Refrigerators and stoves are must-have appliances in the kitchen. Stoves help us cook food and heat water, while refrigerators help us to store that food and keep it fresh. Now, both refrigerators and stoves take up quite a lot of space, especially refrigerators. That is why many people wonder whether a refrigerator can be next to a stove in the kitchen.
Yes, a refrigerator and stove can be together in a kitchen. But there needs to be a minimum of 12 inches distance between them. Although it is not recommended, you may do that, especially if you have a small kitchen.
Problems of having a stove and refrigerator together
Plenty of problems could arise if you want to keep your stove and refrigerator together:
- The heat from your stove causes the refrigerator to work harder. This means that the fridge uses more electricity than usual.
- The cooling performance of your refrigerator might suffer because of the heat from the stove.
- As the refrigerator will have to work harder, the parts will wear down faster than before.
- Having both the stove and the refrigerator together will result in splashes from the stove that stain the fridge.
- Cleaning the fridge or the stove becomes a very hard process as there is little space between them.
- Finally, it might be a fire hazard. This is because some models of refrigerators contain inflammable gases. These gases, if leaked, might react with stove gas and cause a fire.
You might also want to check out our article on whether the kitchen stove can be placed in front of a window. Learn now!
What to do if you have less space
Here are some things you can do if you have less space:
- Place an insulating material between the stove and the refrigerator like a heat shield. This will ensure that less heat travels from the stove to the refrigerator.
- Buy a kitchen hood. It absorbs all of the heat that comes from the stove so that it does not reach the fridge.
- Get your refrigerator installed in the wall, so that heat from the stove is unable to reach it.
Are you curious about how to replace a kitchen countertop? If so, read our article!
Where should you place your refrigerator?
Typically, it is recommended that you follow the kitchen triangle layout. This means that your stove, sink, and refrigerator should form a triangle, where the sink separates both the fridge and the stove. Otherwise, you might want to place your refrigerator outside the kitchen, such as in the living room.
Conclusion
Refrigerators and stoves are two of the most important kitchen appliances as they cook and store food. You can put them next to each other, but this may cause issues such as the refrigerator wearing out quickly. You could take precautions such as placing an insulating material between them to prevent the heat from traveling.