KitchenAid Gas Cooktop Base Cabinet Installation

Measure and sketch the space you will allow for the base cabinets. Use 24 inches minimum for cabinet depth from front to back. Draw everything to scale on graph paper before altering the cabinets in any way. Take into account the room you need for countertop material, such as granite or tile.

Review your KitchenAid cooktop guidelines to figure out required space in the cabinet interior to allow for gas components. Assess the cabinet installation so that the gas shut-off valve, pressure regulator and electrical plug-in are all accessible from the front of the cabinet.

Select a base cabinet design with drawers, shelving and doors based on gas lines and the cooktop fit, so that your outcome works from all visual and practical standpoints. Consider the fit of the base cabinet, so you can integrate the gas lines, wall stud placement for securing cabinets and the cabinet framework into one plan.

Follow safety codes, with the help of a professional, to bring gas lines through the kitchen wall. Stabilize these components to wall studs with required hardware and have them inspected.

Alter the base cabinets in your workshop before bringing them into the kitchen. Cut off the back of one or more drawers, for example, to allow room for gas flex lines. Trim the drawers with a jigsaw and glue or nail a new back into place for each drawer.

Reconfigure drawer slides or shelves as needed. Install shorter drawer slides, for example. Screw them into place once you’ve dry fitted all drawer sizes. Trim any shelves that will fit under the base cabinet to make room for gas components, if needed. Do not install any type of fixed shelf directly under the cooktop inside the base cabinet. Allow at least 1/4 inch between the bottom of the cooktop chassis and a combustible surface, such as a drawer top.

Use wooden shims to level the base cabinet before securing it to wall studs and floor joists. Choose screws that will go through drywall and into studs about 1 inch. Don’t use longer screws to avoid hitting water pipes or electrical wiring. Use an electric drill to drill pilot holes for screws needed to adhere cabinet framework to wall studs.

Check inside the cabinet to allow for side mounting brackets for the cooktop. Install the countertop before dropping in the cooktop. Be sure to radius the corners of the countertop when installing the cooktop to prevent cracking of corners. Take countertop material, such as granite, to a professional for making these curved corners.