The Key To Maximizing Small Kitchen Space Is Simple But Often Ignored

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While many of us might covet a huge rustic kitchen complete with wooden beams and a timeless farmhouse sink, we've got to work with what we have. And one thing most of us don't have? Space. According to stats from Flex, 38% of American renters live in apartments, while another 17% live in condos. And small kitchens are one of the realities of apartment living.

Whether your kitchen is a corner of the living room or one of those awkward galley arrangements, there are ways to make the most of a petite prep space. Tasting Table talked to chef Giada De Laurentiis about how she maximizes a small kitchen, and got some great tips on how you can do the same — just in time to whip up De Laurentiis' Peroni Italian Beer Ice recipe and relax!

The advice couldn't have been simpler. "I buy organizers for everything," she said, "from spice organizers to racks for my kitchen pot lids. The key to a functional small kitchen is to keep things organized and thoughtfully mapped out." And it's not just about having a lot of containers and shelves, it's also important to make sure everything has its own place, and that those places make sense for the space and your cooking habits. If your spatulas and most-used spices are by the stove, and your pots are hung up by it, you won't need to go through cupboards and drawers and make a mess every time you cook dinner.

One of the realities of a small kitchen is that stuff is always going to be on display. While everything should have its place, that place might be on a counter or hung on a rack on a wall. So, choosing storage solutions that also look good is key to creating a kitchen you love in a tight space. 

De Laurentiis offers a simple solution — mason jars. "I think they look cuter than Tupperware," she told Tasting Table. Of course they do! The millennial mason jar aesthetic wasn't just a fad. They're practical, stylish, and relatively cheap. You can use mason jars to store seasoning mixes and dressings like De Laurentiis does, or to keep dry foods like pasta, rice, and dried beans fresh. These look great out on the counter, particularly colorful red lentils, dark wild rice, or cute pasta shapes. 

With limited storage space, making sure everything you own has multiple uses is important. As mason jars are reusable and should be airtight, they're useful for more than storage. Repurpose yours to keep homemade pickles or to serve and transport a surprising variety of foods. Some mason jars are even microwave safe, so you can use them as you would Tupperware.

Remember, in small kitchens, labelling is your friend. Particularly if you're relying on a couple of styles of storage containers. Make sure labels will be easy to see when things are in their places — if spices are in a low organizer, for example, label their lids.

In drawers and cabinets, everything should be visible and easy to reach, avoiding the need to pull all your pans out to get to the crockpot or empty the spice drawer to find the cumin. No one wants the "have they just been burgled" aesthetic. Exact solutions vary depending on the size and shape of your kitchen and your drawers. For corner cabinets, look into pull out organizers like this lazy-Suzan telescoping model from Yitahome. Adjustable drawer dividers, like these from Bambüsi, are a great option for drawers of all depths. They allow you to stay organized but flexible, and they're as useful in a cutlery drawer as a spice drawer. 

De Laurentiis also mentioned racks for pot lids — this is just one example of a wider genre of kitchen organizers. The kind that help you sort the miscellaneous extras you just wouldn't think about if you had more space. Pot lids can be slotted into racks, frying pans, spatulas, and heatproof mats can be hung on wall-mounted pegboard, and root vegetables or clean tea towels can be hung on durable adhesive hooks applied to the bottom of high cabinets. The main requirement for a small kitchen isn't a specific aesthetic or a single must-have organizer, it's creativity. Mason jars are a close second, of course.