Receptacles installed in a dwelling unit kitchen to serve countertop surfaces shall be supplied by not fewer than _____ small-appliance branch circuits.

• A. One
• B. Two
• C. Three
• D. Four

Answer: (B)

Two small-appliance branch circuits are required to serve countertop receptacles in a dwelling kitchen. This setup gives enough simultaneous capacity for common countertop appliances (toaster, coffee maker, blender, microwave, etc.) and helps prevent overloading a single circuit when several appliances are used at once. The code requires these receptacles to be supplied by at least two 20-amp small-appliance branch circuits, and these circuits are dedicated to countertop outlets to keep high-load kitchen appliances from being tied to lighting or other non-kitchen outlets. In practice, having two circuits reduces nuisance tripping and provides a practical margin for typical kitchen use, which is why two is the minimum.