The Smartest Ways to Store All Your Small Appliances

Here at Kitchn, we think about being in the kitchen pretty much all the time. Obviously, we think about recipes we want to make, like these fried green tomatoes and this super-simple bruschetta. (Yes we have tomatoes on the brain! Eat ’em while they’re good, people!) We also think about ways to make meals faster and easier — especially on weekday mornings when finding the time to press the button on the coffee machine feels like a stretch, or evenings when all we want to do is put our feet up and pour ourselves a glass of wine and nibble on popcorn for dinner, or weekends when we’re meal prepping and need to be as efficient as possible.

Sometimes the answer to making your life easier is a fast and easy recipe (we’re looking at you, five-ingredient noodle bowls!), but just as often it’s having a kitchen that’s well-organized, where everything has its place. We know: It’s not very sexy, but honestly, it’s just as important as a great recipe. 

That’s why we’ve come up with a short list of the very smartest ways to store your small appliances — so that you can easily pull out/use what you need when you need it.

For many, myself included, a stand mixer is a small appliance you turn to on a fairly regular basis. Maybe not every day, but maybe once a week — or more if you’re an avid baker! If your stand mixer is a looker, you might feel pretty good about giving it some primo real estate on your counter.

On the other hand, maybe you like your countertops to be completely clear of appliances (I can relate). Or maybe your counter space is just enough for prepping, with not an inch to spare. 

The answer is a mixer lift, which is, well, just what it sounds like: It’s a lift for your mixer that’s installed in a below-the-counter cabinet. When you’re ready for mixing, you just pull it out of its little hide-y hole — no heavy lifting required. And you can use the mixer right on the lift, leaving your precious counter space for your mis en place!

Read more: The Best Way to Store Your Stand Mixer

Your toaster belongs on a cutting board. Here’s why: When you use your toaster, you want it to be out from underneath your cabinets (because, heat and steam!), but you also want to be able to tuck it back away when you’re finished with it. With a board underneath, it can easily slide in and out without dragging those little rubber feet. Kind of brilliant, right? (P.S.: You can also use this trick for other small appliances, like your stand mixer, if you decide to leave it out.)

Read more: The Best Way to Put Cheap Cutting Boards to Good Use

I’m just going to say it: Slow cookers are not cute. Even the cuter-than-usual ones. They tend to be big and bulky and not something you want on your counter.

That said, I’m always mystified when people store their slow cookers above their cabinets in that space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling. Honestly, I would never use my slow cooker if I put it up there. A better solution: a low cabinet, or a sideboard, if you have one. It’s much more accessible (no ladder required), but still out of the way when you’re not using it. Oh, and when you’re ready to use it, we recommend setting it up on your stovetop. 

Read more: My Favorite Place to Store My Slow Cooker

If you are an Instant Pot believer, and many of your are, we urge you to consider a cart dedicated to your precious Instant Pot. But not just any cart! This $30 cart from Target! We’re not sure if the makers of this circular cart intended it for pressure cookers, but its shape and size make it ideal for storing the cult-favorite kitchen multi-tasker. Keep your Instant Pot on the top shelf, use the lower shelves to store accessories, and wheel it out of sight when you’re not using it.

Read more: Why Instant Pot Users Are Obsessing Over This $30 Cart from Target

If you have any extra floor space in a pantry or even a coat closet, consider putting your air fryer (and your food processor and your Instant Pot) on a rolling plant stand. These are less than $9 each and are the perfect shape and size. This way, you can just wheel out whatever you need — no awkward bending and lifting.

Read more: This $9 Plant Stand Is the Key to Organizing Your Small Appliances

Do you have any other smart tips to add? Leave them in the comments below.