Looks to me like you'd be better off to substitute drawers for a lot of those deep reach-in shelves in the lower cabinets, especially in the window areas. Do you have a walk-in pantry where there could be a dedicated appliance area, perhaps with outlets?

I have a heavy KA mixer and I was thinking about getting one as I didn't want it on the counter and I didn't want to shlep it out whenever I used.

Based on my research I decided not to get it because they seem pretty limited in terms of their functionality. They aren't the greatest to use ON the stand because you then have any kind of mess more difficult to clean up than if it were on the counter.

What I did do is have the side of my tall cabinet configured so that it opens onto the counter - the counter runs inside the cabinet. It has a door on the front so it looks just lie a twin of the other tall cabinet to the right of the hutch.

This provides me with the functionality I wanted - in a much smaller space I also have my Cuisinart which I can slide out on the counter when I need it. Because the entire interior is available to stash stuff, I also have some other items stashed there like my Ice Tea Maker. I have two rollouts underneath which provides great storage as well as a shelf above it so there is much more storage for that linear foot of cabinetry than if I had dedicated the lower to a mixer stand.

I don't have one so my decision was based on reading how people actually use it and thinking about what I actually wanted to accomplish and the best way to achieve functionality I wanted while maximizing space in my small kitchen.

Pardon the mess but this photo was taken while I was still moving into the kitchen:-)

The KA Mixer, Cuisnart and assorted other small appliances are stashed in the tall cabinet to the left. There is a side door which opens so appliances can be slid onto the counter but I can also access them by opening the door from the front. Using this configuration, I gained two pullout drawers below the area used for the mixer plus two shelves above for storage.

This is the wall behind my dining area. I ran my kitchen cabinets into this area for more storage. Any items stored here are probably just as close as they would be in a "normal" size kitchen. The tall cabinet to the right is actually my utility/broom closet.

I’ve never understood the desire to store a big ol stand mixer anywhere else other than on the counter. I guess some people don’t like the way they look...but it’s a KITCHEN lol. Plus it seems like it would be much harder to clean up around if it was in some cabinet. I just like mine on the counter, back against the backsplash. When I need it it’s a simple thing to just pull it out.

I’d use the drawer space for pots and pans.

We have an appliance garage to the left of the window (where the pop up mixer is currently slated to go) that will have outlets. We do have a walk in pantry. I'm hesitant to put heavy appliances in there because then they have to be hauled back and forth to the counter in the kitchen. I don't want to use appliances in the pantry.

You need to post a 2D floor plan. Not just the elevations.

Plus you do not have to save it on houzz. All you need to do is make sure it's a jpg and if you upload under photo, then we can help you. If uploaded to houzz, we can't download the photo to help you.

Additionally you have cabinets. All lowers should be drawers.

Yeah that ^^ would just be silly.

The more stuff on a counter, the more difficult it is to clean the counter because you then have to move everything to wipe down.

Items on my counter that aren't used all the time became dirty - that's why back in the day they mixers often had fabric covers. When my stand was on the counter, it got dirty. I baked but I didn't bake all the time.

I have limited counter space so if I am storing a mixer ON the counter, it cuts into prep space. Then one needs to wash down the counter where the mixer or other large appliance sat to clean. When I wasn't fastidious about doing this, the mixer would get a "ring" of stuff around it :-).

I didn't have a great spot for my big KA stand mixer out on the counter and I considered one of those pop up thingies but I worried it would feel rickety after a while. I went with this instead--mixer in a rollout designed to be tall enough for it, with a second roll out below, both of which have baking supplies. Next to that cabinet is a second set of roll outs with flour, measuring equipment etc. When I use the mixer, I roll it out, lift it straight up about 12 inches and use it in that spot on the counter. There is a an electrical outlet right on the side of that cabinet. This is all in the island. I bake a ton and it has worked great for me. (Also, obviously that picture was just snapped, "come as you are" kind of thing. Cringing at the messiness but it is what it is!)

I thought about one of those lifts for my mixer, but I really needed the storage for pots and pans instead and just couldn’t spare the room. My couple of upper cabinets are mounted higher than standard, so I decided to keep my mixer on the counter in the deep corner I had. But I placed my mixer on a cork trivet I already had... that made it easier to slide my mixer around on the counter to pull it out for use and such, zero lifting required, I just slide in out and then back, makes it easier to clean around it as well. Maybe some simple solution could work for you if you decide to keep it in your appliance garage? Here are some photos... I just kind of grab it by the back of the cork trivet/bottom of the mixer to slide it around.

That is smart! My daughter could slide it out from the appliance garage so we could still have it hidden when not being used.

I would have preferred to keep mine on the counter but my husband really wanted as much as possible put away-and there was no way I was going to lug the huge kitchenaid pro out every time I wanted to lose it. And it wasn’t a hill I wanted to die on with him as I’ve gotten a lot of my choices in the kitchen.

My mom had her countertops made deeper and put an appliance garage either side of the sink with folding doors to hide it away. She did this this 70's when the idea hadn't taken off with building contractors. He fought her all the way, but then wanted to show it to his other clients to replicate it. Needles to say, she refused to let him show it off.

I keep our kitchenaid mixer on the counter in the corner. I just don't see how stuff wouldn't spill all over the place trying to use the mixer on the lift. Plus the mixer is now jutting out further into the work area. When I see pictures of these things it just doesn't seem safe. You have this big bulky mixer on this narrow platform.

A friend of mine has her mixer on a lift and loves it. She does a lot of baking. It’s not for me though. I do a fair amount of baking but not everyday. In my previous kitchen, I kept my KA mixer in an otherwise unused corner and it had a fabric cover in it. This kitchen has a countertop that is extra deep to accommodate small appliances but I keep them in a shallow cabinet right now and lift when I need to. If my husband hears me say anything about baking, when I go in the kitchen, the mixer is on the counter. If I get where lifting is an issue, I’ll move them to a countertop, corner again. Some people make their mixers a focal point either by it being a bright color or custom painted.

I like the fabric covers because mine are vintage or made of vintage fabric

I agree with cpartist about having all drawers on the bottom. I only have one set of cabinets on the bottom. They are shallow, across from the range and hold stockers, Dutch ovens, the mixer etc. There are slots for cake pans across the top. The one countertop that is deeper, has deeper drawers as well. Love those.

Why I'd never have a pop up mixer stand:

- Wastes a lot of cabinet space!

- Mixer does not perform as well for some functions since it is not on a stable base and bounces a bit.

- Is a lot noisier than if mixer is on a solid stable base (counter)

- Mechanism gets grungy, begins to smell bad and is difficult to clean.

- PITA when the mechanism decides it's had enough and you're too tired to manually pull it out from so low and lift it on to the counter.

I owned a kitchen with one of the appliance lift cabinets. It was a total waste of space. I have a heavy KA stand mixer.

One point that you may miss with the design of these cabinets is the top drawer is lost. Plus, you will need to make certain the door has enough swing to allow the lift to come out and rise. It's a big space waster. I couldn't use mine because the door wouldn't swing wide enough for the lift to be able to work. I ended up putting the mixer on a shelf in the pantry. I would pull it out when I wanted use it.

I suggest that you install a cabinet with a three drawer stack of drawers. It's a much better use of the space. Install drawers everywhere that you can. Not pull out shelves, drawers. You will be amazed at the amount of storage and efficiency of drawers.

I have a lift and love it. I didn’t like having it out in the counter.

No opinion on the mixers but I will chime in for support of all drawers (not pull-outs) everywhere you can! I have nothing but drawers on one whole side of my kitchen and I love it! My big pan drawers have heavy-duty full extension hardware and they are so much more useful than cabinets.

Not to hijack but I have mostly drawers and I love them but I also have doors in some lower cabinets and these are also highly functional. All of my lower cabinets with doors have rollouts - the advantage to rollouts is that they are better able to handle some items that are taller.

The only disadvantage is that they require two motions - open the door and pull out the rollout but it's not a huge issue for the kinds of things I store in the rollouts. I have two relatively narrow cabinets and having two rollouts in lieu of drawers in those cabinets made much more functional use of the space. I also have two tall cabinets and these also work better with doors since one is the utility closet and its "twin" houses heavy small appliances that can be slid out to the counter and has two very functional roll outs on the lower level. In both these specific instances, drawers would have been less functional in terms of specific needs for my kitchen.

What absolutely is awful are lower cabinets with shelves that don't pull out since those become impossible to organize and access. I even had rollouts in the sink cabinets for kitchen and bathrooms so that everything is accessible.

My bottom cabinets all are drawers expect my mixer cabinet. I just got a plain 15” wide cabinet, with a top roll out drawer above. I don’t mind lifting the mixer and I can keep attachments in the drawer.

No way I would have given up a cabinet and a drawer for a mixer cabinet. It is a kitchen and where I work and bake. I don't put my ovens behind panels and I don't hide my mixer. But I will recommend more lower drawers. I have 2 sink cabinets and a trash pullout -- all the rest are drawers and I have never regretted that decision. Makes life and organization so much easier.

Just wanted to add... I really love my kitchen drawers too! You can’t really see very many of my drawers from the photo I posted above, but I have quite a few, and some of them are rather large (like the size of great big dresser drawers) and they really are a glorious thing!

I love my Kitchen Aid mixer, and I use it VERY, VERY OFTEN ... but I'd love to be able to hide it away. It's a space hog on the countertop. Of course, it'd be a space hog inside the cabinets too.

One option that I don't think has been kicked around yet: If you have a pantry, you could buy a metal cart and "roll it out" when you need the mixer. This is more practical than carrying the heavy-heavy mixer.

Mrs. Pete... keeping that idea in mind for my next home!

You say that you are lacking storage for pots and pans, and need more drawers. I think your question is answered! Put it in the appliance garage. And change all those lower cabinets to drawers, unless you have a specific purpose for having a cabinet instead. Like under the sink (plumbing access).

If it gets occasional use, then perhaps the chore of lugging it out of a pantry cabinets every couple of months makes more sense than dedicating a whole cabinet to it.

That's what I do and I consider it weight training exercise and tell myself I'm burning off 10 of the calories that I'm creating by baking.

lifting it as "exercise" is all well and good unless you have an arm injury that prohibits you from lifting that much weight for the foreseeable future... I am going to try the trivet idea, that sounds like a great solution for the interim!

My KD strongly discouraged me from getting a mixer lift for all the reasons stated by others. My big KA is in a corner, and yes, it has a cover - I don’t want dust/dog hair in the bowl!

I do have loads of counter space space in my kitchen, but limit appliances on counter to smallest Breville toaster-oven on one, microwave and KA in corner on short wall next to refrigerator, and electric kettle near the sink. It IS a kitchen and I use these 4 appkuaces often enough to give them space,