10 (Perfect) Tiny Kitchen Essentials

Here’s a handful of gloriously beautiful/functional things to make your favorite space just a little more excellent.

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True story: When my husband and I renovated our tiny kitchen back when we bought our apartment almost a decade ago, neither one of us wanted any overhead cabinets. I mean, we both grew up deep in suburbia…i.e.: Overhead Cabinets, USA, so the mere idea of eschewing real storage space for something less obvious was…blasphemous. But here’s the thing: The space itself is barely 55 square feet, and we knew that any manner of bulky cabinets would make it feel even more cramped. So, we opted for only a few lower cabinets, a slim floor-to-ceiling “closet” for glassware and dishes, and some open shelves for things we might need to grab/use a lot or want to see on a regular basis. 

More truth: When we moved in and I realized we had opted for barely any storage—just like we had planned—I promptly freaked out. I remember having a panic attack that we had completely fucked up our kitchen, and what were we even thinking not putting in overhead cabinets…where would I put all my stuff??

But it turned out, we didn’t even have that much stuff. Well, not that much. And what we did have, I edited down even further, so those diehard essentials could practically luxuriate in the few cabinets and cubbies we did have (note: We did in fact add one overhead cabinet when our daughter was born, but thankfully, it’s pretty to look at and proportionally works with the space:).

Maybe it’s because they’re high-traffic spaces that serve daily life in endless ways, but for some reason, kitchens and bathrooms always seem to collect shit. Or, more accurately, we do the collecting, and they do the job of reminding us on a regular basis. Whatever! My point is: breaking a kitchen down to its basics isn’t just a great exercise in utility; it’s a great exercise in knowing what you really use, what works for you, your schedule, your cravings, and what serves you and/or your family to nurture yourselves, occasionally on an hourly basis. And, not least of all, what simply delights the eye to see as you’re whizzing through, if only to grab some string cheese from the refrigerator (something I do possibly 12 times a day). 

I’m a faithful editor, but lately these are the 10 things I love and/or use nearly every day (sometimes numerous times a day) that give me not only consistently outstanding results but also so much pleasure in their design and functionality. What are your greatest tiny kitchen essentials?? Please share in the comments, because I know we’re all wondering (not just me:) xxCb

1. Pegboard!—I love anything you can buy in bulk at Home Depot and then use in pretty much any room in the house (at last count, we have it in three rooms in our Tiny Apt, not just our kitchen)…(I’m sure Julia would have agreed). The pegboard up top is brilliant, elegant, and endlessly useful in tiny kitchens or palatial ones. Bonus: It’s easy to install and affordable to replace if you need a little refresh. Also, I posted about my love of pegboard on Instagram this morning, and I asked if anyone might be interested in a whole newsletter dedicated to pegboard, and many of you said, “Why YES!! Bring that to me on a silver platter, please!” Hence, I assure you—I’m on it.

   

2. Le Creuset Dutch Ovens—I’ve had two of these in different sizes for nearly 15 years. I love the Flame/orange, and so far, after 5,456 uses, they are still pretty beautiful and vibrant. My friend Colu believes our pantry of pots should be super spare (I believe her!), and honestly, if I wanted to, these two, along with one small saucepan and maybe a small Dansk Købenstyle, could be the only pots I own and use. Forever! Do people leave Dutch Ovens to loved ones in their wills?

3. Graphic Potholders—Potholders might seem like an afterthought, or something you hide in a drawer with your bottle opener, but they actually pose a great design moment that’s super accessible. I bought my potholders at an Artek/Alvar Aalto store in Finland many years ago (you can see a bit of them in the Le Creuset shot above). Now I wish I had bought a few more because they were pretty affordable. I can’t find them anywhere now (here’s a similar set in red/white on eBay), but these Marimekko ones are quite lovely, too. If you have more ideas for beautiful potholders, please throw them in the comments below. These also make wonderful gifts IMHO.

   

4. Zojirushi Rice Cooker—My friend Meredith bought us this rice cooker as a wedding gift. I swear, I didn’t open the box for five years (it scared me!), even though I was repeatedly making terrible, gross, soggy, and/or chewy rice on a regular basis. Finally, I did the thing, and started using it…and, well, it’s a revelation. We use ours at least a few times a week for rice and oatmeal, and apparently, you can do other cool things with it, like slow-cook garlic, which is absolutely delicious on nutty toast and probably other things, too.

   

5. The Beast Blender—Full disclosure, the lovely folks at The Beast sent me my blender as a gift to try (they are not paying me to say this, my opinions are my own:). And, since we use a blender for smoothies and soups constantly (Raf is a master/mistress smoothie maker), I was super excited to try it. So far, it’s the best blender I’ve ever used, while also being the best looking and proportional for small kitchen corners like mine.

6. Bialetti French Press—Coffee is a deeply personal thing/ritual for most, and while I never thought I would ever be a French Press person, here we are. For the most part, we’ve always been super loyal to the vintage Braun Aromaster designed by Dieter Rams (chic!), but after the last one crapped out, I decided to start using a Bialetti French Press…just to try. And, much to my surprise, I’m sold. I love that it’s affordable, simple, and well-made, which is kind of what I want in my coffee….and most things:) I’m still going to buy another Aromaster, but for now, this French Press is my best friend every morning around 5:30 a.m.

7. Printed Cloth Napkins/Dish Towels—There are a few things that are pretty sacred for me in my tiny kitchen, and one of them is using cloth napkins (and sometimes cool dish-towels as napkins, too:). I love the way they look, the way they feel, the fact that a person feels loved when they are given one for a meal or a snack. They just seem special, and I admittedly hoard them in different patterns and styles, which is completely okay since they don’t take up much space and look pretty awesome in a stack…or stacks. I’ve long used (and loved) the fancier ones from Heather Taylor Home, which also make a lovely gift; I also love these very un-precious ones from IKEA, and The Six Bells has lots of wonderful options, too.

   

8. Vintage Ceramic Bowls—Basically in all sizes and for everything, but especially crackers, nuts, all the things you put out for cocktail hour, fresh fruit, olives…it’s endless (thank goodness!). I collect most of my bowls from the local Goodwill or any thrift store I am within close range of (the kitchen section is always the first place I head to, and there’s a piece about thrifting for your kitchen coming later this week). While I do love vintage or secondhand bowls (usually for under a few dollars), I’m drawn to these classic Goun bowls from Material Kitchen, too…great for coarse salt if you’re serving dinner to some friends.  

9. Vintage Stacking Mugs—Okay, if you know me, you know I have a serious weakness for good vintage mugs. I really cannot resist them if they are a good shape, color, and usually, if they were made in Japan. I have a few sets of these vintage stacking mugs from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and I highly recommend collecting them over time, mixing the prints and paisleys with the solid avocado and burnt gold colors, too. I mean…heaven:)

10. Chic Cutting Board—What? You didn’t know a cutting board could be so chic? Even though we use this IKEA chopping block all day, every day, I love a slightly fancier version, too (pegboard says YES!). Like this spectacular plastic chopping block by Fredericks & Mae, and also this sustainable cutting board, again by Material World…do your food prep on them as well as any serving/presentation…they look that good. And, either would make an excellent housewarming treat…with a few wedges of good cheese, of course…xxCb