Our kitchen holds quite a few small appliances -- rice cooker, toaster oven, mixer, food processor, and bread machine. Obviously, many of these are stored away, but I keep itching to put them all away and only pull them out when needed. My problem is that I have plenty of kitchen accessories, vintage flower containers, a Nigella Lawson bread bin, an owl shaped cookie jar, I would like to display but these necessary appliances are taking up valuable counter space.
Other than our toaster oven, everything is tucked away, but my husband refused to let me store the toaster oven, pointing out that we constantly use it and it would become cumbersome to put it away only to bring it back out a few hours later. I have to agree, so I ask you, dear Unplggd readers, what do you do with your small appliances that just don't mesh with the rest of your kitchen decor or are taking up counter space that could be showing off your cute kitchen accessories?
(Image: soniaz, ATChicago)
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Comments (8)
Same here - everything but the toaster oven is put away. We use the toaster oven every day, but I have thought about storing it in an easy-to-access cabinet and see if it really is that much trouble to take it out and plug it in every time. I think I would neglect to put it away after each use, since you have to wait a while for it to cool down and by then I would have left the kitchen and forgotten about it.
I live in a studio, so counter space is at a premium. My only small appliance left out is the percolator, but it gets used too much, has too cool down after use, and its removable parts are always either in use or are drying in the dish drainer. My microwave sits out, but it's too big to be considered a small appliance. It's larger than all my cabinets anyway.
I've toyed with the idea of putting the microwave on top of the fridge and leaving it there even when in use, since I am tall enough to reach it easily and since I only use it MAYBE twice a week. Anyone ever done this? Does it work well?
For years my mom has had her microwave on the top of her refrigerator. Never had problem! It's probably the most logical non-counter/non-cabinet place for it in any modest sized kitchen. Good luck!!
None. I have a precious little counter space, so every inch is important. On the weekends when my girlfriend visits, the coffee maker stays out, but it's tucked away as soon as she leaves. (I'm not a coffee drinker.)
My beloved stand mixer has to stay out, because I can't easily lift it. Even with counterspace at a premium, it has to stay out. :( Everything else is put away (and by everything else, I mean the toaster and the blender that I never use). I'm strongly considering investing in a toaster oven though, or perhaps a convection oven. Have to have something so I can cook in the middle of summer (no AC)!
our counters are jammed with the toaster oven, breadbox, stand mixer, coffee appliances, kitchen tools, my husband's butcher block, the indoor grill/griddle, the soda stream, juicer, and usually at least a cooling rack or two if i am baking... (thankfully we have a LOT of counterspace!) i am always thinking that i would like to have more open real estate in there, but we use every single piece of that (except maybe the stand mixer, which is too heavy to move) at least 2-3 times a week, and it just isn't worth the effort to finagle things in and out of the cabinet. plus, i LOVE the time we spend working in the kitchen together and i wouldn't change that for anything!
Toaster/toaster oven is the only appliance on the counter. The rice cooker, blender, ice cream maker, and takoyaki maker are all in a big drawer. Just got a food processor so I have to find a place for it :(
i just purchased the cutest yellow toaster oven that i have no problem for it to stay out on the counter. it's small but fits our needs and comes in many other colors. and it's still on sale:
http://www2.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?GrpTyp=PRD&ItemID=15775ca&submit%20search.y=0&Ntt=toaster oven&SearchString=toaster oven&Ne=4 6 1031 8 18 904 949 833&hdnOnGo=true&submit%20search.x=0&Nao=0&N=4294959029&SO=0&PSO=0&CmCatId=searchresults
that and the green kitchenaid mixer, yellow blender, and a (need to find a better looking one) coffee machine stay on the counter, while the potato grinder is stowed away. we're most likely getting rid of the toaster and banishing the microwave to either the top of the fridge (thanks for the suggestion) or the garage (right off the kitchen) since it will only be used for popcorn or reheating coffee.