I love the idea of simplifying every room in our home by removing those things that aren't used often in favor of a little more open space. I have really tried to de-clutter as I'm working through the house room by room.
When I redid the kitchen a couple of months ago I removed all the appliances off the main counter area placing them in cabinets with the exception of the coffee maker. However, I've noticed over time that there is one item we pull out almost daily...the toaster.
I managed to find a permanent spot for it next to the coffee bar and have renamed the little area, "Breakfast and coffee bar" (original, I know). Now the area functions much better for our families day to day living.
What about you? Besides the coffee maker, what is the one appliance you use the most?
xo, Patty
Hands down....our vitamix. We have a smoothie every morning.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this idea. Wish, wish, wish I had more counter space!
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure beside the coffee maker, our toaster gets the most use . . . but it's HUGE and there is no room on the counter for it. The only other appliance I keep on the counter is my kitchenaid mixer. It's not used quite as often as the toaster, but it does get used very regularly and it's just way too heavy to bring out and put back time after time. Plus, I like the way it looks in my kitchen. It says- 'bake something'! :)
A tie with the toaster and slow cooker.
ReplyDeleteHi Patty ~ like you, I don't like overly cluttered counters either. I cook a lot, so clutter just doesn't leave enough room for cooking, plus it's not visually appealing. I don't even have a coffee maker on my counter anymore. I have moved to a French Press. I'm the only one here who drinks coffee, and I love fresh ground beans and using a French Press. And it hardly takes up any room. On one section of my counter top, I have my KitchenAid mixer (I use it often and it's way too heavy to move in and out of a cabinet) and a long red wire basket that holds the French Press, a Ball jar full of coffee beans, and another Ball jar full of my homemade granola. The other side of my counter top varies. Right now there's my Cuisinart food processor in the corner, since I've been using it a lot lately, a basket of fresh fruit, a small stack of cookbooks with a small cake stand on it (for baked goods - it's empty right now!), and a small crock full of cooking utensils.
ReplyDeleteMy kitchenaid mixer, but I don't keep iton the counter, it's too big.
ReplyDeletePatty, I like that being a breakfast/coffee bar... If I lived nearby, I would bring some donuts and have coffee with you. That's just how charming it is. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteI keep the coffee maker out... and the microwave behind a curtain under the counter. We pull the toaster out with every use--and put it back.
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I love that little space in your kitchen.
ReplyDeleteYes - the toaster!!! Such a trouble maker. I used to put ours away, and it just became a joke. Then, I put it across the room on the microwave cart [not in my work triangle] because I didn't like that it took up so much space there. I contemplated the reason for all the crumbs on the kitchen floor, and the answer, of course, was that our toaster was too far away from plates and such. But, that was when the kids were younger... so now, it is back next to the microwave on the cart -- and I am happy not to have to look at it all the time. Turns out teenagers+ aren't around enough to leave many crumbs. =( Love the way you have tidied up your spaces Patty!
ReplyDeleteBesides the coffee pot I use the toaster more than anything else, I think. Our toaster sits under the counter on a lazy susan thing and we put it away every time. Great post and I love your coffee and breakfast bar- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteBesides our coffee pot . . . of course it's the toaster. Sometimes I think about making a cute little polka dot cover for it, but it would always be off . . . or get dirtied with butter or jam. That's not for me! So, even if it is not the prettiest thing in the kitchen, it needs a place of honor. After all, it doesn't just make wonderful warm toasty bread, but it also makes the kitchen smell delightful in the morning:) So, lift your cup of coffee and make a toast to the little well used appliance and the man who invented it, Alan MacMasters.
ReplyDeleteThe first electric bread toaster was invented by Alan MacMasters in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1893.
Have a happy day.
Connie :)
Mind would be the micro. We made a special shelf for it above the counter it's own niche. :) Kit
ReplyDeletePerfect solution . . .
ReplyDeleteIt still looks perfect and now the spot works the way you need it to. We move our toaster in and out of the cabinet but we don't use it everyday.
ReplyDeleteI am really working on de-cluttering too, and the kitchen is an ongoing process.
ReplyDeleteYou have come up with just the right solution, but I am not surprised!
Laura