Move Over, Soup Cans — the Kitchen Appliances Are Here

We've all come to appreciate the pantry for the myriad of foodstuffs it holds and hides. But the pantry can also be an ideal place for keeping small appliances out of view but within reach.

The traditional pantry is where we store our menagerie of canned and dried goods, spices and oils. But if it's large enough, the pantry can also hold small appliances, like the mixer, toaster, coffeemaker, food processor etc.

This pantry, by Kim Duffin for Sublime Architectural Interiors, allows its owner to open up a hidden kitchen within a kitchen. Appliances are at counter height and plugged in, waiting to be used.


Evaluating space. When designing a pantry from scratch, measure each of your appliances that you're considering storing side by side. Though you may not be able to accommodate every item, you will likely be able to store your most frequently used appliances for easy access.

For this butler's pantry by Platt Architecture, a spacious countertop houses small appliances. This way none of the bulky pieces have to live in plain view on a kitchen countertop or be stored at a height that is either too high or too low for someone to comfortably lift them.

Thanks to its generous size, this pantry also is able to host a plethora of other, larger appliances, such as an integrated 15-inch-wide ice maker, a 15-inch-wide wine refrigerator and a 27-inch-wide two-drawer refrigerator unit. Within the countertop space is a 24-inch-wide sink, allowing food preparation inside the pantry. Several wall outlets allow the appliances to be used in place.


Size matters. The reality is that most kitchens can't accommodate a butler's pantry. For those a pantry of this size may be more realistic. Designer Susan Brook created this pantry, including its base drawers, to measure 69 inches wide and 96 inches tall.


Location, location, location. When the doors open, they reveal an interior shelved space that's 60 inches wide and 62 inches high.

"I worked closely with my clients throughout the design and asked for all appliance measurements and frequency of use before shop drawings were made," says Brook. "These appliances were the most frequently used amongst the appliances the clients had, so the cabinet was designed around them."


Let there be light. Having proper lighting near a wall pantry is essential, but consider adding a light fixture inside too.


Koncept UCX 24-Inch Undercabinet Light - $202.50 » Undercounter lighting strips provide task lighting exactly where you need it.


Choose your height. Lighter appliances can be stored at lower levels, leaving the counter-height shelves for items that are used with more frequency.

This pantry, designed by Crisp Architects, measures about 3 feet deep and 6½ wide. Its lower two shelves are reserved for easy-to-lift appliances, keeping them out of the way until needed but always in sight, so they won't get lost.

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