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Calculating the working height in the kitchen

Cooking and working in the kitchen should be as ergonomically comfortable as possible. It is therefore worth determining your personal working height and planning your kitchen accordingly. There are very different recommendations for the optimum height of a kitchen worktop – we present two ways of calculating your individual working height.

Calculate with the body height

The simplest orientation is your own height:

Calculate with the elbow height

When using the elbow method, measure the distance between the floor and your bent elbows. Hold your arms loosely forward – the normal working posture in the kitchen. Subtract 10 – 15 centimeters from the determined value to obtain a personal working height.

The human being as a yardstick

Both methods are suitable for obtaining an approximation and orientation for your personal working height. Basically, of course, you need to feel comfortable with the working height. The calculated dimensions are therefore approximate values. The worktop height should be based on the person in the household who spends the most time in the kitchen.

Kitchen planning

Kitchen planners sometimes suggest different heights for the sink area, hobs, oven and worktop. We advise you to neglect the dishwashing area, which is often more expensive: in the age of dishwashers, dishwashing is no longer the main activity in the kitchen.

However, an oven at worktop height is very comfortable for the back – if this is possible. A lower cooking level can be useful if you want to make it easier to look into the cooking pot and handle pots.

The overall impression of the kitchen is certainly a decisive factor for many people. Too many different heights tend to bring unrest to the appearance. This is why most people opt for a uniform height based on elbow height or body size.