11 Sneaky Storage Ideas for Small Appliances
If your kitchen's short on space, these novel ideas keep small appliances out of the way but still close at hand
I love my small appliances: a mixer for baking, blender for smoothies, sandwich toaster, rice cooker… the list goes on. But the truth is I often struggle to find a place to store them in the kitchen, and many of my clients come to me with the same problem.
When small appliances are scattered around or shoved in any old nook or cranny, they can end up neglected and under-utilised because it’s just too hard to get them out and ready for use. My husband has tried to enforce a ‘one in, one out’ rule, but that didn’t go so well (I need them all in my life!). The trick, I’ve come to realise, is in finding spots where appliances will be kept out of the way (and even out of sight), but always accessible.
These clever storage ideas for small appliances will hopefully make it easier for you to grab them on the run. Smoothie anyone?
When small appliances are scattered around or shoved in any old nook or cranny, they can end up neglected and under-utilised because it’s just too hard to get them out and ready for use. My husband has tried to enforce a ‘one in, one out’ rule, but that didn’t go so well (I need them all in my life!). The trick, I’ve come to realise, is in finding spots where appliances will be kept out of the way (and even out of sight), but always accessible.
These clever storage ideas for small appliances will hopefully make it easier for you to grab them on the run. Smoothie anyone?
2. Roller door
The cabinet pictured here houses a coffee machine that can be concealed behind a roller door. As the door slides up and away into the cabinet cavity it virtually disappears, allowing the cabinet to be left open without causing any obstruction. This makes a roller door the best option for smaller kitchen cabinets installed on the worktop.
TIP: Fix a small shelf above your appliances so you can keep a tea caddy and ground coffee in easy reach – a convenience you’ll no doubt appreciate on early morning dashes around the kitchen before work.
15 Coffee Stations Bubbling Over With Clever Ideas
The cabinet pictured here houses a coffee machine that can be concealed behind a roller door. As the door slides up and away into the cabinet cavity it virtually disappears, allowing the cabinet to be left open without causing any obstruction. This makes a roller door the best option for smaller kitchen cabinets installed on the worktop.
TIP: Fix a small shelf above your appliances so you can keep a tea caddy and ground coffee in easy reach – a convenience you’ll no doubt appreciate on early morning dashes around the kitchen before work.
15 Coffee Stations Bubbling Over With Clever Ideas
3. Appliance centre
If you have enough space in your kitchen, it may be possible to create a separate, designated appliance centre (with numerous power points) where all your small gadgets can be lined up along one wall of a worktop, yet remain hidden behind the closed doors of a cabinet.
The appliance centre can be hidden behind a roller door or, if it’s a fairly wide space, then behind bi-folding doors as pictured here. This is understandably more costly than a conventional shelf, but it’s extremely neat and convenient. Just open the doors and use the appliances where they stand – a far better option, I think you’ll agree, than allowing your kitchen whizzes to gather dust at the back of a cabinet.
TIP: If you regularly bake or make juices and smoothies quite often, keep your mixers and blenders plugged in and ready to use at any time.
If you have enough space in your kitchen, it may be possible to create a separate, designated appliance centre (with numerous power points) where all your small gadgets can be lined up along one wall of a worktop, yet remain hidden behind the closed doors of a cabinet.
The appliance centre can be hidden behind a roller door or, if it’s a fairly wide space, then behind bi-folding doors as pictured here. This is understandably more costly than a conventional shelf, but it’s extremely neat and convenient. Just open the doors and use the appliances where they stand – a far better option, I think you’ll agree, than allowing your kitchen whizzes to gather dust at the back of a cabinet.
TIP: If you regularly bake or make juices and smoothies quite often, keep your mixers and blenders plugged in and ready to use at any time.
4. Slide-out shelf
If you decide to store your small appliances plugged in and inside a cabinet on the worktop, it’s best to pull them out of the cabinet when you switch them on. This is particularly important for coffee machines, kettles and toasters. It avoids a build up of heat and steam inside the cabinet, which can cause damage to both your appliances and cabinetry.
Pulling appliances out of the cabinet is made easier with the addition of a slide-out shelf the appliances can sit on inside the cabinet. They slide both ways, so just push them back in when you’re finished.
If you decide to store your small appliances plugged in and inside a cabinet on the worktop, it’s best to pull them out of the cabinet when you switch them on. This is particularly important for coffee machines, kettles and toasters. It avoids a build up of heat and steam inside the cabinet, which can cause damage to both your appliances and cabinetry.
Pulling appliances out of the cabinet is made easier with the addition of a slide-out shelf the appliances can sit on inside the cabinet. They slide both ways, so just push them back in when you’re finished.
5. Corner cabinets
A corner cabinet is one of the most awkward in the kitchen. However, if its internal space is planned carefully and put to good use, a corner cabinet can be one of the best places in which to store small appliances. Pictured here, a shelf extension has been fitted inside the cabinet. This mechanism can be pulled right out, allowing the user to gain easy access to the items being stored inside.
TIP: Pulling the shelf out of the cabinet also makes it easier to quickly lift an appliance up onto the countertop.
A corner cabinet is one of the most awkward in the kitchen. However, if its internal space is planned carefully and put to good use, a corner cabinet can be one of the best places in which to store small appliances. Pictured here, a shelf extension has been fitted inside the cabinet. This mechanism can be pulled right out, allowing the user to gain easy access to the items being stored inside.
TIP: Pulling the shelf out of the cabinet also makes it easier to quickly lift an appliance up onto the countertop.
6. Deep drawers
If you don’t have space in your kitchen to create a designated appliance centre or worktop cabinet, consider storing your appliances in a deep under-counter drawer. Storing them in a pull-out drawer will make it easier to find what you’re after.
TIP: Ensure your drawer hardware is designed to carry a reasonable amount of weight before you load it up with heavy mixers and blenders. Check with your designer, or the cabinet maker, what the maximum load capacity is of each kitchen drawer.
If you don’t have space in your kitchen to create a designated appliance centre or worktop cabinet, consider storing your appliances in a deep under-counter drawer. Storing them in a pull-out drawer will make it easier to find what you’re after.
TIP: Ensure your drawer hardware is designed to carry a reasonable amount of weight before you load it up with heavy mixers and blenders. Check with your designer, or the cabinet maker, what the maximum load capacity is of each kitchen drawer.
7. Appliance lift
Lifting stored appliances out from under-counter cabinets is made easy with this clever little contraption. A specially designed appliance lift is such a simple concept, but it works so well.
These allow you to conveniently store heavy small appliances in under-counter cabinets, while eliminating the need to bend down to take them out. The lift simply elevates when you open the cabinet door.
Lifting stored appliances out from under-counter cabinets is made easy with this clever little contraption. A specially designed appliance lift is such a simple concept, but it works so well.
These allow you to conveniently store heavy small appliances in under-counter cabinets, while eliminating the need to bend down to take them out. The lift simply elevates when you open the cabinet door.
8. Walk-in pantry
We all crave a big kitchen with a large walk-in pantry, such as a butler’s pantry. If you are lucky enough to have the space to incorporate a separate one into your kitchen plan, then this could be the perfect place to house all your small appliances.
In the design stage, devote an area for a worktop and make sure it’s deep enough to leave your appliances on, lined up and plugged in. Maybe you can create a baking centre, where everything you need to whip up some yummy muffins, from mixer to tin, is all in one place.
What to Do if Your Kitchen Doesn’t Have a Pantry
We all crave a big kitchen with a large walk-in pantry, such as a butler’s pantry. If you are lucky enough to have the space to incorporate a separate one into your kitchen plan, then this could be the perfect place to house all your small appliances.
In the design stage, devote an area for a worktop and make sure it’s deep enough to leave your appliances on, lined up and plugged in. Maybe you can create a baking centre, where everything you need to whip up some yummy muffins, from mixer to tin, is all in one place.
What to Do if Your Kitchen Doesn’t Have a Pantry
9. Appliance shelf
You might not have space for a walk-in pantry, but you could still squeeze an appliance shelf into a regular cupboard pantry. Choose the shelf that’s positioned around waist level as the one on which you’ll store some of your small appliances.
Storing them at this level eliminates the need to bend down or reach up too high. It also means that you can open your pantry doors and easily find the appliance you need without having to rummage around for it.
TIP: You could also consider having the appliances stored in a pull-out drawer fitted inside the cupboard. Again, check the weight capacity of the drawers first before loading them up.
You might not have space for a walk-in pantry, but you could still squeeze an appliance shelf into a regular cupboard pantry. Choose the shelf that’s positioned around waist level as the one on which you’ll store some of your small appliances.
Storing them at this level eliminates the need to bend down or reach up too high. It also means that you can open your pantry doors and easily find the appliance you need without having to rummage around for it.
TIP: You could also consider having the appliances stored in a pull-out drawer fitted inside the cupboard. Again, check the weight capacity of the drawers first before loading them up.
10. Pop-up appliances
This automated appliance unit takes small appliance storage to another level. It completely hides appliances below your worktop. Then, at the touch of a button, a lift mechanism raises the appliance storage unit up to counter level so that you can easily access and use your appliances.
When you’re finished using them they can be lowered back down, leaving you with a clean and empty work space.
This automated appliance unit takes small appliance storage to another level. It completely hides appliances below your worktop. Then, at the touch of a button, a lift mechanism raises the appliance storage unit up to counter level so that you can easily access and use your appliances.
When you’re finished using them they can be lowered back down, leaving you with a clean and empty work space.
11. Worktop display
Some appliances are simply too pretty to hide away, like the yellow mixer pictured here. If you don’t have any space to store an appliance like this, then why not take advantage of its good looks and display it to brighten up a dull corner of your kitchen.
Tell us
Where and how do you store your small appliances? Share your ideas for clever storage solutions in the Comments section. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
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Browse more kitchen photos for design inspiration
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Some appliances are simply too pretty to hide away, like the yellow mixer pictured here. If you don’t have any space to store an appliance like this, then why not take advantage of its good looks and display it to brighten up a dull corner of your kitchen.
Tell us
Where and how do you store your small appliances? Share your ideas for clever storage solutions in the Comments section. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
More
Browse more kitchen photos for design inspiration
Find a renovation professional in Singapore
One of the most practical storage places for the most regularly used small appliances in your kitchen, such as your kettle and coffee machine, is a cabinet (with doors and shelves) built over the worktop, especially at the wall end or in a corner of your kitchen. This allows you easy access to your appliances, but keeps them out of sight when they’re not in use.
TIP: Have some power points installed at the back of the cabinet so you can leave the appliances plugged in and ready for use at a moment’s notice.