Keep Kitchen Appliances Organized And Hidden With IKEA's Storage Cabinets

Small kitchen appliances make domestic life easier; imagine your daily routine without your coffee maker, toaster, or microwave. But this convenience comes at a cost. With so many specialized kitchen tools, countertop clutter is a common problem. The solution? Tuck your appliances away. There's one kitchen storage trend that Pinterest (and other corners of the internet) loves: the appliance garage. An appliance garage is essentially a dedicated cabinet that conceals small appliances. Not only does it provide a parking space for your toaster or blender, it can also make it easier to access your appliances compared to a regular cabinet. The goal is to hide your small appliances for a clutter-free kitchen and reclaim counter space. If you want to make your own, IKEA is one place to shop.

Known for its affordable and practical storage systems, IKEA has several cabinet options that you can turn into an appliance garage. We've rounded up some of our top picks ahead. There are a few ways to implement an appliance garage in your kitchen. Each kitchen has different needs, so we've included a variety of products, ranging from countertop units to tall shelving cabinets. Our favorite tip for any appliance garage is to upgrade the cabinet by installing an outlet inside so your most-used appliances can stay plugged in at all times. Alternatively, you can also drill a hole into the back of an appliance cabinet and feed a power bar or extension cord through to do the same job. But even without direct power access, an appliance garage is helpful. Clear counter clutter and give appliances a hidden home with these IKEA storage cabinets.

The TITTEBO roll-front cabinet costs $199 from IKEA and is very much a traditional appliance garage: it fits on your kitchen counter, between the countertop and the upper cabinets. This unit is designed to go with the SEKTION cabinets, but you can also place it in many other kitchens. Just take note of the dimensions: it measures 24 inches wide by 11.75 inches deep by 29.25 inches tall. To keep appliances hidden, the cabinet has a manual tambour door that is reminiscent of a real garage door, sliding up smoothly and tucking into the unit. This design allows you to access the interior without any doors getting in the way.

With this cabinet installed, your small kitchen appliances stay on your counter, so they're right where you're used to having them. Rather than adding storage space like a traditional cabinet, this unit is essentially a three-sided cover to hide the mess on your counter. An extra interior shelf does give you a narrow spot to put accessories, like mugs, tea bags, coffee pods, and other small items. Like many other IKEA products, this cabinet is made of particleboard. Also typical of the brand, it has a minimalist design. One superficial drawback is that it's only available in a matte black color, which might be too dark for some kitchens. And while painting the interior and sides is certainly an option (provided you use this important IKEA furniture painting trick), we're not too sure about the tambour door, as the rolling action could be a recipe for paint chipping. High-quality contact paper is another option, but again, the door could be a problem area.

If you want to install a wall-mounted appliance garage, the SEKTION wall cabinet with horizontal doors is a well-suited pick. There are two options: a single-cubby cabinet for $140 from IKEA and a double-cubby version for $325 from IKEA. Each comes in various widths and heights, so you can choose the right size for your kitchen and appliance storage needs. The options have a 15-inch depth to seamlessly match other SEKTION cabinets. What elevates this unit above a regular wall-mounted cubby is the push-open doors, which hinge upwards. This design can make it easier to grab appliances and provides that "garage door" feel associated with appliance garages.

Mount the cabinet at around shoulder level for ultimate convenience, so you can reach directly into it to use appliances. A suspension rail (sold separately by IKEA) is required for mounting. If hanging this unit on a wall isn't an option, it is finished on all sides, which means it can also be placed on top of a counter. This will create more of a true appliance garage effect, but be aware that you'll probably need to invest in some after-market hinges to ensure the door doesn't awkwardly block your view of the interior when open, such as these vertical swing lift hinges from Amazon for $51.90.

This cabinet is made of particleboard, like many other pieces in this line. As part of the SEKTION system, various other cabinet door styles are available. They range from modern to traditional, and you can explore the choices on the IKEA website.

The SEKTION high cabinet for fridge/freezer isn't exactly suited for an appliance garage — as the name suggests, it's designed to hide a fridge and freezer, which is far from a small appliance. However, we didn't want to skip it on this list. A hidden fridge makes any kitchen look more elegant and expensive, and is particularly nice for sleek modern spaces. If you're in the market for a new fridge and want to keep it concealed, this cabinet is a great option. The SEKTION high cabinet for fridge/freezer costs $359 from IKEA and helps you get the built-in look, without needing to resort to custom cabinetry. It pairs perfectly with the SUPERKALL built-in, panel-ready refrigerator, which costs $1,399 from IKEA.

As part of the SEKTION line, you can choose from a range of cabinet door styles to perfect your kitchen aesthetic (browse the choices at IKEA). The base cabinet comes in two sizes: 24 inches wide by 24 inches deep and then either 80 inches or 90 inches tall. The door can be mounted to open left or right to match your fridge. A door damper closes the door softly so it won't ding your refrigerator. To complete installation, you'll need the SEKTION suspension rail (sold separately at IKEA) and the legs and a plinth (also sold separately at IKEA).

The SEKTION high cabinet with pull-out fittings costs $889 from IKEA and it's already kitted out with a rack that's great for small appliances. Like some of the other picks on this list, the main structure is a SEKTION cabinet, which means it's possible to choose from a few different sizes to fit your kitchen space. You can also pick your cabinet doors from the wide range of options available for the SEKTION high cabinet. As mentioned previously, the door options can open left or right and have dampers so they won't slam closed — shutting slowly and silently.

This cabinet includes a shelf, which is height-adjustable. It also has a pull-out rack inside: the UTRUSTA pull-out rack. If you love the rack and want to install it in another cupboard, it costs $99 for the standalone solution at IKEA. This metal unit is originally designed for cleaning supplies, but it can also be used for small appliances. It's sturdy, with a 55-pound capacity. The pull-out brackets make it possible to slide the rack out for easier access. While convenient, the rack has a narrow construction. On its upper shelves, it will only fit compact appliances like personal blenders, small toasters, coffee grinders, or appliance accessories. You can use the wider bottom shelf for larger appliances (and preferably lesser-used items since you'll have to crouch down to grab them) such as slow cookers and air fryers.

If you don't want to use a traditional cabinet for your appliance garage, a storage cupboard is a lovely alternative. The HAVSTA storage combination with doors is a stellar pick and costs $479 from IKEA, making it a relatively budget-friendly option compared to the SEKTION high cabinet. It's designed to be freestanding, so if you're worried about a standalone cabinet section looking out of place, opt for this hutch instead. It has a lovely classic design, made of solid pine with a brushed surface. Considering many IKEA cabinets are made of particleboard, it's nice to have a solid wood option in the mix. Just note that this unit needs to be placed against a wall since it has a fiberboard back panel. Fiberboard doesn't look as nice as solid wood, but it is easier to cut through if you want to feed an extension cord into the cupboard.

The design of this cupboard makes it stand out compared to your typical buffet unit. Its shelves are movable, so you can adjust their height to fit your appliances. The base half sticks out a bit more than the top half and sits at around counter-height, offering a bit of extra space for you to prepare items. We think this design makes it an excellent choice for a tea and coffee station (and we've covered how to DIY an impressive coffee station out of a HAVSTA unit). Even without any alterations, the extra few inches of "counter" space on this unit provides the perfect spot to place your mug while you prepare your drink of choice.

Some people might prefer an appliance storage unit with drawers instead of shelves. If that's your preference, consider the SEKTION/MAXIMERA high cabinet with four drawers, which costs $443 from IKEA. Drawers let you slide out each appliance, which can be more convenient than dragging the appliance across a counter or grabbing it from a shelf. It's especially useful if you can install an outlet inside the unit, omitting the need to even take out appliances in some cases. For example, this setup works great for a toaster or an electric kettle. Place the appliance in a drawer and plug it in inside the cabinet. Then, you can slide the drawer in and out to pop in a piece of toast or heat up water, with no need to lift the entire appliance out.

This IKEA unit is particularly well-suited for this use since it has two upper drawers that sit around counter-height. Appliances and accessories in these drawers are easy to reach. These drawers are short, but have a bit of extra space above them to accommodate taller appliances like toasters, electric kettles, and blenders. This unit also has two deeper bottom drawers. These are excellent for storing your larger appliances that you need to pull out to use on the countertop, such as rice cookers, InstaPots, and the like. This cabinet is available in a few sizes, so you can choose the best option for your kitchen layout. Like other SEKTION units, you can also choose your cabinet doors.

The SEKTION high cabinet with pull-out pantry costs $673 from IKEA and is another stellar storage combination from this versatile line. It also includes a pull-out storage unit, in this case, the UTRUSTA pull-out pantry organizer (which you can buy separately for $399 from IKEA). This pull-out organizer is so useful, we wouldn't blame you if you want to install it in any cabinet you can. While it's designed for pantry storage, it can double as an appliance garage as well.

The organizer pulls out automatically when you open the door, providing easier viewing and access to the items inside. You can place a small appliance on each shelf: the large shelves have an 18-pound weight limit, so they should be suitable for most smaller appliances, with the exception of things like heavy mixers, that can weigh up to 35 pounds. Narrow shelves along the door add extra storage space for accessories like cups, tea bags, coffee pods, and more. Just stick to lighter items since each of the small shelves has a 9-pound weight capacity. Like other cabinets from the SEKTION line, this one has plenty of cabinet door options so you can customize it to your style. It also includes two extra shelves for the upper storage section, which are height-adjustable to suit your needs.

We've mentioned the SEKTION cabinet several times on this list, and while it's well-suited for appliance storage, it's not the only IKEA kitchen cabinet line that's up to the task. The KNOXHULT base cabinet with drawers costs $150 from IKEA and is a worthy product for a simple appliance garage. It's much cheaper than IKEA's larger cabinet options and it's perfectly suited for those who want simple, standalone drawers to function as small appliance storage.

This is a base cabinet, so the top of the unit is a countertop. Its shorter stature means it's a little bit less convenient; you'll need to bend down to access the lower drawers. However, this cabinet has two large drawers that are ideal for appliances like slow cookers, toasters, stand mixers, or blenders — choose the two appliances you most want to clear off the counter. The top drawer is shallow and best-suited for small accessories. As mentioned above, if you install an outlet inside (or even have one nearby), drawer-style appliance storage can still be extremely convenient. The upper drawers of this unit aren't too much lower than counter height, so you won't have to bend double to use an appliance inside. The bottom drawer is low to the ground, so it's best suited for lesser-used appliances. While this base cabinet may not be as convenient as some of the other options on this list, it's hard to beat its economical price tag. Even better, it's a simple but smart-looking option that will suit almost any kitchen.

We can't help but give the SEKTION high cabinet another spot on this list; it's just so great for a spacious appliance garage. Again, this cabinet comes in a few different sizes and you can also choose your door style. However, what sets this particular combination apart is the addition of pull-out wire baskets. The SEKTION high cabinet with wire baskets ranges in price according to color, but the matt white option costs $537 from IKEA. It's also possible to buy the baskets separately if you want to install them in an existing cabinet. This storage system includes the UTRUSTA wire basket, which costs $24 from IKEA, and is one of our top picks for IKEA buys to optimize a small kitchen. You can grab both the cabinet and the wire baskets in a few different sizes to make them work in your space. 

These wire baskets are a simple addition that really upgrades the SEKTION high cabinet. The baskets glide on pull-out brackets for easier access, complete with a stopper so you can't yank them out too far. There's a lip on the basket front to prevent items from sliding off. While they're intended to store pots, pans, and containers, each basket has an impressive 22-pound weight capacity, so they're also sturdy enough to hold small appliances. 

If you like the look of the SEKTION high cabinets, but don't really like the price tag, the ENHET high cabinet is a great alternative. This cabinet costs $165 from IKEA, but looks just as nice as its pricier counterparts. It also has a tall silhouette, measuring 12 inches wide, by 12.75 inches deep, by 72 inches tall, a bit shorter than the 80-inch and 90-inch tall SEKTION options. This cabinet is significantly cheaper, but it also comes with fewer features. It's a simple option with regular shelves; not the pull-out accessories of some of the SEKTION cabinet options above. However, it's great for getting that floor-to-ceiling look, complete with ample room to store small appliances.

The compact footprint makes this cabinet an excellent choice if you need to make the most of a small kitchen. It adds plenty of vertical storage area (featuring four shelves) without taking up much floor space. If you have a sizable appliance collection and can spare the space, you could even consider doubling up by placing two ENHET units side-by-side. 

The shelves have a 13-pound weight limit, lower than some of the other options on this list, but perfectly fine for most small appliances. Shoppers can choose from a few door colors. Plinths and door handles are sold separately, so you can customize the cabinet further. With an elegant look and economical price, this unit is a worthwhile, budget-friendly choice.

Some people choose an appliance garage for its appearance rather than its function; they're simply after a charming way to store kitchen gadgets. The IDANÄS cabinet with bi-fold doors, which costs $499 from IKEA, is one option if you're focusing on aesthetics. It's essentially just a standalone cabinet, so you can use it to store all manner of household items. But what sets it apart from any old cabinet is its bifold doors, which gives it an "appliance garage" look — after all, some appliance garages are really just cabinets with upgraded doors. The bifold doors elevate this cabinet's appearance. They look nice enough that you can leave them open for easier access (a feat that regular swinging doors can't achieve). The doors also don't require as much space to open, so this unit is great if you're working with a smaller area.

If you have a little DIY know-how, you can hack this unit and make it even more convenient. It's possible to assemble this cabinet without its legs. Then, you can place it on top of a base (like a kitchen counter or another cabinet unit) to create a stylish counter-height hutch.