What is on your kitchen counters?

[notsureunsure]

Just that really. I’m asking because my friend thinks it’s odd to keep a toaster on the counter at all times. But I find it odd that she keeps her toaster in the cupboard when it’s not in use…

On my counters I have, a sink caddy, hot drinks station (kettle, Hotel Chocolate Velvetiser, tea, coffee and sugar canisters), a utensil jar, toaster, microwave (with a storage basket on top), a rotating herb/spice rack and a fruit bowl…

A house full of teenagers can easily use the toaster multiple times a day.

Toaster, spice racks, paper towel on holder

We also have a kind of annex which used to be the pantry. In here, kettle, blender, fruit bowl, charging rack for iPads etc

Kettle, coffee grinder, small bowl holding coffee scoops and little packs of sugar we randomly bring back from cafes, the juicer, and a tall stand for my many teas.
Then there's the hob, then a chopping board, large herb/spice rack, spice grinder and a changing cast of jars of spices that are too big to fit in the rack. Then a stand that holds the microwave, some chopping boards, a utensil jar, some extra utensils that don't fit in the jar (can you spot a theme?) and things that just turn up, like sachets of Nando's sauces and currently some garlic cloves I think they're my lodger's and she's forgotten about them.
Other corner of the kitchen has the toaster and bread board.
I also have a free-standing bench thing that holds an ever-changing range of takeaway tub repurposed for storage, jars I intend to sterilise and use for spices, lids without tubs and vice versa, packs of pasta that don't quite have another home, pens and labels for freezer tubs, elastic bands and the odd cookbook.

My kitchen is a shit-tip, basically.

As well as my counters, I have two open shelves.

The first one has pasta, spaghetti and lentils in aesthetic jars, a ceramic teapot and a framed antique print.

The second one has a wooden chopping board (for display only), a pair Le Creuset salt and pepper mills and a potted plant.

I also have a LC butter dish on my counter, which I forgot to mention in my original list!

Kettle, sugar, tea and coffee canisters and a kitchen roll holder.

Oh and I meant to say, keeping a toaster in the cupboard is really weird!

I don't know, my new electric kettle plays a little cheery tune when it boils. I found it weird at first but now I feel fond of it.

@DancingNotDrowning it's not that hard to clean under a toaster

Absolutely agree.

This whole minimalist generation who have to declutter and can’t cope with anything out of place or any mess or anything non-matching.

Imagine having to get a toaster or kettle out of the cupboard every time you want to use it just so you could have a clutter-free instagramable worktop ready to impress everyone with? What a fucking waste of time.

I’m currently staying in an airbnb in Italy. It’s got stuff in it - all around… Beautiful unique cultured European bits and bobs which makes it feel so homely, comfortable and cultured. Makes it utterly depressing to think of the grey bland souless kitchen counters devoid of any sign of life that anyone lives there. You might as well go and live in a Magnet showroom.

What do you have for breakfast & lunch?! (Assuming you're at home for these meals).

More importantly, how do you make beans on toast without toast?! Sacre bleu!

As little as possible! I hate busy surfaces.

On the worktops around the edge of the room, I have a knife block, Alexa behind a faux plant, coffee machine, sonos speaker and eggs in a wire basket. On the breakfast bar, vase of flowers and candle.

We have a hot tap so no kettle. Air fryer and toaster live in a cupboard and are only out when being used.

So much I don't think I can remember it all off the top of my head!

Kettle
Toaster & tray
Tray with condiments eg oil
Knife jar
2 utensil jars
Air fryer
Plants
2 mug trees
Teaspoon holder
Pots of tea/coffee
Tv
Chopping board
Unspecified junk!

Kettle, coffee grinder, cafetière, kitchen roll, utensil holder, chopping board.
I’m fortunate to have large utility room. I keep the mixer, blender, toaster in there out of the way but accessible.

@notsureunsure I knew a woman from work who did this with the toaster and claimed it was an Irish thing? I’ve been to Ireland and seen toasters though and seen them in the background on Irish tv shows so unsure if that’s true!

@unmemorableusername

how many people live in your house?

To clarify, my trip to Ireland wasn’t just an appliance based pilgrimage- I went for work!

@TheChosenTwo

i think the neighbours would complain if I extended the kitchen(into their sitting room!)

it can't be extended even by a few inches in any direction. This was a flip it house (due to life happening !!) It's actually smaller than the kitchen, boot room & utility of my previous house🙄) then more life happened 🥲🙄and I'm now 'stuck' here. In what I affectionately call 'the mouse house' (thankfully due to its size and not actual mice!!). Good news is it's mine!! No one can kick me out or put the rent up, the mortgage is affordable & it's fine. Just bloody tiny!!

I was excited about doing the kitchen (it needs doing!!) But despite spending countless hours planning it, I can't actually make it any bloody bigger!!

need to win the Euro Lottery!!

until then the sides have FAR too much on them!! 😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️

😂😂😂

yeah yeah yeah

Toaster, kettle, coffee machine, air fryer, knife block, large cake tin, Bosch food mixer, Instant Pot, microwave!

Air fryer is the only thing out. My toaster also goes away when not in use. We have a Quooker so no kettle.

You can disagree all you like, people with grubby houses always believe their house is clean and seem to be totally nose blind to the staleness and smell of grease that permeates when they don’t clean regularly 🤷‍♀️

if you don’t clean around the items on your worktop your kitchen cannot objectively be clean. Especially if, as the pp said she likes a “lived in” home

I guess you're referring to me there and it's a big assumption that I don't clean my kitchen properly. I've already said that my food prep areas are clear - areas rather than area as I am gluten intolerant so prep my food separately where contamination is likely.

Clear is no guarantee of clean, anyhow, if the tea towel threads are anything to go by.

Microwave
Kettle
Alexa
kitchen towel

I work from home so my counter is super cluttered. Instruments, evidence bags, and of course the island is where we do the main autopsy work.

I always wipe under my kettle though.

We have so much stuff on our counters! Going from right to left - sink caddy, draining rack, water purifier, kitchen aid, Google home hub, microwave with shelf over the microwave that holds toaster, scales, salt, oil, measuring jug, often used utensils (on hooks) and thermopen. Then back to the counter - rice cooker, spoon rest, fruit bowl, snacks that don't fit in the cupboard, sauce organiser plus sauce bottles next to that which don't fit in the organiser, cooking wine, coffee machine and a load of coffee paraphernalia of DH's.

Noticeably absent is a kettle...we just boil a saucepan on the induction hob.

It is actually not too messy to look at usually. At the moment it is bad as we have loads of snacks whereas normally everything fits in the cupboard so that whole bit of mess isn't there.