Rachel Ray's Tip For Cooking In A Small Apartment
While cooking may come easy to some people, it can be thought of as a real struggle for others. Especially if you find yourself in a small apartment, cooking can just be more work and stress than the overall benefit. According to Statista, around 24% of all New York residents resided in an apartment in 2019. This is followed by 17% of both North Dakota and California residents as well. And when it comes to living in apartment, everything is a little smaller. That includes foodies' favorite room: the kitchen.
Because of this, it can deter a lot of people from wanting to get their hands dirty and cook up some food in their smaller-than-average kitchen. But, when there's a will, there's a way! We've already learned some great tips when it comes to throwing a dinner party in a studio apartment and some tricks when it comes to cooking in a tiny apartment kitchen. But with more and more people needing to downsize and cram their way into smaller spaces, we've had to revisit.
Thanks to professional chef Rachael Ray, there are some more tips to be shared with the small apartment community.
Be strategic
While Rachael Ray may be one of the most recognizable professional chefs and cooks up some delicious recipes in Instagram-worthy kitchens, it's not always like that. According to Timeout, Ray has an apartment in New York City, where she's forced to trade her beautiful and fully equipped kitchens to a measly couple of cupboards and cabinet space. Her advice to those who find themselves in a small kitchen space is to be strategic.
When cooking in a small apartment, you have extremely limited counter and storage space. She advises people to figure out what they enjoy cooking and baking, and only buying the supplies that they know they'll be using. For example, if you cook more than bake, then stocking up your kitchen with all the latest and greatest cake, pie, and tart pans won't do you any good. Additionally, you can get creative and strategic with the space that you do have. If you find more shelving in your living room instead of your kitchen, no one is preventing you from using that space how it works best for you. If you want to store some kitchen essentials in other rooms, go for it!
"Specifically tailor your pantry and the stuff you invest in on what you use all the time. If there is a silverware drawer, for example, it doesn't mean you can't stock it with spices," Ray said.
Additionally, Ray also said to focus on open shelving. If your apartment allows it, you can open up more space by ripping out part of the apartment's cabinetry and storage and swapping in open shelving. With that said, don't bite off more than you can chew, and make sure you know how you can transform the space with the blessing of your landlord.
Additional small kitchen tips
If your landlord is giving you the thumbs down when it comes to totally renovating some of your space in your apartment, don't worry. There are some other tips and tricks to help you cook in your small space.
First, buy some stackable cookware sets. According to Men's Journal, there are some pretty great stackable cookware options that allow you save space in your cupboards by perfectly stacking your pots and pans in one pile.
Second, use every square itch! This even means using the top of your fridge as a storage space. Up here, you can store bags of potatoes, Tupperware, extra cups, papers and foils, and more (via Living In A High Rise).
Third, if your apartment doesn't have a dedicated dining room space, then consider getting foldable furniture. With this, you'll be able to take out your folding chairs and table only when you need them. These can be stored under your bed even. The best part? The folding table can also act as a makeshift counter space when you need it (via Living In A High Rise).
Lastly, use up your wall space. According to Budget Bytes, adding hooks to your walls is a great solution to store objects. This includes kitchen towels, measuring cups, and even pots and pans.