What is the optimal width and height of a kitchen countertop? Optimal sizes

Its width and thickness will also matter. Below we will tell you at what height you should install a kitchen countertop and what its optimal dimensions are.

What should the tabletop be like?

It is necessary to select the ideal option for the kitchen according to certain criteria that suit all family members. First of all, you need to determine its main qualities. It should be durable and comfortable for all household members. In order for the product to please and bring pleasure every day, when choosing, you need to take into account the following points:

• Damage resistance, impact resistance;
• Water resistance;
• High temperature resistance;
• Easy care, ability to use chemicals;
• Beautiful modern design;
• Resistance to dyes and acids;
• Possibility of repair;
• No harmful substances in the material;
• Acceptable price;
• Long service life.

What to choose

The standard size is 1.8 by 2.5 m, thickness for marble – 20–30 mm, for granite – 30–50 mm. Natural stone has a unique natural texture. Each tabletop is unique in design, but the color palette is limited. Marble tops add aristocracy and respectability to the interior, but are capricious in use. The stone is porous, and random stains are difficult, sometimes impossible, to get rid of. Marble is fragile, thin edges chip off. The frame must support a weight of 80 kg per square meter.

Popular materials for countertops and their standard sizes

The choice of countertops is simplified by a wide variety of products designed for rooms of the same type of layout. Standard surface dimensions for work are length 100 cm, width 60 cm, thickness 2.8 cm. Custom-made kitchens with individual parameters are more expensive, but can go beyond the standards in any direction. The height of the kitchen set is adjustable to suit the height of the person.

The determining factor when choosing a countertop is the material from which it is made. Each option has its own quality and performance characteristics, positive and negative sides. When choosing your ideal product, you need to focus on functionality, personal preferences and requirements for the item.

It should be understood that the service life of cheap wood-containing boards will be short. Dense sheets and products made from natural stone are wear-resistant, but also impressive in weight. To choose the right tabletop and its dimensions, you need to familiarize yourself with the popular options and their parameters for the work area.

Laminated chipboard and MDF

Products made from wood laminated materials belong to the affordable price category. These are slabs made from chips bound with formaldehyde resins. The dimensions of a standard tabletop sheet are width – 60 cm, length – 350 cm, thickness – 2.8 cm. You can easily reduce the size, but you won’t be able to increase the working area from such material. Seam joints will be an obstacle. Due to the absence of harmful substances in the material and low price, such countertops are popular and in demand.

Tabletops made of MDF and laminated chipboard have excellent performance characteristics. To extend their service life, cladding is used. Such furniture is divided into the following types:

• Melamine. Covered with special paper impregnated with resins. The product has additional resistance to chemical influences;
• Laminated. With an extended service life, protects against moisture, eliminates the appearance of stains on the surface;
• Veneered. Veneer fixed with varnish is not durable. The product is not suitable for frequent and intensive use.

The disadvantages of such working areas include possible swelling of the material when moisture enters, which occurs when the sink is inserted and the seams are depressurized. There is also no possibility of restoring damaged areas. The countertop will have to be completely replaced.

Natural wood

The main advantage of a work area made of natural wood is its naturalness and attractive appearance. To extend the service life of the countertop, it is coated with varnish. But even with frequent processing, the array quickly loses its attractiveness and quality characteristics. Visible marks from impacts and pressure remain on the material. This tabletop has low heat resistance, poor moisture resistance, and loses hygiene with prolonged use.

Natural wood countertops are not suitable for daily use, as they are impractical and require careful handling and special care. More often, such products are made to order. Each manufacturer sets its own parameters. Typically the width of the product is 60-100 cm, length – 100-300 cm, thickness – 4 cm.

Acrylic

Plastic material refers to artificial stone. Thanks to its properties, it allows you to create countertops of any shape and size. The technology of making acrylic from white clay, resins, dyes and polymers allows you to create narrow and dimensional work areas of any design and color. The finished acrylic boards are glued using two-component glue to a base made of chipboard or foam glass.

Acrylic countertops are environmentally friendly products that are resistant to impact and chemicals. To arrange the work area, you can use several sheets. When installing the hob or sink, the joints will not be visible. If chips or scratches occur, the surface can be easily repaired by pouring acrylic resin and subsequent sanding. Disadvantage: exposure to high temperatures.

The standard sizes of acrylic countertops differ significantly from the parameters of similar surfaces. Width – 80 cm, length – up to 300 cm, thickness – 3.8 cm. Due to its impressive weight, the material is difficult to process, which increases its cost. More often it is used to decorate work areas in rooms with a non-standard layout.

Agglomerate

Suitable for expensive large headsets. The composition includes natural marble, quartz, granite chips, connecting elements, which makes the countertop attractive and wear-resistant. The product has a long service life, a presentable appearance, and easily contacts most aggressive chemicals.

Thanks to the properties of the material, you can create a tabletop of any shape and length from several sheets. It is enough to fill the seam with special glue and rub it well. The product can be repaired in the same way.

The cost of a working surface made of agglomerate will significantly depend on the color. Plain products and with small inclusions are the most affordable option, when a tabletop with a large pattern imitating natural stone will have a higher price.

Manufacturers produce agglomerate sheets of standard sizes - 300 X 140 cm. To make a stone tabletop, they are cut lengthwise into two parts, so the width of the finished slab often does not exceed 70 cm, the length is up to 300 cm, the thickness of the finished product is 4 cm, where 1.2 cm agglomerate, 1.8 cm chipboard sheet.

Marble and granite

A tabletop made of this material will be the most durable. The product will be able to survive more than one set. Natural stone is moisture resistant and resistant to chemicals. Durable natural material is heavy and cannot boast of a variety of colors and textures.

Disadvantages include instability to strong impacts, inability to repair, and difficulty in masking joints when connecting two slabs. Marble countertops are not practical. The material immediately becomes covered with yellow spots upon contact with hot objects and absorbs dyes that are difficult to remove.

Marble and granite countertops are always made to order. Product parameters are in a wide range. The blanks are cut from standard sheets 300 X 300 cm. The thickness of marble is 3 cm, granite is 2 cm.

To give the products the required height, a strip of natural stone of a suitable shape and size is glued to the front side. This can be a regular, double-sided profile with extension forward, at an angle of 45 ° C.

Steel

Steel products are highly wear resistant. Surfaces are not made from pure material. The best option for the kitchen is a metal monolith. A sheet of steel is wrapped around a chipboard or MDF board, leveled, the seams are sealed and polished. The resulting product is hygienic, easy to care for, and is heat and moisture resistant. Standard sizes are length 300-400 cm, width – 60 cm, thickness – 4 cm.

The disadvantages of steel surfaces include insufficient resistance to mechanical damage. Impacts and pressure leave dents, scratches from a knife and sharp objects are very noticeable. To minimize visual unattractiveness and make cuts invisible, it is better to choose a steel countertop with a matte surface.

Height and convenience for a housewife to work: zones with different levels

The convenience of basic kitchen manipulations is determined by the following ratios of body parameters and the height of the working surface:

• Cooking food. The height of the cooking surface is determined using a pan of the largest volume: the cook must place it on the stove without overexerting, look inside and stir without difficulty, without bending over or standing on tiptoes. It is important to provide a place near the stove at the same level for ready-made dishes removed from the fire; a side or different heights of surfaces can lead to overturned pots.
• Washing dishes by hand.
  The height of the sink is determined as follows: from the distance between the floor and the housewife’s elbow with the forearm horizontal, we subtract the length of the hand, this will be the height of the sink installation, which will provide support for the hands on the edge of the sink, correct posture, and a right angle of the elbow bend. The sink is the highest area. To select the heights of the remaining zones, the height of the zone with the sink can be considered as the starting point.
• Primary processing of products. It is advisable to carry out cleaning and slicing of food at a height greater than the sink, 10-15 cm, so as not to bend down.
• Preparing the dough. Kneading and rolling out the dough occurs with the application of a certain force and with a tilt of the body, so the surface should be 20 cm below the elbow, or 0.7...0.82 m.

Maintaining these proportions in a single kitchen front is not always possible, especially in small rooms, so some operations, such as preparing dough, are best carried out on a kitchen table, the height of which, as a rule, meets the ergonomic requirements for this type of work.

Average heights in a kitchen with different levels:

• washing, disassembling products - 1 m;
• hob - 0.8 m;
• preparation of ingredients - 0.9 m.

Dimensions for corner kitchen

Corner countertops are often installed in small kitchens. This is the optimal solution for miniature rooms. Such products perfectly increase the working surface area. In order for the set and other furniture to fit optimally into the interior and take up minimal space, it is necessary to choose the right size and shape of the product. This can be a surface of any color, but it is better if it does not differ much from the facades.

In pursuit of valuable square meters in a small kitchen, it is better not to reduce the width of the countertop. Its standard size of 60 cm will be quite acceptable. To visually expand the space, the end parts can be made rounded, which in turn will facilitate free movement. The length of the product is often increased on one side or has equal parts with an embedded sink in the center.

Thanks to the special design of the corner tabletop, there is an excellent opportunity to visually divide the surfaces into parts. When one side serves as a working area, the other will become a convenient place for placing household appliances and decorative elements.

Ease of use

Of course, the color and material of the countertop play an important role. However, in the end, the deciding factor in purchasing a particular model should be ease of use. In order not to make a mistake, first pay attention to the height and build of you and your loved ones. The table should have maximum convenience not only as a surface on which food is prepared, but also as a place for eating. It is important to choose suitable chairs for the table. There should be no obstacles or inconveniences when you sit at the table or leave the table. Enough free space must be left for the legs. So, for a tall person, you should not opt ​​for tabletops that are too narrow, and short people should not increase the standard size of the tabletop (otherwise you will have to reach far to the main dish in the center of the table).

Non-standard sizes - tips and selection rules

Many headset manufacturers do not use certain GOST standards for their products. Manufacturing a custom-made countertop involves working with non-standard dimensions. With a linear layout, the work surface is located along one wall. If the room is narrow and elongated, then the length of the tabletop may exceed the usual 300 cm. The maximum figure is 500 cm. Such products can be made without seams from certain materials.

For a small kitchen you will have to choose from a standard corner countertop or order a linear type product. Kitchen set assemblers often work with dimensions of 150 x 60 cm. But there may be any deviations in the parameters. This will depend on the characteristics of the room, kitchen design, material, and preferences of the owners.

A non-standard modern solution is to increase the width of the tabletop to 1 meter. Such a product will be appropriate in a spacious kitchen, will make the work area more comfortable, and will allow you to use the space near the wall for arranging decor, additional accessories, and household appliances.

Headset design

If you intend to independently draw up a project and assemble a kitchen set with your own hands, you need to know the standard dimensions that are used in the manufacture of kitchen furniture:

• floor standing cabinets 860 mm
• cabinets 720 mm
• cabinet legs 100 mm
• table tops = 40 mm

This is important to consider, because when you change one parameter, you need to change all the remaining ones. Ordering materials for making kitchen cabinets yourself will cost less if you use standard sizes of kitchen cabinets. Thus, the executing company will not need to create a separate layout, but can immediately begin manufacturing furniture.

How to take measurements correctly

To accurately calculate the parameters of the future countertop, it is necessary to take into account many factors. If you already have a set, then it is simply enough to prepare the surface to be measured, freeing it from unnecessary objects. The unit of measurement can be millimeters or centimeters. In the latter case, rounding cannot be done. Correct measurements are taken as follows:

• Length measurement. The simplest task, especially if the product is located along the wall, is not interrupted by household appliances and a sink. You can measure the distance with a tape measure or take data from the technical passport of the premises. It is necessary to take into account the thickness of the wall finishing, especially if it is drywall or other bulk materials.
• Measurement of built-in equipment. Often the countertop is interrupted by a gas stove and sink. Such devices must be measured along one side and subtracted from the length of the panel. For vibrating devices, you need to leave a reserve. Pieces of furniture and household appliances, for example, a washing machine, dishwasher, cabinets, counters, the upper part of which is closed, are not included in the measurements. They will simply be covered with a tabletop on top.
• Tabletop depth. This parameter cannot be less than 40 cm. It is determined solely by personal preferences and ideas about convenience. If you have built-in devices, you need to take into account their dimensions. The countertop will look better if there are no large differences in depth among several household elements. If this cannot be avoided, when measuring you should focus on the deepest insert.
• Measurements of the island countertop. For products that simultaneously act as a kitchen table and work area, the depth and length must be determined based on the square footage of the room and the convenience of the household. The island countertop should be comfortable for working and sitting. Recommended width – 80 cm.

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.

The use of special solutions to mask joints

The ideal surface for a kitchen set is a solid countertop. It is guaranteed to last longer than prefabricated elements. But there are times when it is not possible to install such a product, then you have to assemble it from several segments. This arrangement option has to be used when installing corner kitchens.

You can join segments of any shape, the main thing is that they fit perfectly in size. For this purpose, special plastic and aluminum strips are used. Some materials will require the installation of threaded fasteners. A special two-component adhesive in the color of the surface is applied to the combined edges of the panels and pulled together. The composition will strengthen the connection and disguise the seam. When tightening the ties, some of the glue will come out along the joint. It must be distributed evenly and allowed to dry. Then sand and polish.

To cover the joint of the tabletop against the wall, use a special plinth. It simultaneously covers the gap and allows you to give the product a finished look. Skirting boards come in various shapes and designs. There is no minimum size.

Briefly about the main thing

The dimensions of the tabletop must correspond to the size of the furniture on which it is installed.

Depending on the material used to make the countertop, the optimal method for installing this important element indoors is chosen.

To secure the surface, special corners, screws, brackets, plates, and adhesives are used.

Stone surfaces are the most difficult to install, so in most cases this work is left to professionals.

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Kitchen table shape

The classic version is a rectangular tableware. It can be placed anywhere in the room, moved to a wall, window, or left in the center. A square table will significantly save kitchen space. If the family is small, it can be pushed into a corner, which will free up the room to accommodate other useful items. At the time of eating, the square table can be moved away from the walls and 4 people can easily be seated behind it.

Semicircular tables are suitable for small kitchens, the area of ​​which does not exceed 6 m2. An object pushed against the wall will allow the whole family to sit quietly. In spacious rooms it is placed in the center, which creates a special atmosphere and emphasizes wealth.

The round tabletop allows you to seat more people than the standard rectangular option. The absence of sharp corners will come in handy if there are children in the house. The special shape allows only small models to be used comfortably, since bulky tables will be uncomfortable and make it difficult for people sitting opposite each other to communicate.

Fake diamond

Its advantages lie in its strength, since such material scratches little and is not subject to deformation from moisture and high temperatures - exactly what is needed for the kitchen. In addition, when building up, the joints will be almost invisible. Thanks to this, you can make the tabletop, for example, one-piece with a sink.

The standard size of the depth of countertops for kitchens made of artificial stone can reach up to 80 cm. Also, the thickness depends in most cases on the type of fastening. Deviations from the standard size of 38 mm in this case will be considered normal.

Please note that the peculiarity of this material is that it is difficult to adjust in terms of size . Therefore, if you need the depth or width of a product of a different size, then this is possible, but the cost will be more expensive, unlike standard dimensions.