Why You Should Never Keep Appliances Near Your Stove

It can be tempting to keep your most-used appliances within reach on your counters. But if you have a small kitchen, that may be a mistake — and not just because of crowding. Putting certain appliances close to your stovetop is a recipe for a kitchen disaster. Here are the appliances you should keep clear of your stove, and why.

Why Appliances Don’t Belong Near the Stove

According to Glenn Lewis, president of the repair service Mr. Appliance, storing appliances near the stove exposes them to heat, moisture, grease, and food splatter that, over time, can damage the hardware. 

“Heat and moisture can affect electrical components, while grease and food splatter can accumulate around appliances and their vents or controls,” he says. Vents blocked by grease could cause some appliances to overheat, increasing the risk of fire. Liquid from whatever you’re cooking could splash onto the nearby appliance and potentially damage the electronics, causing it to malfunction. Heat from the stove could cause plastic to warp and crack and make cords fray, another fire hazard. And water that spills from an appliance into a hot pan could splatter scalding grease back on the device, on your counters — or on you.  

According to Lewis, certain appliances in particular fare worse next to the stove. “Appliances with electrical components, plastic housings, cooling vents, or water reservoirs deserve particular consideration,” he says, including blenders, scales, coffee makers, air fryers, toasters, and countertop microwaves and icemakers.

Keeping your appliance near the stove could eventually mean you’ll need to repair it, or even replace it entirely. “The repairability depends on what was damaged and whether replacement parts are available,” Lewis says. “A professional can diagnose the problem, replace individual components when appropriate, and determine whether repairing the appliance makes more sense than replacing it.”

So, Where Should You Keep Your Appliances?

The best spot to keep your appliances, according to Lewis, is “on a level shelf or dry countertop or inside a cabinet or pantry. Store them in these areas when they are not in use.”

Of course, not everyone has extra cabinet or shelf space for appliances. So if you have to keep them on your counter, how far away from your stove should they be?

“There isn’t a universal number of inches that applies to every appliance,” Lewis says. According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), your kitchen should have at least 12 to 15 inches of counter space on either side of the stovetop for putting down hot dishes and keeping cooking ingredients handy, so that’s one guideline you can use. 

Otherwise, Lewis says, “Follow the appliance manufacturer’s clearance requirements and leave enough separation to prevent direct exposure to burner heat, steam, grease, and splattering.”

What Else Doesn’t Belong Near Your Stove?

Appliances are just one kitchen item that shouldn’t be kept near your stovetop. Here are some others:

• Olive and other oils used for cooking can go rancid when frequently exposed to heat. Plus, they’re highly flammable — as are pressurized aerosol cans, which can explode if they get too warm. 
• Paper products, oven mitts, kitchen towels, and cookbooks become a fire risk near your stove, so find somewhere else to store them. 
• Spices, fruit, and certain pantry items can degrade when exposed to heat and moisture. 

• Plastic storage containers and utensils may melt if kept too close to the stovetop.
• Cleaning products stored near the stove can become less effective due to the heat; they may even catch fire and release chemicals you don’t want to inhale into the air. 
• Wooden utensils and cutting boards may also warp when exposed to heat from your stovetop.

The takeaway seems pretty clear: Give your stovetop a wide berth.

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