How To Properly Deal With A Small Kitchen Space: Clever Ideas
By: John Garcia | Date Posted: October 6, 2021
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Do you want to deal with a small kitchen space? Everyone craves their personal space. Sure, some people may be fine with even the tiniest of studio apartments, but if youâre one of those people who needs at least a bit of wiggle room to spread out, being forced to live in a small apartment space can present serious problems for your quality of life. However, there are ways to make do with living in smaller spaces so you donât have to feel cramped all the time. Here are just some ideas on how to properly deal with a small kitchen and maintain a great place for cooking and living:
Choosing the right appliances
When it comes to appliances that you need in your tiny apartment or a house, itâs important to choose the right ones that will allow you to prepare sufficient amounts of food without worrying about too much splattering on cook surfaces. The most popular alternatives to actual ovens are small toaster ovens, which allow for small meals but do not take up unnecessary space. Some microwaves can make enough food for one person at a time.
Small refrigerators that can even fit under counters are also great options for storing enough food without taking up too much space. The right appliances may also include blenders, mixers, and microwaves that are not too big for your small kitchen.
Another thing to have in mind when picking the right kitchen appliances is to pick the multi-purpose items whenever possible. Maybe itâs time to say goodbye to your bread maker but hello to an electric pressure cooker â they can be used for cooking rice, quinoa, beans, making oatmeal or soup, and even steaming vegetables or fish. The best thing about them is that not only do they take up less space on the countertops but they also allow for quick cooking times so they help save energy as well.
Maximizing your small kitchenâs storage space
One of the major problems small kitchens face is a small cabinet and shelf area, making it impossible for you to store all of your pots and pans and cooking equipment. However, there are many places where you can store these items that may not be immediately apparent. For example, utilizing wall space to its fullest means that you can put up hooks on the walls so you can hang some other pots and pans from them while leaving other cabinet rooms clear.
Other than this possibility, you can also make use of small cupboards and drawers to store small appliances like mixers, blenders, griddles, small microwaves, etc which can be tucked under the cabinets. The pull-out drawers, while not too popular in many kitchens, are also good storage options for small appliances that can be tucked away when not in use. For pots and pans, you can also consider wall-mounted racks that can be installed on the walls for easy access and to make more room on the countertops.
Putting everything in its proper place
One of the first steps towards making your small kitchen space more functional is by putting all of the items where they need to go; this means not throwing things willy-nilly into cabinets but putting them away properly. Call it OCD if you want, but at least then things are organized and you wonât stub your toe on an errant mixing bowl or some other essential item that was left out (or worse yet â put away haphazardly). The more things are in their right places, the less you have to search for them when you need them.
This is especially important for kitchen appliances. You canât expect your countertops to remain clutter-free if you just leave a blender out on the surface simply because itâs handy and youâre going to use it next. Keep all items you are not using at the moment in their proper storage spaces, otherwise, you will lose the advantage of having a small kitchen in the first place.
Get rid of unnecessary items
You may have a lot of things in your small kitchen that you donât need or use anymore. Maybe itâs time to do a little spring cleaning and get rid of the items that are just taking up space in your cabinets. Remember â the more space available, the better. The rule for this applies mostly to appliances because if there is no way youâll ever use an item like a bread maker again (and youâre not going to give it away) then why keep it around?
If youâre tight on storage space, then hold off on purchasing new appliances until youâve gotten rid of all the unnecessary and unused ones. Make sure to sell them or donate them so other people can make use of them as well and not just add to your clutter.
Clean up everything right after using it
One of the biggest problems with a small kitchen is that thereâs simply not enough space for everything. This means that if you have a lot of people in your household, then it will be difficult to avoid this problem. However, there are ways to prevent it from becoming too much of a hassle â which involves cleaning up as soon as youâre done using something or cooking. If you leave dirty dishes on the table until the morning after breakfast, then expect them to pile up and take up more space than they should.
Plus, by cleaning up right away, you make sure to keep the countertops clear and neat because nobody wants a dirty stove or sink to deal with when they prepare their next meal. Creating this habit can save you a lot of time and effort because you wonât have to spend thirty minutes looking for an onion chopper that is buried underneath dirty dishes, or doing dishes in the middle of preparing your meal.
A small kitchen can pose a problem to someone who wants to cook and prepare meals for his or her family. However, there are many ways how one can properly deal with such space. Some of the tricks mentioned above will surely help you deal with a small kitchen smartly by saving time and energy and preventing potential accidents. It is now up to you to put these tips to good use and effectively make the most out of your kitchen space.
Thank you for reading!
