5 Tips for Maximizing Space in Your Apartment’s Tiny Kitchen

Apartment living brings its own unique set of challenges that are far different than those you’ll face as a homeowner. Although you won’t have property to tend for and most of your repairs will likely be handled by the landlord or the property manager, you will have to deal with much closer quarters and far less storage than if you did have that full house. One of the places you’ll feel this pinch the most is in your kitchen. Most apartments have very small kitchens, usually set up railroad-style, as a walk through to the rest of the rooms. It’s easy to clean, but difficult if you have a big meal to prepare. So here are five tips for maximizing space in your apartment’s tiny kitchen.

First of all, make sure that every accessory you bring in to your space has more than one purpose. The small kitchen of an apartment isn’t going to be that forgiving, especially if you love picking up every modern device you come across in Bed, Bath and Beyond. So this isn’t the time to stock up on gadgets. Try to only purchase things you use frequently, and anything else you require you can pick up as needed. Or better yet, switch up your recipes so you can do without.

The cookware and dishes that you choose should also be purchased with your tiny kitchen in mind. The goal is to find things that are stackable, so you can take full advantage of your cabinets. Chances are you’ll have the height of a normal cabinet, but possibly not the same length to utilize. Stackable dishes will help you make do with less. The same goes for mixing bowls, measuring cups and even glasses, if at all possible.

When you head to the supermarket, you’ll also want to shop appropriately for your space. You probably won’t be spending much time at the big box stores, as bulk shopping will leave you with plenty of stock but nowhere to put anything. Instead, try to buy things only as needed. Shop sales when you can, but don’t buy too much just because something is listed at an attractive price. Most apartments are located in cities, so you shouldn’t have much of a problem shopping every other day at the local store. Use recipes as well, so you’ll always be able to reuse a product until it is gone, instead of leaving it to take up space.

Since counter space will be at a premium, consider storing your cooking utensils in a hanging rack or attaching something on the wall. This will work for your pots and pans, and for your knives as well. In fact, this strategy should be kept in mind when you’re buying cooking gadgets. Do you really need that bulky toaster oven, or would a simple slot toaster do the trick? Nothing should sit on your counter unless you use it basically every single day.

Finally, look for design tips to help you get even more out of your kitchen. Sometimes a simple furniture choice or cupboard organizer can make all the difference in the world. Look to view website design centers, that hopefully give you all of the measurements and show you how it works in a video format. You’ll want to make sure it will fit your space before bringing it home, or else you’ll have boxes cluttering your small space, making things even worse.