Oh my goodness! So sorry this is happening to you. There are codes for these alcoves around stoves. In my area it is 9" on either side ( sometimes 6" ). This elevation looks like it is the end of a run, so trying to do this wasn't even possible from the beginning.

I wonder if tiling the sides of the cabinet would be enough to be in compliance. Not hopeful but worth it for you to ask.

Unfortunately, you may have to give up the tall cabinets and have them remade as shorter cabinets paid by the designer - ultimately her fault.

DO NOT do anymore work until this is figured out since it effects the backsplash and lower moldings.

Good luck!

In general, applying a non-flammable surface(tile or metal) to a flammable substrate (the sides of wood cabinets) does not count as a non-combustible surface

As far as I can understand, it is the full depth of these adjacent cabinets and the parts of the hood behind the "1/2 spice pullout" that are the problem.

In any case, trying to cook on this cooktop with absolutely no elbow room, and no place to quickly pull a pot off the burner to the side makes for an extremely awkward cooking process.

No, there is no way to make this conform to the specs. If this were to pass any local inspection, there still may be an issue if there is ever an insurance claim in a fire, because the manufacturer's specs have been ignored.

It was a poor design to begin with having no counter space next to the range. Have new cabinets remade that do not come down to the counter. This is definitely on the designer.

What are those cabinets or pieces to the inside of the cabinets that come down to the countertop? Do those meet clearances? They look low.

Also - this is a high powered range with a hood that is the same width - it should be 6" wider than the range to even have a chance at collecting fumes.

Agree that the cabinets down to the counter need to go. Do these designers even cook anything? The space to either side of a range is SUPER VALUABLE for things like spices, add ins, spoons / rests, cookbooks, etc etc and they want to leave you about a 10" square immediately to the left and right? my dog would have his tongue all over everything in that space. (and my free flowing cooking style usually means he has plenty of things to choose from!)

Okay so, the side cabinets are not actually full depth, I misunderstood. It looks like those side cabinets need to be 1-3/16" away and no more than 13" deep. Is that distance 1-3/16"?

What is the bottom of the current hood.

There are all sorts of recommendations regarding the hood being wider than the cooking surface.

However, that extra width, if it is not required in the technical specs, is not a mandatory requirement. It makes a lot of sense, but it's not an absolute. But following the specs is.

One ”solution” would be to reposition the range to sit farther right by moving one of the skinny base cabinets from the right over to the left of the range. Your counter on that run would have to be removed and re-cut, as would the tiny bit of counter to the left of the range. Electrical and gas supply should be taken into consideration as well if you’re going to do this.

That said, you could leave everything as it is and just remove/re-make the hood cabinet. You could re-hang the two normal height uppers (cabinet 17 and one next to it) on either side of the hood and replace them with your long skinny ”alcove” cabinets to make a sort of ”hutch” in the middle of that run away from the range. The benefit to you might be time (if you just want to finish) and money (if the designer is not going to pay for the fix).

My goodness, what are the credentials of your designer? This is for sure on him/her/them. @just_janni I'm not sure the hood is even as wide as the range, given the strange construction of the hood piece. Def redesign this whole thing... on the designer's dime.

Make sure the bits that hang down from the vent hood cabinet meet the vertical distance from the range top requirement as well.

I am so sorry - but if you cook, I feel like this is a huge design and implementation fail.

The space to the left won't ever be used / is too small / dangerous. And the space to the right appear to be in front of a ? mail sorting space? Where does everything GO?

(or am I an extremely weird cook? also possible!)

Your KD needs to fix this - and IMO it's more than just reordering the cabs to the immediate left and right

They look quite lovely and I can only imagine what you have spent on this.

Again - please hold them accountable for this error in design and execution.

@just_janni I must be a weird cook too. I need to have lots of space next to the stove top for additional ingredients I have already measured out and need to be added at a different time, a place for a spoon rest, somewhere to put a lid down etc. The space to the right wouldn't work for me and that tiny counter space to the left is useless if you are working at the burner on that side of the range. I think many times people go for "a look" and forget about how it will actually function in real life.

Honestly without seeing the rest of the kitchen it's hard to say whether the counterspace to the left of the range can just be made bigger or the range just moved to the right.

Codes often require a 9" or a 12" minimum set down on each side, and as far as counter surface goes that may be what the designer was able to provide. It's the counterlength cabinets that are the big problem if they don't meet clearances per the specs.

Sorry the brown thing is a shelf pull out that hasn't been installed yet. I was concerned about the hood width not the full 48 inches, but figured it was okay since it was designed that way and the cooktop is induction - Guess it's not. So, get the side cabinets up to height of the other uppers and range hood redone to 48in. I was so ready to be done with this remodel. 😫

Total symparhy for the problem!!

i must ask, however?

Were you ever shown elvations of this wall?

The technical aspect is on the KD- but did you want a look really badly?

Perhaps she was too accommodating or afraid of losing the sale?

I only ask because its not uncommon for a client to fall in love with a look- but the look won’t work in the space they have.

if the cocept wss hers?

It is fail from the get go. :) and doubly designer fault

In defense of my designer, I was set on this range and it was never going to be the easiest fit in our existing kitchen footprint

And no, the side cabinets are not 1 3/16th From range side and no room to move them unfortunately.

ok - at least you have "real" counter depth to the right and that brown thing isn't permanent!

I mean you could shift the entire thing right by the width of the cabinets (upper and lower) but you are still going to need different cabinets that don't go to the counter.

It would give you about 24" to the left, and it would be all usable full depth counter. It would be a 24" upper and lower, and another piece of counter - but it could work.

But it's not trivial to move the hood, etc. And it also requires another piece of counter which may / may not be able to be matced closely enough (depending on what it is)

Ditch the pan bumpers.

I did see elevations, I do love the design. I wanted to incorporate some cabinetry down to the countertop in the kitchen and this really was the only location where it made sense.

All appliance information/ specifications were given to the designer. My expectation is it was her job to make sure it is a functional design and meeting code is part of that surely? If there was a way to salvage this situation with an attractive, meets code addition to the cabinet sides where they come down next to the range I would be happy. Alas, it doesn't sound like there is. 😕

No room to move range to the right as it goes into the corner right there. The wall is only 108 inches I think. There was limited space to work with. I know the 14 inches of countertop to the left isn't the greatest design, it was just what we had to work. I'll talk with the designer in the morning about redoing the side cabinets and the hood to meet the specs. Here's to hoping it doesn't take too long.

Thank you to everyone for the advice!

It never made sense. Thats the issue!

She needed to tell you NO. You wanted a certain range, cabs to the counter.

Thats where she says ” Nope - please dont make me jam this in…

and THEN ?

the specs would have also saved her!

Sorry :)

No …. its a savior at times , that single word.

I would have respected if she said it wasn't possible. Certainly with regard to cabinets down to the countertop and the combustible distances.

Can you remove both skinny side cabinets completely, and remake the hood so it's a proper width for the range? Not cheap, but this should be on the designer. And not the look you wanted, but it's better than a fire. ;)

Going to look at getting hood redone to accommodate a 48 inch vent, should be sufficient since it is induction. Will probably have the skinny side cabinets redone to height of other uppers. Other choice is to make the skinny cabinets even narrower to get the 1 and 3/16th side of range to vertical surface clearance required. I think they'd be way too skinny then? Certainly not very functional.

Thoughts on rebuilding similar to above? The inset shelves would be more practical than skinny cabinets and would give me the hood coverage we need.

Just wondering if items on open shelving adjacent to the range would be magnets for grease.

True and besides my cooking oils I'm not sure what I'd keep there.

My thoughts... It is an induction range and the Elise already has a fairly thick lip around it. I think the clearances are already a bit overkill, and I wouldn't be that concerned with some stainless steel shields functioning perfectly, with the added bonus being much easier to clean.

The range hood is a much bigger sin in my opinion. I don't quite understand why anyone would think losing so much of the capture area was a good idea. Obviously, you forgot to mention that someone might eventually want to cook on the range to the designer.

As for the designer's culpability... it is their job to make the things you select work. At times those things can't work, so you just have to figure out how to go from there, but this doesn't appear to be something that couldn't work.

If the counters were not already fabricated this would be a cheap and easy fix. Since the tops have been fabricated I would just throw it back to the designer. This is their problem, see what solution they come up with.

You have to get UN STUCK on this look you are after. It is not meant for a kitchen the size of yours, nor where it is located in your kitchen so the only good word here is the "NO" word.

Please slow down, and don't repeat the mistake?

The very first issue? The 108" wall is not even meant for a 36" cooker, in any variety, and you were stuck on that . It needs 30 inches, or it will choke out the wall and perimeter storage. You might go so far as to re think that. Grand kitchen looks need grander feet and inches to accommodate the grand - and that's the reality of dimensions.

Lets see ALL the rest of the kitchen, please?

You can't redesign the kitchen at this point unless the OP just wants to burn piles of money. The cabinets are installed, it doesn't matter if the design is great or terrible at this point. So be a champ... and try to help the OP out of this rather than create more drama.

The cooktop is 48" and it looks to have a 36" hood over it, which is the real problem.

Have the side cabinets shortened.

Storage is not really an issue as we have a walk in pantry, a large range was very important as I cook a lot. I am very happy with the design of the rest of the kitchen. Either way, appliances are brought and paid for so there is no changing everything now. I understood that squeezing in this range would come with some sacrifices design wise. Thank you bry911, I hadn't had a chance to check, but wondered if they were using gas range clearances rather than work out separate ones for the induction. Our appliance company has reached out to their AGA representative for clarification on whether this set up would be safe. Ultimately, I need a solution that will work with where we're at now. If that means having the hood and either side cabinets replaced then it will need to happen. The cabinets sit on top of the countertops so raising them is doable. Thanks again to everyone for the suggestion.

It appears from the installation guide for the induction range you need 1 3/16 inches to combustibles between side of the appliance and adjacent vertical surface above cooktop level. Wouldn't that clearance be "A".

https://www.agarangeusa.com/file/208/AGA%20Elise%2048%20Induction%20Owners%20Guide.pdf

I would chime in that if you cook a lot, having those cabinets right next to the range will drive you bonkers, so it's better to get rid of them anyway. I see those in pictures and cringe. They are not meant for people who cook a lot. Might be a blessing in disguise. (Think about how you cook and if you ever like having things set up adjacent to add quickly - if you cook mise en place you definitely do).

But yes, an induction cooktop might have different clearance requirements than a gas range so it might be fine. But having steam/grease from your cooking be hitting the bottom of overhead cabinets would eventually ruin your cabinets so getting a bigger hood is an absolute must IMO.

I would not love the cabinets that close to the cooktop in most cases. However, a five-burner 48" induction cooktop is going to have a lot of space on the actual cooktop. I am not saying that I love it, but it is certainly not as bad as it would be on a 30" cooktop. With induction we often leave pans on the cooktop quite often rather than moving them to a landing area and I don't have 48". I bet I could make due with that... Again, I don't think I would pick it, but I would likely find it acceptable if I inherited it.

What we "inherited" when we brought this house was an island with a built-in electric cooktop and about 18 inches either side. I have hated it for the last 13 years. 😆 That was seriously awkward cooking! With the open counter to the right of the new range this is a huge improvement over what we have lived with. That said, I'm leaning toward having the cabinets redone to match the other uppers and the hood redone to allow for the 48 inch vent. From everyone's advice it sounds like the most functional correction.

Just as an aside -- I think your kitchen is gorgeous. I love your cabinet colors. You're going to be really happy when it's all done! :)

Thank you Emily, I really appreciate that!

Does anyone happen to know what code states the hood must be as wide or wider than the range, specifically for electric/ ? I've looked everywhere and can't find one except for open top broiler. I understand it most certainly is best practice, just can't find an actual code for electric/ induction

I mean you can build a kitchen without a hood, that doesn’t mean it is a good idea. best practice is 6” wider than cooktop. we have a 36” hood on a 36” induction cooktop and it is perfectly adequate for our needs (if we had more space larger would be nicer though). i have no idea why you would go smaller - its just not going to work well on the outer burners. going bigger likely involves make up air and more cost though….

The truth here, is YOU are worried about meeting the specs. The venting police have not come and will not come.

"but I stood watching the installers put the cabinets in and started to panic about required clearances for the range. Sure enough, the "alcove" doesn't meet a single clearance from combustibles requirement of the AGA Elise range we are putting in."

What are the cfm's of the hood you do have, which is as important as the width of the venting. They are 300? they are 600 ?

"I cook a lot" I had and electric cooktop in an island with 18" open on either side that was a serious annoyance". What was the venting for that appliance?!

What DO you cook? What foods and how? I doubt every meal is a stir fry event, or a pan sear of swordfish? A pot roast on low simmer for hours is a lot different than the former.

A 48 inch hood running full tilt needs make up air in that kitchen, or does it? You can open a window too.

The point is , you could probably do absolutely nothing. Nobody has told you that you can not use the kitchen exactly as is. It is you wringing a hand on 1/1/4" of spec distance.

If you want peace of mind? Keep a fire blanket handy, ask yourself when is the last time you set the contents of a pan on fire.

Might your alcove cabinets get greasy? Wipe them down weekly with a very hot, wrung out very well Norwex cloth, which I will tell you works on everything you can imagine.

( an ice cold well wrung Norwex enviro cloth took huge smears of chocolate completely off my white couch cushions last night and no do not ask : ( ) in less than five minutes.!

Keep a fire blanket and get some Norwex. Finish the darn kitchen and move on. Bet me nothing tragic happens. Doesn't mean the design wasn't all out incredibly stupid, but go ahead and cook, Leave all "well" enough alone.. Plenty of chicken is being fried in kitchens with a 30" inch range and a lowly microwave venting above. The police do not come and yank the chicken from the range! The more thread I read, the less sense the cut/rip/shorten makes for a tragedy of grime or fire that probably never happens, and most especially for one and one quarter inch of clearance. I might get some money from the designer for the dumb dumb mistake and a couple dozen Norwex and the fire blankets

Get both:

A fire blanket is better than a fire extinguisher - the SMOKE and fire both captured/smothered in a split second. IN AN EMERGENCY A FAR SMALLER MESS and a much lower cabinet damage risk as well.

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^ yes make up air is something to keep an eye on with larger hoods, it can add a lot of expense (love your cabinet colors - gorgeous!)

Thanks! The color is Sherwin Williams Retreat. It looks so much nicer in person than the photos too.

Code here does not require a range hood if there is an operable window in the kitchen. Part of this probably has to do with the amount of existing housing from the nineteenth (and even some from the 18th) century.

If you look at inexpensive range hoods or the bottom of a microwave range hood, the actual inlet area which is the grille or the mesh filters may be quite small. But the capture area is the size of the actual hood enclosure itself.

The practical reason to use at least a 30" hood over a 30" cooking surface is that it generally sets up situation that is compliant with the manufacturers' specifications for clearances. Most appliances require a certain minimum distance to combustible surfaces that is at least the width of the the appliance itself, and 30" vertically above. If you have a range hood that is as wide as the appliances and fits within this 30" vertical space, it's a noncombustible material taking up the space where you are not permitted by specs (or by code in that case) to have a combustible material. Microwave range hoods are frequently mounted with the bottom no more than 18" to 20" above the cooking surface, by specs., but they are a non combustible surface. (You could not use a microwave that the bottom edge was 30" above the cooking surface, it would above many people's heads)

If you have a 30" range hood over a 36" inch range, you would generally end up with a cabinet design in a typical kitchen where 3" on each side did not meet the clearance requirements for distances to combustible surfaces. If you have a 36" range hood, for many appliances you will meet the requirements. If you have a 42" hood over a 36" cooking surface, you will have a larger capture area.

I think you are on your way to solving this and creating a great or even better kitchen.

You wrote.. " I'm leaning toward having the cabinets redone to match the other uppers and the hood redone to allow for the 48 inch vent. From everyone's advice it sounds like the most functional correction. "

What I have seen so far, I love your kitchen! Keep working you will get this figured out and your kitchen will be a dream to cook in.

Kitchen Planning NKBA

Are Range Hood Required? Each State is different