How our kitchen expert organizes his tiny Brooklyn kitchen |
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| Sarah Kobos/NYT Wirecutter |
When you have a small kitchen, finding space for a plethora of cooking tools and equipment can feel like a frustrating game of Tetris. So we tapped Wirecutter kitchen expert Michael Sullivan to share how he organizes his New York City kitchen, where he houses everyday pots and pans, treasured cooking heirlooms (including his great-grandmother’s ravioli cutter), countless cookbooks, and any number of kitchen tools he’s testing for Wirecutter. Below, his four favorite small-space hacks:
- Get utensils out of your drawers: During a 1977 interview, Julia Child said, “The harder the utensils are to see, the less you will use them.” Storing your tools in big crocks makes it easy to see everything and keeps drawers from getting cluttered. Michael has several of various sizes: big tools, like large serving spoons and wooden spatulas live in a spacious one, whereas chopsticks and tiny tools stay together in a smaller version. He also likes to hang his tools on cup hooks so they’re easy to reach.
- Install a kitchen pegboard: If you have enough wall space, you can hang a lot of equipment on a pegboard — freeing up your cabinets. Michael swears by this: “It makes it so much easier to find what I need and saves me from digging through stacks of cookware in a dark cupboard.” Our experts recommend this steel pegboard, because it’s easy to install and its holes never droop.
- Try some wire shelving: Michael uses metro-style wire shelving in his kitchen for storing bulky equipment, like food processors and cookbooks. These versatile shelving units come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, so they’re ideal for customizing to a small kitchen.
- Use a lazy Susan for spice storage: Michael built a big wall-mounted rack for the majority of his spices, but he likes keeping the odds and ends that don’t fit in a spinning lazy Susan. This turntable our experts like has high, clear plastic sides around the perimeter to keep jars and bottles contained, and a removable silicone mat that cleans up easily.
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35 small-kitchen organization ideas that make the most of tight quarters→
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One last thing: A little treat |
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| Michael Murtaugh /NYT Wirecutter; Food styling by Maggie Ruggiero |
Don’t be fooled by the name: These cartons of vanilla ice cream are anything but plain. In the surprisingly varied world of vanilla ice cream, our two favorites should hold their own in a cup, cone, sundae, or milkshake — or enjoyed straight out of the carton in your newly organized kitchen.
The very best vanilla ice cream→
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See Michael’s (quite envy-inspiring) kitchen in action here.
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