What to Keep on Kitchen Countertops for a Clutter-Free Kitchen

A clutter-free kitchen is a happy kitchen! To achieve this, it's essential to only keep the essentials on your countertops.

Limit your countertop space to just 10-15 items, as recommended by professional organizers. This will help you maintain a sense of calm and make cleaning easier.

Some of the most essential items to keep on your countertops include your coffee maker, toaster, and blender, which are used daily. These appliances should be stored in a convenient location, such as near the sink or stove.

Having a dedicated spot for frequently used items, like a utensil holder or spice rack, can also help keep your countertops clutter-free. This will prevent clutter from building up and make it easier to find what you need.

Decluttering is key to keeping your kitchen countertops clear and functional. Clearing out clutter is a must, as it allows you to assess what you have and what you need to remove.

The first step is to remove everything from your counters and start over. This will give you a fresh perspective on what you need to keep out. You'll be surprised at how much clutter you've accumulated over time.

Make sure to find a place for items that don't belong in the kitchen, like school papers, mail, or keys. For example, you can put a bowl on the table near the front door for keys and sunglasses.

Store as much as you can in organized cabinets and drawers, saving countertop space for the essentials. This is the foundation of a clean counter mission. By storing less on the counter, you're more likely to keep it that way.

Think about what you use daily and what you use less frequently. This will help you determine what to keep on your counters. For instance, cutting boards are a great addition to a kitchen, as they're accessible and add warmth.

To effectively organize your kitchen counters, it's essential to be selective about what you keep out. Choose the appliances and items you use every day, such as a coffeemaker, toaster, dish rack, crock of cooking tools, fruit basket, or microwave.

Items like these should be placed in a convenient and logical spot, like under a cabinet or near the stove, to prevent clutter from spreading across your kitchen. This approach helps maintain a clutter-free kitchen and makes it easier to find what you need when you need it.

Consider Judy Rickey's approach, who keeps her toaster oven, blender, kettle, paper towel holder, and banana tree on her counter, as well as a utensil holder near her stove. This strategy ensures that only essential items take up valuable counter space, leaving room for other tasks or decorations.

The sink counter is a high-traffic area that deserves some intentional organization.

Keep frequently used items, like bamboo cutting boards, in easy-to-reach locations, such as next to the refrigerator.

A soap dispenser and soap dish with kitchen scrubbers should be placed near the sink for convenience.

Dirty dishes that can't go in the dishwasher can be stacked to the right of the sink, while clean dishes dry on drying mats to the left.

Consider adding decorative items to the back corner of the counter between the sink and range, but feel free to change them up based on the season.

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Decluttering your kitchen countertops is a great start, but keeping them organized is a whole different story. To prevent your counters from becoming a cluttered mess, it's essential to be selective about what you keep on them.

Choose only the items you use every day, such as a coffeemaker, toaster, dish rack, crock of cooking tools, and fruit basket. These are the items that deserve to take up your limited counter space.

Find a permanent home for each item in a convenient and logical spot, like putting the coffeemaker under the cabinet of mugs or the crock of cooking tools near the stove. This will prevent items from spreading across your kitchen when in use.

Consider creating rules, like designating a specific area for each family member's items, to prevent your counters from becoming a drop zone. This could include a utensil holder for frequently used utensils near the stove.

Here are some essential items to keep on your kitchen counter:

Store as little as possible on the counter to keep it clean and clutter-free, saving space for essentials.

You can corral your cookbooks with a pair of bookends to keep them organized and tidy, even if they need to stay on the counter for easy access.

Use trays or cake stands to keep your daily essentials looking pretty and contained, like a vintage-inspired tray that functions as a coffee bar or a cake stand that elevates items above the counter, making it easy to clean around.

Corraling your cookbooks is a simple way to maintain organized kitchen counters. Designate a specific spot for your cookbooks, even if it means keeping them on the counter for easy access.

Having a collection of cookbooks on the counter can quickly become cluttered, but using bookends can tidy things up. This was demonstrated in a Brooklyn loft where cookbooks were corralled with a pair of bookends.

Keep your cookbooks organized and within reach by designating a specific spot on the counter for them. This will help keep your kitchen counters clutter-free and make cooking easier.

Using trays to corral and organize like things helps to reduce the items your eyes see on the counter. This can make a big difference in keeping your space feeling tidy and manageable.

You can use trays by the stove to corral salt, pepper, spices, or oils, as seen in example 5. This keeps these essentials within easy reach, but off the main counter.

Trays can also be used by the sink to hold sponges, soap, and brushes. This keeps your sink area clean and clutter-free, just like example 5.

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Corralling items with trays creates a contained look that can make your space feel more organized. It's a simple trick that can make a big impact.

Using a vintage-inspired tray as a coffee bar, like in example 3, can also help keep your daily essentials looking pretty and contained. This is a great way to keep your coffee-making supplies organized and within reach.

Elevating items with a cake stand, as in example 4, can also give a contained look and make cleaning around them easier. This is a great alternative to using a tray, especially if you have a lot of items to store.

When decluttering your kitchen, it's essential to consider the layout of your counters to maximize space and efficiency. Choose the items you use every day and give them a permanent home in a convenient spot.

A good rule of thumb is to put frequently used items near their corresponding appliances. For example, put the coffeemaker under the cabinet of mugs and the crock of cooking tools near the stove.

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Consider the layout of your kitchen and the workflow of your daily tasks. For instance, Judy Rickey recommends having a utensil holder near the stove for frequently used utensils.

To prevent clutter from building up, create a system for storing and retrieving items. You can use a dish rack, a fruit basket, or a paper towel holder to keep items off the counter and within easy reach.

Here are some common items that are often kept on kitchen counters, grouped by their corresponding appliances:

Remember, the key to keeping your kitchen counters organized is to be selective about what you keep out and to create a system for storing and retrieving items.

Baskets are a great way to store countertop items without creating clutter. You can use baskets with handles to store odds and ends that clutter your countertops.

Investing in baskets made of renewable materials, like water hyacinth, can add a decorative touch to your kitchen. These baskets come in various sizes to store different items.

Trays are another effective tool for keeping your daily essentials looking organized. You can use a vintage-inspired tray as a coffee bar to keep your coffee maker and other essentials within reach.

Cake stands can also be used as trays to elevate items off the counter and create a contained look. This can be especially helpful for items like oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, or dish soap and sponge.

Using trays to corral and organize like things can help reduce the number of items on your counter. This can be done by grouping items on a tray or board near the stove or sink.

Some popular items to keep on your counter include a toaster oven, blender, kettle, paper towel holder, and banana tree. These items should be placed in a convenient and logical spot to prevent clutter from spreading across your kitchen.

Here are some popular items to consider keeping on your counter: