Ergonomics plays a very important role in the designing of any workplace. An ergonomically designed workplace would suit both the worker performing the work as well as enable the task to be performed in the most effective, productive and safe manner. Of all the workplaces, the kitchen is probably one of the most important one. All over the world, the kitchen is used for the preparation of meals or for associated activities. The goal could be the same, but both the type of work and the worker would be different, thereby affecting the design of kitchens. A practical interpretation would be that a workplace that is perfect for one set of people, might not suit another group. The present paper attempts to identify variations between kitchens belonging to an urban Indian family and that belonging to an American family. It is important to do so in order to prevent the blind copying of designs which are convenient for one set of people to be imposed on another group in the name of “modern design,” “foreign made” or “latest.” The paper compares findings of two studies. The first one relates to the American urban kitchen. The second study was conducted in Delhi and focusses on the urban Indian kitchen. Interestingly, there are differences not only in the type of equipment used, etc., but more importantly, in relation to the degree of importance associated with individual work centers.