The kitchen is often regarded as the heart of the home. A place where memories are born and cherished for years to come. And while the majority of us would love to have a state-of-the-art professional kitchen with top of the line appliances and ample space for movement in our home, that usually isn’t the case. Sometimes we can be limited to a less than satisfactory amount of space and are forced to learn how to deal with it. Even when you think you’re utilizing all of the storage and counter space you can, there are usually still plenty of nooks and crannies to use as storage. That’s why we’ve reached out to the experts from Bedford to Sacramento to provide you with some creative ways to make the most of your tiny kitchen.
Focus on Mise en Place
Perhaps one of the biggest professional tips we can offer to make the most of your tiny kitchen is the concept of Mise en Place (MEEZ ahn plahs). Mise en place is a culinary term which means “everything in its place,” all of your ingredients should be measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. BEFORE you start cooking. – Kitchen on Fire
Take appliances into consideration
A kitchen functions around its appliances — both major appliances like your dishwasher and range, and portable kitchen appliances. You usually can’t move the major appliances, but sensible placement and storage of portable appliances can help you make the most of limited space. Take stock of the portable appliances you use in the course of a week and consider reserving counter space for those you use regularly, like a coffee maker or, if you bake frequently a stand mixer. A specialty appliance you use less often, like a bread maker, could be stored out of sight. If you frequently cook in a small kitchen, a multi-cooker can be a great space-saver, as they perform several cooking functions.- Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Tip number one: To kick your significant other or kids out the kitchen order CHEF NEDRA. Tip number two: Buy a crockpot if you don’t have one. It’s gonna save you a ton of time. You can put simple recipes in there and just let them go and not have to even stand in the kitchen and cook. just chop everything and throw it in a crockpot and be on your way. – Chef Nedra Harris
Invest in a deep-set farmhouse sink
For a small kitchen, a deep-set farmhouse or apron-front sink that sits directly in the counter is not only a practical option but a stylish one as well. You can add a new faucet that’s tall and curved to add more space in your sink. This way, you don’t have to struggle to watch your larger items like cutting boards or pots. – Best Online Cabinets
Decrease your movement stations
Walk yourself through the tasks you do in the kitchen throughout the day and create areas that make it possible to do them in fewer steps. A morning station where you keep coffee, tea, mugs, and kettle, etc. all in a tight location means less running around. Streamline your stations. – The Kitchen Natural
Keep your spices fresh and organized
So many of us have no idea how old their spices are and what goes in our spice racks or drawers never comes out. When you purchase spices at the grocery store bring along a pen and write the date on the label before you even add it to your cart. Spices age and need to be replenished periodically. Here is a rough guide to how long they last:
Dried herbs: 1-2 years
Ground spices: 2-3 years
Whole spices: 3 – 4 years
The easy test is to smell them. If you can’t smell them they are too old and will not add anything to your cooking. Toss them and replace them. Store in a cool dark cupboard or drawer to maximize their life. I like to organize in alphabetical order, making it easy to find what you need quickly. – Something New for Dinner
We love storing spices in glass jars – (we use 125ml or 250ml mason jars that can be stacked on top of each other) – that makes your spices much more accessible – you can see what is in the jar, label the lid if you wish to, and not get lost in a bag of old spices in the back of the cupboard! – Roni’s Kitchen
Hang your pots and pans
One great way to make the most out of a small kitchen is to buy a hanging pot rack. This will allow you to make more space for storing your pots and pans by utilizing the space either on your wall or from your ceiling. You’ll then still have room in your cabinets and on your countertops for other kitchen appliances and household items.- Simple Showing
Choose stackable cooking equipment
There are multiple ways to organize the contents of your kitchen cabinet to maximize use-of-space. One really great thing to declutter your kitchen cabinets is to be sure that your cooking equipment is stackable. In doing so, you’ll both know how to store your kitchenware efficiently, and how to save space on the counter to be used as often as you like in a variety of ways: with canisters, coffee makers, dish racks, and more. – Kitchen Remodel Ideas
Incorporate an island
If your space allows for it, buy an island! I like this option because it also doubles as our kitchen table, allows you to have lots of extra storage space and it also adds a significant amount of counter space for cooking and prep. 2) If you have an extra closet that isn’t being used for anything you could always turn it into your pantry. I liked this option because you can turn an unused space into something really useful and awesome. This is a pretty inexpensive option, all you need to do is grab two metal shelves and stack them together and tada you have a shelf ready for all your food. – Restaurateur Connection
Take advantage of extra prep space
I recommend for anyone with a small kitchen to use an under-counter sheet pan rack with a prep top and locking casters. The incredible amount of storage space these types of racks provide is maximized by an almost infinite way to space the sheet pans. These racks also provide an out-of-the-way place to stack sheet pans when they come out of the oven for cooling rather than taking up precious counter and cooktop space. The prep top should be made of sanitary thermoplastic and be easy to remove for cleaning. When planning a remodel, creating a place to park the rack under a countertop is a bonus that should not be overlooked! – Volo Chef
Convert your stovetop into an extra prep space. Simply place a cutting board on a large tray over your stove burners – just make sure the tray is stable to prevent an accident! Your pantry doesn’t need to be restricted to the kitchen. Have a spare room with an empty closet? Use it to store extra pantry staples you don’t have space for in your tiny kitchen. – Cook it Here
