob is all induction I think the additional fire risk is minimal.

An induction hob doesn't preclude the risk of a pan fire, which could spread to flammable materials above.

 

[LadyArowana]

Do you still describe it as "breakfast"?

God heavens, no! One never has candelabra on the table at breakfast.

Surely you deliver breakfast on a folding tray to your good lady whilst she reclines in the bedchamber? Newspapers crisply ironed too!

 

[Penners]

No, that was my grandmother. She had a "bed jacket" specifically for taking breakfast in bed.

Did you know that newspapers weren't ironed just for neatness? It was also a process that sealed the ink, so that His Lordship didn't have dirty hands*.



* The parlour maid may, of course, have had a different view about this.

 

[Lime]

If the electric hob is all induction I think the additional fire risk is minimal.

An induction hob doesn't preclude the risk of a pan fire, which could spread to flammable materials above.

A pan fire is a risk that most induction hobs will prevent, but I admit it isn't impossible.
However a pan fire is likely to cause great damage with or without a cupboard directly above it.
It is quite common to find wooden-cladded hoods over cookers and ducting made of plastic, all of which will ignite.
Similarly wall cupboards directly to the side of a cooker are common too.
I maintain the extra fire risk is relatively small with induction cooking compared to radiant cookers.... however I wouldn't want to have an overhanging cupboard to collect moisture and dirt directly above where I cooked nor would I want to place a cupboard over the cooker for fear of something falling out and causing a dangerous spill.

 

[PeterI]

As a practical answer we had a "bridging unit" (280mm height) across the cooker in our old place.

It's height on the wall was set by the full height larder units (2070mm), we didn't seem to get a problem with warping etc even after 10 years. Not sure if we'd put a full height wall unit instead (720mm) we wouldn't have got problems, certainly where we had the kettle the bottom of the full height wall units did get a little bit messed up. Base unit height is supposed to be 870mm. These wall units all have a depth of 290mm

So in summary the gap would be 480mm for the full heights (we got mild damage from a kettle) and 920mm for the bridging unit over the cooker which seemed to survive for nearly ten years with little damage.