Small Kitchen Solution: Cover the Stove Top for More Counter Space?

A few weeks back, we talked about bringing in a kitchen island for more counter and storage space. But what if your small kitchen can't accommodate another large piece of furniture? In those cases, we've been eying the stove top!

Often what we need is not so much a space to do work, but rather a space to just temporarily put things - bowls of cut ingredients while we're prepping a recipe, buffet area, leftovers waiting to be put away, groceries, and so on. We already use the space around the burners for some of these things, but it would be handier to cover the entire stove top with some sort of board so we could use all that space.

Our only concern is that we might be forever taking the cover top on and off again as we need access to the burners themselves. And depending on the cover we get, it could be awkward to find a place to store it out of the way while we use the burners. Then again, we're usually only using one or two burners at a time, so maybe finding something that only covers half of the stove would be a good option.

We discovered that stove top covers are actually already commonly used in RV and yacht kitchens where counter space is truly at a premium. Most of the products we found on the internet are intended for these spaces. Here are a few:

• Camco RV Stove Topper from PPL Motor Homes, around $50
• Universal Oak Stove Top Covers from JC Whitney, around $42

For full-sized stove tops, we found a few sites that will make custom covers:

• Stove Top Covers from StoveTopCovers.com, around $210
• Cook Top Cover Up from Regina's Kitchen, custom quotes

Of course, if you aren't so picky about an exact fit or how it looks, we think you could forgo many of these options in favor of few wooden cutting boards balanced over the burners. We could also have a plank of raw wood cut down to size at somewhere like Home Depot or Lowes.

Do you cover your stove top? Do you find it useful for creating space?

(Image: Flickr member docentjoyce licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (17)

We cover half of the stove because we have no counters at all. It means we can usually only use two burners at a time, but I do mostly simple cooking anyway, and pull out the extra burners for special occasions.

when did it become a fad to buy extra furniture? i grew up with burner covers, and we use them in my current home. even WITH the counter space around the stovetop, we use the stovetop itself as temporary sitting space all the time.

i guess i'm weird or old-fashioned.

This is something similar to what a buddy of mine decided to do. He actually is planning to replace his entire stove/oven with just an oven. Then he plans to buy a couple induction portable stove tops instead of the traditional stove top.

He wants the extra counter space for other things, and right now I can't find a reason not to do it. Any thoughts?

This is a brilliant idea, and would be relatively simple as a DIY... I hadn't thought of covering the entire stovetop before. I think there is space between the stove and the cabinets to store a 1/2" thick piece of plywood when we are actually cooking, and using the stovetop as a work top would more than double the counter space in our tiny kitchen. The stovetop "cover" could easily be nicely painted and sealed, or covered with laminate or linoleum, and edged with wood, or even covered with thin sheet metal. Thank you AT for sharing a great concept!

I use the leftover piece of Corian they cut out for the sink when I renovated.

I've seen some vintage stoves with a matching cover actually attached.

We have limited counter space, and none on the side of the kitchen with the stove, so we just bought a single ceramic tile (cheap and fireproof) to put on top of one burner. It allows us to have a spoon rest, and a jar full of utensils. It is a safe and cheap solution until we renovate, and you can get different sizes depending on what you need.

I have an apartment size stove have a wooden cutting board from ikea which fits it perfectly (seen here http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30087148). If I want to use the stove top, then I just move it to the counter to use. I usually put another cutting board on top of it to use rather than wash the wooden one constantly. It works great for me and was a rather inexpensive option for more usable counter space.

It's a great idea, as long as you're careful about the burners being off and cool. We'll sometimes set groceries on the stove, in the process of putting them up, because it's convenient to the fridge and pantry.

I am just seeing this post now. I was given a beautiful handcrafted wood cutting board that separates into two pieces for storage. I just pop the grates off my stove and place the cutting board on top for a 24 inch wooden work surface. I absolutely love the board and the woodwork is gorgeous. If you want one for yourself, you can email the carpenter (in NYC)- andrew.r.caban@gmail.com.

The cooktopcoverup.com is perfect for use in small kitchens, because it transforms your ugly cook top into a beautiful serving tray and then can be used as a gorgeous mirror you'd hang on wall, no storage space needed!

This is really interesting! I didn't realize this was such a common practice, but I suppose in really tight quarters anything is fair game. I would've thought it would be a fire hazard to store anything on top of a stove, gas or electric.

I did this today! It cost less than $30 for the piece of pre-cut plywood (which I had cut to measurements for free), a sealant and sandpaper. I had 2 pieces cut - one to cover the sink, and one to cover the stove. I sanded and sealed it - took minutes. Instant counter space. When I'm not using them, I plan to lean them against the wall into the kitchen, or in the utility room right off the kitchen. Great idea, thanks!

I've added a stove top cutting board to my line. I call it STOVE CHOP. I have one general size, 12"x22", And custome sizes are available!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75243666/stove-chop-walnut-stove-top-cutting

Yes, we cover our cooktop-it makes all the difference! check out centerstagekitchens.com

I have a counter top stove for the first time. I Can't use anything that will scratch the top so am looking for something that will work. I am use to using the burner covers on the other stoves so want to do the same now.

Check out www.stovetopserver.com. They make an great product that will attractively cover your stovetop.