We have a small home with an even smaller kitchen. I have four countertop spaces, three of which measure about 12×24 inches and a fourth that measures around 30×24 inches. See what I mean? I am working with minimal room, but boy, am I getting maximal functionality out of it! Meals that feed 50 people have left this tiny kitchen in a hurry, cakes are baked and decorated, and nearly nightly meals are served to a hungry husband. Size doesn’t always matter in a kitchen-but your gadgets and appliances do. I maximize this small blueprint’s potential by only having tools that I absolutely love and use frequently. If it doesn’t serve a purpose, it ain’t here. Check out some of my can’t -live-without kitchen items below!
KITCHENAID STAND MIXER
Let’s state the obvious here-this bad boy is PRICEY, and lucky for us we got it as a wedding gift from some incredible friends! It stands proudly on display-one of the few items I allow to take up precious counterspace- for me to admire every morning when I walk into the kitchen. Gah, it really is a thing of beauty.
This mixer can seriously do it all. It gets the most workout when I bake, stirring batter until smooth or whipping icing until I think it would curse me if it could talk. It can beat a meringue to perfection, whip potatoes, fluff a mass of eggs, knead bread, and so much more. My favorite part? It can do it all without your attention. That means while my buttercream is forming, I can run and get the cake layers out of the fridge to prep for assembly. I can let my sweet potato casserole topping of egg whites and marshmallow fluff whip while I mash the yams. What is better than something you can trust with your food and seriously help you while you are busy with dinner? Probably nothing. Not even the hubs. (Sorry, babe!)
The KitchenAid, the time-saver, the baby of the kitchen. There’s a reason this appliance has stood in kitchens for decades-you need it!
ROLLING ISLAND CART
Remember how I made you cringe earlier with the thoughts of just how little counterspace I have? Well, I’ve got the solution. Another wedding gift from amazing friends, the rolling kitchen island/cart. This is a complete GAME CHANGER if you are lacking in storage and counterspace. As I type this, this beauty is holding 2 large serving bowls, a serving platter, a large dutch oven, a colander, 2 mixing bowls, a bundt pan, backstock flour and sugar, 4 cannisters of flour, a cannister of coffee, a cannister of sugar, a cannister of melting chocolates, 2 bags of powdered sugar, a bag of brown sugar, and a massive drawer for paper supplies. Sitting on top is a KitchenAid mixer, SodaStream, and a fruit jar, and on the side hooks hang our lunchboxes. Not to mention….it looks pretty dang good.
Don’t believe me that it’s a necessity? Didn’t think so.
WOODEN CUTTING BOARD
I use my cutting board every.single.day. All of our meals usually include vegetables that need cutting, garlic that needs mincing, or bread that needs slicing. A good, sturdy wooden cutting board is an absolute must have for me, as it sits on a section of my stove while I cook, giving me more counter space and a fantastic worktop. Remember, never cut meat on a wooden cutting board!
Just don’t let it start smoking when you turn the wrong burner on…not that I have done that…on several occasions…
CALPHELON AND OUR PLACE POTS AND PANS
This is more of a preference thing, to be honest. There are tons of amazing sets of cookware out there, and many *pro* chefs use stainless steel. I have had my non-stick Calphelon for 5.5 years now and truly have no complaints! They are amazing to cook with as the non-stick name truly holds up, and cleaning them is an absolute dream.
I recently was gifted the Always Pot and Always Pan. They are both truly a dream when it comes to their non-stick and multitasking abilities. These items are giving my beloved Calphelon run for their money due to their mutli-use design and super-easy cleanability. Also, they get extra points for being toxin-free!
SPICE ORGANIZER
I recently purchased the YouCopia Spice Stack and it is a lifesaver for us short queens! The rack has three drawers with adjustable spots for your spices, meaning multiple different sizes and types of spice bottles fit nicely in your cabinet-or countertop-whichever you prefer! I have it in an upper cabinet, which showed me an incredible feature…the drawers tilt down, showing you alllll of your neatly labeled spices without having to get the step stool. Now that’s what I am talking about!
IMMERSION BLENDER
Several Christmases ago, I was gifted a KitchenAid immersion blender set by my parents. This was an item I had looked at several times, but convinced myself that I didn’t have room for or it wouldn’t serve enough functions to make up for the room it would take up (small kitchen, every item matters!). However, this little appliance has truly blown me away! I love how easily it purées sauces and soups right in the pot. It also came with a whisk and chopper attachment that are equally fantastic! I love this multitasking tool and it has a forever place in my kitchen.
OXO KNIFE AND SPACE SAVING UTENSIL ORGANIZERS
For years, I had a knife block on my counter on top of a whole drawer with forks, spoons, and butter knives. Complete waste of space, I know. When I finally wised up and purchased these organizers, I basically threw that knife block across the street!
In the same one drawers that previously only held eating utensils, I was able to effectively store all of those AND all of my knives! Everything is easily accessible and neatly organized. Most importantly, I gained a whole lot of counter space!
FRIDGE AND UNDER THE SINK ORGANIZERS
Simple and plain- a good fridge organizer keeps things from getting lost. They are almost like removable drawers that make it easy to grab that item in the back of the fridge before it goes bad and you have to toss it!
Go ahead and make your life another step easier by purchasing a solid under the sink organizer. We recently bought a two tiered pull out metal organizer from Target that ai wish we had bought years ago! It has freed up more under sink storage space that you already know we need! Even better, I can easily access all of my cleaning supplies to make after dinner dishes a breeze.
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I keep my space fairly minimal, but these (and more that I am sure I am forgetting) are some *extra* items that I feel are worth the price AND the precious physical and mental space they take up. What kitchen items can you not live without?
Foodie & Co. 