The U-shaped Kitchen

Like the one-wall and galley floor plans, a U-shaped layout is an efficient kitchen designed for one primary cook. The U-shaped kitchen lends itself to high-efficiency cooking: You can often pivot on one toe as you spin around from refrigerator to sink to stove.

A U-shaped kitchen consists of work space on three adjoining walls, two parallel walls perpendicular to a third. There are no traffic lanes flowing through the work area.

What’s not to like about this layout? Problems with the traditional U-shaped kitchen typically arise due to its small size. For one, it doesn’t offer room for a kitchen table and chairs and this lack of kitchen seating is often the reason people prefer the L-shaped kitchen with an island to the U-shaped kitchen. Secondly, depending on where the sink is situated, it may be impossible to fit the dishwasher right next to it.

Also, some people still prefer a more open floor plan that allows for even more people to mingle and work in the kitchen. Others may find it annoying to carry plates and food around the leg of the U rather than having a straight shot to the dining room or the back yard.

U-Shaped Kitchen Benefits

• Efficient for a small or medium kitchen space
• Can easily divide the kitchen into multiple work sites
• No through traffic to disrupt work zones
• Lots of counter space
• Wide “U” can support a kitchen island

U-Shaped Kitchen Drawbacks

• Not efficient for large kitchens without an island
• Not efficient for kitchens under 10-feet wide
• Bottom corner cabinets are difficult to access

Check out this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlLFa3IPFNA