you have dilemma. You love to cook and eat, but you don't have the space in the kitchen to prepare meals. Seriously, it's like gerbil furniture.you did it Just declare all hope lost and justify eating out day and night. But you and I both know that it's much healthier and cheaper to cook your own food.
As someone who lives in New York City, I know a thing or two about small kitchens. Over the years, my colleagues and I have tested various furniture and other kitchen appliances to make cooking in small spaces easier (and healthier). Be sure to check out our other buying guides, including the Best Cookbooks, Best Chef Knives, and Best Pots and Pans.
Updated March 2024: Added Umbra Tug paper towel holder, Oxo spatula set, Le Creuset Revolution scraping spoon, and PUR faucet water filter.
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Maximize your storage space
A magnet is hidden beneath this wooden wall-mounted bar to store your knife. This means the knife blade won't chip or become dull like an all-metal rod would. Do not use countertop knife blocks. Not only will it take up space on your counter, but your knife will quickly become sharp.
Photo: Amazon
Mounting these pots and pans on the wall frees up valuable drawer and cabinet space. This bamboo and aluminum rack can hold up to 30 pounds, but my rack was very sturdy and sturdy, even with a full set of stainless steel cookware and cast iron skillets. If you want to mount it to drywall instead of studs, get an EZ anchor. If you don't have space for shelves, hanging bars keep your skillets, pots, and woks out of the way.
If you don't have enough drawer space, store your cookware in ceramic containers. It has enough space to store all your spoons, spatulas, and tongs, and comes in several colors. A 1-quart version is also available for $35.
Photo: Amazon
WIRED critic Julian Cioccatu lives in New York City and has seen his fair share of tiny kitchens. He has been using this SimpleHuman wall paper towel holder for years without any problems. He can be attached to drywall using a few simple screws (if you rent, it's easier to use sparkle in the holes). Changing rolls is also very easy. Why take up valuable counter space with a paper towel holder when you can install a paper towel holder instead? If you prefer a countertop solution, I recommend this His Umbra Tug Holder ($17) I've been using it for years. The weighted base and rubber-coated stem make it easy to tear off small amounts with one hand.
Photo: Amazon
Do you have limited space in your refrigerator? Replacing your pitcher filter with a faucet-mounted filter will free up a lot of space on your refrigerator shelf. The sales literature says it can filter 100 gallons, which means you can use it for about 3 months before needing a replacement filter. You can purchase a 2-pack of PUR filter replacements for $25.I often cook at home a lot Coffee uses about half as much as coffee, so filters tend to last about half that, but given that they remove potential contaminants from food and drinking water, it's important to replace filters regularly. Well worth it. A color-coded light illuminates each time you run the filter, so you know when it's time to replace it. The previous model lasted him more than seven years, and the replacement model he bought last month looks much the same.
Photo: Stove shelf
WIRED Reviews Editor Julian Cioccatu has been using StoveShelf for over a year and loves it. It's a smart way to save space on your counter and is easy to clean. This is a metal plate with a magnet on the bottom that sticks to the top of the stove, making it very easy to install. You need to make sure that this part of your stove is metal, not plastic, and that there are no buttons or switches (such as oven lights) that could be blocked. The rear guard prevents objects from falling into the gap between the stove and the wall. You want to avoid putting cooking oil in there.
Photo: Amazon
No need to use valuable counter space to store fresh fruits and vegetables. Remove tomatoes, potatoes, and stone fruits from the refrigerator to reclaim prep space for knife handling and mixing bowls.
This was purchased in 2022 by WIRED magazine reviews editor Julian Cioccatu. This pantry storage system does take up some floor space, but if it can swing it can save a lot of counter space, making it especially great for people with limited cabinetry. It's a bit daunting at first since there are a million pieces in it. It took Julian about 4 hours to complete without any problems. But in the year he's been using it, it's working perfectly and helping reduce clutter in the kitchen. The door closes magnetically. Simply measure the height of your shelves to see if your spices and other pantry items will fit.
Photo: Gneiss Spice
Instead of using a wall-mounted spice rack, WIRED reviewer Laurin Strampe sticks magnetic spice jars to her refrigerator. She likes her Gneiss Spice, which comes in several ready-made kits. She also allows you to specify the spices you would like.
Consolidate (and downsize) your cookware
Dutch ovens replace some disposable pots and machines. I've used it to steam oysters, slow-cook stews, and barbecue. The durable, non-stick enamelled surface requires less effort than bare cast iron, but I prefer non-enameled for baking bread.
Photo: Amazon
Forget about the Keurig or Mr. Coffee that takes up counter space even when idle. AeroPress allows you to make better-tasting coffee, then rinse it and store it in your drawer. We also like the Hario Pour-Over Coffee Dripper ($28) and the Freeling 23 Fluid Ounce Stainless Steel French Press ($120). I've used both for years. It never wears out and makes great coffee.
Photo: Amazon
How often do you use your quesadilla maker or steamer? One multicooker can replace multiple dedicated machines. Not only does it function as a pressure cooker, steamer, sauté pan, rice cooker, yogurt maker, food warmer, and slow cooker, it has 13 customizable settings for pressure cooking everything from beans to soups to chicken. Read our best multicooker guide for more recommendations.
Photo: Amazon
These silicone Oxo spatulas come in three different sizes. All are non-stick and had no problem sticking to even the stickiest of doughs. It's never slipped out of my hands thanks to its incredibly non-slip surface.
Photo: Amazon
Many recipes require you to scrape the bottom of your pan or Dutch oven to remove all the delicious bits of caramelized and stuck-on ingredients, but you have a choice in what you remove. and Limited to some extent. Metal spoons can scratch the finish of cast iron or nonstick pans. Plastic is too smooth for the job. Embrace the beech wood revolution. Hard enough to scrub, yet won't damage delicate pots and pans. Yes, it's expensive, but the ergonomic handle is comfortable for long cooking hours. Also, thanks to the flat end, I never encountered a sticky layer that I couldn't release from the bottom of the pan.
Photo: Target
Countertop stand mixers are powerful kitchen tools, but they take up a lot of valuable space. Instead, consider a hand mixer that can be stored in a cabinet or drawer. Although it can't handle the thickest doughs powerfully, you'll have no trouble mixing chocolate chip cookie dough and Irish soda bread dough using this KitchenAid hand mixer, and it's fast enough to make whipped cream. Rotate.
You don't need that many knives. Ditch the 10-inch knife set. An 8-inch or 9-inch chef's knife, a small paring knife, a bread knife, and perhaps a few specialty blades will suffice. This versatile chef knife is recommended as a top choice by most people in our chef knife buying guides, thanks to its ability to retain its edge and near-stick surface.
Photo: Great Jones Goods
WIRED reviewer Lauryn Strampe cooks most of her meals in this pot, which is a combination skillet, frying pan, and sauté pan. “No particular part shines more than others,” she says. “But it's durable, heats evenly, and the stainless steel surface cleans easily in the dishwasher.”
Photo: Source Amazon
If you don't have enough prep space to safely handle a knife, you can use a food processor to slice or dice up to 3 cups of ingredients at a time. WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano loves using her sauce to make fresh pasta sauce.
Adding a prepared surface
Cutting boards take up a lot of space during meal preparation. Buy one that's made to fit over your sink, like this solid maple cutting board. Hardwoods are more susceptible to knife blades than bamboo.
Photo: IKEA
Attaching a drop-leaf table to a nearby wall frees up space in the center of your kitchen, making it easier to walk around. Not only does it provide a place to eat, it also has 20 x 36 inches of additional counter space that can be moved down and away when not in use.
Photo: Amazon
Burner covers add space to your cooktop by making room for additional cutting boards and utensils. This bamboo workstation can cover half of your stove. To have a continuous, flat surface for all four burners, get two.
Photo: Wayfair
If you have a small kitchen, use a rolling kitchen cart that is 36 inches (91 centimeters) wide or less. For example, this cart is just under 30 inches (76 centimeters) wide. It has a sturdy butcher block top, 3 hooks for oven mitts or hanging tools, and a locking wheel. You can tuck it into a corner of your kitchen and push the casters out when you need more counter space.
How to move around the kitchen
Photo: Photoguns/Getty Images
Here are some tips from WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson, who spent six years in the restaurant industry and knows how to navigate small cooking spaces.
