What Can I Put Between a Stove & a Refrigerator?

When designing a kitchen, there's much more to think about than just the aesthetics. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home, and poor design and layout can cause big issues in terms of cooking and eating, food storage and your energy bills. A common question many face (especially when spatially limited in the kitchen) is whether you can put a stove next to a refrigerator.

The two items are obviously essential for any working kitchen, but having them placed side by side can cause some problems. If you want to safely and efficiently place your stove beside your fridge, here's what you need to know.

In an ideal world, the kitchen would be laid out in what Laurysen Kitchens calls the work triangle. This means the sink, refrigerator and stove are all spaced out throughout the room in a roughly triangular layout, which each appliance representing one point of the triangle. However, for those in a smaller home or an apartment, this layout might not be feasible. Trying to squeeze a sink, refrigerator and oven into a smaller kitchen is a trickier prospect.

It's important to have some distance between your three points not only to make your cooking and cleaning easier, but also for food safety and your energy bills. A fridge is cool while a stove is hot, so having the two right beside each other can cause each to work less efficiently.

Most freestanding fridges require some space around them to work properly. Samsung recommends at least 5 centimeters on all sides and 10 centimeters above. This allows proper airflow to the refrigerator and ensures it's working to the best of its ability.

Maintaining a steady temperature around the perimeter of your refrigerator by keeping it well ventilated is key to its performance. In addition to keeping the sides clear, the fridge shouldn't have anything next to it that generates too much heat. In an ideal world, there would be at least 9 inches of space between a stove and a refrigerator. However, sometimes this isn't possible, and insulation is the only option.

Beko recommends some form of insulation if a refrigerator and a stove have to be next to each other. This can minimize the transfer of heat, meaning your fridge won't have to use too much energy to keep food cool. Insulation can also help to keep your fridge working for longer without needing replacing.

However, if you're going for a full kitchen redesign, it can be a good idea to put the space between a refrigerator and stove to good use. A great appliance to place between your stove and fridge is a dishwasher. It effectively fills the space and mitigates the transfer of heat. You could also use the space for a kitchen cabinet — ideally to store implements and utensils that are not affected by heat, rather than food. Both of these can be right next to the oven but should leave the recommended 5 centimeters of space next to the fridge for airflow.