The Dark Side Of Kitchen Design: Don't Do These 6 Things

[@kristinnelson-patel442]

I’m so excited for this collab! I live in the greater Boston area and have been watching both of your channels since we started research and planning for our upcoming kitchen rebuild. Both great channels with good complementary strengths.

[@marnabergmann3572]

Thank you both for the info in this video. I started planning my kitchen remodel in March of 2024. We're on the cusp of bringing the plan to fruition. We just ordered our cabinets, we bought our Cafe Appliances during the Labor day sale. I stressed over the decision to install a built in double oven or install a slide in double oven induction range. After viewing the built in, I realized the built in is too much oven for us. We're retired and have down sized a third time. We're preparing our home for us to be able to age in place. As an older couple, in order to work in our kitchen, we needed more cabinets and a better kitchen sink. In July, I bought my Ruvati 33 inch work station. I have watched both (all) of your videos and have been able to make sensible decisions with regard to the way I will work in my kitchen. I am at the most painful part of the plan - waiting for the installation. Thank you both for all the information you share. You have helped me immensely.

[@michelegrigsby]

😲😲 Not two of my favorite people in one place!!!! 💜💜💜 Great tips!

[@MTKDofficial]

Aaahhh. Thanks, you're tooo kind!

[@MTKDofficial]

Big THANKS to Steve and his team for making this possible! Looking forward to more of these in the future. Steve needs to UP his jacket game though! 😁😂

[@entasis.fifty-four]

Great video! Aspects that should also be considered: 1) Overhead or higher cabinet located microwaves are a danger. ER nurses can tell you the dangers of having to reach high to remove food from a microwave. 2) Whole house surge protection is great at the electrical panel, but I also prefer wall receptacle surge protection for my appliances as technology/electronics have become sophisticated, expensive and delicate. Again, another reference to hospital requirements where very sensitive equipment requires additional built-in wall receptacle outlet surge protection. In fact, I use hospital grade wall receptacle surge protectors for my appliances.

[@billegbert6262]

Thank you, gents! I follow both of your channels and I have learned a lot in preparation for our eventual kitchen upgrade. I live in a townhouse and our stove vents into the wall between units, so a gas range is out of the question - can't vent properly. Hopefully by the time we have to actually purchase our appliances, there are more choices for counter depth fridges with dual motors. I wouldn't have know that without the info I learn from you two. Thank you!

[@jameshobbs6092]

I’m HVAC tech. Question, do you have closets or spaces above your kitchen where piping runs? You could squeeze them in and cover with sheet rock. Some ductwork can transition from round to flattened oval? Also if you can reach the attic the blower motor can be located there. Get the insulation guide for a hood you want (and) the installation guide for the range you want, compare recommended CFM requirements to find out what you would need and call your HVAC company. I was of the opinion that exhaust ducts didn’t /exactly/ have to go straight up?! Just a thought.

[@MTKDofficial]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@5610winston]

2:33 You mention ceiling blowers, an interesting idea. I have an eight-foot-three ceiling in my galley, which would place the ceiling blower within the four-to-seven foot height above the cooktop.

[@linda__4587]

Very interesting. I never put in chairs around my island. I figured I would spend all day pushing them in. You are the only people I trust about these appliances.

[@kristinnelson-patel442]

Responding to the island seating question also: my kids grew up sitting at our kitchen island and we have always eaten there more as a family than we did in the dining room. Even when we hosted friends, people just always wanted to sit there. It has ample overhang, though, and I was always really focused on getting comfortable seats that fit there well.

[@bluedrummajor2876]

So happy to see 2 of my favorite kitchen educators working together.

[@killroy123]

Never sit in an island kitchen. Never comfortable. I also don't cook like I'm at a Benihana. Closed kitchens need a come back.

[@MTKDofficial]

Closed kitchens are certainly becoming more and more popular.

[@trk8908]

So happy to see you two collaborating. Both videos are great!

[@MTKDofficial]

Thank you!

[@tedbellWRV]

Absolutely correct about the island seating. Luckily, we did not allow our GC to skimp on the island, as our architect had a deep bar-height overhanging countertop above the island backsplash in the plans. The GC would avoid extra slab width, special iron support brackets, etc. if they had convinced us to go with a narrow 10 inch overhang. But, I'm the "big guy" in our family and I knew that would not work. We ended up with about 16 inches of overhang (22" of total depth for the countertop above the backsplash) that works so well, that we can barely get guests away from the bar stools when we entertain. Getting the correct stool height and stools that were substantial enough to be comfortable was important too. One thing we learned on this last kitchen. We always use a 37.5 inch countertop height. That involves a 1.5 inch build-up on the standard cabinets. The build-up was trimmed with cabinet material and it quickly suffered from the steam from the Bosch Benchmark dishwasher. A stainless steel wrap above the dishwasher applied to the build-up trim with 3M VHB solved that problem.

[@MTKDofficial]

Awesome! Getting that overhang right for the user is a big win!

[@jackjmaheriii]

We use the seating at our kitchen island all the time, but it’s all counter height and the seating is 16” deep. It’s also 4’x9’ so there is a lot of room to spread out.

[@MTKDofficial]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@theateam2006]

Thank you for your videos, they are extremely helpful. Is downdraft ventilation better than no ventilation? Our kitchen is open to the 2nd floor and there's no place to install a hood over our electric range.

[@RajiAravazhi-di2gf]

Wow! This is awesome! We watch both your channels a lot ! I got so excited that I commented even before I watched the episode😁

[@raoulroberts2024]

This was an excellent video. Thank you, Steve and Mark. Open shelves, to us, are too much of a pain to upkeep despite the fleeting moments of aesthetic joy. Those kneecapping islands are also a pain.😁 We're gonna go to Mark's channel for the sister video. 👍🏾💙🤍❤️

[@MTKDofficial]

👍🏼👍🏼

[@Its_Me0000]

Thank you Steve.

[@afs3294]

Great work, Steve & Mark. The vast majority of people interested in a new kitchen do not understand the vital connection between appliances, design, installation, etc. Traditional kitchen triangle as the default plan is 100% dead, and it's definitely about work zones/concentrated functionality in well-designed kitchens.

[@MTKDofficial]

Yes, yes and YES~!!!

[@hagun6535]

Great focus, function first that fits your way of cooking and reliability, then find the look.

[@MTKDofficial]

👍🏼

[@MV-nn4yo]

great collab! I watched many of (both) your videos when designing my kitchen remodel 4 months ago... extremely helpful!! my tiny kitchen turned out great thanks to following many tips your vids provided. thanks again!!!

[@trinaroe5132]

Don’t know about your comment about families being larger today than when the kitchen triangle was invented. The woman who came up with the kitchen triangle, Lillian Gilbreth, had 12 kids! Even the biggest families I know today rarely have 6 or more.

[@edwardcasper5231]

The vent that came with my townhouse moved 200 cu. Ft. per minute. The OTR I installed vents 400. At least the kitchen hood/OTR vents to the outside. I only have 72 sq. ft. in my kitchen, so I need all the counter space I can get. The original range that came with my place was an old harvest gold model with the microwave incorporated into the regular oven. Either way, I have to lift something - not an ideal situation. Fortunately, I have very simple cooking needs, so my setup really works quite well.

[@arevee9429]

Over-the-range microwaves are garbage. And if they are 30" wide, the door's too long. And "venting" by filtering the air and not exhausting it outside? Worthless. It's not just the toxic chemicals - it's the nasty food smell all over the house and vaporized grease. Get that stuff out of the house!

[@gund89123]

He’s right, I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen range hood is far away from front burners. Cook top manufacturers decided to put high BTU burners in the front. There is like at least 12” distance between front burners and range hood. I did research on 1:42 so many different range hoods and cook tops. It’s bad design.

[@erik5024]

Moved into a new higher end spec house, and we use the island seating every day. It's more useful for quick meals and isn't comfortable for long-term seating, but that fills a need with our family lifestyle.

[@M1911jln]

A couple thoughts. First, I agree with you completely about the need for proper ventilation. I hate over the range microwaves -- they get in the way of me cooking. Second, while I agree that you need an appliance company that can competently service your appliances, their competence isn't useful when they can't schedule a service visit to fix your refrigerator for 5 weeks. Third, I agree completely on open shelves. They look lovely in pictures, but only if you have 1/4 of the stuff on the shelves that you would put in cabinets in that location. And, as you said, there is the grease and dust factor. Finally, the stools at our island are mostly there for when we are entertaining. They give our guests a place to perch so that they can talk to me while I'm cooking and not be in the way.

[@trinaroe5132]

Too many apartment galley style kitchens have efficient work triangles with the refrigerator buried. So I understand why that’s an issue.

[@blahblahblah9376]

I might pay a ransom fee if you can find me an actual GAS double wall unit. Pertty please...

[@inurfaceson9722]

Great video 😊

[@MTKDofficial]

👍🏼

[@trinaroe5132]

The thing I disagree with about open shelves is that items that are just on display are the items that are going to get gross. If the only things on open shelves are the items you actually use every single day you’re washing them daily before they have a chance to get greasy, dusty and gross.

[@kathleenoverchuck5819]

This was great. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

[@applesauceandhoney2407]

1- so what solution for the hood to get would be helpful.

[@marygillespie2028]

Awesome video. Can't wait for more!

[@mikerudd4943]

I love .ar Mark and Steve. Great video!

[@kns9397]

Informative.