The man who's installing the kitchen also does the electrical work, so I'm on my own for this one. If I get the strips, he'll install them. I'm ok with up to a thousand. It's a small-ish kitchen.

About 25 years ago, I redid a kitchen (three cities and four houses ago), and I wanted nothing on the backsplash wall. My dear carpenter cut holes in the bottom of the cabinets and shoved the outlet boxes up into the cabinets and then built little wood covers that were inside the cabinet over the metal outlet boxes. It was inventive, but he didn't know what else to do. It was before the days of Google, so I was really left to my own devices. Carpenter thought I was nuts, but when it came time to do the backsplash he thought I was a genius.

Matt E. - Thank you! I don't leave anything plugged in except a coffee maker, and that's a big enough beast that you won't really see the cord, and if I decide I don't like it, I suppose I could paint the cord - LOL!. Nothing else is ever plugged in unless I'm using it, and it's put away in between. The craning ones neck to find the plug holes, I remember that from another kitchen - that's why I'm thinking maybe the strips that are more of a triangle would work better - I've seen them in pictures on Houzz, but haven't figured out the brand.

One manufacturer of triangular strips is here https://www.hardwareresources.com/tasklighting

We have a combo of under cabinet outlets and some regular wall outlets (low and turned sideways). Like noted above, in the place where we knew our coffee maker and toaster would usually be plugged in, we did a wall outlet (because of the visible cord thing), and anyway, I wouldn't want a toaster under a cabinet, these 2 appliances are on a section of the counter that doesn't have an upper cabinet. Our entire stove wall has only under-cab outlets. And there is a long back counter that has only under-cab outlets bc this is where we set up the buffet for entertaining and didn't want to interrupt the backsplash.

I went to a local lighting showroom and they had in-cabinet lighting, under-cab lighting products for me to look at. Our under-cab lights are Kitchler, but I can't remember the brand of the plug. Ours or the plug-mold type. This was 6 years ago, so I'm sure there are more elegant options these days.

We also have 2 outlets in the island, so people can plug in a mixer, food processor, etc.

Note: Put a "light rail" on your cabinets so that you don't see the plugs.

Note 2: We have both under-cab lighting and under-cab plugs. In order to make everything fit, we put the plugs to the back of the cab and put the lights on the front of the cab but turned around backwards.

We have 4 outlet locations; two of them are sideways between the backsplash and the window, one is vertical to the left of the window, and one is a quad, to the right, behind the coffee maker. That one is the one we mostly use. All are GFCI protected.

In my recent full kitchen (to the studs) kitchen reno, I did the under cabinet outlets. It is the only thing that I completely regret. If I had it to do over again, I would not. I didn't want anything on the wall of my backsplash but I just hate the UCO.

The undercabinet outlets from task lighting are what I used in my last two kitchens. The power strips don’t have to have gfi outlets, get a gfi breaker to control the whole circuit.

I agree with Matt the cords look alot worse than a nice matching plug.BTW all kitchen plugs need to be GFI

HALLETT & Co. - Thanks! I'm looking at the ones from Task Lighting and at these https://www.kitchenpowerpopups.com/collections/under-cabinet/products/under-cabinet-power-strip_ru170w20agfi These have a built-in GFCI, and they'd be good for the two places where I have a short cabinet run, but I like the longer Task Lighting strips for the longer cabinet runs. I'm going to have to ask my kitchen guy about the GFCI breaker for the strip, and I'll use which ever he prefers for the longer runs of cabinets. Again, thank you.

Patricia Colwell Consulting - Thank you! I agree on both your points. I need GFCI plugs, and the cord thing. I looked around my kitchen again, and I only have one thing plugged in. It's a big coffee maker, and it goes just about to the bottom of my cabinet, so it wouldn't be a cord that I'd see. The Kitchenaid is always unplugged, and it's the only other appliance that sits on my counter - too darned heavy to move. The VitaMix and the Instant Pot, and the Toastmaster are always tucked away unless I'm using them, and the microwave is getting a built-in, lower cabinet shelf.

See if you can get over it. The number of people who have an issue with kitchen outlets on the wall is very small. We have a strip of outlets under our island overhang for small appliances and electronics. There is plenty of space to get at it and I can’t tell you how much of a pain it is to use. If I had to do anything remotely similar to use my kitchen outlets I would shoot myself.

If you were doing a slab backsplash, back painted glass, or a heavily dimensional tile, undercabinet outlets are really the only option. Planning ahead for them makes sense if you know that’s what you’ll be doing, if you were doing simple subway tile I agree it’s just not worth the effort as the outlets will blend into the tile.

I used a very graphic tile for our backsplash and I didn't want to have any interruptions in the pattern, so I used under cabinet outlet strips wherever possible. If I had had a plain tile, I don't think it would have been worth the effort or expense. They are GFCI.

Emily - I LOVE your backsplash. We're thinking of something that has some pizzazz, too. With absolutely plain, white shaker cabinets (I'm getting the kind that won't have hardware), a wood floor, and some open natural wood shelving, it's where we plan to put the punch. I had under-cabinet outlets in a previous kitchen, and I had no issues with them at all. I loved them! Even if I was to put in simple, white subway tile, I don't want to see the outlets, and it would be well worth the few hundred extra dollars it may cost. I am on a budget, but it's just that, a budget. It's not a generic macaroni and cheese budget, but my kitchen's small, so it's a budget that will allow me to make some splurges. Again, thank you!

shivece - I've had them in the past, in a previous kitchen. In that kitchen, it was before the days of plug strips and GFCIs. My carpenter cut holes in my cabinet undersides and shoved the boxes up into the cabinets, and then make cute little wooden box covers for them. Yes, the boxes took up some space inside the cabinets, but it was a small sacrifice to make for a smooth, clean, beautiful backsplash. Rather than getting over it, I'm getting them. Even my darling husband, when I questioned my decision, said, "We can afford it. Get what you want." Forty-five years, and he still makes my heart sing.

HALLETT & Co. - thanks - I am planning a backsplash with a little fun. I was supposed to go to the flooring and tile place today to pick some things - by-appointment-only kind of place. My appointment got cancelled - my contact person came down with Covid. So, I'm going back tomorrow, hoping no one else at the store has tested positive. They're all getting tested, and I'm glad they're being conscientious about it.

Thanks Bonnie! I fell in love with them instantly. They were a total splurge, but I think they really make the kitchen. Like you, the rest of our kitchen is very simple - slab white cabinets, stainless steel counters, gray slate floors - so I felt like we could go wild with the backsplash!

Is Plugmold GFCI? well, you need to read the specs to find out. GFCI outlets have "test" and "reset" buttons, so if you don't see those anywhere on Plugmold, then that's the most obvious clue. (for example, this one has them.) also, there are different types of GFCI, and different qualities.

agreed to having a licensed electrician do this. they will know the right items to install. that research shouldn't be up to the homeowner to research unless they want something really specific. even then, you could send a link to the electrician and ask them their opinion.

Thanks, ILoveMod. The Plugmold needs a GFCI circuit. The other ones I've looked at have a built-in GFCI, like a regular outlet. If my contractor is in any way at all not comfortable with installing them, we have a great master electrician that we've used in the past for some major work on a previous house.

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Two different kitchens i've done where plugmould was needed. The first because the arabesque was so striking that outlets would have killed it, the second kitchen has dimensional tile (the pattern is 1/4" proud of the surface)

HALLETT & Co. - Gorgeous and more gorgeous kitchens. Thank you! I would be very, very happy with those outlets in my kitchen. Wanna come and spend some time in Hill Country in Texas? Nobody wants to come to the boondocks, so we're half-way doing it ourselves, at least on the designing. It's a struggle. We are getting custom cabinets, so we can maximize our layout to be what we want, but the man who's installing them is leaving a lot of the figuring-out up to me.

How visible are the under cabinet outlets? Do you notice them while standing or sitting? We are planning on using a solid quartz backsplash, and I’d like to use under cabinet outlets to keep the quartz uninterrupted. I’m worried I’ll be able to see the outlet strips while eating at the kitchen peninsula.

Hi - We wound up not using the strips - contractor talked us out of them. I still have regrets, so I've pretty much resorted to lining up canisters and small appliances in front of them because I hate those plugs. I have white subway tile and white outlets, so they're not super visible, but I'm still sad that I didn't insist. And we're still not finished with the kitchen. I'm so sick of it.

I have under counter outlets, love them.

I think your height will depend on how noticeable they are. We have white cabinets and used white outlet strips and they're visible if you're sitting at counter height, but I think they're pretty unobtrusive. Certainly less obtrusive than having an outlet interrupting the backsplash! We were able to avoid having outlets in the backsplash except in one place - here are pics of both.

vs the one place we couldn't avoid it: