Getting the Most Out of Your Limited Kitchen

November 30, 2010 // Posted in: Home Design

If you live in a small apartment or smaller designed house you might have a somewhat cramped kitchen. Many of us are all too used to such constricted conditions as an open oven door blocking the path through the kitchen, or a refrigerator door not being able to open all the way. These design flaws are commonplace and there are ways to make it work. Here are some tips on optimizing your smaller-than-ideal kitchen.

When cooking, review what appliances can get the job done. If using the oven clogs your kitchen’s walking area or overheats the room too easily try to avoid baking smaller items. Perhaps, a toaster oven could do the trick for smaller items. Most toaster ovens have bake and broil functions which work surprisingly well, if the food you intend to cook is on a smaller scale. Sautéing foods might leave you with more room to spin around to your countertop and do your cutting, preparing, etc.



Try buying large plastic containers to store pasta, cereal, and snacks that can be easily stowed away in cabinets so that boxes of each aforementioned product don’t pile up and clog what might otherwise be apt locations to place appliances or kitchen tools.

Stack the microwave on top of the refrigerator if possible, or even in a pantry. Microwaves typically don’t require a lot of space and don’t emit a lot of external heat like ovens, toasters, toaster ovens, or grill plates do. It’s safe to store it in the pantry or on top of the fridge.

If you are strapped for space on the counters and in cabinets because of the presence of pots, pans, and griddles then try hanging them from hooks on the ceilings or walls. Some people don’t have the necessary ceiling height to make this work, but for those who do it opens up much needed space and looks attractive as well.

Keep it clean! This is a virtue that goes for many rooms in the home, but especially the kitchen. Making sure that your dishes are clean and out of the sink (assuming you don’t have a dishwasher) is absolutely vital to an open and clean atmosphere in a small kitchen. Making sure you don’t leave random items out on the counter or in the path of the cooks (that’s you!). Keeping a clean space is key.

So if you have a small kitchen, don’t fret. You can make it work and cooking and entertaining can be done with ease if you follow these steps. Now, let’s talk about that countertop…