Stacking Kitchen Appliances: What you need to know first

Most people don’t realize the potential and space-saving function of stacking kitchen appliances. This style of home organization is a game-changer in the kitchen and gives the flow from any room into the heart of the home a much more functional and open floor design. 

Stacking appliances in the kitchen is possible for all devices, including: 

• Dishwashers 
• Freezers
• Microwaves 
• Printers
• Refrigerators 
• And many other household appliances

Even if you live in a small space, the kitchen needs attention and organization. The best-organized kitchens take advantage of the space to the ceiling by stacking large and bulky appliances. Read on for more information, tips, and tricks about how and why you can stack various kitchen appliances. 

Are Stacking Kits A Good Tool for Kitchen Appliances?

Before we get into any of the particular arrangements that stacking kitchen appliances could look like, it is essential that you understand the different tools and kits that help you achieve a perfectly stacked kitchen appliance. 

A stacking kit is a unit that attaches to the appliances you are thinking about stacking and helps to hold them securely to each other and in place. Make sure you only use professionally designed stacking kits, as a DIY stacking kit could void the warranty on your appliance.

Stacking kits are an excellent resource for helping you stack heavy items such as refrigerators and freezers on top of each other. Although most sacking kits get built for washers and dryer machines, the stacking kits sold in appliance stores also work well for other heavy appliances in the kitchen. 

The stacking kit looks like a shelf that gets screwed into the beam joists in the wall. It then gets secured to each of the appliances. The stacking kit gives a platform for the upper alliance. It anchors both machines to the wall and floor, making them safe enough for all rooms and designs of the kitchen space. 

Stacking a Fridge On Top of a Freezer

Some of the most significant and most inconvenient appliances in your kitchen are the freezer and refrigerator. No home can do without these appliances in the kitchen, and they need to get placed together. The only problem is that some homes don’t have the horizontal space for a freezer placed on the floor next to a refrigerator. 

Stacking a fridge on top of a freezer is an excellent option for those with limited kitchen floor space. Stacking these two appliances is possible with a stacking kit or other customized stacking device that you buy or DIY. 

Some brands of kitchen appliances sell specialized stacking kits for their devices. These kits are braces that are screwed into the wall and/or bottom appliance and hold the top appliance in place. The level brace is an excellent way of stacking a fridge and freezer combination in your kitchen space. 

Suppose you have a separate appliance unit for the refrigerator and freezer. In that case, the following information gives you some options, products, and steps for either buying a stacking kit or making your own stackable combination for a fridge and freezer. Regardless of what method you use for stacking your kitchen’s freezer and fridge, the outcome is that your kitchen has more space. 

Stacking Kits for Fridge and Freezer

One of the most accessible options for stacking a fridge and freezer is buying a pre-made stacking kit. Some appliance brands even have specially designed stacking kits made for the dimensions of their appliances. These kits are sometimes more expensive than making your own. Still, they are a guaranteed fit and security for your fridge and freezer. 

The stacking kit for a fridge or freezer is usually composed of rails or metal guides that screw into the roof of the appliance that will be sitting on the bottom of the stack. The second appliance is then bottled onto these guides so that they are secure. The whole combination of fridge and freezer are now connected and might be awkwardly top-heavy.

The safety of your family and yourself are of the utmost importance. So, make sure that the stacking kit comes with a brace or anchor that is secured to the appliances and then screwed into the wall joists or wooden wall beams. 

Anchoring your fridge and freezer combination stack in the kitchen to the wall joists and beams helps keep the fridge and freezer in place. The security of anchoring your appliances to the wall beams secures it so that it will not shift, shake, wobble, and fall down while using, when you bump into it, or if there is an earthquake. 

Stacking Kit Products for Freezers and Fridges

Stacking kits made for washing machines are an excellent option for some fridge and freezer stacking in your kitchen. There are also specially designed stacking kits for some brands of freezers and fridges. 

Some of the best products for stacking kits that provide safety, security, and functionality for your fridge and freezer combination are listed below: 

Heavy Duty Pull-Out Shelf 

This sliding shelf is a great option for stacking a small freezer on top of the fridge in your kitchen. The stacking kit shelf can be stationary and will hold your freezer above the refrigerator. Also, the sliding bracket on the rack allows the appliance to get pulled out for easier access if needed. 

Pros: 

• Solid and stable with anchoring screws for the wall beams or joists
• Large surface area for wider freezers or fridges 
• Made of high-quality steel materials for long term durability

Cons: 

• Small handle for pull-out
• Only one color design in white

Metal Bracket Stacking Kit

This stationary stacking kit gets made of three high-grade stainless steel brackets that are attached to both the top of the fridge and the bottom of the freezer. The stack is immovable but very secure. Even these brackets that get designed for a front load washing machine are capable of getting attached to other appliances with similar dimensions. 

Pros: 

• Very durable and robust steel materials
• Secure screw-in design 
• Secured to both appliances

Cons: 

• Not sliding 
• Harder for install 
• Requires screwing into the appliances themselves, which leave screw holes

Other Options for Stacking Fridge and Freezer

Suppose you aren’t interested in screwing a stacking kit into your fridge or freezer or just don’t want to spend the money on more hardware for your appliances. In that case, there are other options for stacking a refrigerator and freezer in your kitchen. 

Some of the other options for stacking your fridge and freezer include using: 

• Available workspace counters 
• Placing the appliances directly on top of each other
• Anchoring appliances to each other 

WorkSpace Counters

Suppose your fridge and freezer are small. In that case, you could use the available workspace or counter already installed in your kitchen. By placing the refrigerator below the counter and the freezer on top of the counter, you maximize the vertical space in your kitchen. 

Sometimes you may need to knock out and demolish the cabinets below the counter. Leave the frame of the cabinet but take out the shelves and doors. Then, the fridge can get installed in the empty cavity below the counter. 

The freezer on top of the counter allows both appliances to get stacked on one another and save some space in your kitchen without having to buy or install any other hardware for stabilization and anchoring. 

Is it OK to Store Stuff on Top of a Refridgerator? 

If you have a small enough freezer, it can get stacked on the fridge without a problem. Without a stacking kit, you risk injury or damage to your kitchen and other appliances if the freezer falls off. However, the weight of the freezer should allow for it to be reasonably steady. 

In the end, it is possible to stack stuff on top of a refrigerator. Using a stacking kit, the weight of your stuff, or other anchoring methods, you can stack just about any small-sized item or appliance on top of your fridge. 

Some storage options for stuff above a fridge are handy when considering the best items and ways of storing them in this proper place in the kitchen. The obvious things aren’t always the best. Here are some of the most valuable and convenient items that you could store on top of a refrigerator: 

• Cook Books: A collection of cookbooks is a great kitchen essential that helps you cook healthy and filling meals for your family. Storing them with bookends on top of the refrigerator is a safe and easy access palace for these books. 
• A storage shelf or contained storage cube: Fill the cube or stack the rack with anything that you need more room for. Some of the items placed in this cube or basket might include cereal boxes and other taller items. Storage cubes made of plastic make excellent bins for the top of the fridge, keeping things tidy and out of sight from those walking around in the kitchen. 
• Antiques: Some homeowners like decorating with a few antique kitchen appliances and items. On top of the fridge is an excellent place for showing off old and antique bottles and jam jars or other decorative items. 
• Platters: Since platters are only used for when you are entertaining, storing them above the fridge is a good idea. You don’t need them often, but they get kept in a safe and secure place for when you have a guest over. 
• Hard Alcohol: Keeping bottles of hard alcohol out of reach of children is a vital part of home safety. The top of the refrigerator is a  safe place for those bottles of hooch you don’t want your kids getting a hold of. 
• Basket for odds and ends: Instead of making a junk drawer, make an odds and ends basket for the top of the fridge. The odds and ends basket located on top of your refrigerator might hold your birthday candles, napkins, and paper plates. 

Some fridges might have precautions in their manuals about storing stuff on top of their units. Make sure that you read any precautions that might have been written in the manufacturer’s manual before deciding if stacking things on your refrigerator is a good idea or not. The last thing you want to do is cause harm, damage, or destroy your fridge because of your top-loading storage. 

How Much Weight Can you Put on Top of a Refridgerator? 

Now that you have some ideas for what could go on top of a refrigerator, you want to remain safe with your storage plans. Understanding the weight limits of your refrigerator could mean the difference between causing injury or damage and keeping your kitchen safe and secure. Not all fridges are the same, in terms of the weight limit. But they all have a general average you should stay below. 

You should not put any more than about 60 pounds directly on top of your refrigerator. The weight limit to the maximum that the equipment allows increases if you use braces and stacking kits. 

Stacking too much on top of your refrigerator hampers the appliance’s efficiency. If too many heavy items are on top of your refrigerator, it won’t release heat very well. It will work too hard, possibly burning the refrigerator motor out entirely, or at least overworking the motor and costing you more money on your electricity bill. 

The best advice for stacking things on top of your fridge is to keep it as light as you can, with the less clutter, the better. Clutter messes could become fire hazards. Also, the more weight you put against the frame and top of your appliance, the less chance that the appliance has of releasing heat. This causes the appliance to work harder and possibly break. 

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Can you Stack Things on Top of a Freezer? 

A freezer’s structure is a lot like a refrigerator. It is strong enough for some storage and other uses in your kitchen. Taking advantage of this storage is a great idea that could help you save room and floor space in your kitchen and even free up some room for other essential appliances in your home. 

The freezer may not be as efficient or could be hazardous if too many things are stacked on it, but it is still possible to stack things on top of a freezer. An inefficient appliance also tends to burn out quicker, costing you a replacement much sooner than if you hadn’t stacked things on top of it. 

One of the best ways of stacking things on a freezer is to get a stacking kit with brackets, rails, and even bolts or screws that hold the appliances in place. The stacking kit takes some of the weight off of the freezer frame and allows the added weight to be more balanced and anchored to the appliance and even the wall. 

Also, stacking things with a stacking kit on a freezer allows for some air space between the surfaces of the items being stacked and the top of the freezer. This little bit of air space allows for heat to escape more efficiently from the freezer, which prolongs the life expectancy of your fridge. 

This gap between the stored things and the freezer also limits the risk of things like overheating or fire from the appliance being in close contact to clutter or another machine running on electricity. 

Can You Stack a Fridge on Top of a Fridge? 

Sometimes you need more cold storage at your home. Stacking a fridge on top of another refrigerator may be the only option that you have for finding that cold storage. In that case, you may wonder if stacking one fridge on top of another is possible for your kitchen design and setup. 

It is possible to stack one fridge on top of the other with a stacking kit or shelving unit that allows for heat to escape from the bottom unit and limits the overheating of each appliance. 

Stacking kits or shelves that attach to each appliance are essential for stacking machines. These kits or frames need only be at least two rails that screw into the appliances. The space the rails create should be enough for limiting dangerous heat transfer and increasing the efficiency of heat loss out of the top of the bottom fridge.

In other words, the space allows heat to escape and should help prolong the life of the fridge because it is not working as hard to keep things inside cold. Keeping a small space between the two refrigerators and making sure that the fridges are anchored and balanced so they don’t fall over are the main precautions you should take when stacking one fridge on top of the other. 

Can I Put Weight on Top of a Dishwasher? 

Dishwashers are usually short enough that they fit under a cabinet. However, suppose you are faced with a kitchen design that leaves a standalone dishwasher out in the open. In that case, you may wonder about the possibility of stacking items on top of it and using its top for storage. 

Many instructions manuals by the manufacturers state that no weight should get placed on top of a dishwasher. However, some customers have claimed that storing small items and appliances like microwaves is fine. 

Because of the rocking and movement of a dishwasher, it needs to get anchored to a cabinet or counter before you can store anything on it. Keeping things on a dishwasher is limited to tiny appliances and items that won’t fall off during a dishwashing load. 

Stacking things on your dishwasher might not be the best idea, and the manufacturer does not recommend it. Still, customers have reviewed that it is possible and safe if you do it right. 

Can I Stack a Fridge on top of a Dishwasher? 

Suppose you are really strapped for space in your kitchen and need to find creative stacking designs. In that case, you might wonder if your dishwasher can take the weight of an appliance like a refrigerator. Since the dishwasher is connected to the drain and water, it might not be moveable and must be at the stack’s bottom. 

Based on what we just discussed, a full-sized refrigerator is too heavy and significant for the average-sized residential dishwasher. So, no. A refrigerator cannot be stacked on top of a dishwasher.

The fact that the dishwasher is moving, rocking, and turning inside would mean that the refrigerator would probably tip over if it was too top-heavy. Also, refrigerators are too heavy for the frame of the average, plastic-framed residential dishwasher. You would most likely cause permanent damage to your appliances if you tried stacking a fridge on top of a dishwasher. 

Stacking Washers And Dryers: Here’s All You Need To Know

How Much Weight Can a Dishwasher Hold Inside? 

Suppose you are considering stacking things on a dishwasher. In that case, it is important that you know the internal weight limit so that nothing breaks from the sheer weight of your dishwashing loads. Dishwashers are usually full of water, so they typically hold a good amount of weight. However, the total limit should get considered and added to the weight of things stacked on top for safety. 

A Dishwasher can hold around three gallons of water along with the dishes of your load. Just the weight of the water alone is approximately 29.1 pounds, so you also need to consider the weight of your dish load.

Any more weight than the whole load and the three gallons of water could cause the seals to break and result in severs leaking around the base of your dishwasher. Leaking is one of the sure signs that you have broken your dishwasher. Make sure that you take these calculations into account when storing things on top of your dishwasher and compensate for limiting your dishwasher load weight when you have weight on top of the appliance. 

In Conclusion

Stacking kitchen appliances is an excellent option for rearranging the space in your home so that it is more functional and saves your room for bigger and better things. Stacking kits are always a great idea when stacking heavy appliances. Also, you should always read the instruction manual to find out weight limits for things like the tops of fridges and dishwashers. 

We hope that this article has given you some new design and stacking ideas for your kitchen so that you can make the space in your home more about yourself and what you love. Next, you can learn about what dishwasher tablets are eco-friendly, or how to clean your dishwasher properly.