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Playing with Knives... best work surface height?

post #1 of 9
1/15/08 at 3:04pm
Thread Starter 
Forgive me if this has been asked before. Realizing that this is to some extent a matter of personal style, I am trying to find general recommendations in terms of both efficiency and ergonomics. Specifically, is there a guideline for determining the best work surface height relative to the individual user? Is there an ideal arm angle, relative to the work surface, for, say, chopping?

Background:

My kitchen came with fairly high countertops (~37.75") which, overall, is terrific. But they're too high for knife work, especially since my block is 3" tall. I'm not tall, so if I try to chop on a 41" high surface, my forearms end up parallel to the counter. Obviously, besides fatigue, I sacrifice control, efficiency, and probably safety. I can use the block on the kitchen table for a surface that's ~33.5" high, which puts my forearms at approximately a 45-degree angle relative to the work surface. This seems to work well, but has me wondering if I could do better.

Using the kitchen table is not always convenient, and I really like my block next to the sink. (Besides, the darned block weighs a ton, and I hate moving it!) So my goal is to get myself something to stand on that puts me at the proper height.:crazy:
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post #2 of 9
1/15/08 at 4:14pm
Gold's Gym might be the answer... :lol: (sorry... could not help it!)

If you drop your arm and bend it at the elbow 90 degrees, hold your hand flat, 3 inches below should be, could be the right height. The wrong counter height for knife handling is the worse scenario... which reminds me one day about a basket ball player wanting to hire me for some dinners... he was 7' xx" and his house was custom made to his height!!! EVERYTHING including the height of the counters in the kitchen... as he said... you can work with a stool! I did not do it... Looking back, I should have and taken pictures!!!

Anyhow... hope that helps...

Be well... Ara & Spirit
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post #3 of 9
1/15/08 at 6:58pm
Most work surfaces I have encountered are designed for someone shorter than my 6'2" height, which makes sense, as the average height is lower.
This causes back pain for me if I stand in one spot too long.
One remedy is to prop one foot up, thus straightening out your spine.
A soda crate, cut off bucket, or some tables have a rail.
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post #4 of 9
1/16/08 at 11:10pm
Yeah, see if you can get someone to build a simple 2 x 4 platform. However, this seems to be a bit overkill as the culprit is the 3" high block. If you're in love with the block you could put it in the sink--block it up so it is level with counter height. Or you could retire the block temporarily and get a thinner cutting board and see if this has a positive effect on you.
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post #5 of 9
1/17/08 at 7:08am
Small platform comes to mind...could even incorporate a fatigue mat of some sort.

those ginsu salesmen at conventions always stand on platforms....and it works for them :lol:
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post #6 of 9
1/17/08 at 11:18am
At 6'5" tall my self, I can relate. When I worked at a hog processing plant one foot up and switching often really helped cause the working surfaces on the cut lines were designed for Oompa Loompas.
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post #7 of 9
1/17/08 at 2:20pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the feedback! I really feel for you tall guys... my ex is 6'-4" and would just LOVE these counters! Oh well!

Anyway, update... I figured out that the comfortable height is about 4" lower than my arms when they're parallel to the work surface. That's pretty much what I had guessed. So, for now, I'm using, of all things, a yellow pages phone book to stand on! :o But I think the perfect solution will be to get one of those aerobic step platforms. It will still allow the cabinet doors to clear, so I can leave it there (as long as I learn not to trip over it). As an added benefit, it's s cushioned which will be awesome for my back since my floors are travertine!

I'm still curious if there is a "best practice" recommendation amongst the pros, in terms of proper degree of angle for the forearms relative to the work surface. It's not important, just the weird way my mind works! :lol:
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post #8 of 9
1/18/08 at 1:57am
If the counter is too low, you can always spread your legs =).
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post #9 of 9
1/20/08 at 5:15pm
well well!!! small internet!! just signed up for this forum, but have been following your posts as "caffeine" on adventure rider for quite a while!!!!
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