I have one kitchen counter that always stays completely cleared off, except when dirty dishes take over. I do this because I like the visual look of a cleared off surface, but also because it’s a really useful space.
When I need to chop veggies, portion out meats, or prep for freezer meals, I have the space.
When I’ve just gotten home from the grocery store, and I need somewhere to set 7 bags and 2 gallons of milk without Elizabeth unloading the eggs for me, I set them up here.
When I’m cooking dinner and I’ve just baked muffins and granola, I have the space for all of the cooling racks and pans and potholders that I need. I have room to set out 6 plates and dish out food.
When I’m rolling out tortillas to cook on the griddle, or a pie crust for a church luncheon, I have room.
This post from Money Saving Mom is what originally inspired me to do this. I love this bit at the end:
“It might seem like a lot of work to put appliances away when you aren’t using them, but I honestly have found that the extra seconds it takes are worth the clutter-free look it brings to our kitchen.”
This is why I put things like the toaster and the crockpot away when we’re not using them. The only appliance that stays out is the coffeemaker, because we truly use that every single day. The rest can hide until we need them.
Having this counter cleared off means I always have a spot to work on a kitchen task. Not only that, waking up to a cleared off counter is visually refreshing, instead of the immediate stress of having things undone.
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