Kitchen worktops - clutter or essential items?

[notlisteningwithmother]

What items do you leave on your kitchen worktops permanently?

We have a kettle, toaster, microwave which are in daily use, but also (based on a grumpy cleaning-related tally last night):

Water filter jug
Food processor/mixer
Two mug trees (and more mugs in the cupboard!)
Fruit bowl
Bread bin
Coffee grinder and bag of beans (DH)
Jar of utensils (hefty stoneware thing that belonged to my gran)
Herb racks
Scales
Small wooden box of useful bits (library cards, coins for supermarket trolley etc)
DHs pile of who knows what but woe betide anyone who touches it!
Kitchen roll on a stick
Tissues
Egg box (wooden thing, not the supermarket packaging)
Knife block
Mug of pens
Blackboard (for reminders, shopping list)

No wonder it always feels cluttered / messy. I can feel a weekend project coming on, although that might need to start with clearing out cupboards. How harsh should I be?

Knifes in a drawer here. But a knife block drawer thing, not just lobbed in drawer together.

we don’t have space for things like bread machines to be put away, and no space on counter, so we just don’t have them. I still make pizza dough and bread, just in a bowl
by hand.
Three pots of utensils seem a huge amount. How many things can you make at once?

Phone, fruit bowl, 2 candles, 2 houseplants.
Oh yes & the toaster. The toaster is out only because DH & Kids never empty the crumb tray, so it proved too messy & too time consuming to take out of larder for each use.

I've got kettle, toaster, fruit basket, microwave, big utensil holder and a letter rack.

Could the water jug fit in the fridge?

Does the food processor and scales need to be out all the time or could it be put in a cupboard when not being used?

You don't need so many mugs. One mug tree or cupboard space. You don't need three spaces for mugs.

Do you need multiple herb racks? Can you condense it to one?

I use kitchen roll as tissues if in the kitchen, so don't need both.

Get a magnetic pen holder for blackboard then you only need one, not a mug full.

I find there is a causal effect between my kitchen worktop clutter and my mental health. If i see crap all over the sides I immediately feel stressed and awful. A good clean and putting away and I feel like me again.

Depends totally what your options are. We used to have very limited cupboard space so were even storing condiments on the counter. Just moved - kitchen is still small but cupboard space better. I'm planning on getting a cupboard in the adjoining lean-to for appliances that aren't used regularly etc. Shit-bowl, knife block and a couple of other things go on the window-sill, which I don't mind being a bit more cluttered (feels homey, as long as a jug of flowers is one of the items of clutter)

In my other kitchen with only 45cm of free countertop space I have a coffee machine. Everything else is on rails or in cupboards. The microwave is on top of the fridge.

in this house with 3 meters available I have
Huge combi microwave
coffee machine
toaster
fruit bowl
“spaghetti” knife block
paper towel holder
utensil holder

Things accumulate to fill the space available.

My food processor has been in the garage for 13 years. I use a hand blender with whisk and chopper attachments to save the fuss.

Handkerchiefs?

On my worktop I have a toaster and my salt and pepper pots.
Sometimes a fruit bowl or two (bananas and tomatoes mainly but most other fruit stays in the fridge)
Growing herbs/flowers on the windowsill.

Nothing else.

I have a boiling water/filtered water tap so no kettle or water filter.
I don't use kitchen roll (prefer reusable cloths that are kept in a drawer until used then straight into the washing machine)
Herbs, oils etc are all in a wall rack
Don't have a microwave, food processor, coffee maker etc. All electronic junk other than the toaster is small size and kept in cupboards.
Mugs are hung on cuphooks from bottom of top cuboards.
Utensils are in a drawer next to the cooker.
Tissues are kept in the bedroom/bathroom
Painted the inside of a top cupboard door with blackboard paint for shopping lists.

Inspired by all this, I've been on a sorting blitz today.

Emptied and cleaned cupboards. Tidied up dry food cupboard, made list of meals to use up duplicates of some items.

Sorted mugs etc into those that stay within reach (in a newly cleared cupboard) those to throw away (chipped and faded) and those that might sell in a charity shop

I found a shelf! Buried at the back of a cupboard was a shelf board, which means I've doubled pots, pans and trays storage. Chucked out the lids that don't fit any pan. Half a shelf now available.

Cleared away papers and bits. DH now has a folder in a drawer of batteries, chargers etc.

Kitchen towel in the cupboard and - yes to someone above - switching to e-cloths for cleaning surfaces. Already do that in bathrooms but for some reason the empty post for the paper towel makes me buy a new roll!

Microwave, kettle, toaster and bread bin plus fruit bowl still on the surfaces, but I can't believe what a difference it makes to clear the random clutter. Moving kettle etc onto the same bit of work surface means that's still.crowded, but I now have a whole part of the kitchen which is clear, clean, and shiny.

I'm not exactly a cleaning goddess, but I'm coming round to the idea that clutter begets clutter. Stop the gradual accumulation and it will be much easier to keep the place clean. At least I hope so!!

We have nothing at the moment but I have just had a new kitchen fitted. We have two massive cupboards, one a larder which also houses my bread maker, sodastream and stand mixer, and the other a breakfast cupboard, which also houses my coffee maker and toaster. Both are behind closed doors. I have a boiling water tap so no kettle. Fruit is stored in the fridge except bananas/ripening fruit which is in a bowl on the sitting room. I may buy an antique egg holder for eggs (we have chickens) and a shelf for fresh herbs. It's a joy!

I have a three tier rack fitted in inside of upper cabinet for herbs and spices.
These racks are brilliant - you can't over stuff the shelves so less gets lost at the back.
Clutterfreekitchens.co.uk is a brilliant site for maximising use of cupboards and drawers