The Secret to Zoning Your Kitchen Around an AGA Cooker

When planning a home renovation, the kitchen is one of the first things you will think about. Kitchen designing has come a long way since the introduction of the Triangle Kitchen Rule. This method grew out of the need to reduce unnecessary steps between kitchen appliances but has since evolved to meet today’s more complex kitchen requirements.

What is the Kitchen Triangle?

Developed in the 1940s, the ‘working triangle’ method arranged the fridge, oven, and sink in a triangle formation. The result? This reduced steps between kitchen appliances and enhanced kitchen efficiency. It all comes down to splitting your kitchen into areas of specific functionality.

At the time, this revolutionary theory changed kitchen designs all over the world, making them much more functional. Designed for smaller, functional kitchens where space was limited, and efficiency was essential. However, we’ve come a long way since the 40s – and so have our kitchens.

Kitchens have grown to be larger and the space has been transformed from being single purposed into multi-functional spaces. The complexity and quantity of appliances on the market today has grown, and with this, our kitchens have outgrown the triangle method.

But the importance of plotting out your kitchen areas depending on how you use them has never gone away. Today’s kitchens are far more complex and so the simple triangle has been replaced with what we call zones.

What is Kitchen Zoning?

Zoning is dividing your kitchen into different areas based on specific tasks. The purpose of this is to make the kitchen a more efficient space and making it easy to use.

This typically means an area for storage and food preparation, a cooking zone and a wash zone. Many modern kitchens also contain separate zones for storage or for dining and socialising with friends or family. Here, we’ll explore the different kitchen zones and how to arrange them for best possible use of your kitchen:

How to Design your Kitchen Using the Zoning Method

When it comes to designing your kitchen, using the zoning method is an invaluable tool that will ensure your kitchen space is practical and functional.

5 Zone Kitchen Planning

1. Preparation Area – An essential area in any kitchen is a dedicated area for food preparation. Ideally, you want this area next to the cooking zone, this way you don’t have to walk far to add the ingredients you’ve just chopped to get them into the pots or pans. It is common for kitchen designers to make this zone central as it is the main zone you will be cooking in.
2. Cooking Zone – The cooking zone is the most important area in the kitchen as it is what the kitchen is there for. The placement of this zone is crucial as you want to place this in the location that requires the least back and forth. You want this in between your preparation zone, your cleaning zone and also not far from your food storage zone. Key things to think about here – you want a workspace next to or adjacent to the cooking zone for placing down hot pots and pans safely.
3. Cleaning Zone – This area contains your sink, dishwasher and typically where you keep your cleaning products as many of us opt to store them under the sink. Traditionally, this area is usually placed under a window because it gives us a view to distract us while washing up. However, since the introduction of dishwashers, this factor isn’t as essential so lots of people place the sink in the island.
4. Consumable Zone – The consumable zone of your kitchen is where you will store most of your food. Of course, the fridge falls into this area, as well as non-perishable goods which you might choose to store in a pull-out pantry, walk in pantry or on shelving. Again, here it is important to think about how you cook and what ingredients you use the most. If you are a lover of spices, it would be wise to place your spice rack near to the cooking zone, if you are a fanatic baker you might want to place your flour near to the preparation zone.
5. Non-consumable Zone – The non-consumable zone is where you will store your cookware, utensils, plates and cutlery. Ideally, you want to place this area near to the cleaning zone to make it easier when you are unloading the dishwasher. You also want to keep your non-consumable items near your preparation and cooking zones.

Additional Zone: Leisure – In today’s modern world, Health and wellbeing is at the front of everyone’s minds. Life has become busier, everything is now expected on demand and sometimes it can be hard to get away from it all. When it comes to home life, people want to create a calm, relaxing space that welcomes them home after a busy day. They want this space to be void of mess, clutter and stress. The importance of prioritising wellbeing in a kitchen design has become more important than ever before.

Further Kitchen Zones: Serving and eating food, working or studying, watching TV, and accommodating pets.

Things to Keep in Mind when Zoning your Kitchen

• Some zones will be multi-functional or overlap over the next one
• Your physical space can dictate how much room you have. You might have to be clever here and come up with some inventive ideas to make the space work best for you
• Bear in mind this is a high traffic area in the house. At times, there might be more than one of you cooking at once so make sure you have enough clearance around things
• You might have lots of questions such as; where should I put the kettle? What if I need more then one preparation zone? Everyone uses their kitchen differently, so the key here is to think about the tasks you complete in the kitchen and make your design work best for you

The Benefits of Kitchen Zoning

There are countless benefits to introducing the zoning method into your kitchen design.

• Organisation – Create areas for dedicated tasks
• Efficiency – Prioritise zones that suit your lifestyle
• Workflow – Make being in your kitchen an enjoyable and easy experience
• Utilising Space – Make the most of the space you have available. By carefully planning your kitchen into zones you can benefit from space optimisation
• Aesthetics – Enhance the look of your kitchen with a clever design

How to Integrate an Aga Cooker into Your Kitchen Design

People often think that because they don’t have a traditional farmhouse kitchen, they simple can’t put in an Aga cooker. Well, we’re here to tell you that’s not the case. We have delivered Aga cookers to all styles of kitchens – modern, classic, minimalist, maximalist, futuristic and period. An Aga cooker has a unique ability to become the focal point of any kitchen, enhancing the aesthetic while adding a level of warmth and comfort unmatched by any other appliance.

If you are wanting to install an Aga cooker seamlessly into your kitchen, take a look at our tips and inspiration for Integrating an Aga cooker into your kitchen design.

It can be helpful to take a look at design ideas for an Aga Cooker to give you some inspiration for how to make your Aga cooker a statement piece that is also functional.

Where to Place your Aga Cooker

When it comes to planning your dream kitchen, it is important to consider where you will place your Aga cooker for maximum efficiency and workflow. Keeping the kitchen zoning method in mind, you want to be placing your Aga cooker in the cooking zone, with your preparation zone and cleaning not far away. You also want to be near to the consumable zone as well so you can easily reach for ingredients.

Aga Cooker Positioning in the Kitchen

When deciding where to position an Aga cooker in your kitchen, you ideally want it to be in a central position within the room. This allows for ample workspace on either side as it’s often considered the focal point of the kitchen, ensuring good workflow and access to the cooking surface. Avoid placing it in a corner and make sure you have clearance for doors to fully open.

Want to learn more about what to expect when having an reconditioned Aga cooker installed, we’ve got you covered – check out our blog How to Install an Aga Cooker.