To not put the toaster in the cupboard?!

[CeruleanSal]

Obviously not a serious topic but…

I keep my toaster on the side in the kitchen. I regularly visit my brother and sister in law and they keep theirs in a low cupboard. I find this insane. Like me they use it daily (if not multiple times a day) and they’re forever getting it out and putting it back. Their kitchen is not tiny or anything, it’s probably larger than mine.
I just want to know… is this normal and am I a weirdo for having my toaster out all the time?!

YABU - I keep my toaster in a cupboard
YANBU - what is this lunacy, my toaster is out on the side!

Lol yes I know, but unless people are letting it completely cool down before putting it away you're putting a hot appliance in a confined space. Maybe I'm being overly cautious...

It's not fair! Only people with room in cupboards have the option to keep their surfaces clear. People with room in cupboards probably have more cupboards and thus larger kitchens.

So the bigger the kitchen the clearer the surfaces get to be.
The smaller the kitchen the more you have to keep on top.

That said I don't like moving my toaster because treading on toast crumbs is horrible and moving it increases the risk of crumbs landing on the floor!

Probably a bit off-thread but I don't really understand the desire of people to keep their countertops clear? It's a kitchen? I mean, you're not going to convince people that you're so rich you never cook, and kitchens aren't meant to be looked at, they're for cooking in? So unless you have a teeny tiny kitchen and need to keep worktop space clear for doing things on - why wouldn't you leave stuff out? I've not got a huge kitchen but the kettle, slow cooker and toaster are out all the time - as is an enormous quantity of magazines, my current paperback, various biros, and bowls full of 'stuff'.

But then, I'm not on Instagram.

Life is too short to be putting away the toaster every day. But then I think the same about coats and bags… I’m definitely not a domestic goddess.

I've not got a huge kitchen but the kettle, slow cooker and toaster are out all the time - as is an enormous quantity of magazines, my current paperback, various biros, and bowls full of 'stuff'.

the second half of that part makes me feel a bit queasy. What a load of tat and clutter! Why! Throw it away!

I use mine IN the cupboard … got the husband to put a plug socket in

Mine is in a cupboard but I don't have to take it out! Crazy to do that every day. Bet their house is spotless if they do that sort of thing though.

I'm obsessively tidy and put the toaster, kettle and microwave away after each use, I can't bear clutter.

The only thing I have out at the moment is the perfect prep machine!

I do do regular crumb cleans on the work surface as this is of course the issue with toaster permanently on the side.
They keep theirs on a little tray in the cupboard in case crumbs fall. bless them.

Mentioned in Derry Girls

So true. I have to put my waffle maker in a cupboard in an entirely different room. This is probably partly why it irritates me so much!

@Vroomfondleswaistcoat I have limited counterspace. So on one portion of the counter is things that absolutely have to be out all the time - coffee maker, kettle, toaster, bread bin, biscuit tin. That takes up most of that space with just enough space to make the tea etc.

Then basically I have one other counter section where I prepare food. This section ALSO holds my air fryer, the larger cooking implements that don't fit in draws, my good knives in a holder thingy. This is where the waffle maker goes, but it takes up about 1/4 of the already limited space I have for cooking/food preparation so it has to be put away so that I have space to actually cook.

It's a a stereotype and not really taken seriously. Hence, the scene in "Derry Girls" where it all becomes absurd.

A local Norn Iron joke more than anything.

Microwave in a cupboard?

That’s just insane

I clearly need to watch Derry Girls. Thought I understood the whole Ireland thing but clearly I’ve missed some nuances to the division 😂

Fully willing to accept I'm being a bit OTT with not wanting to store it in a cupboard for fire safety, but actually USING it in a cupboard is just madness!

microwave In a cupboard?! How?! Those things are heavy!!

Our toaster is out on the worktop but I know FIL keeps his in the cupboard. They don’t use it very often so it isn’t an inconvenience for them to get it out when they do whereas ours is used pretty much daily so it would be a massive hassle.

That’s what @Vroomfondleswaistcoat is asking, though — why the desire for bare kitchen surfaces? People write about them on here as though they’re some kind of unquestioned pinnacle of domestic aspiration or something.

I have a large (temporary) kitchen, and a pantry, and our work surfaces have kettle, toaster, food processor, scales, books, plants, fruit a radio, jars of serving spoons, tongs, salad servers, a wire tray of things cooling etc etc. I mean, assuming you have enough space to chop and roll out etc, I don’t see the issue?

You aren't being unreasonable to keep your toaster wherever you want, but mine is kept in the cupboard.
Your toaster, your choice.

I grew up making toast in the grill. My mum eventually bought a toaster, but kept it in the cupboard and continued to use the grill for making toast. I think I tried using it when I stayed but was most definitely discouraged from doing so. Very odd. Mine is out and well used.

(FYI she's Protestant and very houseproud, I'm most definitely an aethiest and not.)

But why? What a faff!

Ours gets put away too as we don’t have a massive amount of worktop space but do have quite a bit of cupboard space plus we don’t use it everyday. Maybe a few times a week?

Some people dont mind clutter on worktops, some people do. My husband is the former and I'm the latter.

Omg OP, my parents do this. And then use the grill for toast? I too think it's madness.

You're obviously a closet protestant then.