How do you measure the cutout dimensions for your built-in cooktop?

You measure the cutout dimensions of a built-in cooktop by looking at the cutout width, cutout depth, and the thickness of your countertop. A cooktop is always wider and deeper than the cutout itself, because the appliance rests on the countertop. In this article, I'll explain how to measure your niche dimensions in 3 steps.

Measure cutout dimensions in 3 steps
Step 1: cutout width cooktop
Step 2: cutout depth cooktop
Step 3: countertop thickness
IKEA kitchen

Measure cutout dimensions in 3 steps

You can best measure the cutout dimensions after you remove the cooktop from the cutout. Doesn't that work? Look up the cutout dimensions in the manual.

Step 1. Measure the cutout width
Step 2. Measure the cutout depth
Step 3. Measure the thickness of the countertop

Step 1: cutout width cooktop

First of all, you should measure the cutout width. Take a tape measure and measure from the left side of the niche to its right side. Make sure to keep the tape measure tight, to ensure you'll read the exact measurement. That way, you'll know exactly how wide the niche should be. On our own installation drawings, the cutout width is indicated with this arrow. The cooktop itself will always be a bit wider than the cutout.

Step 2: cutout depth cooktop

We'll continue with the cutout depth. Place the measuring tape on the rearmost point of the cutout and pull it to the front. Now you know how deep the cutout should be. On our own installation drawings, the cutout depth is indicated with this arrow. The cooktop itself will always be a bit deeper than the cutout.

Step 3: countertop thickness

The last step is measuring your countertop. It should be thick enough to allow you to fix the cooktop firmly into place. When the countertop is too thin, chances are the cooktop might collapse if you place heavy pans on top of it. So measure this carefully. You'll recognize this measurement on the installation drawing because it's always the smallest measurement, consisting of 2 digits.

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IKEA kitchen

If you have an existing IKEA kitchen, you can follow steps 1 through 3. If you're going to buy a new IKEA kitchen, you can have your worktop cut to size. It's important to pay attention to the type of cooktop you want and the depth of your countertop. You can read more in this article.

What cooktop fits in my IKEA kitchen?

Article by Caitlin

Cooktop Expert.