Different Stove Shelves To Consider To Save Space On Your Crowded Countertops

No matter the size of your kitchen, extra storage can always be a win, particularly in areas you spend a lot of time at, like the sink and stove. A well-appointed work area includes not only the important elements that allow you to use your kitchen to its best advantage but also a place to keep the things you may need close at hand. This is no more true than the area around your stove, range, and oven, where much time and energy can be saved by keeping the essentials within easy reach. A good storage system can include all manner of shelves and caddies to hold the things you reach for most while cooking, including spices, potholders, utensils, oils, etc, There are numerous options for housing these things both functionally and attractively depending on your needs and design of your kitchen.

There are a few key requirements for stove area shelving, chief among them being durability and resistance to fire, which makes metals and manufactured materials often superior to others. Wood, for example, can warp with heat and possibly be a fire hazard if not treated to resist it, while plastic can become too elastic with heat. It should also not extend over the burners for safety reasons. Shelving also needs to be easy to clean due to grease and debris build-up that surrounds the cooking-heavy areas of any home. In addition, the shelving should be attractive, highlighting the things you want and hiding the things you do not.

A popular choice for stove storage has often been floating or suspended shelving over the stove, including wall-mounted metal shelves that sit on L-brackets or screw directly into wall studs. While these shelves are not always designed for above-stove use, metal floating shelves like these from Home Depot can be a great addition to your kitchen either above the range or nearby. Metal caddies, often used in the shower, with raised sides can be particularly great since they will hold items securely and ensure that things are less likely to spill or get knocked into something you are cooking. A great combination of shelving and a caddy is this Amazon metal backsplash with storage.

You can also buy caddies that have magnetic attachments, like these from Amazon, which can also be great for more discrete storage. Place them alongside the stove or fridge for holding things like utensils, cooking sprays, and other essentials. Many also feature hooks for holding potholders, towels, and utensils. A great space-saving option is a wall-mounted metal bar or towel rack. Attach S-hooks to hold small metal baskets or utensils. 

Another popular over-the-stove shelf offers one of the most ingenious solutions. These shelves, available from Amazon,  feature magnetic strips that allow the shelf to adhere to the top lip of the stove and rest against the wall or backsplash, allowing you to store items right above the stovetop. The added ledge gives you a chance to display items like dishware, stylish spice displays, and other items out in the open, presenting a built-in look that makes it look like it's part of the stove. They are easy to clean and can be removed easily for more in-depth cleaning. They come in flat and lipped versions like this one from Amazon. The shelves are available in a variety of colors like black, white, and stainless steel to match your stove.

Another option for additional storage, often used over sinks as well, is a riser shelf, which works if you have a countertop on either side of the range. While some of these are higher end like this luxe West Elm wood riser, you can also find more budget-friendly options from Amazon. A similarly discreet way of hiding your supplies if you have an open area next to the stove is a narrow sliding cart on casters available from Wayfair, which will slide in and out when in use but recesses nicely into the gap between the oven and cabinets when not.