7 Smart (and Mostly Free) Ways to Tame Cord Clutter in Your Kitchen

published Jul 6, 2023
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Kitchen with white countertops, bar with 2 rustic wood and black metal barstools, copper/rose gold accents, hanging globe pendant lights, black sink, cabinet, drawer hardware
Credit: Jenni Radosevich

I hate countertop clutter, but I’m never giving up my small appliances. My Vitamix and food processor are crucial to my happiness, and the Instant Pot is even more precious now that its company has gone bankrupt. I have no plans to start kneading by hand, so the stand mixer is staying put, too. Countertop clutter is here to stay. 

But cord clutter? Now that’s something I can address (and without spending my entire monthly Amazon budget). Here’s how.

Credit: Meg Asby

Cover cords with cutting boards.

I know I’m not the only one with a surplus of cutting boards — one for bread, one for aromatics, one for meat, one for fruit, and one because I like the handle and it only cost $2 at a yard sale. Instead of taking up valuable countertop or cabinet space, I lean the cutting board against the backsplash, right over the outlet. You don’t even have to unplug the appliance to hide the cord this way. 

Velcro cords to hide them.

I’m now officially obsessed with Velcro, because it’s incredibly affordable and has a thousand uses in the kitchen. One of them is to corral your cords, and you can even tuck them under cabinets with the magic of Velcro’s hooks and loops. If you’d rather not cut the velcro yourself, you can spend a little more on the Velcro cable ties

Zip cords to corral them.

If you have a ton of cables you’d like to corral into one thick tube, this cable zipper may be just what you need. It’s great if you have lots of appliances next to each other, or if hiding one bigger cord is easier in your space than tackling each of them individually.

Box up unsightly cords.

This cute cable organizer box won’t completely hide your cords, but it will make them look much tidier by enclosing the power strip and cord excess.  

Elevate cords with clips.

These cable clips can guide your cords along a wall to keep them off your countertops. For a more subtle (but slightly more labor-intensive) solution, try this Wiremold Cable Management Kit that can be painted to match the wall.

Wrap cords up.

If you’re willing to unplug your appliances after each use, these cord organizers stick to the back of your small appliances, becoming the perfect place to wrap the cords away and out of sight. If you want to save money, a dot of Velcro can secure a cord after you wrap it around the appliance instead.   

Change where you plug appliances in.

You don’t have to call an electrician — I promise. This outlet cover with a built-in extension cord can essentially move the outlet to the place you wish it existed in your kitchen. 

You can accept cord clutter as the price you pay for not having to knead bread yourself, but you also don’t have to spend much to make it disappear — you already know which camp I’m in.

How do you deal with cord clutter in your kitchen?