I’m moving in two weeks from a tiny 450 square foot
apartment to a palatial 700 square foot place. Even though my new place is
larger, it still has an apartment-style kitchen: zero counter space, a
refrigerator that takes up too much room, and a sink that can fit approximately
3 dishes, plus many more quirks that can make cooking interesting.
Most apartment kitchens are compact, so it’s often necessary
for renters to find cooking tools that are … compact. Luckily, there are many
cool tools that, you know, actually fit in your apartment kitchen. Here’s a
quick list of kitchen gadgets that are efficient and won’t take up precious
space (leaving more room for Doritos – at least that’s what I would use the
extra space for …).
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| Bisbell MagMates Knife Pods |
Bisbell MagMates Knife Pods (multiple colors): New additions
to ChefTools.com, these cute little pill-shaped objects come in cool colors and
allow you store cutlery and other tools along your wall. No need for a bulky
knife block – or an unsafe knife drawer. Each Pod holds 2 knives (small to
large). Mix and match the colors for super storage flexibility.
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| Kitchen Supply Toaster Baking Stone |
Kitchen Supply Toaster Oven Bakeware: If your apartment is
anything like mine, you have an oven that’s a century old and can barely hit
300 degrees. You can’t buy a new oven, so what do you do when you want fresh
brownies, pizza, and pie or even roasted asparagus? Use your toaster oven! These
bakeware pieces are the perfect size for virtually any toaster oven. The coolest
one has to be the pizza stone; you can use it to bake or reheat anything, and you
can store it in the toaster oven because it doubles as a heat regulator.
OXO Two Fold Grater: A box grater is an indispensable cooking
tool for everything from shredding carrots to grating fresh Parmesan cheese. They
can also be a pain to store – too, uh, boxy and big to put in a drawer, and not
at all hang-able. This sturdy grater folds flat, which means you can store it in
any drawer or cabinet, and offers several grating surfaces.
Tovolo Silicone Ice Trays: Yuck, I hate moving into a new
apartment and inheriting the prior tenant’s old plastic ice cube trays. These
silicone trays don’t necessarily save space, but they are flexible and superior
to any solid plastic model. Plus, they produce huge, lovely rocks of ice.
Invest in one or two for your new place.
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| RSVP 2 Tier Lazy Susan |
RSVP Two-Tier Lazy Susan: Use counter and cabinet space
wisely. This lazy Susan allows for three-dimensional storage. And, with 2
layers, you’re using formerly underused air space.
RSVP Endurance Drainer: If you have room
for just 1 strainer, make sure it fits over your sink. It’s more sanitary than
placing a strainer on the sink bottom, and you can use it for everything from
pasta to washing fruit, or even as a dish drying rack.
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| OXO Pop Containers |
OXO Good Grips Pop Containers: The geniuses at OXO designed
these canisters to fit together in a perfect square. Store food and other
goodies in these airtight jars to save space on bulky food packaging. And,
since they’re clear, you’ll always know what you’re reaching for.
RSVP Endurance Precision Pierced Tool Caddy: Where are you
going to put all your spatulas, whisks, ribbon graters, wooden spoons,
thermometers and all the rest? It’s impractical and dangerous to stuff them all
in a drawer. You want them out on the countertop within easy reach. This crock
can hold an amazing amount of tools and the piercings make it great to use as a
drying rack.
