That settles it for me then. If the manual only lists mounting as an option and the flat surface thing is fine, I’ll keep mine where it is and leave the bracket in the box. Saves me from patching holes later if I move it to another room. The only thing I’d say is the cord placement matters more than I expected. Mine sits near the edge of the counter and I keep nudging it back so it doesn’t hang. Otherwise the freestanding setup has been simple enough that I don’t see a reason to change it now.
I’ve been using mine on a kitchen counter for a couple weeks now and it’s been fine there. The wall option seems more about saving space than anything. Does the manual actually say freestanding is unsafe, or just that mounting is available?