“Hello?”
“Hi, Sharon. What are you doing?”
“Just chillin’.”
“I was wondering if we could come over and change into dry clothes.”
My little sister went on to explain how she and my nephew were soaking wet after spending two hours wading through flood waters. They’d made it to my side of town to buy dry clothes and hopefully check into a hotel. Unfortunately, the hotels were booked.
“Of course. You can change. You can eat dinner. Stay as long as you need…spend the night if you need to.”
Later that evening, after changing into dry clothes and settling in under a cozy blanket, my sister asked, “Do you have coffee? I guess I just have a chill from being wet. A cup of coffee could warm me up.”
“Yes, I do,” I answered gladly, knowing I have a coffee and tea station ready to go, just in case.
How to Set Up a Coffee and Tea Station
A hot beverage station is a pretty common fixture in today’s kitchen. It can be set up on a counter top, a bar cart, inside a kitchen cabinet or a combination of these. It all depends on your lifestyle.
Coffee and Tea Station Set Up
If you drink coffee regularly, it makes perfect sense to keep your coffee maker on the counter under the cabinets where you keep mugs. I do this when we have a house/pet sitter while we’re away.
Since we drink tea daily, I set a tea organizer with assorted teas on the kitchen counter and keep a tea pot on the stove. I store extra tea bags, and hot chocolate and coffee bar accessories in kitchen cabinets. That way everything is handy for refilling the tea organizer, setting up a seasonal hot chocolate bar, and serving coffee to guests (which is the only time we make coffee.)
Coffee and Tea Storage
Depending on which hot beverage you drink most often, you would store least used supplies on higher shelves and keep what you need on a regular basis on the counter or on a lower shelf, whichever is more convenient.
I use small milk crate baskets to organize by beverage type. One basket is for tea storage, and another for coffee filters, creamer, coffee stirs and various sweeteners. The hot chocolate supplies are stored in jars.
I keep the coffee basket on the top shelf since it is used least. We don’t drink hot chocolate year round, so once the jars are empty, they stay that way til the weather turns cool. And the tea storage basket is easily accessible for daily use.
Label Storage Containers
I labeled the baskets so that I can tell what’s in each one, and so that others know where to find what they’re looking for. Labeling also helps everyone return items to the proper place. Just be sure to use labels that works with your particular storage bin. Of course, you could also use clear storage bins and skip the labels.
Likewise, you don’t need to label a clear jar, but I kid you not when the marshmallow jar is empty, I forget what the jar is for. So, I labeled it.
The type of storage containers you use will depend on whether you prefer not have things out of sight or need to be able to easily see what you have. It’s totally a preference based on your organizing personality.
Storing Coffee and Tea Cups
My tea and coffee cups are stored in the adjacent cabinets, for easy accessibility.
Since it’s just Matt and me, I only keep four to six tea cups in our every day dishes cabinet. This number also works well when we’re entertaining since we have a limited number of coffee drinkers in the family. Extra mugs are stored next to the coffee basket if I need them.
Organize cups and mugs on cup hooks or shelf risers to make the most of your cabinet space.
You could also store cups on the counter on a tray with other coffee and tea accessories, or hang them on a mug tree.
Tea spoons are stored with the rest of the silverware in the drawer below the cabinet. Using a silverware organizer or other drawer organizers makes them easy to find.
The Benefits of a Beverage Station
The key to setting up a kitchen coffee and tea station is to organize it based on your needs and preferences.
I love having an area in my kitchen that serves our lifestyle so well. Having everything to set up a coffee bar for guests, or make hot tea in the mornings feels like a warm hug.
But, this occasion was such a kind reminder that mindful living isn’t just about me and how I organize: It’s also about being able to show up and meet people where they are, including being a big sister, one of my favorite roles ever.
For more organizing tips, read:
- How to Declutter and Organize Your Kitchen Like a Pro
- Home on Purpose: Mindful Living in a Hectic World
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