If your kitchen is small then check out these organisational tips to help maximise the space you do have. Once you've done a re-jig you can look forward to a tranquil cooking space with bags of extra room.
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1. Stick recipes to cupboard doors
If you frequently make specific dishes for your family, then stick the recipes to your cupboards. You can easily check if you've got all the necessary ingredients and have the recipe to hand at a moment's notice. If you can, add a cork-board for easy pinning.
2. Magnets in wrap boxes
Stick magnets to the inside of foil, cling film and baking parchment boxes and then attach them to the side of your fridge. They will be right where you want them and also free up room in your drawer. Hurrah!
3. Load cutlery by item
Make unloading easier for everyone by loading up the cutlery basket or tray by item - all the forks in one section, spoons in another and so on. Don't forget to tell everyone in the house your plan.
4. Use a whiteboard
If you're an organised cook, save money and waste less food with a whiteboard. Keep a list of everything that's in the freezer, as well as all those missing items you need to get from the shops. Use the fridge as a whiteboard for extra space-saving points!
5. Buy baskets
If you want to store items on open shelves, get some baskets to help keep the open space look less cluttered. It's a great way to group together those odds and ends and keep everything neat and tidy.
6. First aid kit
Keep a mini-first aid kit in your kitchen. Think plasters, bandages - anything you might need in case emergency. If you suffer a small knife slip, you'll want a plaster as quickly as possible, rather than rooting around the bathroom looking for one.
7. Get a 'Lazy Susan'
A Lazy Susan is a rotating tray which you can use in all areas of the kitchen. Maximise space in your cupboards and put all your spices on one, in the fridge use it to store all your spreads. You'll never have to hunt again, just spin!
8. Try chalkboard paint
Paint the insides of your kitchen cupboards in chalkboard paint and then use it how you please! Why not write out cooking conversions for easy reference, or you can list all the food you have, so you don't make the error of buying too many tins of beans.
9. Use ceilings & walls
Free up vital cupboard space by hanging pots and pans from the ceiling or on the walls. There are plenty of beautiful options to choose from, Just make sure you fix them up correctly!
10. Store pan lids sensibly
Not sure where to store your pan lids? They aren't exactly easy to stack. Why not use command hooks to store them on the back of cupboard doors?
11. Have containers for pet food
Pet food storage doesn't have to be ugly! Keep your dog and cat food in stylish containers. They will contain the smell nicely and be easy to manage.
12. Get a sink shelf
Install a shelf or buy an over-the-sink shelf to utilise that unused area over your taps. You can store cleaning equipment or plants - whatever you like!
13. Store by the frequency of use
Consider organising your pots and pans by the frequency of use. We use mainly small frying pans and saucepans, and leave the cake and loaf tins at the back of the cupboard. Pop spare utensils and plates to the back too.
14. Buy or make a fold-down kitchen table
Gain extra surface space to help with food preparation with a fold-down kitchen table. This is a real space-saver!
15. Tension rods under the sink
Hang up those spray bottles using a tension rod. It makes use of that extra space in your cupboard and you can store loads underneath it too.
16. Have utensils nearby
Keep all your tools, such as wooden spoons, spatulas, tongs close by to your cooking area. This way you'll have everything you need close by for those emergency stirring moments.
17. Hang up a magnetic knife strip
Your knife block is taking up valuable space on your kitchen worktop. Get a magnetic knife strip and store your knives on the wall instead.
18. Shelves on shelves
You can buy little shelves that go on your other shelves, or put shelves underneath your other shelves. More shelves everywhere! Look at this great example - it makes it much easier to pull out the right-sized plate, rather than trying to pull from under a stack of side plates.
19. Get an over-the-sink chopping board
Access to surface area is very important in a small kitchen. Expand your options by purchasing a chopping board that can be used over the sink.
20. Sensible food storage
Store food items together for clever organisation and kitchen peace. It will be far easier to see what you can make for dinner and what foods you're lacking!
21. Use a shoe organiser
Not enough room under your kitchen sink? Store all of your extra cleaning products with an over-the-door shoe organiser.
If you've got some tips we'd love to hear them in the comments below!
Very good ideas.
I shall put into place immediately - brilliant for my tiny kitchen!
Thank you Gwen! Glad to hear you liked the post.
Glad you liked the post Ann!
not so impressed by these tips ... just looks like clutter to me! In my small kitchen everything - bar kettle and microwave - lives in a cupboard and in order to have something new something old has to go - if there isn't any spare space then, quite frankly, I don't buy it!
Sorry you're not impressed Aly. It's a good idea to not buy though if you don't have the space, I agree!
Somewhat rude comment Aly... Unnecessary... I have tiny kitchen and found some of these a great idea. Foil and cling film on magnets especially. Thank you for taking the time and effort to post Colleen
Thanks Beth, I'm glad you enjoyed the blog post. I loved the magnets idea too!
To keep fresh food items such as steaks, fish fillets, chops and sausages seperate before freezing, save the liners from cereal boxes, cut them to size and place them between the items (wrap the sausaages in the cut liners) before putting them into freezer bags and freezing them. When you take them out, carefully insert a knife between the idividual items and they should seperate easily.
That's a truly fantastic tip, thanks very much for letting us know about it. What a great use for cereal box liners!
Great idea. It’s easier to defrost when items are speared. I’ll defo try this. Thankyou
I have a small kitchen so these ideas are really great and I can't wait to try them out.
So happy to hear you like the post Rosalyn, have fun!
The Rod under the sink is a good idea.I going to try it .
That's great! Enjoy hanging your spray bottles from it Vicky.
Remove tea and coffee stains from cups and mugs. Fill with hot water, add a good squirt of good quality household bleach. Let it stand for an hour, then wash as normal. Also good for teaspoons.
Or, you could wash them right the first time and save yourself an hour......
Don't like idia of putting paper towels above a tap apart from that all good think I'm gonna get an over sink vegi thing
Hope you like your new shelf Lee!
Use tin foil to clean oven or other things if you don't have scourers
That's a brilliant tip Lee, thanks!
Hi Colleen I use used cereal packets to keep ham or cheese fresh in the fridge. Thanks. Jill Bralee
That's a brilliant tip Jill, thanks very much!
Great ideas. I have a tiny kitchen so welcome all storage tips. Thank you.
Glad to hear you liked the post Jacky!
Great ideas. Love the pan lids on inside of door. Also recipes on door to. Cling film good idea.
Thanks Amanda, hope you enjoyed the post!
Lots of clever ways to UN clutter your worktops
Thanks Marion, hope you enjoyed the post!
I need a foldable table! Thank you for all your suggestions!
I hope you enjoyed them!
Rather unsure about the shoe storage used for cleaning items. In the picture it appeared to be on the inside of the door of a cupboard containing a heating boiler. NOT a good mix, even though we need to make maximum use of our small kitchens.
Oh that's a very good point, thanks for pointing that out!
I didn't like the idea of kitchen roll above tap but I will definitely try some of these ideas in my small kitchen thanx a ton
Glad you liked some of them Samira!
Great ideas can you explain what the magnet and clingfilm idea is bout and ment to do?
Hi Fiona, you can free up drawer space by sticking your clingfilm and foil boxes to the side of the fridge, using magnets. They will be easy to access there too!
Hi, I have recently had a new kitchen but the space is limited. My fridge lives behind the kitchen door in the under-the-stairs space, however, although substiantial the space behind the fridge freezer was unusuable. I recently bought a set of castors on plinths (available at Screwfix or Amazon) which are used to move large appliances & sat the fridge on them. This means I can easily move the fridge out of its space to store things behind it as and when required rather than having a totally wasted space behind it.
That's a brilliant idea Liz, how resourceful! What do you store behind it?
Hi Colleen, I am storing the kind of things that you only need once in a while e.g. a large stock pot, serving platters & dishes used at dinner parties & baking & roasting tins only used at xmas etc. Its made all the difference. Also its a lot easier to ckean behind the fridge. I hope others find this tip useful.
Some great tips for space saving but isn't it dangerous to keep cleaning sprays etc under the sink when you have children or grandchildren around , I have used a few tips from this post myself it's a great source of information .
Great point Karen, always good to have a few safety locks if there are children about.
The net bags you get lemons and onions from in supermarkets make good pan scourers. I love your ideas I just need someone to come and organise the whole kitchen.
Thanks for your tip Clair, and good luck with finding someone to organise your kitchen!
Shelves on shelves was a neat idea.
Glad you liked the tip Luxus!
Screw wire spice racks to the insides of cabinet doors, to hold spices, rolls of clingfilm, and all your small and frequently used cupboard items. If you rent, use command hooks. Stick on mug hooks on the underside of shelves or topcabinets = instant mug rack. Also good for pot holders, etc.
Great tips, thank you so much for sharing Wilhemina!
Great post! I love the fold down kitchen table and the pan lid holders.
Thank you Jade, hope you'd enjoy looking at the rest of our blog!
Some brilliant ideas that I'm definitely going to look into :) thank you!
Oh fab! Good luck let me know if anything is a success.
cool ideas, thanks very much :)
Hi Eva. I'm glad you enjoyed the article - thanks! :)
I use clear plastic bins on the pantry shelves, that way I don't have to pull the basket out to see what's in it. I love love to over sink shelf - any idea where I would get it? I've wanted one for years!
Hi Kerry. The plastic box idea is great - thanks for sharing :) The over-the-sink shelf is great, right? It seems to be more of an American thing, although I did spot this lovely one on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/271592286/ornate-over-the-sink-shelf-wrought-iron?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_-home_and_living-kitchen_and_dining-kitchen_storage&utm_custom1=e6c75584-aefa-487c-b1cb-f8344da8376b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8MPOjZy41QIVUbobCh2CLAhHEAkYByABEgKldPD_BwE I hope that helps! :)
Over the sink shelf is a good idea, but having the paper towels that close to water isn't....
Thanks for these ideas :)
You're very welcome, Laura!
I keep all my everyday table cutlery upright in one pot in a cupboard, it takes up so little room & is very convenient. It frees up drawer space.
That's a brilliant idea!
Excellent articles that I truly enjoy and enjoy that I try to incorporate into my daily living. I have a suggestion though for your articles. Please use spell-check! You don’t put z’s into your words and I always get hung up on the mis-spells.
Hi Sandy! We're based in the UK, so we don't use American English. Using "s" instead of "z" is correct in British English.
Many keen cooks struggle to find space for a growing pile of cook books. About time someone came up with a way of accessing electronic recipes, which could be viewed on a wall-mounted monitor screen or on the Kitchen TV, where such exists. "Alexa, show recipe for Chicken Kiev", or "Alexa, what can I make from the following ingredients...."
Sounds great!
I put my baking trays, wok, frying pan and anything that fits in the oven. Only thing is, you have to get them out to use oven, but, as I don’t use the oven much, it works for me.
Sounds like a good system!