Small kitchens can be challenging to work in, especially when preparing meals for large groups or hosting parties. You need everything to be within easy reach, and you don’t want to be squeezing past other people while cooking. You’d like more space, but a total kitchen redesign may be out of your price range. So, how can you strike a balance?
The answer is that small kitchens can be made larger by making a few tweaks and downsizing in a few areas. Here are some suggestions for making the most of your little kitchen area so that everyone can cook without sacrificing. Take a look at these methods just below.
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More Storage Space
Install lazy susans and pull-out shelves in your cabinets to ensure that all of your spices, herbs, and crockery are conveniently accessible in a small space. You’ll be able to roll them out without having to be right in front of the cabinet, and you’ll have more storage space than you can reach with your hands in the cabinet. It’s simple, quick, and doesn’t necessitate the purchase of new cabinets.
Built-in Cabinets
Built-in cabinets are a great way to save room in the kitchen while also avoiding bashing your head. They’ll be long and tall, but a little thinner. Additional shelf can even be cut out of the wall itself by a cabinet professional. That way, you’ll get the most out of your area while still getting the most out of your storage. Underneath the counters, a sink, or an island are all possibilities for built-in cabinets. Rather than making room for extra storage, they should make room for it.
Decrease Sink Size
Sinks can be used to wash vegetables, meat, fruits, and tableware. They do not, however, need to be as enormous as they are frequently when installed in kitchens, particularly tiny ones. To reduce counter space, consider replacing your huge sink with a smaller one. You’ll still be able to wash veggies and meat in the sink, plus there’s an even better equipment for dishwashing: a dishwasher.
A Pull-out Countertop Extension
If you need more countertop area for preparing meats, pastries, or other supper dishes, a pull-out countertop can be added beneath the counter’s edge to be used as needed. That way, you can maximize your kitchen area while also having more prep room. It will take a countertop professional to install this, but it won’t take as long as a remodel and won’t require you to be out of the kitchen.
Replacing Appliances With Smaller Alternatives
Large equipment, such as stoves, ovens, ranges, dishwashers, and refrigerators, take up a lot of room and might crowd out other objects in a tiny kitchen. You could be better off replacing some of these with smaller equivalents. If you don’t need to do dishes frequently, a smaller dishwasher may be preferable. Consider a smaller refrigerator if you don’t need a lot of groceries at once. The same is true if you don’t use stoves, ovens, or ranges very often. Installing a built-in microwave above your range is one of the greatest microwave solutions since it saves counter space without sacrificing kitchen convenience.
Simplify Serve-ware
You can get by with just one set of dinnerware – white, which goes with any dish and looks wonderful on open shelving and complements every event. They also recommend selecting a cutting board that is both useful and attractive so that it may be left out on the counter; use one side for cutting and the other for serving.
Choose Items That Have More Than One Use
Mason jars are a great example because they can be used as drinking glasses as well as food storage, eliminating the need for large plastic containers. Perhaps a Vitamix, which not only functions as a juicer but also eliminates the need for a separate blender, mixer, and food processor.
Use Lists And Apps
Keep a running grocery list on a pad next to the refrigerator. Instead of merely writing down what you’ve emptied, concentrate on what you’re about to run out of—nothing there’s worse than requiring a cup of milk for a recipe and just having the bottom of the bottle. Cornell University’s FoodKeeper app, for example, may help you keep track of when your foods are nearing the end of their shelf life and need to be replaced, as well as provide helpful food storage advice.
