sofibebe -- you just sparked an idea! The new house has a crazy number of closets. There are TWO coat closets near the kitchen, one of which is double-deep. We'll be exiting the house via the basement, and there's a closet right near that door, but it's next to the kitchen. I wonder if we can't just use that closet for more kitchen things, like appliances and also the BJ's stuff that we currently keep in our finished basement. I don't mind having to go to the front door closet to get my coat before going to the basement. Plus, there are hooks on a wall nearby, too.

We also have two blind cabinets that I thought would be useless (we currently have a super susan, which I love, but the new house/cabinets don't turn the corner. They open on one side and go impossibly deep to the left/right). I'm going to look into those Ikea inserts that make that space somewhat useful. If it's strong enough, maybe the smaller appliances can go in there.

We might also consider in-drawer knife solutions.

We're going from about 20 cabinets to about 27 cabinets and a deeper pantry. Lots more space!

We have a u-shaped kitchen, so there are two deep corners in the counter that is more or less dead-space and not easily/commonly made use of while cooking. Those are the only places any items are kept out. That includes the microwave in one corner, and the other corner has a fruit bowl and a cookie jar that we are currently using to hang our dish towel over.

I really don't like having stuff on the counter. I've never ever had an excess of work space in any kitchen, so stuff on the counter is always in the way when I am cooking and complicates cleaning. It is SO much easier to wipe down counters with nothing on them. And if something was out when I was cooking, usually it means I have to clean that thing too (because of cooking spatters), rather than just the counter.

I just want my counters empty so I can clean them easily and use them easily at any time without a whole clearing-out process first.

For what we do have on the counter:

• Fruit bowl
  Ideally, I'd want only the fruit bowl out on the counter. I eat fruit every day, multiple times a day, and I'm trying very hard to encourage my husband to eat more fresh produce. I want that bowl out and visible and reminding us both to eat fruit as much as possible. And the majority of the fruit stores best in the open air.
• Microwave
  At the time that I planned this kitchen, we didn't use the microwave much. I had a spot and an outlet in the pantry planned for it and considered getting rid of the microwave altogether. I have since switched to batch cooking once or twice a week, and now we use the microwave every day, multiple times a day to reheat leftovers. So the microwave is on the counter next to the fridge and above the dish storage drawer. That groups everything needed to reheat leftovers (our dinner and my lunch most days a week). It's very handy, and I like that location for the microwave, but I still don't like that it's on my counter. At some point, I am going to install a floating shelf on that wall and get a smaller microwave that fits on it and have the best of both worlds.
• Cookie jar
  The cookie jar is temporary. It's the cookie jar I grew up with. My mom was going to get rid of it, and I'm not ready to let it go. I'm just waiting for my irritation with useless junk to overcome my nostalgia. My husband and I already own multiple other containers that could just as easily hold cookies, but are easier to clean (dishwasher safe vs. handwashing a cookie jar with a complicated shape) and actually have multifunctional uses (unlike the cookie jar, which we'd never use for anything but holding cookies), in the EXTREMELY remote possibility that cookies in this house were not all eaten 30 minutes after they were made.

What we don't have on the counter:

• Knives -- in a drawer in a drawer knife block.
• Coffee anything -- We don't drink coffee.
• Juicer, blender, rice cooker -- don't have these
• Other food (tea, bread, etc.) -- in pantry or cupboards
• Toaster -- exiled from our home (I love toast smothered in butter and jam too much -- it was becoming a problem.)
• Mixer -- in pantry
• Food processor -- in pantry
• Dish rack -- Everything in the dishwasher except on very rare occasion. I don't buy things that need hand washing if at all possible.
• Cooking utensils -- in a drawer next to range.

@pippiep - yup- it is going to be a great pantry- I'm putting those industrial shelving units in there, along with the door hangers on each of the double doors for more easily accessible/more use items. Some hooks and a hanging bar- Going to see if I can stuff the wine cooler in there too! 4 steps off the kitchen and less clutter in my actual kitchen, yes please- i like my cabinets to contain kitchen stuff, not foodstuff - i'm use to it so it doesn't bother me- and i used to have to go down WAY more stairs to get anything. So i'm ok with that!

The old kitchen had about 3 single useable upper cabinets, and 2 lower cabinets (crazy!!) - we now have 13 cabinets (most are double doors) so it is a tremendous improvement!

Pippiep, can you keep your coats in the basement, too? Hooks? I keep ziplok bags in my back hall closet, and the appliances I use rarely are in the basement...which means they get used even less lol! I'd LOVE a Breville, but then where would the microwave and rice cooker go? I do have a drawer knife block and looooove it. My dish drainer is only 7" wide and suspends over one side of the double sink, so it is off the counter, and takes up a fraction of that one sink. It actually holds quite a bit. Best 25 cents I ever spent (got it at a rummage sale).

I have huge island (no appliances there, except an under-counter microwave drawer), but the wall side of my galley kitchen (open at both ends, great room in a modern loft condo) has very limited space. The only things I keep out always are the little Nespresso (Citiz), the milk frother and the SodaStream. Everything else is put away - toaster, electric tea kettle, stick blender, rice cooker, pressure cooker, stand mixer, hand mixer, etc.

This is a good thread, as I'm trying to join the world of clear counters.

Always on counter:

• Largest cutting board
• Pastry slab
• Flour canister
• Sugar canister
• Coffee maker
• Small fruit bowls
• Cooling rack by oven
• Dish from grandmother used as spoon rest

Would like to get off counter:

• Cookie/cracker jars
• Way too many random bowls of produce (currently brainstorming fixes!)
• Bread box (may ditch because of mold issues) or put on shelf
• Coffee tin (could go in drawer, but husband and I always seem to leave it out!)
• Tissues (ugly, but every time I move them, I miss them..)
• Paper towel stand
• Smaller cutting boards tilted up against wall (could go in narrow cab, but I use them too much)
• Olive oil (could go on shelf, but it always ends up on the counter...)
• Dirty dishes that always turn up right after starting a load.

In drawers/on shelves:

• Microwave (on shelf in pantry)
• More produce (on shelves in pantry)
• Knives (loose in cooking utensil drawer, so not a good solution)
• Mini food processor (in drawer)
• Hand mixer
• Mini coffee grinder

Things I wish I had space to keep on the counter, and may end up that way:

• Blender
• Stand mixer (don't own, but might add...)
• larger coffee station
• Electric tea kettle (in winter)

I have a lot of counter space but keep very little on my counters. Keurig, and a flat pod storage drawer (its red). Bread box and two slice toaster, both also red. A fruit bowl, and my KA food processer. The food processer could be put away, there's room for it, but the darned thing is heavy! I don't enjoy taking it on or off a shelf or from a drawer to use it so leave it out.

My KA mixer is on a rolling butchers block cart (Ikea) a few feet away in the pantry. It rolls into the kitchen for use, back again when I've finished with it.

I have a smaller plastic drainer (about 3/4 size of standard) with tray, a roll up over sink grid, and a drying mat I will use for things hand washed. They are put away when not in use, not left out.

Since this is a new house to you, you might have more counter-top clutter at first. Sorry to say. But, hey, this will help you identify what kind of storage you want and where you need it for your new kitchen someday, right?

I don't care for counter-top clutter. I think it makes a kitchen look dirty/messy, even if it's not.

I don't know how helpful this will be for you. On my counter are my KA mixer (it's pretty!), glass jar canisters with a few most used flours and sugars (all in the baking center area). By the sink, in a corner, I have a drying mat. It's not a stretch of counter used for work being it's in a corner and most stuff goes in the DW so it's not usually cluttered with much and I put things away fairly quickly. On the peninsula are fruit bowls. Next to the stove, a pretty crock with the most used cooking tools and a couple bottles of oil.

In drawers, next to sink, and in-between baking and prep areas, so they're at point of use for both tasks are the food processor and digital scale. Immersion blender is in a drawer by the stove as I normally use it for sauces on the stove.

In the laundry/pantry room is a beverage/snack center where I have the coffee/tea, Blendtec for smoothies, and air popper. Oh, and the toaster as we probably only make toast once a week so no reason to have it cluttering the kitchen.

@bpathome - do you have a pic of what your sink drainer looks like? the little 7" one you said holds a lot? curious- i have a smallish dish rack- it doesn't fit a lot, but i figure that will help us keep less stuff out too- i hate seeing these things full of dishes

I have a separate small coffee bar for my Keurig and Nespresso (two machines almost took up the entire coffee counter, that's how small it is). On the main counter, I only have a paper towel stand.

I store my KA mixer inside a cabinet with a mixer lift. My built in speed oven is my microwave. I put my food processor, toaster, waffle maker, sandwich maker, griddle, hand mixer, and rice cooker inside the cabinet/pantry. I have recently put away all my knives in a drawer with a knives insert and got rid of counter top knife block.

I will be adding a blender (waiting for sale) and it will be store inside cabinet as well (already save space for it).

I used to have a dish rack at my old house but got tired of it on the counter, it was necessary back then as we used the dishwasher as storage because there was not enough cabinet. I now use my dishwasher and put the clean dishes away (in drawers) after. So no need for dish rack anymore!

All ingredients (sugar, flour, tea, etc...) are store inside pantry.

What knife insert do you guys all have in your drawers? Now that it was mentioned, would love to get rid of the block on my counter!

One of the goals of my kitchen remodel was to get things off the counters. I succeeded, by creating storage space for the things I didn't want to see. Now I have:

a knife drawer instead of knife blocks

a charging station inside a cabinet - no more electronics on the counter

a super susan that holds my mixer, rice cooker, crock pot, waffle iron, toaster, blender, and large colanders

a narrow cabinet next to the sink for cutting boards/cookie sheets

a drawer for canisters of sugar, flour, rice, pasta, etc.

All that's left on the counters are a MW (a small one, tucked in a corner), and occasionally fruit (everything but bananas usually in the fridge). We don't drink coffee, and the cookie jar is in a cabinet (usually empty - warm cookies are for eating!)

Things that used to be on the counters - knives, toaster, canisters - are located so conveniently, that it is no extra effort to pull them out to use. I love my empty counters!

Here's mine:

knife insert

@annkh - I wish i had had the ability to put in a tray holding space, working with a very small footprint, was limiting to say the least! I've seen a few different blocks- the one you've listed is quite handsome looking. Apologies for kind of hijacking this thread with my own questions! Some good suggestions here.

Great thread! I am facing this problem already and want to make sure that my future kitchen has the solution to all the countertop clutter!

I do not like appliances on the counter because they make the counter look cluttered.

I do not like to keep them away because a lot of them, I use almost daily. I know that I will not use them if I have to take them out of my drawers etc each time! I'd rather skip using them. Not sure if that is a good idea either.

Appliance garages are not ideal, because they are meant to *store* appliances, not use them while sitting in garages.

My solution is to have a walk in pantry adjacent to the kitchen, where there is a stretch of counter space and the appliances can sit there. Alternatively, this can be a cabinet with counter built in it, that will keep the appliances. Doors can be like old-time entertainment centers where doors open and disappear to keep this area open. Once you are done cooking, you can then just close the doors.

Anyone has above ideas actually implemented? I'd love to see a pantry with appliances in business (i.e. not merely stored), or a cabinet or another creative way to solve this problem.Also, can you please share the dimensions of your area along with pictures? Thanks in advance!

I have the same knife drawer insert as AnnKH and I LOVE it! Holds all my chopping knives and 8 steak knives. Toaster, hand mixer, blender, food processor and much more all in my super susan. I have a crock of utensils next to the cooktop, my KA in a corner w/canister of flour and sugar, and I have a Kuerig in it's own little nook. That's it! All the coffee pods go in the cabinet below the Kuerig on the roll out shelf and the mugs, travel mugs, disposable coffee cups, & xmas mugs go in cabinet above it. Oh, I also have a rollup dish rack that is usually under my sink. I use it a few times a week but it does not stay out.

I have that knife block too. It shares a top drawer with silverware and a bunch of small gadgets.

is it one of those silicone covered bar dishracks that just sit over the sink? i love those! but i think it would get in the way of us using the sink- i don't know about everyone else, but i am a kitchen sink handwasher...does it get in your way? Or are you one of the fortunate ones that have a very wide sink??...times like these i wish i had a double sink solely for the purpose of being able to do this- we just wash things by hand twice a day (it's only two of us now); so filling a washer takes a while! i wish i could NOT have a dishrack, although mine looks pretty cute on my counter, for now. Still eyeing it down to see if there's a better solution.

It is one of those silicone bar ones. I have a one and a half bowl (I think!). It's either 30 or 33" wide (geez, I can't remember). Anyway, I put it over the large side but it only takes up ⅓ or ½ of that space, plus I still have the small side completely open. It does roll up very quickly and easily though so it's not a pain to put away and get back out.

Let me begin by saying I'm and filer and DH is a piler. I like things tucked away and he likes them spread out where he can see them. Figuring out how to compromise both now and in the future is challenging.

NOW: I have a KA mixer, microwave and electric tea kettle on a work table outside the main work space. We have a dish drainer and giant compost bucket. Fruits and veggies that shouldn't be stored in the fridge are also on the counter. Charging cords, pens and note paper are at the end of the kitchen farthest from the action.

EVENTUALLY: The mixer will be put away. I rarely use it, but it was a wedding present from people that I like who are frequently in my house and would be hurt if I got rid of it. The microwave will be at a station like jillius (?) describes, because I cook and eat the same way. I will get a boiling water tap. The pens, cords and paper will be corralled in the mudroom end of the kitchen. I am envisioning something like this for my non refrigerated fruits and veggies:

Fruit and Vegetable Drawers · More Info

I still don't know what I am going to do with my compost. I am working on that.

I have our KA mixer and Keurig. Also, a big tin for dog treats.

Counter clutter drives me nuts and I'm so glad my tv and micro are over and under counter respectively.

I have storage and pantry in our kitchen-adjacent garage.

I have too many small appliances, but try to keep them put away. My KA mixer is always out, too heavy and big, but not in the way on the counter. Items that get used every day are out, but off the counter... microwave is in a cubby above double ovens, Breville on shelf under stainless prep table (along with scale and blender). My toaster is in a pullout below the counter where it gets used. Keurig is in our room.

I have a deep cabinet over the fridge, where seldom used appliances are towards the back (meat slicer, vacuum sealer, extra blender). More often used stuff towards the front (waffle maker, coffee grinder, drip coffee maker, food processor). My step stool is easily accessible and sturdy.

Frequently used, but big items are in the bulk pantry just a few steps from kitchen. Crock pots (way too many!), panini/grill, pressure cooker.

Oh, and I'm glad to see my sisters, Jillius and Lady Driver are here! LOL

OP here. I completely forgot about the pressure cooker, slow cooker, and Soda Stream! Those have been put away in hiding for the past month, but I do use them often. I also have a second KA mixer that I keep in the basement until we need it (we used to have three but we downsized, LOL).

I love the in-drawer knife block idea!

Oh my goodness pippiep...THREE KA mixers?!!!!

I was wondering at that too. Do you use all three simultaneously? I've made wedding cakes, and I can see two being very handy in that situation, but I'd need more than two ovens and an additional brain to have three mixers going at once.

We ended up not needing the third one much, but yes, we do end up using two simultaneously a few times a year. I went to culinary school for pastry, and my husband loves to cook, including making fresh bread and pasta...which is why we have a boatload of kitchen gear! We each had our own fully-outfitted kitchens before we married, and had to get rid of a ton when we merged our kitchens. (I also GAINED a ton when we got together. We cooked all the time!)

I aspire to the CCC - the clean countertop club. I try hard NOT to own appliances. I'm a hand chopper, for example, 90% of the time. I also have the roll up dish drainer and the knife drawer insert, which I learned about here. But I keep out the coffee maker and the Breville oven. The KA mixer, just because it is pretty, and I do use it every other day. Micro, which we rarely use, is hidden in a cab over oven. All else is in drawers or the pantry. I love it that way, and designed the kitchen around storing my gear. Would rather pull stuff out than clean around it. Good luck!

We had 6" of counter prep available before the kitchen flooded.

On the counter:. Rice cooker, dishrack, large tray of cooking oil/ sauce, fruit bowls, banana stand, vitamix, juicer, large empty bowls, toaster oven, microwave, boxes of various breads, electronics, etc... This is just what I remembered.

I'm making sure that the counter is clear this time even though we're losing 1/3 of our storage. Our microwave will be built in to side of island. The corner will be appliance garage that pulls out. Our toaster and juicer/vitamix will be on that.

The toaster will be on a pull out shelf in the pantry cabinet. The oils and large cooking utensils will be in drawers on either side of range top. Breads in bread drawer. KA mixer and one fruit bowl will be the only thing out.

Does anyone but me like this one?

Knife Dock, Bed Bath Beyond

I've had mine about three years, works like it's supposed to. The is no designated slot for each knife though, meaning they are not always put back in the same order if that matters to you. It would matter to my sis to have something not in exactly same place, it does not bother me ;)

Counter clutter becomes much less of a 'problem' if you design your kitchen with deeper counters...28-30" instead of 24. You'd be pleasantly surprised how artistically interesting a counter with normal rotating objects and seasonal products in use can be. Storage for rarely used things is still good design. Make your upper cabs normal to just slightly deeper and your added counter space is even more comfortable to use. Just drop them a little to 16.5" instead of 18 above the counter surface.

We've gradually cut down on small appliances, since we rarely used many of them. The rice cooker, George Foreman, bread maker, pasta maker, and deep fryer are all gone. The only things that stay out are the coffee pot, the KA mixer, and the toaster. Our microwave will go in/on a built-in pantry cabinet in the adjacent DR. In our new home. we have a lot of counter space, and 33 drawers (!) There are no upper cabinets at all. The bottom drawers of each stack are 11" deep, so everything but the KA will fit in a drawer.

We keep bread in the freezer, as we eat it slowly (unless it's home made!) and the fridge dries it out.

homey_bird, you're essentially talking about a butler's pantry. I think it's the perfect solution for small appliances. They're out of the way but still convenient to use.

Morz - Thanks for the link for the Knife Dock - I'm going to look into that. This thread has been an interesting read; my new kitchen hasn't been fully completed, so I'm not yet utilizing it as I will eventually, but appreciate the inspiration from everyone. I had way too much out at my last house, and my goal is a cleaner look but clearly still busier than most here like. I already have a vase of flowers and a lamp, paper towel roll, my blender and antique fruit bowl on a pedestal. Probably will have a pretty glass pump for soap, and no doubt a few other items. The new smaller commercial microwave awaits it's own cubby below counter in a cabinet not yet fully designed.

@homey_bird...I think I have the solution you are talking about. Here is a picture of my pantry where I keep all of my appliances. I don't have that much. I also keep potatoes, onion, garlic...etc in there. the countertop in the pantry matches the kitchen. When the door is open it looks like an extension of the kitchen. I can easily use the prep-sink to make my coffee. We recently had house warming party (approx. 50 people) the countertop in the pantry helped a lot to keep extra food. this is one of the best things ever.....

@ OP...I have seen very similar design in HOUZZ where this is done inside a reach-in closet. I would recommend that if you have an extra closet near that kitchen that you are not using. Yes, installing actual counter may cost extra, but it very functional and if you can run electrical that will make it super awesome :)

My pantry:

prep sink right next to the pantry - there is a door to the pantry.

houzz photo with reach-in pantry

Custom pantry · More Info

What I have: 40 linear feet of kitchen counters and all sorts of appliances (and other stuff) sitting on them, accompanied by old-fashioned cabinets that hide (lose) small appliances.

What I want in my new house: a smaller kitchen with approximately 24 linear feet of kitchen counters, mostly with drawers. Microwave, toaster oven, and coffee maker will be housed in a built-in appliance cabinet ... Kitchen Aid mixer will probably live in a corner ... all other appliances are going into the walk-in pantry.

Totally not helpful but can I just say that every time I see that word I want to shout "plethOra plethOra!" with the accent on the O :)

We don't much space for appliances really so I struggle to limit them in the first place. Microwave is going to be a drawer and I'm trying to see if we really need the toaster oven (it's definitely that OR a toaster). I keep the big mixer out since it's too heavy to lift. The teapot stays plugged in but the coffee maker (and grinder since we're old school) is put away since husband gets up and leaves way too early to make coffee and we bring it out for brunches etc. I have a two sizes of food processors and use the little one weekly and the big one pretty rarely so they're put away with the little one easier to access

. I had a magnetic knife holder in the last kitchen evolution and loved it much more than the knife block so I'm doing that again. Haven't decided if it's going under the hood or inside an upper cabinet. A big plus is that is limits how many knives you have on it, and I've limited myself to 5 for daily use and it's plenty. I like the idea of a drawer knife dock but i know myself enough and see the future of a messy drawer and cutting my hand while getting the knife out.

It's definitely a struggle to keep those countertops clear! We have coffee making stuff, toaster, and fruit bowls that are all on small funny shaped countertops that can't be used as prep area, so at least they are visually separate. The electric tea kettle is set out - it produces so much steam unfortunately can't hide it with the other stuff under an upper cab. Cuisinart is out. Don't use it a ton, but our kitchen is small so nowhere else to put it (blender we use less and that is in a cab). For dishes I just have a folded drying towel out that is a landing pad for them - we try to put most things in the dishwasher since that is more efficient. At least when there are no dishes on it it's looks clear. We thought about a sink rack, but I think it would get in the way, and we often leave the cutting board in the sink to dry so it would be hard to have both there. Compost bucket is out too - if I had room one of those built into the counter ones would have been awesome! Husband wants to hang it on the inside of a sink door, but I think this would just create more mess. Microwave is tucked into a lower cab. We put open shelves instead of an upper to the right of the stove - so the oils, pepper, salt, etc are all in easy reach and don't get left out on the counter. It's maybe not as visually appealing but love it for the function. It would be a dream to have a pantry like those above, but that would never fit in our small 1920s house!

We worked to figure out a way to have less "stuff" on counters in the new house, but the list still looks long! Still on the counter: toaster in the corner (used every other day), fruit bowl near the "entry", coffee maker and grinder (in their own little area), and food processor and KitchenAid mixer in their own little area.

We made pull-out cutting boards (the one in the baking area is 36"!), the compost bucket is beneath the sink when not in use, the blender is on a super Susan, since it is rarely used, utensils are currently in drawers, but I might bring up a batch of the most used ones to a crock. Built a shelf at the bottom of the uppers for the MW (above the KA and FP). All canisters are now in drawers, as are knives.

It's working well so far, although our knives are not all in the new house yet, so the 3 we use are in a drawer without a real divider now, and the utensils are all in a shallow drawer below the cooktop. Both of those are open to revision in the future.

@Lakeviewgirl - thanks for posting your picture, and glowing comments on it. How long and wide is this pantry area? Are your counters the usual 24" deep or shallower? Thanks in advance!

How about - it's okay to be on the counter if I put it on there but otherwise no - get your junk outta here! I have the toaster, coffee pot, fresh fruit bowl, knife block (which I too would like to get rid of) and paper towel holder and napkin stacker. That is what I have on there. What else is there? No less than 6 water bottles, 2 phone cords (I'd love to kick charging to the curb but dh insists on using the kitchen for his stuff even though we have other spots for it) a pair of sunglasses, an outdoor tool flier and on and on.

So how many knives do you all have? I think my knife collection is limited but I could use more steak knives. We had a family gathering and we didn't have enough so I need more but then I need to store them. Any other knife storage pics to share?

@homey_bird - the pantry is 4'-8" X 5'-6". The picture is the longer side (5'-6"). The cabinets are 18" deep. it is L shaped with a skinny spice shelf opposite of the long wall.

I did lot of measuring before ordering the cabinets, this depth works best for my needs. The countertop fits all the appliances comfortably, and I have the space to use them easily.

@Lakeviewgirl - thank you for sharing the information!

As an only child, I never knew I had so many sisters! My dh also wants everything on the counter. Small condo kitchen, he has about a 3 foot run of counter with microwave, which we both use, coffee grinder, 2 coffee canisters, toaster, and my soda stream and utensil can. On the other side of range, mixer, scale, sink, knife block, and paper towel holder. In pantry, actually half of front hall closet, but it is right there, live the processor, blender, ice cream maker, and crock pot. Big question though is, where do you put your dishcloth and towel, but while in use and when ready to wash?

I would just like to say I got a knife drawer block and I love not having that giant block on the counter- i put my working knives in it- steak knives went into the cutlery drawer with all of the other normal utensils! I'll share a picture of my limited counter space here as well for all the others with the same issue. My prep area now has only the following which are always out.

- Lipped cutting board (the ones that have the edge over the counter)

- Nespresso

- Toaster

- Vitamix ( i wish the vitamix was shorter so I could put it under the upper cabs- right now i'm relegated to it being right next to the limited space around the sink because of where the upper cabs stop)

- Paper Towel Holder

- Small Dish Rack

- Crock for utensils next to stove

@palomalou

I keep my dishtowel over my dish rack; not super great, but it works.

i wish the vitamix was shorter so I could put it under the upper cabs- right now i'm relegated to it being right next to the limited space around the sink because of where the upper cabs stop

That happened to me in my old house when I got a SodaStream - it didn't fit anywhere but out in the open. When we redid our current kitchen, we made sure it fit under the upper cabinets!

I didn't have a vitamix before the new kitchen, so I had no idea this would be an issue! :D seems like a 1st world problem haha

Easy solution to compost for me - the composting bin is right outside the kitchen window. I open the window and throw (and often miss!) right into the bin.