Do you ever feel like your kitchen is too small? If so, you’re not alone. It’s a common problem. A kitchen can feel small for many reasons: clutter, layout, lack of functional appliances, or sometimes it’s just plain lack of square feet. Fear not. There is a solution for every small kitchen (and it doesn’t include remodeling or moving.)
In this article, we will suggest space saving kitchen appliances that will make your home feel more functional, less cluttered, and all around more accessible.
The following six space saving kitchen appliances are some of our favorite secret at-home hacks. Why? Because they are simple to install, easy to use, moderately priced, and add value to your daily life. These are the items that will make guests think you had a big budget for a custom kitchen, when really you just made smart choices to enhance the existing square footage.
1. 24-inch Wide Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a must-have kitchen appliance, but did you know
they came in different sizes? A 24-inch refrigerator, or a skinny refrigerator, as they’re sometimes called, is perfect for small kitchens and tight spaces. They are freestanding, standard in height and depth, just… skinny. According to Remodelista, most skinny refrigerators offer a 9- to 13-cubic-foot storage capacity. This is about half the width of a full-size model, but much bigger than a typical dorm, kitchenette, or hotel mini-fridge. Best of all, they come with most of the features offered by the top-of-the-line giants.
2. Dishwasher Drawer
Image Source: Remodelista
Looking for space and energy savings? Then you need to consider a dishwasher drawer. Depending on your personal dish washing needs and the space available, you can choose from one or two drawer options. If you are single, just married, or tend to eat out most nights, then a single dishwasher drawer may be the right choice for you. Single drawers are typically 24 or 36 inches wide and roughly 19 inches tall. It’s the answer to every small kitchen’s prayers.
If your current dishwasher is a high-volume workhorse, then you should consider a double drawer. A double drawer is roughly the same size as a standard dishwasher, but still has energy and time saving benefits that can make a small kitchen more functional.
How do dishwasher drawers save energy and time? If you only have a singular drawer then you are using less water and energy to wash the same number of dishes. If you have double drawers, then you always have the option of running them separately. The drawers operate as individual units.
You have the option of running both drawers but on different cycles. If you have plates and dishes in one drawer, you can run that drawer on a longer, more powerful cycle. If you have wine glasses in the other drawer, you can run that drawer on a much shorter, delicate cycle. The double drawer option also saves water since you are not completely filling a standard size dishwasher for every load.
3. Wall-Mounted Storage Racks
Wall mounted storage racks or open shelving are a great way to turn dead space into usable real estate. You can find easy to install shelving at any home improvement store like Home Depot, Lowes, or even Target. You can also select your shelving from an online retailer like Amazon. There are multiple options to choose from, whether you are looking for high-end shelving that makes your kitchen feel professionally designed or a purely functional piece, you’re sure too find one that suits your needs.
Wall mounted storage racks are a great choice for a few more reasons:
First, they are fairly simple to install. If you have ever hung a picture frame or assembled a piece of furniture, you’re ready to install your storage racks.
Second, they are as easy to remove as they are to install. This is great for anyone living in an apartment or planning to move. You can’t take cabinets with you to your next home.
Third, they promote an organized lifestyle. This is because most wall-mounted storage racks allow their contents to be visible or at least have a similar element to open shelving. Unlike a drawer or a cabinet that commonly gets cluttered and closed, your storage racks will be open for all your guests to see. You will likely feel compelled to keep them clean and organized. This is a positive for anyone looking to add some organizational skills to their daily life.
4. Pull-Out Pantry
Image Source: HGTV
A pull-out pantry will help you save kitchen space and stay organized. You may be wondering, what is a pull-out pantry? It is a pantry within your cabinets that has shelving on tracks that can be pulled-out – hence the name pull-out pantry. This is one of those features that makes a home feel custom, functional, and well designed. It may not save square footage in your kitchen, but it will help you to make better use of the cabinets you already have.
A pull-out pantry helps you to stay organized by allowing you to know what is in your pantry. Never again will you unnecessarily buy an item at the food store that you didn’t know was sitting in the back of your pantry. The pull-out shelving makes finding and putting things away easier, and it helps you to avoid cluttering your cabinets by continually throwing items in that are eventually lost in the dark back corner.
A pull-out pantry is a space saving tip for every kitchen.
5. Floor-to-Ceiling Cabinets
Don’t waste space – add or expand your cabinets.
If you have the room, why not extend your cabinets? If you have tall ceilings, unused space, or suffer from an overabundance of counters – add some floor-to-ceiling cabinets. This may require some outside help from a professional, but it will add enormous value to the kitchen. Cabinets provide room for all your cooking and dining essentials, without feeling you have everything on display.
6. Microwave Drawer
A stainless-steel microwave drawer is the perfect space saving kitchen appliance and a way to reclaim vital counter space from countertop microwaves. Sharp’s Easy Wave Open Microwave Drawer oven is just 24 inches and 1.2 cubic feet.
This space saving appliance has the capability of fitting a 4-quart casserole dish or a 20 oz. tall coffee cup. Its elegant low-profile design, touch glass controls, and the easy-to-use touchless operation adds a unique and functional aspect to any kitchen. How could it get better? Not only does this appliance save you square footage, but it also physically adds space to your kitchen. The optional extension kit can add 30” of countertop to your kitchen.
These six items are perfect for any kitchen – big or small. They provide value and functionality while also making the space aesthetically pleasing.
