Coffee maker not a problem. For our toaster oven there is an air space of 3" between the top of it and the upper wood shelf. There is also a lot of space around the toaster oven to allow a lot of air convection currents so heat doesn't build up. Since you're getting a pro to handle the electrical no need for me to mention GFCI outlets in case of accidental spills from coffee maker. P.S. As an added precautionally measure (because of coffee maker) have the outlet installed so plug has to pointed uphill...a little unsightly having the plug & cord seen a little bit but ......

I would be concerned about the steam generated by the coffee maker ruining the shelves.

Previous owners completely surrounded the shelves in contact paper. The wood therefore never see's the moisture, thus wood shelf is level and unwarped/untwisted as it ever would be...plus, contact paper is eay to clean if you don't prolong the cleaning time to long

But, in the court of law, i would testify, "If the previous owners hadn't used contact paper and i had the shelves installed for my self then i would gone have with laminate" ...Would i be right ? I don't know judge, inefficient eyewitness edvidence to state anything to the contrary

If you open up the pantry so that the area for the coffee maker and the toaster are open to the room and there is at least 24" clear height in that space, then it should work and it will be no different for heat then it would be placing them on the countertop.....

You can have cabinets above and below and an open shelf in the middle......

Or you can install a roll up "desktop" door that is only open when you are using these appliances.

A roll up "desktop" door is ideal for then you will have something like an appliance garage...and for just for the looks of them i'm all for them, but i'll be worryed by people naturally forgetting to open them, having the heat built up....etc. Is my worrying for naught, i.e. has this heat built up in a natural sceaniario where a fire actually occured ?????

What about figuring out an appliance garage?