Kitchen appliances tend to take up a lot of space so say ‘No’ to storing them on your countertops unless you use them daily like a coffee maker.
Instead here’s how to organize kitchen appliances in 2 easy steps:
Step 1 – Get sorting
Pull out all your appliances and put them into three piles – regular use, infrequent use, hardly ever used. Any that no longer work should not even make it into a pile, but should find the quickest route into the trash.
Appliances that are hardly ever used should be tossed or donated (consider Freecycle.org) especially if they are 1-trick ponies like waffle makers.
If you are struggling with this step, have a ‘Use it or donate it’ month, where it gains pride of place on your countertop and you make an effort to use it. If you don’t use it in the month, you know the answer – get it out of there. If you do use it, then great, it’s earned it’s right to take up cabinet space.
Step 2 – Find them a home
Designate a cabinet for appliances – lower cabinets are best for these typically heavy and bulky items and then you can keep upper eye level cabinets for food. Treat yourself to some slide out organizers to give easy access to the appliances stored at the back of the cabinet.
Regularly used appliances should be stored at the front of the cabinet with those used infrequently being at the back. Use twist ties to keep the cords in order before storing and keep small attachments in labeled zip loc bags.
Don’t forget the dead space above upper cabinets if you need more space for seldom used appliances. Store them in attractive baskets up there to keep the overall look of your kitchen uncluttered.
Alternatively keep appliances in a garage or basement or invest in a countertop appliance garage. These are interesting kitchen organization ideas that typically sit in the corner of your countertop and have a roll down door to keep appliances out of sight.
Photo credits: wheredidyoubuythat.com.
