Cooking in a small kitchen: the tools and tips you actually need
Good home cooking does not need a big kitchen, an island or a cupboard full of appliances. Plenty of people cook every day in a studio flat kitchenette with a worktop the size of a chopping board and a two ring hob. What matters is not the square metres but what is in the kitchen and how you use it.
This guide covers the basic tools that handle almost every everyday meal, plus the habits that keep a small kitchen working even on a busy evening.
Fewer tools, more space
The biggest problem in a small kitchen is rarely its size. More often it is the things you use once a year. Avocado slicers, egg slicers and single purpose appliances take up drawer space even though an ordinary knife does the same job. A good rule of thumb is to keep within reach only the tools you use at least once a week and move the rest to a top shelf or out of the kitchen altogether.
Invest in a few good quality basics rather than lots of cheap ones. A sharp knife matters most, because it speeds up chopping and is safer than a blunt one. You can find tips for keeping it in shape in our knife sharpening and care guide.
Prep everything before you turn on the hob
When worktop space is tight, order is everything. Chop, measure and prep your ingredients before anything heats up. Gather chopped vegetables in bowls or along the edge of the board so one work surface is enough for one task at a time. Cooking also becomes calmer, because nothing burns while you hunt for the next ingredient.
Extra space often turns up in unexpected places. A large chopping board placed over the sink works as an extra worktop, and there is nothing wrong with sitting at the kitchen table to chop.
Choose dishes that come together in one pan
One pot, one pan and traybake meals suit a small kitchen especially well: there is little washing up, one ring on the hob is enough and all the flavours cook together. A good example is Indian one pot chicken pasta, where the pasta cooks right in the sauce.
For more ideas, browse our one pot recipes. An oven dish is also a small kitchen's friend, because the oven does the work while you tidy up or set the table.
The tools that cover almost everything in a small kitchen
A sharp chef's knife and a small paring knife. These two handle almost all of your chopping.
A large chopping board that fits over the sink, which gives you extra workspace.
One large frying pan, ideally with a lid, for frying, braising and pasta sauces.
A large pot and a small saucepan. The pot covers soups, pasta and one pot meals.
A baking tray and an oven dish for a tray of vegetables or a whole meal in one go.
A colander, a grater and a peeler: small, cheap and used almost every day.
A wooden spoon, a spatula and tongs. Three basics replace a drawer full of special gadgets.
Nesting bowls and containers with lids that fit more than one size.
Wash up and tidy as you cook
In a small kitchen, dirty dishes quickly take over the whole worktop. Use the waiting time: while the water boils or the food simmers, wash the tools you have used and put ingredients back. When the meal is ready, only the plates and one pot are left. The habit takes a little practice, but it makes cooking far more pleasant. Read more about washing and caring for your kitchen tools in our kitchen tool care guide.
Use vertical space and stack smartly
When floor space is limited, look up. A magnetic knife strip on the wall, ladles hanging from a rail or a hook inside a cupboard door free up drawers and worktop. Nesting pots, bowls and containers take a fraction of the space. Spices and dry goods stay organised in same sized jars where you can see the contents at a glance.
If you buy a small appliance, make it a versatile one
Small appliances are tempting, but every one of them takes up space. Choose one or two at most that you will genuinely use. A stick blender fits in a drawer and handles soups, sauces and smoothies. An air fryer can replace the oven for small portions and heats up quickly. See the right times and temperatures in our air fryer guide.
Plan the week around a small fridge
A small kitchen usually also means a small fridge and freezer. When you plan meals ahead and buy only what you need, the fridge does not fill up with half used packs and less food goes to waste. Cook one bigger pot and freeze part of it in portions rather than starting from scratch every night. You will find a how to in our meal prep guide.
In the end, cooking in a small kitchen is a skill where less is often more. A few good tools, a clear order and one pan meals are enough to make home cooking easy in even the smallest kitchen.
Less hassle, more home cooking
Yummy ingredients arrive pre measured, so a small kitchen does not fill up with half used bags and jars. The clear recipes work with ordinary basic tools.
