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…

From left to right in a horseshoe shape, divided by stove top and sink:
Bread bin, toaster, rack of saucepans, a small plate with salt, pepper, and oil always out, jar of wooden utensils, jar of spatulas, bowl of ripening tomatoes, avoes, etc.

The kettle is on the stove top as I hated the way the electric one took up room so bought a lovely Le Creuset one. Same with the toaster and saucepans - as they're out they must look good.

My two-slice toaster, bunch of bananas on top of the toaster, electric kettle, old post office scale I scored from work years ago (use it for weighing the cats), biscuit containers on top of it, small scale tucked in beside it, container of chlorhexidine wipes, packet of Amodip pills, container of Osmolax. The last four items are all for the cats. There's just enough room to put a plate and a food container on the counter after that. It's tiny.

ETA they're all up there because there's no pantry and three small cupboards are full.

Too much! I wish I had a large kitchen with a walk in pantry to hide away the small appliances (air fryer, steamer, George Foreman)

Toaster, kettle, bread bin, biscuit tin, chopping board set.
I must admit when I had a larger kitchen and so more cupboard space everything was in the cupboards except the kettle bread bin.

Why? Ours gets used a couple of times a week, and I have huge cupboards…..it’s almost as if people live differently from you!

The faff of getting it out and putting it away again. Crumbs on the floor as you move it and transferring to the cupboard.
Also, I love my toaster and like looking at it

Toasters in cupboards always makes me think of Derry Girls!

I keep it on a tray so the tray gets pulled out of the cupboard thus avoiding crumbs😉

But if you have a pretty toaster which you appreciate the look of, that’s a whole different thing! Mine is an unpretty, bought for practicality 4 slice thing which was bought back in the days when we used it a lot more, and indeed did sit on the worktop in my old house 😂

I treated myself to a Dualit because they never break down <<crosses fingers>>, in lime green. I adore it.

@MarkWithaC that sounds WAY prettier than mine-I love lime green!

Well, you know, they're still available if you fancy a little treat...

Thanks for this thread OP, it has inspired me to analyse my worktop. The space for food prep keeps shrinking, due to stuff I leave on the worktop without thinking. I find that, apart from things used frequently and need to be there (kettle, toaster, coffee paraphernalia, cooking oils, salt, cooking utensils in a holder, most of the space is taken up with pots that need washing, even though I have a bin on the floor to put them in (it gets filled too quickly). Clearly I must wash up more often.
I have a dishwasher but it's broken, and actually I prefer manual dish washing, but hate getting my sleeves wet, which seems hard to avoid.

Away with your evil enabling suggestions 🤣

We have a little galley kitchen with work tops on both sides and at the end under the window.

One corner - Tea caddy, kettle.

Under the boiler - wireless thermostat and smart meter display.

By the sink - washing up liquid, sponge and absorbant piece of material with the recycling drying on it.

By the hob - bottle of cooking oil, small dishes with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, jar with the key utensils I use regularly when cooking.

Another corner - bread bin

Another corner - large Mason
Cash bowl with onions, garlic and potatoes.

Wire trivit and three chopping boards leaning against one wall.

Kettle, coffee machine, toaster, air fryer, slow cooker, tea & sugar jars, knife rack, oil bottles, salt & pepper grinders. I couldn’t be fucked with getting stuff in and out all the time when we use almost all (except the slow cooker) daily

Far too much! Kettle, coffee machine, toaster, airfryer, big tub of dog treats, 10l pump tub of salmon oil, lots of different types of tea, chopping boards. We have a decent amount of work surface, could do with more! In the utility room, there’s a further 8ft of work surface, covered in bird seed bag, a rack of bourbon, wine rack etc. I probably need a good clear out.

Toaster, air fryer, nutribullet, kettle, breadmaker, magimix 😆
also bread bin, utensil holder and tea caddy/nespresso pod holder, olive oil, small cafetière

I only have a small worktop and an island. Toaster/bread board/dishdrainer/sodasream live on the worktop. Whistling kettle on hob on island. Everything else has a place in either tall cupboards or drawers

Kettle, tea,coffee & sugar canisters,biscuit barrel, cup tree stand, salt & pepper pots, and coffee maker.
On other kitchen counter is a microwave oven.
On opposite side of kitchen i've got a toaster that gets used most days, and a bread bin that I never use.

Velvetiser, coffee machine, microwave, ninja, salt pepper, tea & sugar caddies , toaster & bread bin

The plan is to build a cupboard somewhere so that the microwave is removed.

And it is quite cramped but it works

Oh and small compost bin

Chopping board
butter dish
Knife block

next to the sink is a hand soap.

Too much. Box cat food, plastic container dry cat food, toaster, kettle, tea and coffee containers, upright trays, spice rack, upright shopping board, microwave, glasses we can't fit in cupboard and no doubt something random DH has left on there.

Kettle, spoon rest, utensil caddy, 1 cup coffee percolator, knife block and butter dish.

Toaster, airfryer x 2 in the Utility room. Slow cooker in a cupboard.

one side- thermos with hot water, spoon rest, kitchen roll, kettle, 3 utensil pots (I dont have drawers!), toaster.
other side-microwave, washing up caddy, succulent, plastic box with cleaning supplies.

Id have to count the top of the fridge as useable space too! (has saucepans, slow cooker, soup maker and shredded wheat on there).
Window sill is absolutely heaving with plants....and a very happy Buddha statue!