I would like to keep the toaster in the main room where there is good ventilation, and I can see quickly if it catches fire.

I'd rather have the shelving. Sorry, I think hubby is right on this one.

Sorry - but I agree with you! I built a house and designed a huge pantry with kitchen cupboards & tops & shelves above. What's so great about seeing a toaster on the bench? People think its a great room and I think it adds value if you can afford the space - looks to me like you can!

I'm not quite clear - are the new cupboards and bench still going to behind a door? If so, just use benches/shelves of different heights and depths - at bench height, have a wider shelf with extra space above it, and have appliances there (many pantries do accommodate appliances - I'm sure there are lovely photos elsewhere on Houzz.

If you are redesigning in this way, I'd opt for drawers below the appliance shelf (whatever you put in them). Just easier than bending in a confined space. The must-have item on my list would be large supported baskets for potatoes and onions, shown here:
[https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/enjoy-the-view-personal-touches-traditional-kitchen-minneapolis-phvw-vp~990254[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/enjoy-the-view-personal-touches-traditional-kitchen-minneapolis-phvw-vp~990254)

I need the jug close to the tap, myself - I think you might find it awkward having to carry it to and from the pantry/new bench. But certainly you have your toaster there, if you like. Cake mixers, juicers and other big things are the main things you don't want to have to lug around.
If toaster is to stay where it is, you can buy toaster covers from crafty people - that might solve that problem? (You'll see a whole bunch of nice ones on etsy if you google etsy and toaster covers.) Hey, Houzz, maybe an article on people who make such cute things for kitchens?

Yes, I would do it - I am doing it. Our pantry is 2840x1060 with a cavity door in the middle of one of the long walls. Currently there are just deep. shelves at both ends. It's inefficient and hard to store and get to stuff. We'll be putting open kitchen cupboards high (300mm deep) and low (600mm deep), with a bench around all three walls (lazy susans in lower corners). There'll be an underbench freezer opposite the door. We've plenty of power points in there, and this'll let us have on the bench the microwave, toaster, food processor, sandwich grill, small blender & mixer on the bench ("stored" ready for use in situ). Although this brings the floorspace down, I don't need to place any furniture in there, nor swing a cat. We'll probably strip-light shelves, depending on how we go.

I don't know if it will "add value" to the home (it won't make it worse from its current state), but it will make for a more practical pantry that doesn't have me taking up bench space and cramming cupboards in the main kitchen. And from experience installing two kitchens it's a pretty easy job (with help from your local hardware or furniture store's online planner tools). The floor carcasses are Allen key easy, wall cupboard hanging harder, bench either professional (easy if just a straight benchtop) or not too bad if you're precise and careful with your power tools (wood is good). There is minimal swearing.

This is not to say any of this will work in your area - I might be inclined to your idea in your space, but as you can see others are not so. I don't think it will add or reduce value to your property (your pantry looks better set out than ours currently is), so I think it's more what value it adds to your use of it.

[I'd have added a pic of our plans here, but the iPhone app isn't playing ball]

Oh, we'll also be putting in one 3-drawer cupboard, next to the freezer gap.

Your ideas don't sound all that expensive, so I'd make the changes to suit what you want to live with. Don't be so concerned about improving the value of the house on a small job like this unless you're selling quite soon.

I did the exact thing in my pantry 20 years ago. I loved it but I always made sure I turned toaster off at the wall when finished with it. You could easily use it as a butlers pantry without the sink. I love the idea.

I've just sectioned off part of my kitchen and done this. It's wonderful, but I agree put drawers under the bench, not cupboards

The pantry in my last house was identical to yours - and what a pain it was!
Lots of space, yes.
But TOO much wasted space, especially in those back corners that I could never reach!
In hindsight I would have done pretty much what you are suggesting.

In my new home I have a benchtop with six drawers beneath and shelves above. With power points on the wall I can place my microwave, toaster, blender, etc on bench and use them in the pantry if I wish. The drawers are intended for things like all the tupperware (that seems to breed in the dark), pasta, (that once opened spill everywhere), herbs and spices, etc.

By adding a bench to your pantry, you could then call it a butlers pantry or a scullery. Either of these are definitely top selling points in today's market.

Thank you everyone. I think I am going to go ahead and change it to a bench and draws after reading all your feedback. Thank you!

I had a walk in pantry in one house with a bench and deeper shelves under it and shallower shelves on top. One wall had shelves just the right size for Tupperware pantry containers. It was the best. I kept my bread maker permanently on the shelf (also a great place for a mixer), all the groceries, potatoes, onions, flour etc. I would totally do that if you had the space and opportunity.

We had a long narrow pantry, two years ago we took out the corner open shelving and replaced with cupboards and bench top. It's great, we have our kettle, coffee machine & toaster. It's great and frees up our bench tops, less clutter !

I agree that bench space in your pantry would be a better use of all that space.
I'm not quite finished building this yet, but I have a narrow walk in pantry. I put a bench at the end and I will add some shallow shelving to the left on the wall. This bench will house my microwave underbench, and the coffee machine above bench. The draw is for microwave dishes, and the cupboard to the left will be for less used electrical appliances storage. It also has a fixed panel to allow for shelving that comes out from the wall and I still get to utilise that corner for storage. Eventually I will put overhead cupboards over this bench for coffee cups etc. It will be great to have somewhere close to pantry to put groceries down and it keeps my least used appliances still at a convenient place and out of sight. Closer to the door I have a recessed area for my narrow extra fridge/freezer. I have left my toaster on the main kitchen bench as we use it daily.

Here's our shelves converted to mini butlers.

Easy option to keep hubby happy is just completely remove take out one of the shelves... (Height dependant which one but maybe 2nd from top) and make the one below it wider by adding your new bench top and a power point. Lots of space to store electrical appliances and a great prep area.

Quick easy less expensive fix ! Open shelves below (as in a pantry) still easy access as all is behind a door after all and a shelf still intact above for the things needed less often.