When you’re cooking in a small kitchen, it can be hard to make the things you want to make. From limited counter space to storage limitations, it’s difficult to decide what tools, utensils and appliances you need to prioritize to make the most of your small kitchen space.
Listed below is some advice on navigating a small apartment kitchen from a few of the most prominent food experts around. Give it a read and get to cooking with these home chef essentials.
1. Look for versatile equipment
When it comes to your basic small kitchen essentials, Chef Dennis Littley of Ask Chef Dennis suggests “An air-fryer that also acts as a mini convection oven and toaster oven. You’ll find this invaluable in a small kitchen.”
Beyond that, Chef Dennis says, “Pots that I consider a necessity are: an eight-quart pot for making pasta, soups and stews, as well as a three-quart saucepan for small jobs. I also recommend having a 10-inch saute pan. Those pans will easily handle your cooking needs.”
2. Make space for all your daily essentials
Chef Veera Gaul broke down her answer into three sections. “Depending on whether you are looking at appliances, built-in conveniences or small gadgets, my favorites are:
- Slide-out trash and recycling bins that don’t take up floor space but are easily accessible
- Square storage containers that stack easily next to and on top of each other
- Handheld spiralizer to make zucchini, carrot and cucumber noodles”
These three suggestions will help you dispose of your daily waste, organize your other essentials and create a healthier alternative to traditional dough-based noodles.
3. Know your knives
“As for the essential items in a small kitchen,” Mike Staib of Ergo Chef explains, “We always recommend three knives:
- Six or eight-inch chef’s knife to handle vegetable and fruit preparation, as well as slicing up proteins
- Three-and-a-half to four-inch paring knife for peeling small veggies and fruit, as well as any small cuts or trimming fat or membrane of proteins
- Serrated knife for fresh bread, bagels and cakes”
Mike went on to add, “Another extremely useful small kitchen item is a nine- or 12-inch tong for cooking on the stovetop and serving at the table.”
4. Enter the spin cycle
According to Jessica Smith of Inquiring Chef, “A salad spinner is a non-negotiable in my small kitchen. This essential tool is not only great for preparing salad greens, but it also works wonderfully for rinsing and drying fresh herbs and small produce like berries and radishes.”
Beyond that, “A salad spinner is also one of the best tools for storing fresh ingredients in the fridge. The raised basket allows air to circulate around the produce so it will last longer.”
5. Follow these dos and don’ts
Some more home chef essential suggestions come from the world-traveling food blogger, Chef Kevin Ashton. Some of the top dos and don’ts he suggests for home chefs working in small kitchens are:
Do
- Start with the essentials and add more once you have figured out what will get used the most.
- Invest in a few top-quality German and Japanese knives rather than a drawer full of blunt cheap ones.
- Buy two hardwood cutting boards. These last longer than plastic ones.
- Make sure a large trivet is always within arm’s reach to rest hot pans on.
Don’t
- Place your microwave on your countertop. Instead, put it up on brackets so as not to waste counter space.
- Buy gadgets that you rarely use, such as a garlic press. Just use a knife instead.
Chef Kevin Ashton has been around the world and seen it all. So, while these suggestions may not provide the perfect setup for all home kitchens, they do provide a great jumping-off point from which you can create your most functional small kitchen setup.
6. Say goodbye to bulky items
Carol from the informative and entertaining blog, Carol the Cook, urges people in small kitchens to “Avoid bulky countertop appliances.”
She notes that “Sometimes, the items you don’t have in a small kitchen are just as important as the items you do. Nothing makes a small kitchen feel smaller than cluttered counters.”
“Having guests over to enjoy your creations is one of the best parts of home cooking but keep in mind, serving ware can quickly take up all of your cupboard space,” warns Carol.
“Do your best to avoid holiday-specific or themed serving ware and select more classic, neutral patterns that are appropriate for any occasion.”
“If you don’t have a dishwasher in your small kitchen, then a two-tier drying rack is a must-have! I mean really, who has time to hand dry plates, cups, bowls and silverware these days?”
While her last suggestion might be something entirely out of your control, Carol asserts that “In smaller kitchens, larger sinks are an asset. With limited counter space, a large deep sink will provide a place to stash your dirty dishes while freeing up your precious workspace. Take it a step further and invest in a workstation sink that can double as a cutting board and colander.”
7. Find products that streamline your process
“You do not need lots of equipment to create great food,” explains Joanne from the popular food blog, Inspired Taste.
“My favorite kitchen item is my scale, especially for baking recipes. It makes measuring my ingredients much quicker than scooping them into measuring cups, which means fewer dishes to clean.” Talk about proving its value. Who doesn’t want to deal with fewer dirty dishes?
Joanne added, “My second favorite item is my silicone spatula. I use it to mix things like batter, cook scrambled eggs and even flip things on the stove. It’s a multipurpose tool.”
8. Trust the process(or)
Tera Gitot from Roots and Radishes says, “I think a food processor is one of the most essential kitchen tools for aspiring home chefs.”
According to her, this is “One of the best kitchen investments anyone could make.” That’s because, “Today, food processors typically come with attachments to help you chop, purée, blend, slice, grate and even mix dough. I use mine to make pie crust, the creamiest hummus, pesto, muhammara, whipped feta, cashew cream, salsa, banana ice cream and smoothies. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. One kitchen tool, endless possibilities!”
9. Find a few things that do it all
“For a small kitchen, an immersion blender with chopping attachment is a really useful tool” explains versatile home chef Colleen Milne, the mind behind The Food Blog. “It does the work of a blender, a food processor, a mixer and a masher. It is able to do all this while taking up very little space.”
“With this appliance, you can whip cream, puree soups and sauces, mash potatoes, chop vegetables and nuts, blend smoothies and more.”
10. Save space wherever you can
“As a food blogger who lives in an apartment myself, I understand what it’s like to work in a small kitchen,” explains the author, recipe developer, photographer and founder of Watch Learn Eat, Sherri Hall.
“I love using space-saving organizers for my pantry and in my cabinets for items such as pot and pan lids, plastic containers, cooking utensils and more. Countertop organizers are great too for things like spices and bottles of oil and vinegar.”
11. Live small, cook big
Talk about understanding the assignment. The Dancing Chef, Natasha MacAller fully understands the trials and tribulations that come with cooking in a small kitchen.
“As a professional chef and consultant, who for 24 years inhabited a petite, 1950’s rent-controlled apartment with a tiny kitchen, I have a few suggestions!”
Natasha explains how she made the most of her small apartment kitchen by saying, “In my galley-sized kitchen, I made more than just toast and coffee. I did recipe testing for restaurants and cookbooks. Plus, I prepped and cooked for dinner parties and cooking classes using my Nana’s griddle-in-the-middle gas stove/oven.”
She suggests, “For renters who only have a toaster oven or a few burners, here are my favorite must-haves for the aspiring chef:
Essential small kitchen utensils
- High-quality all-around chef’s knife that feels comfortable, weighted and balanced in the hand
- Durable metal whisk that holds its tines and has a comfortable handle
- Potato peeler that holds its edge (I prefer the T-shaped variety)
- A few heat resistant silicone spatulas — one flat, one cupped
- Silicone pastry brush
- Instant-read thermometer
- Large wooden spoon
Bonus: My small but mighty favorite little tool is a rosewood handle offset spatula.
The basic equipment every home chef needs
- Sturdy loaf pan suitable for bread, meatloaf, lasagna, etc.
- Baking tray/cookie sheet for sheet pan suppers, roasted veggies or chocolate chip cookies
- A cooling rack that fits inside the baking tray
- Colander or large strainer that can stand on its own or attaches to the sink edge, for rinsing fruit, veggies, pasta and more
- Set of three stainless mixing bowls
- Stackable containers with tight-fitting lids for shelf or fridge storage
Bonus: Metallic magnetic stackable spice jars. Instead of a photo or poster, secure a metallic board on the wall and stick spice jars on it!
Required pots and pans for every aspiring home chef
- High-quality small and large-sized sauce/frying pans. Ideally, these will be a triple set of pots with lids that can be used on the stovetop, as well as the oven. Make sure the handles are oven tolerant.
- A dutch oven. This is what you need for that crispy crusted sourdough bread, as well as all your stews, soups, chicken and dumplings, marmalade and Dad’s chili.
If you utilize the items on the list above, you’ll be all set to stake your claim on the list of the next generation of prolific home chefs.”
12. Make sure you can mix and blend
Tommy Centola, the Creole Cajun Chef, simply asserts that all aspiring home chefs should have “A good hand mixer and a quality stick blender.”
With these trusty tools in your repertoire, you’ve got a great start for a lot of delicious meals.
13. Accomplish a lot with a little
“Every respectable home cook should have at least one tall boiling pot for pasta or blanching vegetables,” says Calin from the international food magazine, Chef’s Pencil.
“They should also have one taller pan for cooking sauces and one wider with lower sides suitable for risottos, braising vegetables or stewing smaller quantities of food.”
Calin goes on to explain, “In addition, a couple of well-seasoned cast iron skillets for all the grilling, shallow frying and pan-frying. A non-stick frying pan for egg dishes would also be welcome.”
Cooking in an especially small kitchen? Calin has the solution for you. “If storage is an issue, be sure to equip your kitchen with at least one type of pot, pan or ceramic dish and pick a size that’s well suited for your daily needs.”
14. Don’t skimp on these three essentials
“There are several items that are essential for all types of kitchen,” according to Patrick Devany of Helpful Chef. “A high-quality kitchen knife, a decent chopping board and a good set of cookware.”
Stick with these basics and reap the rewards of some downright delicious food.
15. Make sure you’re equipped with a pestle and mortar
“Get yourself a stone pestle and mortar,” says Luke from the food tourism company A Chef’s Tour.
“From grinding spices to making dips, marinades and curry pastes, a stone pestle and mortar is a hard-working and versatile piece of kitchen equipment that should last you a lifetime.”
Stock up on your home chef essentials
When it comes to cooking in a small kitchen, you need to get creative. Stock up on the home chef essentials listed above and enjoy your new status as the chef of your friend group.
