June 21, 2019

5670 n PAN eternity marquinablack soft 6mm arabesquepearl lux 6mm kitchen 001

What makes an ergonomic kitchen? How about we start with all our pet peeves that don’t contribute to an ergonomic kitchen.

From cabinets that are too high to reach, back breaking counters that are too low, and tsunami like splash back from your kitchen taps.

These are some of the factors that frustrate us on a daily basis and do not contribute to an ergonomic kitchen.

Having good ergonomics is the most important in the kitchen than any other room in the house, especially if you’re someone who spends countless hours cooking or baking.

An ergonomic kitchen is a kitchen that has been designed and tailored to your needs to make kitchen work effortless.

From adjusted counter heights and creative storage space, to conveniently placed appliances and tapware, we show you exactly what it takes to create an ergonomic kitchen.

Consider adjusting the height of your bench

Mazzari block - ergonomic kitchens
Block collection by Marazzi

Most homes have a standard bench height of around 900 – 915mm, unfortunately one size does not fit all, with taller people experiencing lower back pains and sore shoulders for lower statues. These days the most preferred height for a kitchen bench is 920mm and 950mm for those who are taller.

Incorporating different bench heights within your kitchen can create an ergonomic space for everyone to use with ease.

Kitchen items stored conveniently

How you store your crockery, pots and pans, and any other household item is crucial to keeping your spine in check and reducing accidents.

For example, store heavier items between hip and shoulder height to avoid overstretching when attempting to reach something up high. This can also help reduce the chances of accidentally dropping something heavy on your foot and breaking a toe or two.

Store all medium-weight items just beneath the heavier ones but don’t go any higher than your eyes or below the knees.

For the least accessible cabinets that are usually overhead, place the lightest items such as cereal boxes, pasta and snacks, that way you can avoid breaking anything if you accidentally drop it.

Easy access storage

Reduce unnecessary bending and reaching into high cupboards or dark cabinets with easy access drawers. Drawers are excellent for storing anything from crockery and cooking utensils, cutlery and perishables with everything you need at a glance notice.

Try creative storage on either side of your dishwasher, or behind you if you have two benches. This allows you to unload your dishwasher in small swift movements without having to stand awkwardly over an open dishwasher to put away clean dishes.

There are many variations of pullout storage, which includes pantry shelves, spice racks, drawers, under-the-sink organisers and trash bins. They provide better access to items rather than rummaging through a cabinet on your toes.

Reduce the distance you have to move

Finding the right balance between working spaces is essential — too far and you’ll be stretching to reach your heavy pots and pans, too little and it’ll feel cramped. Ideally, you should aim for a distance of 1200mm between any benches and fixtures to give yourself optimal room to move without ergonomic inefficiencies and wasted space.

The distance between your sink and tap matters

Zero.3 porcelain tiles by Panaria?

Feature taps are the trend at the moment but there is more to picking something that looks nice, it has to make sense with your sink. Nothing is more frustrating than turning on your kitchen tap and getting hit with a tsunami of water. Sounds like an exaggeration but have you ever tried to wash the back of a large saucepan under a raised faucet? Tsunami.

Unfortunately, one size does not fit all, so it really boils down to the depth of your kitchen sink and the height of your tap or spout.

Create a comfortable environment

When you hear the phrase ‘Ergonomic Kitchen’ it doesn’t sound very comfortable does it? Apart from making your life a lot easier in the kitchen, ergonomics doesn’t really add to the comfort of the space.

Spruce up the space with some indoor plants, coloured stools, pendant lighting and floating shelves to make it feel more like home.

Consider your kitchen floor type

Ergonomic kitchen - pick your tiles
Treverkmood collection by Marazzi

With the amount of standing we do in a kitchen, it would be wise to invest in a sprung floor type that is softer on the feet. However, this doesn’t mean you go ahead and replace your kitchen flooring with carpet.

The team over at Jupps Floor Coverings have a wide range of kitchen floor types that include soft underfoot vinyls and natural stone ceramic tiling, which are both practical and aesthetically pleasing.