5 Simple Things You Need to Help Organize Your Small Kitchen.

Living in an apartment with a small kitchen can make meal preparation a nightmare. So how does one create a kitchen that’s more conducive to cooking in instead of eating out? The first step is to give yourself enough room to work by freeing up floor and counter space. When organizing a small kitchen it’s especially important to utilize the spaces under and inside cabinets. By keeping counters clear for prep work, the items you need close at hand and the floor free of obstacles, you can make cooking in your small space a dream. Here are 5 items we found to help you create more room in your kitchen.

1.The PullOut Recycler from Simple Human is the answer to your garbage and recycling needs. The dual bucket system slides out easily from underneath the kitchen counter, keeping those unsightly bins out of sight and out from under your feet.

2.There is no culprit more guilty of stealing counter space than the dish rack so when purchasing one, think flat.  Collapsible dish racks can be tucked away when not in use, freeing up much needed space. There are a lot of expensive racks out on the market but if your goal is to keep it out of sight anyway, why spend a lot of money on something no one is going to see? The Kvot dish drainer from Ikea is a simple yet functional design that’s easy on the pocketbook.

3.We really like the Over-Sink Organizer by Simple Human for keeping the clean-up area neat and tidy.The open design allows sponges to air dry and keeps cleaning utensils and soap where you need them.

4. Make your cabinet doors do double duty by using hanging baskets such as this one used for cleaning supplies. You can buy baskets to hold spices, aluminum foil, just about anything you need to store. The baskets hang on the inside of cupboards hidden from sight. They also give you easy access to frequently used items and leave more room in your cupboard to store pots and pans.

5. A space that is often under utilized may be right under your nose, or rather your cabinets. This Kitchen Organizer from Target is just one example of under cabinet storage. If you use a lot of recipes you may want to install a spring loaded cookbook holder or a paper towel holder for cleaning up. Or you may want to invest in a microwave or coffee pot made to fit underneath kitchen cabinets.