Water Cooler: Make the most of a small kitchen

The kitchen is meant to be a workspace, which is likely why people like them big. Would you look at all that counter space. But don’t knock a small kitchen too quickly, because it can be a powerhouse of efficiency if you know how to maximize its utility.

If you have worked in a restaurant, you know that smooth workflow in the kitchen comes from just about anything other than bountiful space. Line cooks are squished into tiny workstations with their elbows tucked to their sides and everything they need within reach, while those buzzing around in their nonslip shoes yell “corner,” “knife,” or “behind” to avoid getting accidentally stabbed or scalded.

One can hope your home kitchen isn’t this intense, but the point is that function comes more from a well-planned kitchen than from a sprawling one.

You don’t want to have to make laps around the kitchen to cook. The design concept that helps avoid this is the “work triangle.” The triangle is made of the three most used work centers of a kitchen. The sink, refrigerator and cooktop.

The food is stored in the refrigerator, prepared at and around the sink and cooked on the cooktop. If arranged in a triangle, these work centers will be near each other and free of obstacles between them, allowing your movements about the kitchen to be streamlined. Whether you have enough room to walk between these areas or only pivot, a triangle formation will optimize your flow.

Avoid storing items on the countertop. The lack of clutter maximizes your preparation space, streamlines your workflow and keeps the counters cleaner. Move appliances and cooking utensils to cupboard or drawer storage if possible and forgo extra decorative items.

Use as much vertical space as possible, especially if you’re also short on cabinet space. Hang cooking utensils, pot holders and oven mitts, pots and pans on the wall space using racks, hooks and magnets. Store fruit and vegetables in a tiered, hanging basket. Hang paper towel rolls under the cabinet. If you have a little extra floor space, add a tall shelf to house things like spices, kettles, spoon rests and scales.

Try moving things that don’t require cooking to another part of the home. Display alcoholic beverage items like glassware, bottles and utensils on a bar in a sitting room or space nearby. You can do the same thing with coffee items such as mugs, electric kettles, coffee makers, pour overs and coffee beans. This frees up space for the main kitchen operations and makes for cute entertaining areas.

Create convertible spaces in the kitchen. This is most easily done with a rolling kitchen or cart. Its mobility gives you more prep space when and where you need it without taking up valuable walking space. Pull it up to the sink, counter or stove when in use, then move it against the wall when you’re done. Add even more surface area with drop leafs. Use it to store extra seating, appliances or pots and pans.

The most obvious yet underrated tip is to declutter. A small kitchen forces you to prioritize, but that can be a benefit. Ask yourself what you want to make most often in your kitchen and get rid of the rarely used spices, condiments, utensils or gadgets that don’t serve those aspirations.

The best part of enhancing the utility of your kitchen is that it makes you want to use it more, and that’s what really makes it a workspace in the end.