About 6 or 8 years ago we had a thread that was titled "What is on top of your fridge?" and some of the responses were hysterical. I printed it out, but seven years later I have no idea where I put it.

I've only been in my current house for a little over a year, and so I haven't had time to collect relics, but I did find quite a few when I moved, including two cans of jackfruit. I can tell you what's on the top of my fridge, however: print-outs of my own recipes, silpat in several sizes, and a maple chopping board. I like storing the chopping board there because it makes it easy to find and put away. There is not much space between the fridge and the cabinet above it, and I have a lot of things stored in that cabinet - mostly large pots, salad spinner, pasta extruder, Juiceman Juicer, and some large pans that won't fit anywhere else. I almost never use the pasta extruder or the juicer, but I'm planning to get the juicer out to make apple juice pretty soon.

I store the old stuff in the garage, where I have my old refrigerator and some shelves where I have cans of earthquake supply food. After the Northridge Quake ('94), I never got around to using up my emergency food because I had so much in the fridge that needed to be used. We were without power/water for about three days, but I never needed to open any cans.

BTW, how long have you been in your current house?

Lars

We have a cabinet above my fridge that is about 2'x3', and my fridge is about 7' high. Since my kids never look up there I use that cabinet to hide their small Christmas presents in. I used to keep my punch bowl up there, but had to find another place for it when I needed the hiding place for presents.

Almost 20 years ago a good friend and I ate at Long John Silvers. We ended up walking out of the restanrant with an entire bottle of that malt vinegar they have on all the tables. I can't remember why - just being silly I guess. It's still in my fridge and still good. I even moved it from another place to the one I've been in for the past 13 years. Long John Silvers is a rare indulgence for me and I bring the fish home and still use that same bottle of malt vinegar!

dlynn, that's perfect, I've never thought of that! there is nothing in the cabinet above my refrigerator right now, I'm 5'1" and can't reach it even with a chair...

Annie

Well my cabinet over the refrig contains stock pots, cereal, the extra large stainless bowl....all in the front where I can reach on tippy toe....they way in the back is an apple corer thingy, an ice crusher the broiler pan to one of the ovens, a bottle of popcorn ages old with some clever saying on it and "other stuff".
Linda C

When we got the new refrigerator it was so tall the cabinets had to be removed. So now I keep a ceramic pig canister on top that contains my most used cookie cutters that used to rattle around in a drawer. I did a ruthless clean-out of the kitchen a couple years ago &, so far, it's still not too cluttered.

/tricia

In the space that I have above the fridge I keep a box of the full pan sized parchment paper, it comes 1000 sheets to a box and a half sheet fits my cookie sheets perfect.
The cabinet above the fridge (mine comes forward about the same as the fridge) I stash things that are light weight like chips and crackers. The bottom of that cabinet didn't like the heavy bowls that used to reside there so it's pretty buckled.....

I ordered my new cabinets last week and I made sure I had a special place for my parchment paper.

I know I'll find many lost and forgotten items when I pack up the old kitchen next month.

Nancy

I'm in the opposite camp, my fridge is short and easily reached, so it's an extra "counter top". In the back are the blender and the juicer, in the front are the big skillet/grill, small deeper skillet, small coffee pot (big one is on the waist level counter), grinder, and cappucino maker. In the useless cabinets above are extra cups and plastic drinking "glasses". I hate to drink out of plastic, but they do come in handy for some things like traveling drinks during baseball season.

I have a cabinet above th fridge. I keep lots of stuff up there, my turkey roaster pan, punch bowl, big flower vases, electric juicer, Shaved Ice Maker.......

Truthfully, if the kitchen caught on fire, there is nothing up there that I'd miss.

Lars said: About 6 or 8 years ago we had a thread that was titled "What is on top of your fridge?" and some of the responses were hysterical. I printed it out, but seven years later I have no idea where I put it.

Lars, did you check on top of the fridge?

I actually found a nice, clean pyrex casserole dish with a lid up there! It was surprising because it seemed more like a place you'd find a mouse carcass.

We had to reconfigure the cabinet above the refrigerator to accomodats the new fridge. I keep all my pyrex and corning baking dishes there since I don't use them daily. A stool that converts into a step stool is a staple in my kitchen. It's high enough for me to sit and work at the counter and handy when I need to reach the upper shelves or top of my cabinets.

rob333 wrote: "I'm in the opposite camp, my fridge is short and easily reached, so it's an extra "counter top".

I've never seen a shorter version of a fridge. Are you sure it's not an easy reach because you are 6 ft tall?

I have a really tall fridge and high cabinets. I have my Spode Christmas dishes up there. I pull out a ladder twice a year to swap dishes. It works great for me. I hope the tall people don't judge me when they see all the dust. LOL

You made me look! I had no idea what was in the cupboard over the frig. In there I discovered a Cuisinart coffee maker. With only myself to make coffee for, I simply use a French press or drip one cup directly into a cup these days. There is a cute really old pitcher, the lamb cake mold, a lucite paper napkin holder, some plates decorated by my daughter at age 6, a copper cookie cutter in the shape of Texas, a pretty little plate from Portugal that once hung on a kitchen wall, a clown cereal bowl, and two odd (as in matching nothing else I own) stoneware plates.

As getting ready to sell my house, pack and move out of town, most of these things will be in a garage sale.

On top of the frig I currently have: an ice bucket, a wok, and my vintage aluminum juicer (thrift store score and so much like the one my grandmother had for 60 years that it made me smile widely to find it).

If I know I will have a very tall guest, I clean the top of the frig otherwise it is out of sight out of mind!