I don't know the answer to your question - I imagine having something like this - hardwired - would be just fine and eliminate arguments about bending cords. THANK YOU for sharing! this is exactly what I've been looking to implement in my kitchen reno!

Ann - the thread I read talked about a cabinet being a better choice because it is stationary. I honestly don’t see a cabinet working for us though, I think even the bottom shelf of an upper is just high enough to make it awkward to plug things in, rifle through and see what is charged and what still needs to be plugged in, etc. especially since my mom and the kids just aren’t that tall. Plus, we have no lower plain cabinets (not drawers) that aren’t dedicated (sink, trash, tray pull out) and we have a lot more drawers than uppers. A drawer would work best if we can do it safely We even have it identified on the plan, I just hadn’t thought about the cord damage issue.

The pantry cabinet would work but I don’t think I want to devote a whole 33” roll out for that. I think it needs to either go in a drawer or on a small shelf in the broom closet for it, if there is room.

I don’t know about you guys, but I often need to use a device (iPhone, iPad, MacBook) while it’s charging, so I can’t imagine a central charging station seeing much action. Extra-long USB charging cables are a godsend. :)

I agree with Sammy. We have a multi charging holder where we can stand iPads, phone, kindle and use one outlet on counter, next to the tv that we have in the kitchen. It didn't seem practical to ignore our lifestyle.

I have enough devices (and portable chargers) that I can cycle through, so using it while charging isn't the issue for me -- I just don't want all that caca spread out all over the house, much less my kitchen or counters! Having a drawer option is a godsend for those of us who like things out of sight! :)

Sammy - we currently have a central charging station on the counter. What gets plugged in are mainly portable chargers that are then used to charge the phones. That way you can use them wherever. I may have even been known to find 3 or 4 chargers in my purse when we run short. :-) we do sometimes have other devices that aren’t used as frequently that get charged there, or things like fitbits that charge overnight. I just want the stuff off the counter.

Lizzie - that is exactly what I am looking for! Out of site for the random portable chargers, e-books and tablets that are constantly cycling through our current charging station!

strob06 - here's another option I was looking at; it gets stuff off the counter, but would still be seen, so it doesn't solve the whole problem (for me):

https://www.legrand.us/adorne/products/under-cabinet-lighting-power.aspx

Lizzie, I have plugmold similar to what you showed above but made by Tasklighting. It's fantastic. I have outlets every, and I specified the cabinet heights (the face frame) to be tall enough to cover the plugmold.

I did not get the kind with the integrated lights though because I wanted lights near the fronts of the cabinets, not at the back.

I have the docking drawer..... it has 4 USB outlets. I also wanted to get the phones, etc off the counter and was concerned with safety. It was expensive, but gives me peace of mind and it does work well. It’s a pretty neat concept and I am surprised there aren’t more companies selling similar products.

I ordered a docking drawer, but it turned out my measurements were off and it wouldn't fit so I had to return it - they were very nice and helpful and they make a solid product - I would recommend them for sure. There is one made by Hafele (even more expensive) and another brand I tried as well (can't remember the name but I can look if you are interested). Unfortunately for me, my drawers were a bit too narrow to fit any of these (drawers/cabinet that sit on the counter) so after trying and returning just about every option there was I finally got a couple of things that aren't made for drawers but had a heavy duty cord and installed them so that the cords don't catch or rub on anything. It's probably not the perfect solution, but I have a hundred year old house - everything I have touched is an improvement from what was there before!

I also have the plugmold strips under the cabinets for my outlets and they make one where one outlet is two USB ports, so we did those for extras for guests and overflow (although we mostly use the drawers to keep stuff off the counters). We now have enough USB ports in our kitchen to keep a busload of millenials and all their devices going strong.

Agree with Sammy. I want to have my phone where I can see it - tap it of there are messages, etc. I would definitely not want to *hide* my devices that are charging. I would forget them every dang time I left the house. It's exactly why my cell phone does not ever spend the night in my bedroom. It stays right on the peninsula counter, where I can see it when I am getting ready to leave. I am too forgetful to hide everything!

There is one made by Hafele (even more expensive)

The ones from Hafele are the docking drawers......at a premium price.

Sherri - glad to hear you like the docking drawer! I will have to talk to my GC about it.

Lizzie - thanks for the link! I’m not sure I’d want my electronics hanging like that, I think it probably makes them even more visible. I do like some of the plugmold options though.

Laura - glad you were able to figure out something that works for you!

Chess - phones wouldn’t typically be plugged in here. More tablets, nook, son’s iPod, portable chargers, etc. stuff used less frequently but still needing to be charged. Between the 4 of us it is amazing how many things we have that need to be plugged in! Honestly if we didn’t have the charging station we have now I think we’d have stuff scattered throughout the house and likely lost.

We had an outlet installed in the lower part of an upper cabinet and use an acrylic organizer, similar to this, that I bought at Target. It will hold 2 phones and 2 tablets. We keep the cords corralled with velcro cord wraps.