ᐅ Second small sink on the kitchen island

Surprisingly, the sink island is much more common in the American and non-German-speaking regions than the cooktop island.

Preparing salads, handling meat, making cold dishes (breakfast, snacks, dinner), and many other tasks often require quick access to water—whether it's rinsing vegetables or meat, or cleaning a cutting board in between. Just a thought to consider.

Also, better ventilation solutions are generally easier to achieve with cooktops located against a wall. Yes, popular downdraft systems like Bora and similar exist, but I always wonder how easy it will be to replace or repair them after a few years.

@BobRoss
I also think this is great for regular automatic coffee machines. Currently, mine is next to the sink in the rental apartment; before, I had it placed further away. Is that your kitchen? How much space is there between the sink and the cooktop?

@aero2016
It’s similar for me, actually—I would also say that I spend more time at the stove.
That’s why having a kitchen island was never really a question for me.
In my old house, I also had the sink by the window, and I really like being able to pause during the dishwashing, which I don’t enjoy much, and look outside. Besides, I mostly do that when I’m alone, and during cooking the kids are usually around, so then I prefer to face the room.

kbt09 schrieb:

Surprisingly, especially in the American and other non-German-speaking regions, the kitchen island with a sink is much more common than one with a cooktop.

Preparing salads, handling raw meat, making cold dishes (breakfast, snacks, dinner), and many other tasks often require quick access to water, whether for rinsing vegetables or meat, cleaning the cutting board in between, etc. ... Just a thought to consider.

Also, better ventilation solutions are generally easier to achieve with cooktops placed along the wall. Yes, popular downdraft systems like the Bora exist, but I always wonder how replacement parts will be sourced after a few years.

I don’t think you can make a general statement about this; everyone needs to decide based on their own workflow. We do all our prep work on the countertop, rinse things as needed, and place the rinsed items in the sink. For example, we quickly rinse lettuce beforehand but then prepare it on the countertop. That’s why our island has neither a stove nor a sink. Instead, I have a large, nice workspace. However, we definitely spend more time cooking at the stove than at the sink. Of course, it probably also depends on what kind of food you usually cook.

MarieWo schrieb:

@BobRoss
How much space is there between the sink and the cooktop?

About 40–50cm (16–20 inches), which is convenient for comfortably placing a large plate between the cooktop and the sink. I have experience with another kitchen where there was only 15cm (6 inches) of space, which I found less practical. In that case, it was barely avoidable due to limited space.

Here, everyone wants to present their hammer as the solution for the nail once again.
I spend much, much more time at the cooktop than at the sink.
When I make a Bolognese, I wash the vegetables for 5 minutes, chop everything into cubes for 15 minutes... then I sauté, deglaze, stir, and combine everything. Meanwhile, I cook the pasta, and so on.

Anyone who genuinely enjoys cooking in a detailed way, often using 3 or 4 pots and pans on the stove, needs the cooktop where the kitchen island faces the living area.
Washing up is done later, after the guests have left. You don’t need to be staring into an empty living room while doing the dishes.