How to Design Embedded Kitchen Appliances: A Comprehensive Guide

Author | Mouse

Proofreader | Egg Roll

Design Consultant | Chen Big Cat

Especially in kitchen spaces and balconies, regardless of whether the appliances are large or small, they can take up a lot of space. Cluttered appliances on the countertop or placed against the wall can make the space look very messy and uncomfortable. Therefore, embedded design solves this pain point by hiding all appliances in cabinets or walls.

So, how should the design of these embedded appliances be done? What factors need to be considered?

This article focuses on the following aspects:

How to design embedded appliances?

1. What is embedded design?

2. Prerequisites for embedded appliance design

3. Size requirements for embedded appliances

4. Design requirements for heat dissipation and water/electricity

What is embedded appliance design?

It involves embedding commonly used household appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, steamers, microwaves, sterilizers, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, televisions, etc., into custom cabinets or walls.

This saves space, making the entire area appear more cohesive, clean, and aesthetically pleasing, greatly improving the usability of the space and reducing waste.

Prerequisites for embedded appliance design

Embedded appliance design is not suitable for all spaces; all designs should be practical. Therefore, the design must meet the following conditions:

1. Sufficient space area

Generally, balcony spaces mostly adopt embedded designs, embedding washing machines, dryers, and sinks into custom cabinets.

The biggest issue is the kitchen space. Embedded appliances do not mean tearing down part of the wall to stuff appliances in; instead, it involves flexibly arranging the location of the appliances from an overall perspective.

Essentially, it still occupies the area of the kitchen itself. The appliance doors and standing space require sufficient dimensions. Therefore, if the kitchen is too small, lacking storage space and passage space, it will not be possible to implement embedded appliance design.

2. Sufficient client budget

Embedded appliances, including the appliances themselves and custom cabinets, generally cost much more than designs without embedding. Therefore, the feasibility still depends on whether the client’s budget is sufficient.

3. Appliance dimensions and after-sales service

Embedded appliances differ from regular appliances; they require installation. It is essential to pay attention to the size relationship between the appliances and cabinets; otherwise, they may not fit. Additionally, after-sales service must be considered for future maintenance and care.

Size requirements for embedded appliances

Two main size aspects need to be considered for embedded appliances: the cabinet and the appliances.

1) Cabinet size requirements

When designing cabinet sizes, the door opening size of the appliances and the standing space must be considered. Appliances are usually embedded in base cabinets or full-height cabinets, and the standard depth of cabinets is approximately 600mm. After arranging the cabinets, a passage size of ≥1200mm must be ensured.

Embedded appliances generally have outward-opening doors, which occupy passage dimensions when opened. The door opening size is approximately 500mm or more, so after opening, there must be sufficient standing space, typically at least 600mm in width. Therefore, for embedded appliance cabinets, the passage area must be at least 1200mm to meet requirements.

Passage area width ≥ appliance door opening size + standing space

2) Appliance size requirements

As for which appliances need to be embedded, including the sizes of embedded appliances, all must be determined before making the cabinets to facilitate proper size allocation and pre-reservation of water and electricity sockets.

Design requirements for heat dissipation and water/electricity

1)Heat dissipation design requirements

One crucial factor for these embedded appliances is heat dissipation, especially in closed cabinets, which can slow down heat dissipation and affect efficiency.

Moreover, high temperatures can negatively impact the cabinets themselves. Different appliances have different heat dissipation methods and points. Some dissipate heat from the back or bottom, while others dissipate heat from all sides, so this must be considered during design.

The core logic of heat dissipation is: keep a distance between the appliances and cabinets while ensuring cabinet protection.

Thus, when reserving cabinet sizes, ensure that there is a certain distance between the appliances and cabinets. Additionally, the cabinet materials must be selected to withstand high temperatures and deformation, and heat insulation boards can be arranged inside the cabinets to extend the appliances’ lifespan and protect the cabinets.

Different appliances have different heat dissipation measures and requirements

01. Oven

If the oven is to be embedded, it is best to choose one with front heat dissipation, and the cabinet where the oven is installed should not have a back panel. Maintain a certain gap between the oven and the cabinet to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation. The cabinet materials must be heat-resistant.

If installing the oven in a base cabinet, it should not be placed directly below the stove, as both the gas stove and the oven have high heat dissipation needs, which can damage the appliances and potentially cause safety incidents.

02. Microwave

The heat dissipation logic for microwaves is similar; they need to maintain distance from surrounding cabinets, with at least 100mm distance above and 50mm on the sides to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation. When selecting a microwave, choose one with front heat dissipation.

03. Sterilizer

Sterilizers are generally installed directly below the stove, maintaining a gap of ≥150mm between them, and the cabinet behind needs to have a pre-reserved square ventilation hole of 120mm to achieve ventilation and heat dissipation.

04. Refrigerator

Embedded refrigerators have their sides and back as primary heat dissipation sources, so they must maintain a distance of at least 100mm from the cabinets or walls.

2)Water and electricity design requirements

01. Socket layout

It is necessary to consider the layout and placement of appliances in advance to design the socket layout. Generally, sockets should be placed on the side or in adjacent cabinets (with pre-drilled holes), avoiding direct placement behind the appliances.

Why is this important? Imagine if the appliance dissipates heat from the back and the socket is also behind it; this could damage the appliance and pose safety risks.

From a dimensional perspective, placing the socket behind the appliance occupies part of the embedded depth, causing the appliance to protrude from the cabinet, severely affecting aesthetics.

02. Layout of water supply and drainage

Before making the cabinets, reserve the positions of the water supply and drainage pipes based on the appliance sizes. Remember, in cases of limited depth, do not place the water inlet behind the appliance, as this will also cause the appliance to protrude and affect aesthetics. The drainage outlet should not be directly below the appliance; it should be positioned beside it.

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