Kitchen Island Planning – Hob or Sink?

Islands add a social hub to your kitchen. A place for people to gather, eat, and potentially cook or clean. That’s why people are often keen to have their hob or sink on their island – so they can be part of the socialising whilst they cook or clean.

Adding your hob or sink to your island also removes the need for base cabinets against your walls. If you’re looking for a more modern look, this means you can have larder and pantry units along the wall and have your worktop, hob, and sink on your island creating a streamlined look. This also allows you to maximise your storage and have more storage solutions too!

Deciding between a hob or a sink is largely down to personal preference. There are lots of different things to consider when deciding if you should have a hob or a sink, or both, on your kitchen island. Hobs make the cooking process much more sociable, where sinks make prep much easier! Our designers are full of tips and tricks to make the most of your kitchen space. We’ve compiled everything you need to know if you’re considering adding a hob or a sink to your island.

Gas or electricity supply
If you’re moving your hob to your island, you’ll need to consider the power or gas supply that will go along with it. You may need to get specialists in to re-route your gas pipes or to rewire your electrics. Bare this in mind not only for the inconvenience but for the cost too.

Air flow and extraction
Consider how you’ll remove all that steam, smoke and other pollutants from the air. Can you have a floating extractor above your hob, a built-in extractor/hob, or a pop-up extractor in your island? If the answer to all of these questions is ‘no’ or ‘I don’t want to’ then consider other air flow solutions such as air bricks. As long as you have enough air flow you’re not legally required to have an extractor fan with your hob. Although it is advised!

Space around your hob
As well as the space you’ll need for the hob itself, you also need to leave yourself a minimum of 300mm either side (500mm would be better) this allows plenty of space for your pan handles – so no one knocks them off as they walk around your island.

Usability
Adding a hob on your island can make cooking a sociable experience! Rather than facing the wall if your hob is on a run of base cabinets, you can face the room and keep an eye on the chaos.

Aesthetics
Whilst we strongly believe all kitchens should be practical and work well for their owners, we also want them to look beautiful too! Think about the flow of your kitchen and how it will look from each angle with your hob on your island. If you opt for an extractor fan above your hob, will this block the view of your kitchen or prove to be unsightly? Does it feel like the hob should actually be elsewhere?

Plumbing
Similarly to your gas and electric with a hob, if you want a sink and tap on your island, you’ll need to plumb it in. This can be expensive depending on where your plumbing is currently. Running water and waste pipes a long distance will likely add a significant cost to your project.

Space around your sink
You want plenty of space for splashes, so give yourself around 300mm of space for this. Plus, if you’re going to be piling up the dishes next to your sink, consider how much space you’ll need for this. As a minimum we would suggest having 500mm on the dish draining side of your sink.

Usability
Like with a hob, consider where you want to wash the dishes. Do you want to look out to the garden, or into your room? Think about the answer to these questions and don’t just put your sink in the island for the sake of it. It can be expensive and impractical in some instances, so be sure you’re doing what will actually work for you!

Aesthetics
Unlike with a hob, you don’t need to consider an extractor fan with a sink, so other than the tap, there isn’t a lot to spoil your view across the kitchen. It also means you can add pendant lights above the island for a striking feature.

Everybody has different priorities when it comes to using their kitchen and designing a new kitchen, that’s why deciding between a hob or a sink on your island largely depends on your preference. It’s important to factor in the different costs and implications of including both in your design. If you’d like more advice, why not get in touch? Our designers are on hand to walk you through our personal design process and discuss all of your wants and needs for your new dream kitchen.

If you would like to explore next steps, you can download our brochure for inspiration.

If you’re looking at designing your new kitchen but not sure what to do next, book a short, 15 minute call with one of Smile Kitchens expert designers.