I prefer a clean counter top, but alas I haven't figured out how to accomplish this. I have a stainless steel toaster oven, my kitchen aid, a vase full of spatulas and what not, a spice rack and a huge candy jar full of milk bones.

Toaster oven, coffee maker and food processor. I'm debating on keeping my coffee grinder out since I use it so often. And there's a bowl of citrus/aromatics on my island.

Toaster, microwave, dish-drainer, fruit bowl, dish-washing supplies, various cooking and salad oils, my Indian-style spice container, coffee making supplies + coffee maker, grinder, Brita pitcher...jeez. It's ALWAYS cluttered. It's even worse when my husband cooks...

I have a fairly large amount of counter space, and most of it is free. I have an old white colinder as a fruit basket, a bamboo cutting board, and a red breadbox on one counter. On the other side of the kitchen I have my tea kettle that stays on the stove, a cookbook holder that holds one of my favorites, and a silver water pitcher I use to keep my most used utensils. On the other side of the sink, I have my coffee grinder and gunmetal gray Kitchenaid mixer. We have so much counter space that this even seems bare sometimes. I keep a basket on top of the fridge for handy snacks and high up away from the kids too.

I have a VERY limited amount of counter space, so I have to limit it to the essentials -- coffee pot & grinder, mug with stove utensils, and knife block...I've thought of moving these to a drawer but that space is limited too. Plus, it's holding the cutting boards up against the wall.

If I don't do dishes every day there's barely room for morning coffee!!

my L-shaped counter, from left to right:
cheap $10 toaster
(stove)
spice box/rack
microwave (corner) w/ spice rack on top
kitchen aid mixer
(double sink)
dish drying rack

Five items on the counter? I don't have that kind of space!

1. Microwave, which takes up 40% of available counter, but the pain does not justify buying a cart for it.

2. 4-cup coffee maker.

3. Mini food processor. Every now and again, I try putting it in a cupboard, but I use it too often.

Yes, I do a certain amount of cooking by carrying the mixing bowl around or balancing a baking pan across the sink to get more flat work surface.

I'm very very surprised that you are happy with the Keurig. I had it for awhile and deluded myself into thinking it made a decent cup of coffee. Ultimately, I returned it based on the strategy that if there was company over or it's a sunday morning, i'll brew a pot. Rushing out the door, Starbucks Via. Obviously, the real thing is far superior, but I've found starbuck's via to be a much more cost effective and tastier alternative to Keurig.

-Toaster oven
-Electric kettle
-Blender
-Stand mixer
-Food processor
-Utensil bin
-Big wooden chopping block
-Paper towel rack
-Compost bucket
-Dish drainer
-Flowerpot full of garlic

The dish drainer, chopping block, utensils, dish drainer, compost, and garlic are used almost every day. The toaster oven, kettle, and food processor get used at least 2-3 times a week. The blender and mixer could live in a cupboard except that our cupboards are poorly designed and don't fit any large/tall items (all of our cereal lives on top of the fridge) and a 6qt kitchenaid isn't exactly easy to move.

I dream of having a butler's pantry with big shelves for all of the small appliances and fancy dishes that don't get used as often.

I also love a clean, open counter. I'm lucky to have a decent amount of counter space in the kitchen. It's actually cabinet space that I wish I had more of.

My counter-top items, all of which are used almost daily (or at least weekly), are:
- french press coffee pot (most important item of all, in my book!)
- knife block
- mortar and pestle
- canister full of utensils (wooden spoons, spatulas, etc.)
- canister full of chopsticks (we use them for everything!)
- salt and pepper grinders
- basket full of bread products
- bowl full of fruit
- basket full of our most-used condiments (oils, vinegars, soy sauce, etc.)
- toaster oven
- rice cooker

I suppose I should probably also include the dirty dishes that always seem to pile up next to the sink... ;-)

Coffeemaker and 2 utensil crocks one one side of my galley kitchen and the other side contains my soda stream carbonated water maker, a paper towel holder and a large wooden block cutting board. I have a small kitchen so need to keep it pretty lean.

toaster oven, eletric water kettles, dish drain, rice cooker, small TV

Random, tangential question:

Why are electric water kettles so expensive in the U.S.? When I lived in Hong Kong, I got a big sturdy Kenwood water kettle that ran beautifully for 2 years for about $10. And now I'm here, I can't seem to find a non-flimsy kettle for less than $50!

Microwave.
Toaster.
Tea kettle (stays on the stove - does that count?).

And that's it for permanent fixtures. The clutter? There are always dirty and/or clean dishes lining up around the sink.

There's prolly too much on ours but all of these get used at least every week, if not ever day. Here goes anyway:

Box of steel cut oats
Box of coffee
Sugar
Box of dates (to go with the oats)
Coffee maker
Dirty dishes
2 spice racks
Toaster
Toaster oven
Electric Kettle
A tin pot with cooking ustensils
Cutting board (with bread loaf)

I have a KitchenAid, coffee maker, coffee grinder, water dispenser, bread box, a utensil crock, a knife block, and a weird Black & Decker "InfraWave" that I hate, but my husband couldn't bear to part with when we moved in together. But I think I've almost got him convinced to get rid of it.

My shelves aren't tall enough to fit my stand mixer, but it doesn't actually take up any usable counter space in the weird corner where it resides--plus the bright red is so cheerful! That, the bread box, and the knife block are on the "back" (or front) of the weird, extra-wide pass-bar/counter between the kitchen and dining area. It's unusable from the kitchen side for most food prep purposes. When we have a party we move the stuff to the other side and set up the beverages on the dining side.

I am a huge anti-clutter freak (reading some other people's lists are already making me nervous ;P), so the only things I have out are my toaster oven, tea kettle on the stove, salt pig and pepper mill, and hand soap at the sink. And my Cookie Monster cookie jar, but I don't think that really counts. It's more decoration. :)

I don't have the luxury of having any more items on my counters than these 4:

Small toaster oven (why are non-humongous ones so hard to find now?)
KitchenAid mixer
Compost bin
Airpot for hot water (want a Zoji Micom though)

Breville Smart Oven, Kitchen Aid mixer, 2 knife blocks, 2 kitchen tool containers (spatulas, tongs, etc), breadbox, dish rack, spice rack, Breville espresso machine, Francis Francis X8

Glass & ceramic containers containing
-brown sugar
-white sugar
-oats
-coffee
-tea
-sea salt
An electric kettle, a milkshake maker, dish drying rack, soap, paper towels, dish brush and sponge, pepper grinder and my Breville Planetary Mixer. Sure I'd like to have less crap on my counter but until someone magically makes my kitchen bigger, that isn't going to happen.

George Foreman Grill
Toaster
Microwave
Dish Rack
Paper Towel Holder

I have approximately 8 sq. ft of counters total--so usually, it's just the toaster, two jars of utensils, salt & pepper, and a knife block.
Unless I'm cooking. Or need to do the dishes. Or both.
...which is about every day.

I have a lot of counter space, but I don't like to clutter it up. I have:
coffeemaker
coffee
ornamental biscotti jar
paper towel holder
basket of napkins.

Two of your items (the Breville oven and Keurig) are on my counter, too...so are a KitchenAid mixer, 2 crocks w/ utensils, a sugar jar, a flour jar, dish drainer, fruit bowl, 2 knife blocks and a paper towel holder. But I'm very lucky to have lots of counter space! And p.s. I LOVE my Keurig. No shame.

Oh, and a salt pig, olive oil and a pepper mill!

I struggle with this.

Things on the counter that I am happy with:
- toaster oven
- knife block
- fruit basket
- bamboo plant & mini watering can
- land line phone

Things on the counter we use every day but I wish weren't there:
- 3 bottles of vitamins
- basket of vitamins
- giant jar of protein powder
- stick blender

And of course, a dish drainer filled with clean dishes on the right of the sink, pile of dirty dishes to the left of the sink.

I have a lot of un-useable counterspace. The counters are deep, so deep I can't easily reach to the back so I only use the front 50% of my counters. I love the look of a clean counter but in order to maximize my storage space it's much easier if I use some of the counter for storage.
So I have: 5 large glass canisters for various flours, and a sugar canister (which the hubs needs).
- food processor (used at least once a week)
- blender (used daily for breakfast)
- a pretty decorative set of prep bowls (used daily)
- knives in the block
- vase with utensils for the stove
- a cutting board
- small mortar and pestle set
- spice rack thing (I actually store cute cake decorating supplies in it instead of spices)
- soap, sponge, and lotion at sink

Far corner of the bar:
- shaker set/bar tool set
- cookie jar

My kettle seems to stay permanently on the stove in fall thru spring.
Also we have a wine glass rack with our wine and cocktail glasses hanging from under the cabinets - which does break up a clean appearance. We keep our fruit bowl (and the fruit) on the dining room table.

Kitchenaid, toaster (not oven), microwave, rice cooker. Some basics (flour, rice, and cornmeal) in decorative jars, and some other basics (vinegar, oil, and coarse/fine salt) in containers. Cookbooks.

Not super clear, but I use all of them frequently enough I don't like digging them out of my (limited) cabinet space.

-Coffemaker
-Coffee grinder
-Toaster
-Container of cooking utensils

* Utensil holder -for common utensils which are used almost daily
* Knife block
* Mortar and Pestle - which is there because it stops my
* Cutting boards from falling over.

My beef is my inability to by a non-cordless kettle. I want to be able to put my kettle away, not leave it on the bench.

Two tins of tea (one a plain tin, one a fancy tin, morning & afternoon tea respectively).
Brown betty tea pot.
And I itch to put them away.

We have v little counter space, but less cabinet space so the things which are always out are:
Fruit bowl, banana stand, trays, tv, microwave (on top of fridge), kettle, salt/pepper/oil, pot with spoons, compost bin, KitchenAid, chopping boards etc. I hate it and can't wait for more space so I can put it all away!

ok, this is all great. totally on the same page with the keeping only frequently used things on the countertop. Here's the thing... the roomie doesn't see it that way. There is a never ever ever been used wine chiller on the counter... a rice cooker (often used by some, but not her/us) and some other odds and ends. This is a theme in the kitchen, there are also 4 large stock pots, 6-8 skillets (mind you we only have 4 burners), probably 10+ wooden spoons, etc. How does one convey this idea of only having things you use often in the kitchen space without making the roommate feel as though you're trying to get rid of her stuff/don't like their stuff? This has been an issue and I'm looking for a good way to bring it up again without her getting upset.

The shame that should come from a Keurig isn't just the shame of bad coffee. It's also the shame of a shocking amount of waste per cup -- and bad waste that couldn't even biodegrade if you gave it the perfect conditions.

Note on Keurigs: Use can purchase re-useable cups which you can fill with your own grounds, compost the grounds and then you have no waste! safe the prepackaged cups for when you're in a real hurry only.

http://www.amazon.com/Keurig-K-Cup-Reusable-Coffee-Filter/dp/B000DLB2FI

"save" not "safe"

oops

Our mixer, food processor, toaster, and knife block see very regular use; likewise the fruit bowl, napkin holder, and dish drainer. The blender could go in a cabinet, but that space is in shorter supply. The microwave is a range-hood model. I should clear off the top of the fridge; that's pretty cluttered.

Once nice trick is to add tilt-out trays behind those otherwise-useless panels in front of the sink. They're relatively cheap at most hardware stores, and easy to install; ours hold our drain covers and scrubbies.

I've pared my kitchen things down to a handful of small appliances. We even have a special cabinet for them so I can tuck them away for company. The microwave is hung in our current place (yay!) so on a daily basis all you'll see on the counter is a vintage butterfly trivet, a plate for fruit, and a coffee maker. Hidden away is a handmedown toaster oven I have yet to use, a toaster which will find a new home soon, a George Foreman contact roaster and a teeny food processor.

It's too much even to my liking but my husband demands that roaster. *sigh*

I have the same Keurig and I love it! We use the "my k-cup" which allows you to use your own coffee and minimizes trash from all those pesky k-cups. I fill mine with my favourite Ethical Bean coffee.

Must have for the counter, along with the kettle, olive oil bottle, container of wooden spoons and knife set.

Toaster oven, dish rack (does this count since I don't have a dishwasher?), produce bowl. I have a utensil bucket on useless patch of space that its to the stove. Everything else gets tucked away but I have a very small amount of counter space!

Just the electric water kettle. I lived in shared housing and 8 people use the kitchen. The other appliances don't get used often and are on open metal shelving for easy access. The toaster gets used the most, and it's on the shelf that's level with the countertop. Luckily, the microwave is mounted above the stove.

I have a very small kitchen so I only have a few things on my counter top. Microwave, toaster, salt and pepper grinders, kitchen aid mixer and my TARDIS cookie jar.

Of course I also have a line of open shelving and rail system holding a ton of stuff on the opposite wall as the counter, so it's a little cluttered despite it's size.