These Are the 10 Best Gadgets Worth Having in a Small Kitchen

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If you love to cook, there’s nothing worse than having a small kitchen with limited counter space. There isn’t enough room for all of the best kitchen gadgets and toys!

However, you’re in luck. We’ve researched kitchen gadgets, appliances, and even eco-friendly products. We’ll be blunt: a few of our favorites won’t fit inside a small kitchen (yes, you, Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven). But others will, and we’re excited to share these with you.

We assume you’ve got your basics covered: your pots, pans, spatulas, and knives. So today we’ll focus on the most efficient products that can be used for multiple purposes and help you cut down on other things.

See 10 of the best kitchen gadgets for small kitchens.

1. NutriBullet Rx Blender

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We are obsessed with the NutriBullet Rx Blender, which specializes in single servings. It can make smoothies, shakes, hot soups, and even peanut butter. Small in stature, it measures just 15.2 x 15.2 x 13.1 inches and won’t take up a lot of counter space. Plus, it can easily be broken down and stored in a cabinet if you don’t want to leave it out all day.

It comes with three blender jars (30 ounces, 40 ounces, and a souper blast pitcher) and features hands-free smart technology so you can easily switch blending functions.

Want a slightly larger blender? Check out the best blenders on the market.

2. Garlic Press

Ok, we’ll come clean: this kitchen gadget only has one use. But it’s small, so we decided it was worth it anyway, especially if you do a lot of Mediterranean or Asian cooking.

If you don’t have a garlic press, the next best option is to use a knife to dice your garlic into tiny cubes. If you are using a lot of it, this step can take forever and eventually make your hands hurt. Plus, your hands will smell like garlic for the rest of the day. If you were wondering; yes, we do have some first-hand experience in this, so you can trust us when we recommend investing in a garlic press.

The Zyliss Susi 3 is our go-to garlic press. It makes crushing, mincing, and peeling garlic oh-so-easy. Even better? It comes with a built-in cleaning tool that makes cleaning all those little holes a breeze.

3. Slow Cooker

Before you say “slow cookers are too big for my small kitchen,” remember that slow cookers and crock pots come in a lot of different sizes. You can get one of the best slow cookers and still have it fit your kitchen.

Some make one serving, and others can easily hold a meal for a group of ten. Don’t get a bigger one than you need. Not only is it an inefficient use of space, but small servings also won’t cook correctly in a big pot.

The beauty of a slow cooker in a small kitchen is that they are the perfect way to make a full meal using only one pot. You can throw in all your raw ingredients and let it go. It requires none of the usual fussings over multiple temperatures and numerous dishes that are getting in each other’s way in a small space.

Of course, you can use a slow cooker to make single dishes, but you’ll also find that a disproportionate number of slow cooker recipes cover all the major food groups.

Our favorite slow cooker for small kitchens is the Cuisinart 3.5-quart Slow Cooker. It’s about half the size of the average slow cooker, yet still has all of the functions including four cooking settings and a 24-hour LCD times.

Plus, it’s sleek looking and can come in copper or stainless steel.

4. Mixing Bowl

Mixing bowls are an essential part of any chef’s (or non-chef’s) kitchen. You can use them to whisk eggs for omelets, make cake batter, toss a salad, or even hold popcorn for your movie night. We love mixing bowls because they’re incredibly versatile and can be used for prep work, eating, and food storage.

This set of three Cuisinart CTG-00-SMB stainless steel mixing bowls is our favorite. They’re dishwasher safe, can be put in the freezer or refrigerator, and even come with handy lids so you can pop the top on rather than deal with plastic wrap.

5. Immersion Blender

An immersion blender (also known as a hand blender or stick blender) takes the usual blender blades and puts them on the end of a thick handle with a motor inside. Instead of pouring your food into a blender, you use the handle to insert the blades right into the pot, pan, or bowl of whatever it is that you want to blend.

In terms of storage, you can stick this immersion blender in a drawer. If you have space, keep an eye out for a model that comes with attachments, including some that let you attach a container that enables you to use it as a regular blender for things like smoothies that don’t require cooking.

The immersion blender won’t have quite the same amount of power as a regular blender, which is why we also recommend investing in a NutriBullet if you have space. An immersion blender will, however, work for most items.

Our favorite immersion blender is the KOIOS Multi-Use 12-speed immersion hand blender with turbo function. It’s a two-cup, 12-speed, BPA free immersion blender that includes a stick blender shaft, stainless egg whisk, 500ml chopper bowl, and 600ml mixing beaker.

6. Lettuce Spinner

Although this isn’t nearly as versatile as a mixer, it takes up a little less space and is one of the best kitchen gadgets for people who love eating healthy salads. Thus, a lettuce spinner is one of our favorite kitchen gadgets.

A lettuce spinner is a giant bowl with a lid that has a large basket that can be spun around inside using a handle on top of the lid. After washing the lettuce, you put it in the basket, close the lid, spin it, and the water drops are thrown off of the salad and collected in the bottom of the bowl. This device saves a lot of time and paper towels that you might otherwise use to dry each lettuce leaf, and your salad is crisper and stays fresh in the refrigerator for much longer than if you had used still dripping lettuce.

What makes it useful in a small kitchen is that it converts immediately into a salad bowl and a convenient storage container when you put the lid on. Some even have salad servers that snap into the top of the lid so you have everything you will need throughout the life of a salad all in one package.

Our favorite lettuce spinner is the OxO Good Grips Salad Spinner. It’s easy to use, has non-slip locks, and measures 10.5″ x 10.5′”x 6″. Plus, it’s affordable!

7. Measuring Spoons

Some chefs like to measure their spices precisely while others prefer to eyeball them or season to taste. However, if you enjoy baking, you’ll need to measure your ingredients because baking requires more science and chemistry than cooking.

Our favorite measuring spoons are the Spring Chef Magnetic Measuring Spoons Set. They’re made of stainless steel, are dual sided, and can easily squeeze into the depths of most spice jars.

They also have both U.S. and metric measurement markings engraved on them. We prefer engravings because they don’t fade like markings on plastic measuring spoons do.

8. Microplane

Do you have a microplane? Or know what one is? If not, we’re able to change your life.

A microplane is akin to a zester or a cheese grater, only better. It can be used for citrus fruit zest, hard cheese, chocolate, coconut, cinnamon sticks, fresh ginger, nutmeg, and many more foods.

Microplanes shave food rather than grate or zest it, and the particles come out fluffy. Microplanes are affordable and small – perfect for small kitchens!

Our favorite is the Microplane 40020, which is made of surgical grade stainless steel and is dishwasher safe.

9. Measuring Cup

Our favorite measuring cups aren’t cups, per se. It’s one large cup that gives measurements from a quarter of a cup up to 2 cups or more. If your kitchen has limited space, it’s much easier to keep track of one cup than a set of multiple.

Our favorite measuring cup is the Newness Cup. Made of stainless steel, this cup comes in five different sizes, each of which has three measurement scales: a cup scale, an ML scale, and an ounce scale.

The five sizes are as follows:

• 16 oz (2 Cup, 500 ML)
• 24 0z (3 Cup, 700 ML)
• 32 oz (4 Cup, 1,000 ML)
• 48 0z (6 Cup, 1,500 ML)
• 64 oz (8 Cup, 2,000 ML).

We recommend either the 16 oz or the 3 oz cups as they are sufficient for most bakers and cooks. This multi-use measuring cup is one of the best kitchen gadgets if you want an item that will give you a lot of use.

10.) Coffee Maker

If you’re a coffee aficionado and are willing to sacrifice a bit of counter space for the best espresso maker you can get, we wholeheartedly recommend the Breville Barista Express. It’s amazing.

However, if you love the occasional cup of Joe and don’t want to sacrifice space for a coffee maker, check out these Coffee Socks.

Coffee Socks are a DIY cold brew kit. This kit comes with a canning jar and reusable filter that can last up to one year! Not only is it a reusable alternative to paper filters, but it’s a major space saver and one of the best kitchen gadgets for coffee drinkers.

If you like to cook, you probably have the above best kitchen gadgets in your home already. If not? Add them to your wish list!