Where to Stash Your Stand Mixer in the Kitchen
Stand mixers are heavy and can take up space, but these storage ideas make them easy to access and use
Stand mixers weigh a lot and are not easy to move around. Here are some easy-to-access storage solutions for this heavy kitchen appliance. And if you have other storage tips of your own, be sure to share your ideas with us in the Comments.
Solution: Tucked under an upper cabinet.
Who it works for: You want to look at your mixer but want it to live in a tucked-away space.
These homeowners can still enjoy looking at their turquoise mixer, but if they need that valuable bench space for unloading groceries or setting out ingredients next to the refrigerator, they can push it out of the way.
Renovating your kitchen? Find a kitchen designer near you
Who it works for: You want to look at your mixer but want it to live in a tucked-away space.
These homeowners can still enjoy looking at their turquoise mixer, but if they need that valuable bench space for unloading groceries or setting out ingredients next to the refrigerator, they can push it out of the way.
Renovating your kitchen? Find a kitchen designer near you
Solution: A pullout drawer.
Who it works for: You think stand mixers add to benchtop clutter. You have a strong back, don’t use the mixer often and want to add a little arm workout in with your kitchen duties.
A sturdy pull-out drawer like this one keeps the mixer close by without taking up prime kitchen real estate. Be sure to let your cabinet maker know you plan to store something heavy here so he or she can check the weight rating for the drawer slides.
Who it works for: You think stand mixers add to benchtop clutter. You have a strong back, don’t use the mixer often and want to add a little arm workout in with your kitchen duties.
A sturdy pull-out drawer like this one keeps the mixer close by without taking up prime kitchen real estate. Be sure to let your cabinet maker know you plan to store something heavy here so he or she can check the weight rating for the drawer slides.
Solution: A mixer lift.
Who it works for: You want easy access to the mixer with minimal physical effort. You’d rather give up lower cabinet space than benchtop space, or you want to use your mixer on an island in the middle of the room.
Open the cabinet door and – voilà! – you can pull the mixer up and out with ease, do your mixing right on the shelf it sits on, then stash it away when you’re done. Installing a power point within the mixer’s cabinet makes things even easier. Also, think about where you’ll be doing your baking tasks when you install this. For example, being able to undertake electric mixing at a kitchen island is a relatively new option that might not have been available the last time you renovated a kitchen.
Your cabinet maker should be able to source the hardware for you, but if you’re shopping for it yourself, Häfele and Rev-A-Shelf are good sources.
Who it works for: You want easy access to the mixer with minimal physical effort. You’d rather give up lower cabinet space than benchtop space, or you want to use your mixer on an island in the middle of the room.
Open the cabinet door and – voilà! – you can pull the mixer up and out with ease, do your mixing right on the shelf it sits on, then stash it away when you’re done. Installing a power point within the mixer’s cabinet makes things even easier. Also, think about where you’ll be doing your baking tasks when you install this. For example, being able to undertake electric mixing at a kitchen island is a relatively new option that might not have been available the last time you renovated a kitchen.
Your cabinet maker should be able to source the hardware for you, but if you’re shopping for it yourself, Häfele and Rev-A-Shelf are good sources.
Solution: A custom pull-out shelf that’s lower than standard benchtop height.
Who it works for: You have young children, need a seat while baking or use a wheelchair.
This custom set-up is for a home that follows universal design principles. The cabinet door flips up and a shelf that houses the mixer pulls out. As you can see, there’s a handy power point positioned just behind the mixer in the back of the cabinet.
Who it works for: You have young children, need a seat while baking or use a wheelchair.
This custom set-up is for a home that follows universal design principles. The cabinet door flips up and a shelf that houses the mixer pulls out. As you can see, there’s a handy power point positioned just behind the mixer in the back of the cabinet.
Solution: Appliance garage or cupboard with a sliding shelf.
Who it works for: You want to use the mixer on a perimeter behchtop but don’t want to look at it all the time.
This arrangement is so easy: lift or roll up the appliance-garage door and slide out the mixer, which sits on its own pull-out shelf.
Who it works for: You want to use the mixer on a perimeter behchtop but don’t want to look at it all the time.
This arrangement is so easy: lift or roll up the appliance-garage door and slide out the mixer, which sits on its own pull-out shelf.
Here’s an example of an appliance garage with bi-fold doors that blend right in with the rest of the cabinetry.
Browse more contemporary kitchens for inspiration
Browse more contemporary kitchens for inspiration
Solution: An appliance garage that opens on two sides.
Who it works for: Your kitchen may have more than one small appliance working at once, and you cannot stand wasted corner space.
Sometimes corners in a kitchen are full of wasted or dead space. This designer made the most of that, which left a lot of room for a nice adjacent window. This solution is smart because you could pull out the coffee maker and the mixer at the same time and have plenty of space to do so. And hey, it can even suit different moods. Want to look outside and watch the birds or gaze lovingly at that killer splashback tile while you mix? It’s your choice.
Who it works for: Your kitchen may have more than one small appliance working at once, and you cannot stand wasted corner space.
Sometimes corners in a kitchen are full of wasted or dead space. This designer made the most of that, which left a lot of room for a nice adjacent window. This solution is smart because you could pull out the coffee maker and the mixer at the same time and have plenty of space to do so. And hey, it can even suit different moods. Want to look outside and watch the birds or gaze lovingly at that killer splashback tile while you mix? It’s your choice.
Solution: Stash it in a baking cabinet.
Who it works for: You love to bake and you want a dedicated station for gathering ingredients, rolling dough, measuring and mixing.
A baking station is a dream for those who love to bake. With all of today’s clever storage solutions, you can set up a baking cabinet complete with stand mixer, ingredients, baking sheets, muffin tins, measuring cups and everything else you need to house efficiently in one place. It also provides a surface where you can roll out and knead dough.
Who it works for: You love to bake and you want a dedicated station for gathering ingredients, rolling dough, measuring and mixing.
A baking station is a dream for those who love to bake. With all of today’s clever storage solutions, you can set up a baking cabinet complete with stand mixer, ingredients, baking sheets, muffin tins, measuring cups and everything else you need to house efficiently in one place. It also provides a surface where you can roll out and knead dough.
Your turn
Do you hide your mixer or leave it on show? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Need more practical advice on kitchens? Don’t miss this story: Designing a Single-Wall Kitchen? Here’s How to Make It Work
Do you hide your mixer or leave it on show? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Need more practical advice on kitchens? Don’t miss this story: Designing a Single-Wall Kitchen? Here’s How to Make It Work
Who it works for: You use your stand mixer not only for baking but also as a fun, colourful accessory. It’s like the statement necklace of your kitchen’s outfit.
Part of the reason I’d shell out a few hundred bucks for one of these mixers is because they look great and come in cool colours. I don’t know how anyone could buy a happy pear-green KitchenAid mixer and then not want to look at it all the time. But I can relate to needing the bench space it requires, so we’ll go through a variety of other options too.