8 Common Kitchen Items You Should Never Store Near Your Stove

When prepping and cooking meals, it's helpful to have all the items you need handy. There's some limitations to this rule, though. Just as you know you cannot put certain items in a fridge due to cold exposure, it's also not safe for key kitchen items to be near heat either. Whether you're dealing with paper products, oils, certain utensils, or other common kitchen must-haves, storing any of these next to a stovetop is definitely not advised.

There's a number of reasons why you might erroneously store kitchen items near a stovetop, including space concerns or convenience. It can seem harmless, but whenever you run this appliance, heat from the burners as well as steam from boiling water can lead to ruined products. Even worse, some of these items may turn into fire hazards, that's why it's advised to keep flammable items 3 feet away or further from your stove, per the New Hampshire Division of Fire Safety. Instead, you might consider extra kitchen storage ideas to help limit your use of the space near your stovetop.

It seems convenient to keep a bottle of olive oil near the stove for sautéing or to drizzle it over a finished dish. However, doing so can cause some serious damage to your prized oil. Heat exposure not only interferes with the quality of olive oil, but the product can also oxidize from light. Keeping olive oil in a dark container can minimize such effects, and placing the bottle in a cool, dark area between each use is an optimal home for this cooking agent. The same goes for all other cooking oils in your kitchen.

Aside from the health controversy surrounding beef tallow, it's a fact that many people have jumped on this cooking ingredient trend, so it's important to know how to store it properly. Beef tallow does have a high smoke point, which can make it a good option for frying. However, this feature does not give you permission to store your jar of beef tallow next to the stove. As with oil, heat from a stove or other source can increase oxidation and ruin the product. Instead, store it in a cabinet or pantry to extend the shelf-life.

Whether you're a cooking enthusiast with a large collection of herbs and spices, or you only have a few core ingredients, it's a common mistake to store any of these next to your stove. While the Ohio State University Extension says that dried herbs and ground spices last up to one year, exposing these items to heat near a stove will decrease this lifespan. Store all spices and herbs in air-tight containers and only inside a cool, dry area such as a pantry or cabinet.

Having a roll of paper towels at your disposal can make it easier to deal with kitchen messes in a flash. If you have a countertop paper towel holder, it can be challenging to find the right location to store it. The best place for your roll of paper towels? Anywhere that is away from a heat source like a stove. A paper towel that gets too close to a stovetop burner can quickly catch on fire. Unfortunately, dish towels, reusable paper towels, and other types of paper towel alternatives can also be hazardous in this way.

Cooking food with any heat source requires the use of potholders and oven mitts to keep you and your kitchen counters safe. While these need to be handy for immediate use, place them in a drawer, or perhaps on another part of the kitchen counter when you're in a pinch. Potholders and oven mitts are considered flammable items that should never be left on top of or next to stoves.

Many of us are making the switch to safer cooking utensils to reduce microplastic exposure that can occur when using plastic versions. You can absolutely use cooking-grade wooden utensils, but should never store these directly on top of or near a stove. When left unused and exposed to stovetop heat, these seemingly harmless wooden utensils may crack over time and become fire hazards. Instead, store them in a utensil container away from exposure to heat and steam, and never clean wooden spoons in boiling water.

It can seem helpful to have a blender or food processor nearby during stovetop cooking. Sometimes this seems like the only counter space you have left for other common small appliances, such as a toaster or coffee maker. As a rule of thumb though, you should never permanently store appliances directly next to a stove. Not only can heat and moisture damage these items, but using them right next to an active burner can risk melting the cords and causing a subsequent fire.

You might prefer using old-school recipe cards and cookbooks over your smartphone — there's nothing wrong with looking up a physical copy of a vintage recipe or finding a loved one's handwritten instructions for their famous tomato sauce. Just keep these items away from the stovetop during use. Your safest bet is to set these up for easy reading on a spot several feet from the stove. This reduces their flammability risk, but it also protects them from splatters and spills from your immediate cooking area.