Our 5 Favorite Solutions To Store Small Appliances

We’ve all been there. You’re enjoying your evening browsing the different TV channels and you come across the Home Shopping Network. Somehow the show’s host makes an ordinary, everyday kitchen appliance seem like the next big gadget. And the next thing you know, you have that same small kitchen appliance showing up on your doorstep a few days later. But the excitement slowly begins wearing off when you realize you are now responsible for finding a place to store it in your kitchen.

Whether you’re working with a tiny kitchen and need small appliance storage ideas or you need help organizing your kitchen appliances in your walk-in pantry, we have some recommendations to share. Stop stressing about your lack of counter space or cluttered cabinets. We’ll help you navigate how to arrange appliances in a small kitchen. Here are our favorite 5 solutions for organizing kitchen appliances.

Install a Mixer Lift

One of the most popular items on any wedding registry is a Stand Mixer. While it may not seem as large as your toaster or air fryer, it does take up quite a bit of real estate on your countertops — especially if it isn’t an appliance you find yourself daily (or even weekly). Unless you are an avid baker and plan to whip up some tasty treat every day, you probably want to tuck this away somewhere. However, it’s not the easiest small appliance to pick up and move regularly, especially if you were considering storing it on some high shelf! Instead, we love the addition of a mixer lift in your cabinets that stores it below your countertops. When you’re craving your family’s secret chocolate chip cookie recipe, you can simply pull the mixer lift out and up, revealing your beautiful stand mixer. Get the easy access you want without using up prime countertop space you need.

Utilize Low Shelves or Cabinets

Picture this. You’re hosting a gathering for an upcoming holiday. You want to make your life a bit easier and instead of spending all day in the kitchen, you opt for your world-famous slow cooker recipe so you can prep it, set it, and enjoy it. But when it comes time to get the meal prepped, you realize your slow cooker was placed on the top most shelf of your pantry. You grab the nearest step stool to try to lower it, but with the weight, you struggle a bit and hope that you don’t accidentally drop it.

Instead of risking the chance of a kitchen accident, we recommend reorganizing your cabinets or pantry to allow extra room for storage of your small (but heavy) appliances lower to the ground. Use your kitchen’s modern open shelving to showcase your beautiful dishware and glassware and hide your unsightly appliances below your counters. It is much easier for you to pick these items up instead of trying to safely lower them from high up. If you have limited pantry or cabinet space available, you may be able to find a space in your dining area where you can use a sideboard to hold your small kitchen appliances.

Use Shelf Risers for Visibility

We’ve all seen shelf risers used to efficiently organize and store spices. But have you ever considered using shelf risers to effectively organize your small kitchen appliances? While shelf risers may not work for your small appliances that skew a bit on the larger side, such as a stand mixer, slow cooker, or toaster oven, they are perfect for items like immersion blenders, standard blenders, food processors, traditional mixers, juicer, single-serve coffee makers, and more. Shelf risers can be placed along your pantry shelves, in your base cabinets, or in a sideboard. They will allow you to store more items in the small space without compromising visibility so you can easily grab what you need when you need it.

Build a Coffee Nook

Are you one of the many people who start their morning with a hot mug of caffeine to get them through the day? If so, you likely have a multitude of gadgets you’ve collected while perfecting your coffee routine. From pour over kettles and coffee bean grinders to espresso machines and single-serve coffee makers, there never seems to be one gadget that does everything you need so you collect them all. And while you have mastered your morning brew, it came at the expense of a cluttered countertop.

Instead, we love the idea of building a coffee nook within an oversized cabinet. This allows you to keep your coffee appliances easily accessible for their daily use, while keeping the eyesore hidden behind cabinet doors until called upon. Depending on the size of the cabinet, you may even be able to store your coffee mugs, sugar and other pairings, and anything else you may need for your at-home barista moment.

Design an Appliance Hutch

While some may refer to this idea as an appliance hutch, others may know it by one of its other names such as an appliance garage or appliance cubby. If there are a few small kitchen appliances that you want on the counter for accessibility but you don’t want the eyesore from the cluttered jumble of gadgets and their wiring, this may be ideal for you. While an appliance hutch will eat up some of your countertop real estate, it leaves you with just enough to utilize it when you need. The cubby allows you to store items used by your family every day, such as a toaster, coffee maker, or blender, but hide them behind a garage-like cabinet door that seamlessly blends into your existing kitchen cabinetry.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular small kitchen appliances?

Nearly every kitchen will boast an oven, stove, microwave, and dishwasher, although there are sometimes differences in the standard appliances depending where you live. On the other hand, you may opt for small kitchen appliances that help fulfill your wants or needs, such as a high-end coffee maker or air fryer. The most popular small kitchen appliances are blenders, toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, slow cookers, mixers, kettles, and coffee makers — but what you find to be the most important will depend on your lifestyle.

What is the best method for organizing small kitchen appliances?

While everyone’s experience organizing their kitchen appliances is going to vary depending on the size and layout of their kitchen, along with the number of appliances they have, there are a few rules we recommend following when organizing them. First, the most used small appliances should be easily accessible. Anything you use on a daily basis should be left on the counter or on a low shelf that you can easily access. Less used appliances should be stored in a place that won’t get in the way of your daily actions in the kitchen. Place them on higher shelves in your cabinets, away in your pantry, or in a sideboard, closet, or garage. If you find a few appliances that you never use, sell them or donate them so they don’t take up space in your home.

How do I properly store a toaster oven in my kitchen?

A toaster oven is one of the most common kitchen appliances that isn’t built directly into your kitchen with a designated space (such as your refrigerator, oven, microwave, and dishwasher). Instead, you likely have this placed on your countertops. This is perfect placement since it is accessible to your entire family, however, you want to make sure it is in a space with good ventilation. While it is fine on your counter, you don’t want to have it pushed too far back underneath your cabinets. Because of the heat it gives off when in use, a lack of ventilation can not only damage your cabinets but increase the risk of fire.

How do I hide a microwave in a small kitchen?

Microwaves are often installed above the oven and stove or are built in under your kitchen countertops. However, the size of your small kitchen may not make either of these options feasible, leaving you with a microwave that otherwise will sit on your countertop — eating up the prep area in your kitchen. With proper ventilation you can place your microwave in a small pantry or on top of a sideboard in your dining area.