Kitchen design
Kitchen Worktop Height: Getting It Right for You
The standard worktop heights, how to tell whether yours suits you, and simple ways to adjust it.
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A worktop at the wrong height makes chopping, kneading and washing up harder on your back and shoulders. Most fitted kitchens use one standard height, but people come in all sizes.
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Standard heights
The European standard for kitchen furniture, BS EN 1116, sets coordinating worktop heights of 850 mm, 900 mm and 950 mm (each with a little tolerance). Most UK fitted kitchens use about 900–910 mm.
Find your height
| Task | Comfortable surface |
|---|---|
| Chopping and general prep | Roughly 10–15 cm below your bent elbow |
| Kneading and rolling pastry | A little lower, so you can press down |
| Washing up | A little higher, since the sink bowl is below the worktop |
Stand at the worktop with your elbow bent at a right angle: if your forearm is well above the surface, it may be too low; if you have to raise your shoulders, it is too high.
Adjusting
- Adjustable unit legs can raise or lower a fitted kitchen by a few centimetres.
- Thicker or thinner worktops change the height too.
- A lower baking section or a butcher's block at table height suits pastry work.
Planning a breakfast bar as well? See breakfast bar and stool heights.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the standard kitchen worktop height in the UK?
About 900–910 mm from the floor. BS EN 1116 gives 850, 900 and 950 mm as standard coordinating heights.
Can I raise an existing kitchen?
Often by a few centimetres, using the adjustable legs under the units and a deeper plinth. Larger changes mean refitting the worktop and appliances.
Should a baking area be lower?
Many keen bakers like a section about 10 cm lower than the main worktop, which makes kneading and rolling easier.
Sources
- BS EN 1116:2018 Kitchen furniture: coordinating sizes for kitchen furniture and kitchen appliances, BSI, 1 January 2018. Checked 2 October 2026.