Storage above cooker

[Nottsangel2015]

Hi all. Completely clueless at diy so please excuse me if this is obvious!

We have an extremely small kitchen I have a space in the units for my cooker which is electric and freestanding. Above the cooker is just wall space with no unit or anything.

I'd really like to use this space if I can. Could you hang a rail with utensils hanging on if this was placed high enough above the top of the cooker? I would ideally like to put another cupboard there but think that may not be possible.

Any advice?

[Chasingsquirrels]

I put a bridging unit above mine as pictured.

Had a recirculating extractor in the old kitchen which was pointless and no where to vent an extractor to, so just decided not to bother.

[isseywith4vampirecats]

we are in the middle of planning our kitchen and I have a free standing gas cooker didn't think I could put a cupboard over the cooker as don't want an extractor and kitchen company said yes I can have a half height cupboard over it so that's what we are going with

[Nottsangel2015]

Thank you guys that's amazing I shall look at a half cupboards!! Good to know :-) we don't have an extractor over the oven so it's just empty space which looks rubbish anyway so I'll try and find one or match our current units :-)

[isseywith4vampirecats]

this is the plan that wickes gave us and shows where DIY said we could put the extra cupboard

[Nottsangel2015]

Thank you @isseywith4vampirecats that is great! I'd love to get our kitchen redesigned I think it could be worked much more functional but we just can't afford to at the moment. Found one of these cupboards on wicked which match our current units so going to get one when I get paid end of month :-)

[Grumpyunleashed]

@Nottsangel2015
There is a legal requirement for height above gas hobs / cookers where you cannot have anything.
there may well be the same requirement for electric appliances.
Best check with retailers first.

[longearedbat]

We had exactly the same set up as Chasingsquirrels. My 'extractor' was opening the window!
Just be careful what you store in a cupboard over a cooker though. A friend had a jar fall out of an over cooker cupboard and it smashed the ceramic hob to smithereens. I only used to store tupperware in mine.

[Chasingsquirrels]

longearedbat I hadn't even thought of that potential problem! Mine is still empty as kitchen was only done towards the end of last year and I've still got bits I want tweaking and not everything has found a place yet - and I've no idea on what I'm going to use that cupboard for. But I'll be bearing this in mind.

Nottsangel2015 there are gap size restrictions, for safety reasons, just check them and ensure you comply.

[PhoneLock]

If you have a rail above the cooker, be prepared for it and everything hanging from it to get all greasy. It will need cleaning often.

[isseywith4vampirecats]

I only intend to keep stuff in the overhead cupboard I don't use like MY other halfs gadgets lol

[Nottsangel2015]

@longearedbat and @PhoneLock didn't think about either of those points! Yes definitely think a rail is out of the question - don't want to make more cleaning for myself than I already have

I think Tupperware sounds like a good plan for the over oven cupboard I have plenty of that getting in the way in one of my main cupboards!

Thank you everyone for the useful ideas etc! Looking forward to some kitchen organisation at the end of the month

[starfishmummy]

@Nottsangel2015 we have a small kitchen too. Current layout is the one that was here when we moved in, and we need to refurbish. I'm beginning to think that we cant meet building regs and have a cooker!!!

[Wheresthebiffer2]

everything above cooker gets greasy and steamy.

[NotMeNoNo]

I've had a shelf and rail over the cooker before. If you make it easy to clean it's OK. Every 6 months I would take everything off and put it through the dishwasher and wipe down the shelf. I was easier than cleaning an extractor to be honest. If you use it to store pans and utensils that you use often they don't have a chance to get greasy.

[NotMeNoNo]

To meet building regs you can have a wall fan on an external wall instead of a cooker hood. But you only have to add one if you are changing the room structurally I think.

[Nottsangel2015]

@NotMeNoNo the fan is already on the external wall when we moved in so no extractor above the cooker just the empty wasted space.

@starfishmummy ours is that small we made the decision to keep our fridge freezer in the outhouse (which we plan to cover over the walkway at some point so we don't physically go outside to it) we do have a pantry cupboard but we didn't want to lose the space with our massive fridge freezer as we literally only have 4 single wall units, 1 double and the drawers! The plan when our fridge freezer eventually dies is to purchase a worktop high fridge and then separate freezer which we will keep in the outhouse so a bit easier. Plus we are going to fix 2 additional single wall units on either side of the back door so that will help along with the short unit above the cooker. So fingers crossed that will all help. We'd like to completely Redesign and have a new kitchen fitted and possibly knock through the pantry to give Extra space but we just don't have funds! Long term we will probably do some kind of extension to the side of the house properly but not sure when we will be able to afford that to be honest so got to what we can to make it work for now x

[starfishmummy]

@Nottsangel2015. We have what is grandly referred to as a utility room!! Basically its a dilapidated porch round the back door with the washer and fridge-freezer in it. The dining room also opens directly off the kitchen so I am considering having overflow storage in there; we saw a nice big corner larder in Wickes that would work in there I think. We have been advised by a structural engineer that knocking kitchen and diner (extension) together is not advisable due to other alterations that have been done to the house or I would have liked to do that.