As a home writer, I get to test a whole stack of kitchen appliances, which means I’m forever clearing my countertops to make room for meal prep. So, when I got the opportunity to redesign my kitchen from scratch, I was able to get on top of the clutter.
And I had a long list of must-haves: an induction cooktop, quartz worktops, a double sink, and an appliance garage.
It’s taken a long time of planning to get exactly what I wanted, but with the help of a kitchen designer, I’ve ticked all the boxes.
I’m particularly pleased with the appliance garage. While I’m happy for some of my gadgets to sit on my countertop, such as my KitchenAid Artisan Pro stand mixer, there are other appliances that I’m happy to have tucked out of sight.
Besides storing my less attractive gadgets in the appliance garage, it’s also a good place to keep the appliances that you use infrequently — they really don’t need to be at arm’s reach if you use them occasionally.
For me, an appliance garage acts as a clutter-buster, clearing my countertops and adding a streamlined, sleek look to my kitchen without sacrificing functionality.
And with that, I must add, you really can’t have a proper appliance garage unless you’ve got a power socket installed inside. This allows you to use the appliance without completely removing it from the cupboard.
However, before trying this kitchen trend, there are three things you need to know.
1. Check ventilation before hiding appliances
“Appliance garages and pocket doors can make kitchens look polished,” says Mark Stevenson, managing director and product designer at Stoveshield, “but appliances that produce heat, steam, or moisture still need proper ventilation.”
A toaster, coffee maker, or electric kettle can look neat behind a cabinet door, but because they produce heat and steam, they need to have adequate ventilation to remain safe.
I’ve positioned my Cosori TurboBlaze air fryer on the countertop within my appliance garage, and it’s the appliance I’ve chosen to plug in and use in situ. However, whenever I turn it on, I keep the cabinet doors open and pull out the appliance to ensure there’s adequate ventilation around it.
To ensure your cabinetry isn’t damaged by steam-emitting appliances, such as coffee makers and electric kettles, check the appliance guidelines for clearance heights.
2. Prepare ahead
I’d planned to get rid of my countertop microwave in favor of a built-in version, but my budget said no.
As an alternative, I’d hoped to put the microwave in the appliance cupboard — hiding it from view. And since I only tend to use my microwave for defrosting and reheating, it’s not an appliance I need constantly on hand.
However, space restrictions in my kitchen meant that I needed a bi-fold door for my appliance garage to work. A standard door would have bashed into the adjacent integrated refrigerator, and I wasn’t going to risk damaging my new kitchen cabinetry.
Although I hadn’t originally planned to house my microwave in the appliance garage, my advice would be to think carefully about what you’re going to store inside. If you have an appliance that is on the larger side — my Breville Custom Loaf Bread Maker is a perfect example — you won’t get away with an appliance garage with a short width.
Also, check in with your kitchen fitter about the door options; these may restrict what you can fit inside, and ultimately the functionality.
3. It won't banish all kitchen countertop clutter
While an appliance garage can help restore your kitchen countertops to some degree of order and give you space to work in your kitchen, it is not a dumping ground and shouldn’t be used as a drawer of doom for any odds and ends that don’t have a permanent home.
The best way to stay on top of kitchen countertop clutter is to prioritize what stays and what goes. Ask yourself, which gadgets do you actually use? If something is gathering dust, it’s probably time to add it to the donate pile.
One of my favored strategies is to have a kitchen reset every evening. Even when I’m ready to crawl into bed, spending five minutes on a quick tidy-up means I won’t face a messy kitchen in the morning. Quick, daily cleanups also help to prevent wasting hours at the weekend on a major deep clean.
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