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Why the "Magic Triangle" doesn't work...
According to the Webster's Dictionary, a triangle is a geometrical figure having three angles and three sides. However, there is no definition in any dictionary for the "kitchen triangle," even though it is a design scheme that is implemented in the vast majority of American homes. What exactly is the "kitchen triangle," and how did it come to be so pervasive? The concept emerged from a study of limited space housing that was conducted at the University of Illinois in the 1950s. In formulating the best ways to make use of small residential spaces, researchers developed a kitchen design connecting the three major appliances -- refrigerator, sink and stove -- as the three points of a triangle. This single, simple plan was standardized and soon became widely popular with the design industry and consumers alike. The refrigerator was placed at one end of the open space, the cooktop at the opposite end, and the sink somewhere in the middle. One of the many flaws with the kitchen triangle, aside from inconvenient distances, is that the design is static: with a major appliance located at one of three fixed points, the kitchen physically cannot compress or expand to accommodate greater or lesser amounts of food or number of guests. The triangle can't adjust to additional people working in the kitchen at the same time, since there are no options for extending the workspace. The triangle ties the cook's hands. It's time we put it to rest. The real criterion for kitchen design is: How many people does your dining room sit? |
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The problem with the
"magic" kitchen triangle is that it is a design based
largely on a geometric figure rather than on cooking and its end
result. Because of this it cannot adjust to tolerate additional
people working in the kitchen nor does it provide options for
extended workspace. Breaking the kitchen triangle by adding a fourth
and fifth point -- a second sink and oven, for example --
immediately creates a flexible design.
