When we had a coffee maker (now only use the espresso machine), we always pulled it out when brewing the coffee, once it was brewed, back under it went.

I don't know. I've always pulled out my coffee pot to brew too because of the steam. I only make coffee once a day so it's not an issue for me (and I have to pull it out to fill it anyway).

Are your upper cabinets standard height? (Just trying to picture a coffee maker that one can fill under the cabinets--it's easier to picture higher cabinets!) Maybe you could glue up a sheet of laminate to the underside of the cabinet.

Timely thread, Mary! I'm hashing out ideas for our kitchen layout and trying to accommodate DH's coffee/tea area, with a (countertop) coffee machine and one of those electric plug-in kettles for tea that throws off tons of steam. I was thinking either of doing an open shelf above, or tiling the alcove in which it would sit...would be curious what others did/do.

We have our coffee pot under our 30+ y/o laminate cabinets. No probs at all. And we have 2 coffee pots that get run a total of 3-4 x/day. And if it makes any difference, when my husband makes coffee, it's so strong that it pours itself in the morning. That's what growing up in Miami does to you . . .

We use a Keurig coffee machine that brews a cup at a time using K-cups. It offers plenty of choices for guests, there's no leftover coffee to burn or throw away, and the little steam it produces does not go up to the cabinet. It can deliver hot water only for tea or hot chocolate, eliminating another appliance or hot water dispenser. We bought our first one for our master suite because I didn't want coffee ground mess there & we typically each brew just one cup early in the morning; we liked it so well that we replaced our kitchen coffee maker with another Keurig. There are several models (and prices); the more expensive ones add buttons for brewing & dispensing larger or smaller cup sizes.

I love my Keurig and so does my husband! They also make K-cups in tea and hot cocoa. It barely makes any steam at all.

I pull mine out only because I need to do it to fill it with water. I doubt the little bit of steam would ruin the cabinets but I don't know for sure.

Prior to the remodel, our old cabinets were damaged by the coffee maker. The steam cause white discoloration on the oak face frame and back of the oak door over the coffee maker. The upper was 18" above the counter. With new cabinets, I always pull it out to brew, which I have to do anyway to fill it with water. I just don't put it back until it stops steaming.

I don't know for sure that it would cause any problem, but I pull ours out toward the front of the counter when we make coffee, also. I could see that being a pain with a larger machine, though.

Ours(a Delonghi) can be filled without pulling it out, so it stays put when it's brewing. I haven't noticed the steam being a problem. We drink more tea in our house than coffee.

We do the same thing as beekeperswife--pull the coffee maker out for filling and brewwing, push it back after brewing is complete.

"our cabinets were damaged by the coffee maker. The steam cause white discoloration on the oak face frame and back of the oak door over the coffee maker. The upper was 18" above the counter. "

i remember that same discoloration from my upper cab door back in the 70-80's! don't want to have that happen again.

i've been wondering about putting it on the cooktop - if i get a ceramic top one - so the steam will go up the fan.

since i seldom cook, it'll give me an additional use of the cooktop and hood / vent.

We pull it out to fill the water and filter basket, and for brewing, and then push it back in later.

I put my electric kettle on the cooktop since I don't want it pulled out (I don't trust my toddler). I haven't used the vent for it but I should--it really is a steamy thing. My coffee maker doesn't produce as much steam because it doesn't boil, but I prefer it to not be under a cabinet anyway.

We asked our kitchen designer about this same issue when we were in the planning stage for our remodel. She said she could have a piece of stainless steel attached to the underside of the upper cabinet so that neither heat nor moisture would damage the wood. We have a light rail so anything attached to the underside of the cabinet would not be visible.

We haven't yet sealed our backsplash so I haven't let my husband move all his coffee equipment into the kitchen. As a result, I don't know if this will even be a problem. I'm hoping it will not, but we have the fallback of installation of the stainless, just in case.

Even a piece of scrubbable wallpaper would be adequate protection from steam I think. The problem is if steam goes up the front of the cabinets--that's where we get those noticeable discolorations...

Great thread. I am just setting up my coffee center in the kitchenette area that is a built in desk. I keep cups in the cabinets above and supplies in the desk drawers. I had a rolling cart built to go in the knee space of the desk area but the guy did such a terrible job that I am thinking I will just put what was built in my craft area and revert back to the desk style. :-(

I wondered about steam ruining the cabinets, so good to know that the best thing is to pull the maker out from under the cabinets...sounds easy enough.

We have always pulled our coffe maker out when we use it. It wasn't under the cabnet but next to the sink, right next to the cabnets and it still ruined the finish. It's been 25 years and I just started to notice it this last year.

We had an electric kettle under 15 yr old Ikea cabs and yep, it not only discoloured them, but got under the white laminate layer and swelled the core (pressed fine sawdust). Then the laminate came off on the lower edge.

And that was the kettle with an automatic shut-off. I used to try to get it even before it automatically shut off, but it still caused problems.

Now we have a new kettle. It boils even longer before shutting itself off. We are careful to keep it away from the cabs, but we are re-doing the kitchen and it will be nowhere near upper cabs.

I understand that Ikea doesn't use that crappy core anymore.

I'm a kitchen designer and I have a client who uses a rice cooker quite a lot. She was worried about putting it under her cabinets, for fear that it would damage the finish. Here are my thoughts....

1/ Someone mentioned earlier that they put a sheet of stainless steel under the cabinet above. This will work as long as you have a light valance. If not, you will still get damage to the bottom of your door. You still might get damage to your light valance.

2/ The damage depends a lot on the type and finish of your cabinets. Wood doors (especially oak) are more vulnerable because the steam breaks down the lacquer exterior due to constant changes in heat and moisture levels. Once the lacquer/ varathane layer is compromised, the wood soaks up the steam causing the swelling and discoloration.

3/ Painted doors are less prone to damage from steam, IF they are painted correctly.... two coats of high quality primer, a quality paint, and a coat of high quality sealer. Notice the stress on high quality!

For my client with the rice steamer, I provided her a custom built area that has no cabinets above.

This is a thing. There was another thread about this last year. My cabinets were painted correctly. Nevertheless, after four years of running the coffee maker just once a day underneath my upper cabinets, I had a small patch of damaged paint where the steam hit it. I hadn't even noticed it until I got underneath and up close. I sanded, carefully, and applied touch-up paint. After four years, it wasn't an exact match, but it isn't visible enough to matter. Now I always pull my coffee maker out a ways when I brew.

We use the coffeemaker every morning. Prior to our remodel, it was under a cupboard. I never thought to look for damage until this forum alerted me to the possibility. This was after the remodel had already started and one of the main reasons we did it was to get more storage, so I wasn't giving any up, LOL. For a month or so after we got everything back into the kitchen, I pulled the pot out to brew, then slid it back under the cabinet when not in use. Then I repurposed a very small dresser and turned it into a coffee/tea station with storage for bread, snacks and my pressure cooker as well. We could not be happier with the result.

Our coffeemaker sits on a clear plastic place mat, which makes it easy to pull out for brewing and slide back in place afterwards.

"Wood doors (especially oak) are more vulnerable because the steam breaks down the lacquer exterior due to constant changes in heat "

my cabinet door (back in the early 70s) was ruined by the coffee pot below it. probably the break down of the lacquer on it. they were wood - in a new house and new cabinets. it discolored that cabinet door - got a whitish look to it - just in the lower area where the steam would hit it.

I pull my coffee maker out a lot farther now than I did back then - and I seldom drink coffee anymore. we (2 drinkers back then) drank lots of coffee back then.

I'm curious to knw if anyone had tried a clear polyurethane? Since it's used to finish floors and furniture, could it be a solution? There is both a water based and an oil based choice.

After reading this thread I had to sign up so I could comment. The question being discussed has been much on my mind lately.

A few of weeks ago a cabinet door almost fell on my wife as she was opening it. Lucky for her she'd already had her coffe and was able to jump out of the way. Those things are heavy. The door that came away had simply slipped out of a tongue and groove connection with another piece which was attached by hinges to the cabinet. A small, seemingly inconsequential, thin piece of wood broke away from one end. When I picked up the door, the remaining three thinner pieces that go around a large inner core like a frame, fell right off. (Sorry. I don't know the proper names for these things. I'm just looking around for a way to fix my cabinet). In all, there were two little nails poking out, and they clearly hadn't been all that had been holding the cabinets together. The only break in the wood was that one little piece at the edge.

Our first thoughs turned to the possibility that if it could happen to one, then why not others, and maybe this was the start of an epidemic of unreliable, unsafe cabinets. I put that aside and called a friend who told me that the pieces were probably held together by a strong glue and something, something had happened to the glue. All we had to do was reglue it. The general idea made sense but the something, something explanation didn't. About a week later my wife came up with the answer--maybe, and that's why I'm posting. That cabinet lived above the tea kettle we use to boil water for tea. We've been doing that for ten years. The kettle, or really the second one we've used, spews out far more steam than I've seen coming from our rice cooker or from most of the coffee making devices mentioned in earlier posts. The cabinets are oak and unlike most of the other people whose cabinets have been effected by steam, the finish Is no different from the finish on our other cabinets. Looks good.

So either what we've experienced is an as yet unmentioned possible long term consequence of having a steaming device beneath a cabinet or not. if my wife's explanation does not ring true, then an alternative explanation would be appreciated--preferably one that does not entail my cabinets all falling apart. In any event, please tell me, will regluing the pieces fix the door? If so, would someone point me to a clear set of instructions. Thanks.

I have a Kuerig coffee maker. I love it. But....we have noticed a growing dark spot on our white ceiling above it. First we thought water leak, then something going on in the attic...but upon inspection it rubs off. It is like suet. . Is it from the steam from our coffee maker? It is under a cabinet. Now my concern is damaging the cabinet. I am thinking of moving the Kuerig to a differnt spot and see if it happens there.

We’ve had our coffee maker brewing under our cabinet for 5 years now and our problem isn’t damage to the cabinet, but rather that the light won’t work as it gets too much steam. Wondering if there’s a type of light that is designed to work under steamy conditions.