How to Plan Around Appliances in a Kitchen

Why Appliances Are Chosen Before the Furniture Is Designed

The furniture is designed around the appliances, not the other way round. If you fit the kitchen first and buy the oven later, it may not fit the housing. The minimum you need before design starts: the models, dimensions, and connection requirements for every appliance.

Fridge

• Integrated: standard housing opening 560 × 1220 mm (low) or 560 × 1770 mm (tall, spanning two units)
• Freestanding: positioned at the end of a run or in a corner — allow 50 mm clearance on each side and above for ventilation
• Not next to the hob or oven — heat from cooking increases the fridge's energy consumption
• Socket behind the fridge: dedicated 16 A circuit, earthed
• American-style side-by-side: 900–1000 mm wide, requires bespoke housing design

Hob

• Standard widths: 30, 45, 60, 90 cm — determines the width of the base cabinet below
• Worktop cut-out: dimensions in the installation manual — typically 5 mm smaller than the outer footprint
• Distance to the worktop edge: minimum 50 mm on each side
• Electric and induction: dedicated 32–40 A circuit, single or three-phase — check the manual
• Gas: sign-off from the gas authority required; flexible hose or rigid pipe connection
• Do not place an oven directly below the hob without a ventilation gap — check the oven's installation manual

Oven

• Standard widths: 45 and 60 cm; housing height ~590 mm for both
• Built into a tall unit or into a base unit below the hob (where space allows)
• Socket behind the oven: 16 A or 32 A — depends on power output (up to 3 kW: 16 A; above: 32 A)
• Ventilation: the oven expels hot air from the front or bottom — maintain the clearance stated in the manual
• Installation height: 70–90 cm from the floor — no bending required, and opening the door is safe
• Oven in a tall unit: pair it with a microwave or coffee machine — convenient during cooking

Extractor Hood

• Integrated into a cabinet: requires a duct housing unit; ducting runs to the building's ventilation shaft or outside
• Freestanding chimney hood: wall- or ceiling-mounted; requires a duct penetration
• Recirculation mode (ductless): less effective, requires periodic carbon filter replacement
• Hood width: at least as wide as the hob, ideally 10–20 cm wider
• Distance from hob surface to underside of hood: 650–750 mm electric / 750–800 mm gas
• Ductwork: rectangular 200 × 55 mm or round Ø150 mm — runs inside a housing unit or behind a fascia
• Socket for the hood: inside the duct housing unit, 16 A

Dishwasher

• Standard width: 60 cm (45 cm slim version also available); housing height 820 mm
• Position directly next to the sink: short drain run, water supply close by
• Integrated: the furniture door panel clips onto the machine door — panel height matched to adjacent drawer heights
• Freestanding: side panels are visible — fit a decorative end panel to the adjacent unit
• Connections: cold water inlet, drain to the sink trap or independent standpipe, 16 A socket nearby
• Door-drop drying: check the open door does not foul the adjacent cabinet

Microwave

• Built-in: in a tall unit or a wall cabinet at 1400–1600 mm from the floor
• Countertop: takes up 40–50 cm of worktop width
• Socket: inside the housing unit or immediately adjacent, 16 A
• Not above the hob: a microwave's own ventilation is incompatible with heat rising from a cooking surface

Sockets: How Many and Where

The Right Order When Planning Appliances

• Choose appliance models and record their exact dimensions before handing the brief to a designer or manufacturer
• Share the installation manuals — they contain the housing dimensions, clearances, and electrical requirements
• Agree the socket and drainage layout with your electrician and plumber before any finishing work begins
• Confirm the extractor duct route works within the layout — particularly critical on island kitchens
• Check that appliance doors do not conflict: the fridge and oven doors should not block each other when open