How to Create Space in a Tiny Kitchen without Remodeling

A cook or chef will tell you that cooking with the right equipment and space does make a great difference in preparing meals. Unfortunately, many people don't have the luxury of a large kitchen to work in. Cooking in a small kitchen with confined counter space can be frustrating. With some planning and organization, you will find you can do very well without having to remodel your kitchen. Make your kitchen work for you, not the other way around.

Instructions

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Over time, kitchens will become crowded with utensils if you allow this to happen. Donate or sell what you don't use or no longer need and keep everything else. Be liberal as you sort through your storing spaces because the less useless things you store the less clutter you will have.

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Keep cookbooks in bookcases elsewhere. The kitchen is often filled with grease, dirt, and smoke from cooking. Keeping cookbooks in the kitchen is not a smart idea. You can then use the shelves or counter for small kitchen appliances, or as a reserve space if you need extra room for your work. You can find your recipes on the web (e.g. eHow site is full of it!). You might want to consider to sell, donate or recycle the cookbooks that you haven't consult to in the past years.

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If possible, replace old small appliance with sleek versions. Newer appliances are more compact in shape, not to mention they save more on electricity and possibly in efficiency.

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Think of ways to create additional surfaces. For example, sinks with integrated colander/drainboard or storage basket, are very stylish and efficient; it helps creating usable kitchen space. Adding a small rolling cart or pull out cart will help. Invest in a cart that is matching to your kitchen and also offers storage space underneath the counter surface.

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Think vertical; and I really like this one. Stackable racks can be placed on top of almost any flat surface - just think about it. Also, the space between the top of kitchen cabinets and the ceiling is often wasted; take a look at that as well for what you can place there.

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Lazy Susan (aka rotating trays) is a good solution to utilize and organize drawer space. Install shelves or drawers that pull out for easy access to items behind.

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This has been stressed many times before - and I will add it again: clean as you cook. Keep your dirty dishes in the sink or dishwasher as you cook, not on the cooktop or countertop. While your food is cooking, you can use that time to do the dishes. Place trash in the waste basket immediately, so they would not accumulate every where on the usable surfaces.

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You are more than welcomed to add your other suggestions in the following comments area. Thanks in advance for sharing your ideas.