On my kitchen counters I have a toaster, microwave, and coffee maker. I am not the norm.

Most people have lots of small appliances in their kitchen and they’re buying even more in 2022. The small kitchen appliance market is estimated to be $102.31 billion for this year alone. It’s projected to grow 3.5% from 2022-2030, according to PRNewswire.com. Covid factored into the growth. People ate in for nearly two years and began to crave more dining options at home.

The next thing homebound culinary wanna-bes realized was that they needed more outlets for their expanding stable of electrical appliances.

The National Electrical Code requires at least one outlet every 4 ft. They must be GFCI outlets and switches if they’re within 6 ft of a sink or if they serve a countertop.

According to Housebeautiful.com, the top-ranking 8 most enviable kitchen small appliances are:

• Coway Aquamea 200C Countertop Water Purifier
• Kitchen Central 3-In-1 Food Processor by Cuisinart
• bev Cocktail Maker Machine by BLACK+DECKER
• Vitamix FoodCycler
• Multifunctional Digital Air Fryer by Chefman
• Profile Opal 2.0 Countertop Nugget Ice Maker by GE
• CREAMi™ Ice Cream Maker
• De'Longhi Dinamica Plus Coffee Maker.

That’s a lotta outlets in one kitchen if someone “has it all.”

So many small kitchen appliances are new products. The first air fryer was introduced by Philips at a consumer electronics fair. Nearly 40% of U.S. Homes reportedly had air fryers as of July 2020, according to tasteofhome.com. Popularity can be measured somewhat by the fact that Amazon.com is out of stock.

Denver abides by the 2020 edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC), which is adopted at the state level. Code changes in the 2020 edition related to electrical include:

• The electrical code now addresses 125-volt receptacles up to 250-volt. 250-volt receptacles  (electric range) now need GFCI protection if installed within six feet of the edge of the sink.
• Dishwashers are now required to connect to GFCI outlets. Previously GFCI was not required for this electrically powered water device surprisingly.
• It used to be that one receptacle was required for a kitchen island 24 inches or greater long and 12 inches or greater wide. Now at least one receptacle within the first nine square feet or fraction thereof is required for an island countertop. Additional receptacles are required for every 18 square feet more of surface island space. Plus at least one receptacle must be located within two feet of the outer end of a peninsula countertop.

So maybe you can’t swing a new dozen of electric kitchen toys. In that case, splurge on a simplehuman 45 Liter/12 Gallon Semi-Round Automatic Sensor Trash Can in brushed stainless steel. Swipe the trash can lid and the lid will lift, without pushing a pedal. Great when you have fingers covered in chicken grease. This trash can operates by batteries…no outlet needed.

Whether it’s adding extra power to your kitchen or other electrical repairs, the pros at Allstar Electrical Services have served homeowners and businesses along Colorado’s Front Range for nearly three decades. We’re top-rated by the Better Business Bureau and are proud to be listed as a preferred contractor by Angi’s Home Advisor.

Call (303) 399-7420 or visit our website. Then use our handy online forms to request a free estimate or set up an appointment.