Coping Strategies for Small Kitchens

[Anna N]

While there are many, many mentions of strategies for coping in small kitchens, I have been unable to find a topic that is exclusively dedicated to sharing ideas on how to maximize space in a small kitchen.

We have had a topic challenging us to brag about the miniscule kitchens we own (link) and the Japanese forum is filled with ideas for maximizing space but I think a topic that brings all of our ideas together would be great.

The incentive for starting this topic is this:

It’s been the best thing I have found to make life much easier in my kitchen which is by no means as small as many that have been displayed in various places on eGullet. The shelf is from IKEA and the cost was considerably less than $100.00. It practically freed up the largest cabinet in my kitchen.

And this:

Hubby “liberated” some rare earth magnets (extremely strong!) from discarded computer hard drives and I attached 3M hooks to some of them and now I am no longer scrambling in over-stuffed drawers to find my measuring cups and oft-used utensils.

So how about it? Short of a complete renovation what have you done to make the best use of the little space you have? Where possible provide brands/links and cost for your purchased solution.

Edited to fix photo and text.

Edited September 17, 2008 by Anna N (log)

[Fat Guy]

I think you've hit upon two huge, critical strategies: pot racks and wall mounting. If you have limited space, these are tremendously efficient ways to utilize it. Once you start trying to put pots in cabinets or on regular shelves, you eat up so much space. I have relatively high ceilings, so I use ceiling-mounted pot racks that hang down enough that lids can go on top of the grid. I also have no wall space that could accommodate a pegboard, grid system or a whole lot of wall hooks -- but I wish I did.

A couple of smaller strategies: use square containers rather than round ones, and get various cabinet-organizer things that allow you to utilize the full interior height and depth of shelves.

[weinoo]

Interestingly enough, I have done some similar things with my small Manhattan galley kitchen. Same shelves from Ikea, which I use to store my pots and pans. Along with these bars (they're called Grundtal in Ikea terms), which go for under $10 a piece, and a whole slew of hooks, I'm able to hang lots of kitchen tools, and everything is within easy reach when needed.

Of course, I still want more space, as I tend to acquire lots of stuff .

[jfield]

Good thread. We've recently moved to a new town and are renting for a year before we decide if we really want to live here, long term. As a result, we have a wee little kitchen. SpaceSavers has helped quite a bit. I've gotten some under shelf shelves: http://www.spacesavers.com/unshelbas.html and some expandable shelf organizers: http://www.spacesavers.com/ms-expandable-shelf.html

I also got a wee step stool at Target, and now I use my very top shelves (never did before--too short and plenty of cabinets:-)

Love the idea of using the side of the fridge for "gadgets." Might be using that one in the near future...

[Anna N]

I think you've hit upon two huge, critical strategies: pot racks and wall mounting. If you have limited space, these are tremendously efficient ways to utilize it. Once you start trying to put pots in cabinets or on regular shelves, you eat up so much space. I have relatively high ceilings, so I use ceiling-mounted pot racks that hang down enough that lids can go on top of the grid. I also have no wall space that could accommodate a pegboard, grid system or a whole lot of wall hooks -- but I wish I did.

A couple of smaller strategies: use square containers rather than round ones, and get various cabinet-organizer things that allow you to utilize the full interior height and depth of shelves.

←

I already KNEW that a pot rack would be the answer but could never find one that would actually work in my kitchen. I don't have high ceilings or an island and so it seemed that a pot rack was simply not a viable option. Then an IKEA catalogue arrived on our doorstep and I saw this shelf. It wasn't serving as a pot rack but only as a shelf but somehow my feeble mind made the leap and in not time at all we were at IKEA checking out the possibilities.

I am considering putting a simple rod beneath the shelf to hold small utensils but it's getting crowded over there.

[Anna N]

. . .

Of course, I still want more space, as I tend to acquire lots of stuff  .

←

YES! I think the greatest strategy of all is to stop acquiring things! But it ain't gonna happen here.

[nakji]

I've been dealing with less-than-ideal kitchens for the past couple of years. In Vietnam, my kitchen didn't even have hot running water (and on some days, it didn't have any running water. )

My kitchen in Japan is quite small, since I live in an apartment that's only meant for short-term residents who don't - well- own stuff. I had it worse last fall when I basically cooked in a closet, but this kitchen isn't much better. I have a two-ring gas burner, but I recently bought a table-top burner to increase my cooking capacity.

The most important coping strategy I've learnt is organization and planning.

Here's my fridge:

It comes up to my waist. It's meant for single young men who live off of combini food and tall-tin Asahi. I could get by fine with it if there were shops nearby for daily shopping, but there aren't. I have to pick things up as I go about my day at various stations, or get random vegetables from my neighborhood vegetable stand. So, every Sunday, I sit down with a notebook and make a plan for the week, based on where I'll be on which day, what nights we might be planning to eat out, and what vegetables are in season and likely to be cheap and available. I've commenced colour-tabbing my cook books by season, so I can quickly flip through looking for recipes that are appropriate to what comes home.

When things come home and go into the fridge, I put a reminder note up on the "info centre" so I can remember what's in there - since space is precious, I don't have room for moldering leftovers. That's also where requests and shopping lists go, or recipes/ideas I have for future meals. Next to the fridge, we have separated bins for all of our non-standard garbage - it all has to be washed, so I don't mind the bins being open. "Burnable" garbage gets its own lidded bin located next to the chopping space next to the work station, so scraps can be flicked in directly with the knife.

Luckily, the floor space of the kitchen was reasonable, so we were able to bring home a work station from Ikea. All prep happens here, since the "counter" - the one square foot of space next to the sink, that is to say, is too low even for a short person like me to use comfortably. The shelves below the main prep area are storage for all of my bento equipment. When I plan the week's meals, I also plan how they'll be converted into lunch each following day. Then leftovers get packed into the bentos if possible, or into plastic containers if not, and then into the fridge. Then when I get up the next morning, bentos are packed right away, without me having to move around too much. I have implemented a "Just In Time" inventory system in my kitchen

We're not allowed to wall mount anything, so we haven't been able to put up storage shelves. That's been ok, since I only really own four pots, and right now they all fit happily under the sink - so non-acquisition of stuff is a big help for us. Right now I'm trying to justify buying a donabe, but storage space is an issue for that - if it doesn't do more than one duty, it's hard to find a place for it in the kitchen.

Utensils all go on s hooks that have been hung on the drying rack. The drying rack hangs over the sink, and came with the apartment. Without it, working would be a lot more difficult.

All in all, this is the best kitchen I've ever had, mainly because I've been able to set up the work station to my specs. The small size to some extent works in its favour, since I don't have to move around too much to accomplish what I need doing.

[jgm]

I have created space in the garage, in Rubbermaid tubs, for items not used often. They contain seasonal baking pans, serving trays, and other large items I use less than twice a year. That's helped tremendously. I will probably also make a list of the items there, since some are new and I may not remember that I bought them. I also have acquired some units with plastic drawers, that can be found in office supply and discount stores, for infrequently-used items. They are in the laundry room, which is next to the kitchen.

I also have a real shortage of wall space, and the kitchen is so narrow (we call it a "one-butt" kitchen) that if I hung a pot rack from the ceiling, I couldn't open the doors to the upper cabinets.

One of my strategies is to weed out, weed out, weed out. I will move some things seasonally. Our cabinets contain large glasses but few mugs in the summer, and more mugs but fewer large glasses in the winter. The out-of-season items are stored elsewhere in the house. I think there's nothing wrong with acquiring new kitchen toys, but I do think it's a good idea to decide where you're going to put them before you purchase them, and perhaps even to decide which item(s) they're going to replace.

I saw an idea on the Martha Stewart website that I'm planning on using in the future, if necessary. Divided storage for cookie sheets and other large, flat items can be created by installing spring-tension curtain rods vertically between two shelves. I believe they used two, one about a foot behind the other, to create each divider. Probably the reason I remember the idea so well is that it's one of the few fairly inexpensive ideas to come out of her company.

Another idea that someone might be able to use is one I use for craft supply storage. I bought an over-the-door towel rack, usually used in bathrooms, and I slip one of the rods through the "handle" of large binder clips, then clip the items up. (In some cases, the binder clips are attached to the rod with binder rings, so that they'll face the direction I want them to. I can take pictures if anyone wants to see what I'm talking about.) This could be used for small items that could be placed in ziploc bags. Or large s-hooks could be used for kitchen utensils.

I also like the new Oxo containers for storage of rice, chocolate chips, crackers, etc. They probably don't save any space, but they make things look so much neater. I use a Vis-a-Vis pen to write the expiration date of the contents on the bottom of the container.

Additionally, I use rectangular trays, such as the Rubbermaid trays that link together to store office supplies (but I don't link them), for things such as cupcake papers, bottles of extract, etc., and when I'm looking for something, I simply pull the tray out. It keeps little things from getting lost, and everything from looking like a tornado hit when I'm frantically looking for something. Lazy susans are also good for storing spice containers, but everybody probably knows that already.

[Fat Guy]

Here are my ramshackle pot racks:

You can also see the dusty top of the refrigerator, topped by three Cambro storage bins in the same color as the fridge -- these hold all our potatoes, onions, tomato-sauce products . . .

[paulraphael]

It’s been the best thing I have found to make life much easier in my kitchen which is by no means as small as many that have been displayed in various places on eGullet.  The shelf is from IKEA ... 

Hubby “liberated” some rare earth magnets (extremely strong!) from discarded computer hard drives ....

I've got a big kitchen and I'd be lost without a pot rack and wall mounting.

I love the idea of the magnets from the hard drives. Those things are mighty. I've mostly used them as toys, but this post has the wheels turning ...

[nakji]

Watching "Top Chef" recently has opened my eyes to how small many professional kitchens are, making me feel a lot better about the limited space I work in. However, I need some new "small-space" coping strategies in my new kitchen in China. Which, tragically, is even smaller than the one I had in Japan. The main problem: the cupboards are basically unusable due to dampness/mold problems.

First, I've a counter-top rubbish bin for food prep that I empty out each evening. The space under my sinks is unusable, and there's not enough floor space to have a big bin going, so I've adopted the "garbage bowl" principle. It works.

I also installed some of those bars from Ikea for spice storage. I've got a cupboard unit from Ikea as well for dry goods storage, which I've left against an indoor wall in my dining room. I've also got a counter-top rice bin near the range to keep my rices dry.

However, I have a large collection of oil, sauces, and vinegars that won't fit in the fridge that have to be left on the counter, and I think they're driving my husband mad. How do I corral them? The oil jugs in particular are quite large - about 3l each.

[rooftop1000]

IF you have room elsewhere in the apartment for the large bottles you could buy attractive bottles (or drink lots of wine) and decant everything into similar bottles and label them, and maybe place them on a lazy susan like an art piece

tracey

[Mjx]

I'm just rigorous about not having anything in the kitchen that isn't strictly necessary, and have managed to politely convince friends and family to not give 'because you love to cook' presents.

Our kitchen is smallish and I'd dearly love to hang things on the walls, but because the kitchen is narrow (I think this is the reason), anytime I saute or fry something, the entire middle third of the kitchen and a bit beyond tends to be hit by oil vapour, even if I use a spaltter screen, and the idea of having to wipe down half the kitchen utensils on a daily basis makes me wilt.

[Kouign Aman]

nakji, can you get a narrow short ikea cupboard and put it on the counter where all the bottles are now,

then store the bottles in that? At least it hides them from view.

With a small saw of any kind, ikea stuff can be quite easily customized to height.

Or use baskets? (yeah, not awesome w heavy things like bottles, but if he's going mad...)

The cupboards cant be bleached and dried and lined w bins? Oh bummer!

Its possible to buy room dessicants - usually used in closets to keep clothes from molding, but if no children to get confused and drink the stuff, they would work ok in kitchen too.

We dont have a tiny kitchen but still we find it necessary to store the roasting pan, filled with other awkward items, in the oven.

Shelves in dish cupboard are set to minimum heights needed for clearance to get things in and out. This took a bit of time and a small drillbit, but doubled the capacity of the mugs/glasses storage space.

[nakji]

The cupboards cant be bleached and dried and lined w bins? Oh bummer!

Its possible to buy room dessicants - usually used in closets to keep clothes from molding, but if no children to get confused and drink the stuff, they would work ok in kitchen too.

We've tried desiccants and repeated cleanings; and even applications of fungicide; it doesn't matter. The quality of the building is not to code, shall we say - and Suzhou is built on water, so the damp is pervasive. The other (amusing) problem with the kitchen is that the counters aren't level - they're sunk in in some places, so putting something level on them causes tipping.

Actually, now that I'm describing this, I wonder why I love the kitchen at all? It must be the view.

[rarerollingobject]

However, I have a large collection of oil, sauces, and vinegars that won't fit in the fridge that have to be left on the counter, and I think they're driving my husband mad. How do I corral them? The oil jugs in particular are quite large - about 3l each.

I have this problem too..it doesn't reduce their counterspace footprint THAT much, but I keep my bottles in a wide bamboo steamer, the normal Chinese kind, just standing up in it. I have one maybe 25cm across and you'd be surprised how many bottles fit into it, snugly. This not only keeps them corralled into a compacted mass that is surprisingly easy to pull things out and fit them back into, but means they're not sitting ON the countertop getting grotty with drips etc.

It has also reduced the number of times I've turned around in my tiny kitchen and knocked a tall bottle of fish sauce off the counter to smash all over the floor to nil.

[nakji]

Nothing like getting that fish sauce smell out, either. A steamer is an intriguing idea. I was thinking about getting a plastic basin or something, but a steamer would be more organic looking. To go with the decor of my kitchen: Early Street Noodle Stand.

[andiesenji]

I'm bumping this topic up because I came across this exceptionally tiny kitchen while doing a "Stumble" search in the Food/Cooking topic.(lots of fun sites)

and you thought you had a small kitchen! My pantry is larger than his entire apartment,

Tiniest Kitchen Ever? Jack's Micro Home

[baroness]

IKEA has a number of tiny home layouts on display; it is amazing what careful planning and ruthless editing can produce.

[dcarch]

I think you've hit upon two huge, critical strategies: pot racks and wall mounting. -----------

I disagree.

Pot racks and wall mounting really waste a huge amount of volumne.

You save a lot of space by stacking the pots into each other.

Spatulas, stirrers, use up a lot less space in drawers.

Cabinets with shelves stores the most.

dcarch