Organising a utility room is no simple task. You want to make sure your utility room storage is up to scratch, ready to house cleaning products and kitchen paraphernalia, but you’ll also need to find space for small appliances that have no other home.
In order to figure out which small appliances to keep in your utility room, it’s useful to rule out the appliances that should have a home elsewhere. This will help to make your kitchen and utility room storage ideas as organised as possible, and will mean that the appliances you use on a daily basis are within reach.
So, which small appliances should you not store in a utility room? These are our top picks on items that should live in a kitchen, plus some small appliances that do have a home in a utility.
Small appliances to not store in a utility room
1. Coffee machine
Top of the list of small appliances not to store in a utility is the one I reach for the most; a coffee machine.
While a coffee machine can be loud, I personally want it as close by as possible, particularly on busy work mornings.
‘Coffee machines are one of those appliances that are best kept in the kitchen rather than the utility room. Not only are they used daily, often several times a day, but they are part of the social life of the kitchen,’ Richard Davonport, managing director at Davonport, explains.
‘Placing them in a utility makes them less accessible and can take away from that ritual of making coffee while you are in the heart of the home.’
2. Air fryer
It was my parents who introduced me to the idea of storing an air fryer in a utility room, but I’m not entirely sold, which is why it’s made this list. Air fryers can be bulky, particularly if you need a model that feeds a large family, so I can understand wanting to tuck them away.
However, the main selling point of one of the best air fryers is the ease that they bring to meal times. So storing it in a utility room arguably impacts this and adds another step to what is meant to be simple fuss-free cooking.
If you’re struggling for worktop space then I would do away with a toaster as you can use an air fryer as a dual-purpose appliance. I have the Our Place Wonder Oven which has replaced my need for a toaster and means it doesn’t have to be relegated to the utility room.
Small appliances to store in a utility room
1. Stand mixer
This might be a controversial take, but I think a stand mixer can be stored in a utility room. Although one of the best stand mixers can be a stunning addition to a worktop, unless you’re a pro baker they’re not an everyday appliance.
Creating a baking zone in a utility room will mean you can house all your baking bits and bobs in one place, keeping it organised and accessible for when you need it. If you have a bread maker, a utility is a great place to keep it, particularly as these appliances tend to be quite loud.
2. Slow cooker
We’re heading into slow cooker season, but this isn’t a small appliance that deserves main kitchen counter space. A utility room is the perfect place to store a slow cooker – not only are you not using it every day, but when you are, it’s bubbling along in the background and doesn’t need to be fiddled with.
‘The best slow cookers can be one of the most useful kitchen appliances out there, especially for batch cooking, but it’s pretty hard to find one you want on your worktop full-time when it comes to design,’ explains Ideal Home’s Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly Cleary.
‘That’s why a utility is likely a good place to stash one away. Just make sure you have a sturdy spot for it as often slow cookers have glass lids or ceramic bowls, and you wouldn’t want it getting dropped!’
Do you agree with this list? Or do you have a strong case to make for storing some of these appliances in a utility room?
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