Published 2026-10-29 · 2 min read
The kitchen work triangle: placing fridge, sink and hob
In every kitchen you keep walking between three points: fridge, sink, hob. Too far apart and you walk miles; too close and there is nowhere to put anything down. For seventy years designers have used the same simple rule to place them.
The rule
- Each side of the triangle (fridge–sink, sink–hob, hob–fridge) between 1.2 and 2.7 m.
- The three sides together between roughly 4 and 8 m.
- No household traffic route cuts through the triangle — nobody crosses the kitchen while you cook.
- Nothing taller than the worktop (a tall cabinet, say) stands between two points.
Clear worktop between points
- Between sink and hob: 60 cm minimum, ideally 90–120 cm. That is where you chop and prepare.
- Next to the fridge, on its opening side: 40 cm to put down what you take out.
- Either side of the hob: at least 30–40 cm so pan handles do not stick out over nothing.
- Aisle between two runs or between worktop and island: 100–120 cm (120 if two people cook).
By kitchen type
- Single wall: no triangle, a line. Fridge at one end, hob at the other, sink in the middle, and keep it under about 4 m.
- L-shaped: the easiest for a triangle. Sink on one leg, hob on the other, fridge at the free end.
- U-shaped: the most compact triangle, one point on each leg. It needs at least 2.4 m width for a 1.2 m aisle.
- Island: put either the sink or the hob on the island, not both, and keep 100–120 cm all round.
Draw it in 3D
GrafitGo's Kitchen object is a run of units with adjustable length, depth and height, with or without wall units and a sink. For an L or U kitchen, place two or three runs at 90°. Check the triangle's sides with the measuring tool, then press V and see whether the fridge door hits anything.
Is the triangle rule still valid?
As a starting point, yes. Modern kitchens also talk about work zones (storage, prep, cooking, washing up), but the triangle distances remain a good test that a kitchen is comfortable.
Can the fridge go right next to the hob?
Better not directly: leave at least a 30–40 cm unit or an insulating panel between them, otherwise the fridge uses more energy.
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