The Best Places to Stash Small Kitchen Appliances

by Bud Dietrich, AIA

Tucked-away places like nooks, pantries and dedicated cabinets keep your kitchen gadgets handy but out of the way

 

There are the big three appliances — the refrigerator, range and dishwasher — that we all know and are must-haves for every kitchen. But over the years, small, single-purpose appliances have proliferated. Toasters, mixers, blenders, food processors, dough makers, waffle makers, coffee machines and so many more gadgets have become a part of our kitchens.

But where do we store these appliances when they're not in use? How can we keep them close at hand without their taking up valuable counter space?

 

An appliance garage. Use a smaller section of a tall cabinet if you don't have a large closet or pantry space for these appliances. Add cabinet doors that can move completely out of the way, and put the appliances on a rollout shelf for easiest accessibility.

With an outlet or two in the back wall, the appliances will be ready to use when needed and hidden from sight when not.

 

 

 

 

Purpose-built cabinets.

You can also dedicate a cabinet for a particular small appliance. One of the most common uses it to store mixers. Having the mixer on a pullout or lift-up shelf keeps the appliance handy and easily stored away. This is a very useful bit of cabinetry for an appliance used often.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember to use every inch of space. It's fairly easy to create some unique and innovative small spots with all the different types of cabinetry hardware available.

 

 

 

 

 

A small appliance closet. A closet-like space can be a good home to all of your small appliances. Equipping the closet with strong rollout shelves will make getting at them easy. When you're finished mixing, blending or toasting, just return the appliance to its home and close the door.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The most ubiquitous small appliance has to be the coffeemaker. More often than not, this wonderful little machine is placed where it takes up valuable counter space. Rather than let it get in the way, try placing it in a dedicated cabinet, away from the main work area. This way that person who wants another cup of morning joe stays out of the cook's way.

 

 

 

 

If a dedicated cabinet isn't in the cards, try placing the coffeemaker in a dedicated nook built into the corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A shelf in the pantry. Placing these appliances in a dedicated space in a pantry will work, especially if the pantry is well thought out and organized. A pair of pocket doors provides ample access and turns the pantry into what it should be: an extension of the kitchen.

 

 

 

 

 

If budget allows, a built-in coffeemaker with a slide-out counter can't be beat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A corner counter. If your kitchen has the space for it, a dedicated work area will make using that coffee maker, mixer or panini press all the more enjoyable — and make room for more than one cook in the kitchen.

 

 

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