My kitchen is tiny. So tiny that guests will walk through it and ask, “Where’s the rest of it?” But I don’t let the size of my kitchen make me shy away from cooking! I’m a foodie, but most importantly, a foodie on a budget—so I cook most of my meals at home.
Why I Love Cooking
Over the years, I’ve fallen in love with cooking. I walk into my kitchen and the possibilities feel endless! My favourite way to cook is with no plan or recipe. In the kitchen there are no rules, and I love that. In school, work, and even my hobbies I always feel pressure to be creative in a certain way; but cooking is a different kind of creativity, and I can create without limitations!
And because I love cooking so much, I don’t let my small kitchen prevent me from cooking up a storm. Here are some of my favourite ways to use my space!
1. Stacking
Stacking is your best friend with a tiny kitchen. My kitchen is what some might call an organized mess. As soon as you walk into my space, you’re greeted by my microwave underneath my coffee maker, which is tucked up against my slow cooker, which has three cookbooks stacked neatly on top. Small kitchens usually don’t have room for much horizontal space, but what about vertical space? Start by stacking items that you don’t tend to grab as much, and then stack items that you frequently use together. Not only will you save space, but you’ll also know which stack to pull things from when you’re in a time crunch rather than running around trying to find your food processer or a cookbook.
2. Clean as You Go
Cleaning as you go is a crucial habit for cooking in a small space. You cannot use your space to its fullest potential with pots and food scrapes taking over half of your counter space! This tip is basic, but a total game changer.
3. Use ALL Your Space
Utilizing all your space is also a key component to enlarging your kitchen. Try placing a cutting board over your stove top or an open drawer. Use your kitchen table as a prep space or place one of your larger cutting boards over your sink to make extra counter space. Get creative. Just because it isn’t a countertop doesn’t mean it can’t function like one!
4. Look Up for Utensil Storage
Store your utensils up high! I’m very particular about where my utensils go. I recommend that anyone who does a lot of cooking in a small kitchen store their most used utensils, pots, and pans on hooks. If possible, a shallow cubby is a great space to store utensils. I find it very stressful to rifle through drawers in search of my whisk or a medium frying pan. By displaying a few of your most crucial cooking tools, you set yourself up for success!
Kitchen Appliances I Can Vouch For
Every birthday and holiday, it seems like a new kitchen appliance is at the top of my list! Here are some of my favourite kitchen appliances that are a must for those of us with limited space.
Mini Food Processor
A mini food processor is an essential! Not only is this contraption small, but it’s also a great tool for chopping up food quickly. It saves you so much counter space over clunky cutting boards.
Slow Cooker
Slow cookers solve all our problems, honestly. They’re a necessity for those who dread coming home and cooking dinner after their 9-to-5. Just pop in your ingredients in the morning, leave it for the day and boom, a hot meal to welcome you home!
Coffee Maker
A good ol’ coffee maker is a must for us downtowners—it’s just a way of life! I have both a coffee maker and an espresso maker, but coffee for me is a lifestyle more than a drink. I think a standard coffee maker is a necessity for all kitchens. Nowadays, they’re so compact they don’t take up much room in your kitchen.
Rolling Cart
While not exactly an appliance, a rolling cart is life-changing! I bought mine from Ikea for $35, but the amount of use I get out of it makes it priceless in my book. I mainly use it to store ingredients and utensils that I need while cooking but don’t have the counter space for. The best part is, once I am done with it I can roll it into a corner and it’s out of my way!
Got any other small kitchen tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments below!
