I have a wide range of appliances in my kitchen and I have divided them into work zones. It allows me to carry out different activities simultaneously. Furthermore, when my husband is helping me in the kitchen, it offers high flexibility.
To make the most of the kitchen layout, you’d need to understand the available kitchen space. Once that is done, you then have to look for ways to effectively manage that space for the appliances you want in the kitchen.
Refrigerators and Stoves are two of the most common appliances in the kitchen. It is only natural to be skeptical about keeping them both in the same kitchen.
If you keep them both in the kitchen, try to know the ideal distance between the stove and refrigerator.
How Safe Is It to Keep Refrigerator in Kitchen
Before we get into the distance between a stove and a refrigerator, let’s look at how safe it is to have a fridge in the kitchen.
For some people, a refrigerator in the kitchen is a must-have primarily because of the easy access to frozen items. The presence of the refrigerator in the kitchen can also raise issues and make you think about whether it is safe to keep a fridge in the kitchen.
It is relatively safe to keep a refrigerator in your kitchen as long as you know where to keep it and how to maintain a comfortable distance between the fridge and other appliances in the kitchen.
In most cases, a refrigerator is the tallest appliance in the room, so you want to be careful about where you put it. Consider the height distance so that it does not affect the lighting in the kitchen.
You also want to put the refrigerator in a location where opening its doors does not cause any accidents or obstruct movement around the kitchen. It will avoid scenarios where someone stumbles into an open refrigerator door and sustains an injury in the process.
Now that we understand where to put the fridge and how well you manage the space let’s look at how far a refrigerator should be from a stove.
How Much Space Is Needed Between Stove and Refrigerator
The space needed between a stove and a refrigerator depends on the available kitchen space for placing them.
Firstly, you should not place a stove too close to the refrigerator. Because placing a fridge close to a furnace puts the refrigerator at the risk of wearing out faster because it gets to insulate heat from the stove.
Doing so makes the refrigerator’s compressors work extra hard, increasing power consumption and increasing the risk of the refrigerator failing.
The refrigerator can get soiled by grease and oil splashes from a stove on the countertop space.
Additionally, having a stove right next to a refrigerator might make it inconvenient to cook using large pots with oversized handles.
Although putting both appliances in such proximity might be a bad idea, there are situations where you have no other choice. Say, for example, when the kitchen is small.
What should be the ideal distance between a stove and a refrigerator in such a situation? It should be no less than 9 inches / 50 cm.
There might yet be situations where it is impossible to keep the stove and refrigerator that far apart in a kitchen. What then? Here are some solutions to that situation.
• Mount an insulator material to the refrigerator wall to not absorb the heat from the stove.
• Fit a kitchen hood to clear the smoke, heat, and combustion generated by the stove.
• Get a customized refrigerator
• Install a partition between both appliances to insulate the refrigerator from the stove’s heat
• Get smaller-sized appliances to optimize the kitchen floor spaces and increase the inches of clearances.
Some Other Questions You Might Ask
How Far Should A Fridge Be From An Oven
It depends on the type of refrigerator. If you use a single door unit of significant size, it might be problematic to open the door next to the oven. There are some safety issues since the proximity of both appliances reduces some inches off the countertop.
You could knock off a pot or pan on the limited cooking surface or ram the refrigerator door into the table edge.
You don’t need to bother about heating problems because, with the newer appliances, the refrigerators come with linings that handle the heat transfer.
At the same time, the modern oven can manage the heat better. If you happen to use older appliances, then professional kitchen designers recommend that the distance between these appliances should be a minimum of 9 inches and a maximum of 15 to 20 inches.
Where Should a Refrigerator be Placed in a Kitchen?
If you are going to have a refrigerator in a kitchen, its location is of utmost importance. A refrigerator’s location in the kitchen is primarily dependent on the size of the kitchen and kitchen floors. You want to locate it in a position where it is not in direct contact with sunlight.
If the kitchen floor plan is the narrow type with limited space, it would be a great idea to put the refrigerator at the entrance. That way, there will be enough room to open the door(s)without any inconvenience or safety issues directly in front.
If you don’t like any of these options, you could try the following:
• Integrate the refrigerator into the kitchen shelves.
• Fit your refrigerator under the kitchen cabinets, preferably the corner cabinets.
• Get refrigerator drawers.
What Can I Put Between Stove and Refrigerator Space?
We have already established that having a stove right next to a refrigerator is not a great idea. In circumstances where it is necessary, some form of insulation often solves the problem.
There are situations when you might be able to create ample space between both appliances. So how do you optimize this space?
Depending on the devices available, a dishwasher might be the best option because it fills the space without causing any heat concerns for the refrigerator.
You could also opt for a kitchen cabinet. However, you should leave at least 5cm in between the appliances to ensure airflow.
How Much Space Should Be Between Fridge and Cooker?
Just as it is with the stove and the refrigerator, so is it with the fridge and cooker. The heat from a functional cooker will affect the performance and longevity of the fridge in question. You should follow the same principles that apply to the stove.
Final Thoughts
If you have a stove and a refrigerator in the same kitchen, you should avoid placing them side by side. If you cannot prevent such a situation, there are measures described in the article that should be helpful.
Thankfully, the newer appliances can manage situations where you can not get the ideal square feet between your kitchen appliances.