Just because you have a small kitchen doesn’t necessarily mean you have to compromise on what you put in it. You just need to be smarter about organizing. Read on to find out how you can store your kitchen items to maximize space, and discover gadgets that will help you make the most of your kitchen.
Create a Work Flow
Before you start to organize, stop and think about how you use your kitchen. Do you tend to cook in a certain area? Do you use the counter to store bills? Is it a place where you socialize? You’ll want to set up your kitchen to meet all of your needs.
Create and organize areas according to how you use them. Store your cooking utensils and items where you chop, prep, and cook. If you use a separate area for baking, organize all of your baking items together in that area. Likewise if you need a coffee area or bar. If your counters become a catch-all for bills and other personal items, use baskets or shelving attached to the wall to keep things nice and tidy where you tend to dump them.
Once you’ve decided how your kitchen should be organized, it’s time to clean and sort. Use the following handy tips and tricks to help you.
Tips for Cleaning and Sorting Items
A good rule of thumb to follow is: if you haven’t used it in over a year, you’re likely to never use it again. Get rid of those items. Donate them to your local Goodwill, or a friend or family member who might need it.
Have multiples of several items, such as can openers, cheese graters, or spatulas? Narrow it down to one or two that you frequently use. Donate the others.
Small appliances, such as crock-pots, juicers, and bread machines, that you use infrequently, do not need to be stored in the kitchen. Keep them in a hall closet, utility room, or the garage.
Cookbooks can be stored anywhere in the house. If you don’t have room for them in the kitchen, move them to a bookshelf somewhere else.
Storage Tricks
Store baking pans, such as pie pans, cookie sheets, and glass baking pans, in the oven. Don’t forget to remove them before pre-heating!
Nest smaller items inside larger ones. This works especially well for bowls, pots, and pans.
Use walls and the inside of cabinets to install shelves or hooks for utensils and other small items.
Install holders under counters or cabinets to store paper towels, sponges, soap, spices, and the like.
Hanging baskets are a great solution for storing fruit, vegetables, and small kitchen items.
Appearances
Keep your counters clean. Uncluttered counters make your space appear larger.
Paint small spaces with a light color. It will create the illusion of space.
White ceilings will create the illusion of height.
Space Saving Products from UsefulThings.com
The UsefulThings.com shop is full of useful and unique gadgets for the kitchen. Below, you will find the most space-saving, functional, and well-designed products to free up space in your kitchen.
Hanging Baskets
Choose between the Copper 3 Tiered, 2 Tiered Chrome, and the 3 Tiered Nickel Hanging Baskets to free up space where you need it most. These handy baskets can store fruit, other food-stuffs such as potatoes, onions, bread, or granola bars, hand towels, or kitchen utensils.
Copper 3 Tiered Hanging Basket from UsefulThings.com. $17.95
2 Tiered Chrome Hanging Basket from UsefulThings.com. $21.95
3 Tiered Nickel Hanging Basket from UsefulThings.com. $17.95
Collapsible Silicone Funnel
Don’t waste precious space in your cabinets with bulky funnels. This Collapsible Silicone Funnel expands to 4″ diameter by 4″ tall with a 7/8″ spout. When you’re finished using, simply collapse the funnel and store it in even the smallest of drawers. Made entirely of silicone, the funnel is heat and cold resistant and dishwasher safe.
Collapsible Silicone Funnel from UsefulThings.com. $8.95
Cutting Mats
Cutting boards can take up a lot of space, especially if you have one for fruits and veggies, one for meat, one for fish, and one for bread. Try using these ultra slim and portable color-coded cutting mats instead. Use one color for each food group, and you won’t have to worry about contaminating your food. Plus, these flexible mats will fit nearly anywhere, and they are dishwasher safe.
Cutting Mats from UsefulThings.com. $9.95 for a set of 4
Folding Grater
Chunky box grater taking up precious space? The innovative design of this grater will save you time and space. The Folding Grater folds flat for easy storage, but expands into a V shape for quick and stable grating. The grater disassembles for easy cleaning and is dishwasher safe.
Folding Grater from UsefulThings.com. $10.95
Multi Opener
Why have three or four opening devices in your kitchen drawers? Replace them all with this 6-in-1 Multi Opener that can open jar lids, bottle caps, bottle tops, safety seals, and bags. The Multi Opener is dishwasher safe and has a comfortable grip for easy use.
Multi Opener from UsefulThings.com. $9.95
For the ladies, the SheMergency Survival Kit includes: Folding hair brush with mirror, hair spray, clear elastics, earring backs, hand lotion, nail clipper, emery board, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, mending kit, safety pin, double-sided tape, lint remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, static remover, breath freshener, lip balm, dental floss, pain reliever, deodorant wipes, tampon, adhesive bandages, facial tissues, blotting tissues, hand-sanitizing towelettes, and a single-use lipstick application.
For the men, the HeMergency Survival Kit includes: hair comb, dental floss, breath freshener, lip balm, deodorant wipes, nail clipper, mending kit, safety pin, extra buttons, lint remover, static remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, wrinkle remover, pain reliever, adhesive bandages, facial tissues, razor, shaving cream, styptic pencil, hand-sanitizing towelettes, toothpaste, and toothbrush. 