35 proven Small Kitchen Organization Ideas

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Does your small kitchen feel cramped and cluttered? If making more space isn’t an option, you’ll have to make better use of the space you DO have. Let’s look at this inspiring list of 35 clever small kitchen organization ideas.


35 Clever Small Kitchen Organization Ideas
Small Kitchen Organization Ideas


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You can find most of these products at your local retailers. But if you can’t find them locally, I have provided links to online retailers where applicable.






Table of contents

How do you Organize a Small Kitchen so you can find stuff?

To organize a small kitchen it is important to get rid of stuff that you don’t need, buy multi-tasking kitchen items, and make the most of the kitchen cabinet space, wall-space and other storage spaces that you do have.

Hopefully the tips in this article will help you get your small kitchen tidy and organized.


Let’s start the list of small kitchen organization ideas so you can have a more functional small kitchen.

Just remember we need to evaluate what we already have in our kitchen and eliminate what we don’t need because there is no sense in buying organizers and organizing items we don’t need.




1) Get rid of duplicate-sized pots and pans and excess dishes

Getting rid of pots and pans that you don't use can help you get your cabinets organized.

Do you have a cabinet full of pots and pans but only end up using one or two of each and the rest collect dust?

Well, let them collect dust at someone else’s house. Or store them in a different spot in your house if you must keep them.

A small kitchen is too small for a bunch of duplicates.


And according to this article from Eater.com, most people have too many coffee mugs and bowls that are just clogging up their kitchen cabinets. And is your kitchen overflowing with Tupperware? Do you need this much? (This can tie in closely with #3 on the list.)




2) Donate food items that you’ll never eat

Go through your pantry cabinets. Do you have old food in there.

If you haven’t cooked it in a year, will you ever?

Put that food to good use and donate it to your local food bank or soup kitchen.



3) Pack up and store excess dishes elsewhere

Many houses – especially older houses – have under-sized kitchens compared to other rooms in the house.

Do you have a spare bedroom closet, basement or other spot where you could store extra dishes for the occasions you have company over?

Free up your kitchen cabinet space and store those dishes somewhere else.

(Or be honest with yourself…will you ever use all those dishes at once? If not, donate some.)




4) Eliminate mismatched and unused cutlery (aka silverware, flatware)

Does your cutlery drawer weigh about a thousand pounds because it is stuffed with forks, knives and spoons?

Go through this metal mess and donate what you don’t need.

It can free up kitchen drawer space for other items.





5) Put seldom-used kitchen appliances in a hallway closet or garage.

Just because it’s a kitchen appliance doesn’t mean it needs to be in your small kitchen at all times.

Store the small appliances you rarely use in a closet or somewhere else then just take it out when you need it.

This can free up countertop space and kitchen cabinet space.




6) Label things and know where they are

To help keep things organized, reinforce your storage regimen by labeling shelves, storage jars, etc… so everything has a place, and gets returned to that place following use.



7) Group and organize by category (like with like)

Instead of having things spread all over the kitchen and in different cabinets you can try organizing things by category.

Such as baking goods with baking, dishes together, cookware together, etc…

And even when it comes to food storage, having all the same foods together in one spot (like all your pasta in one spot) can make it easy to find things.




8) Take advantage of Wall Space (add shelving if possible)

Source and credit: Kerri Roche, A Pop of Pretty, apopofpretty.com

In a small kitchen you may have to think vertical and take advantage of the limited footprint by utilizing wall space.

This is a common theme in small kitchen organization.

Adding shelving to a kitchen wall can provide extra storage in an otherwise “wasted” space.

In the picture above you can see some rustic open shelves used by the blogger Kerri Roche from APopOfPretty.com

Keep in mind that open shelves can look awesome, but they can also look crowded and cluttered if all your stuff is mismatching.





9) Wall-mounted Spice Racks

Spice Rack (Photo credit and attribution: TheTurquoiseHome.com

Another way to make the most of the small space you have is to get a wall-mounted spice rack.

You can also mount racks like this inside a cabinet for “out of the way” storage if you have a suitable cabinet.

In the picture above you can see how the blogger Laura from TheTurquoiseHome.com uses a spice rack on the wall of her pantry.





Kitchen Drawer Organization Ideas

Many kitchen utensils and cutlery are stored in kitchen drawers. And there are lots of ways to make good use – better use – of your kitchen drawers.

Below you’ll find a few kitchen drawer organization ideas to help you make the most of your tiny kitchen.



10) Tray Dividers and Organizers

Madesmart 9-Piece Interlocking Bin Pack for Drawer Organization, Plastic Interlocking Junk Drawer Organizer Tray, White

Marie Kondo of “Tidying Up”-fame loves boxes and containers for organizing drawers.

You can get drawer dividers in different sizes and styles.

The interlocking set shown below allows you to “click together” a wide variety of shapes to customize to your kitchen drawers.

Click here to see details on Amazon.




If you want more a standard drawer divider for your cutlery – but one that is suited for a small kitchen – check out this adjustable tray divider made by Camco.

It is intended for use in RV’s and campers (speaking of tiny kitchens!) – so it should be perfect for your small home kitchen.

It adjusts side-to-side to fit a variety of kitchen drawers.

Camco Adjustable Cutlery Tray - Designed for RV and Compact Kitchen Drawers , Adjusts between 9" and 13" for An Easy Custom Fit -White (43503)


Click here for more details and pictures on Amazon.



Below is a photo from Instagram. I’ve included it because the first photo in the carousel shows how this person does what Marie Kondo suggests.

Marie Kondo says you should organize kitchen utensils by size: similar-sized utensils together.









11) Nesting Kitchen Gadget Set

Kitchen Gadgets Set - Space Saving Kitchen Gadgets - Camper Gifts - RV Gifts - 5 Piece Kitchen Gadgets and Tools - RV Kitchen Accessories - Motorhome Accessories - Gifts for RV Owners - RV Gadgets

Here is another cool idea that RV’ers and other tiny kitchen users love. It is a nesting kitchen gadget set. It has graters, a slicer, a peeler and more.

It is a clever idea and good for people that have limited utensil storage space.

If you need new kitchen gadgets anyway, you may want to check this out.





RELATED ARTICLE: 7 Simple Habits of People who always have a clean kitchen (Do you do these things?)





12) Magnetic Bars

Magnetic bar for utensil storage - small kitchen organization ideas
Magnetic rail or bar can help you make use of vertical space

We have a magnetic bar mounted above our stove. It is by no means a beauty, but it is helpful.

And I know it isn’t a drawer organizer, but it helps free up space in our drawers by storing utensils elsewhere.

I was going to store spices (in steel tins) on the bar, but we’ve decided to stick metal utensils on it. (And it is a good way to keep the sharp scissors away from young kids.)

Many people like magnetic strips like this to store their kitchen knives.


RELATED ARTICLE:

storage ideas for kitchen knives

Check out these other popular ways to store kitchen knives.






13) Utensil Jar

Small kitchen organization ideas - a DIY kitchen utensil holder
DIY utensil jar

Another way to remove some kitchen utensils from the drawers is to put them in a utensil jar near the stove.

The photo above is from my sister’s RV (a tiny kitchen for sure).

All the regularly used utensils are within reach.





Does your family eat a lot of rice?? If so, check out…

13 proper & popular Rice Storage Containers [organize your kitchen and reduce food waste]





14) Get your Food Storage Container Lids organized

YouCopia StoraLid Food Container Lid Organizer, Large, BPA-Free Adjustable Plastic Lid Storage for Kitchen Cabinet and Drawer Organization, White

Are food storage container lids a thorn in your side?

My sister-in-law helped us organize ours using just a box: circular lids together in one direction, and square lids together perpendicular to the circular lids.
If you want something more than a box, check out the adjustable lid organizer shown above. (It is a well-rated and popular choice made by the company YouCopia.)







Kitchen Cabinet Organization Ideas

Well-organized kitchen cabinets may very well be the key to a good, efficient small kitchen.

The next few kitchen organization ideas are dedicated to getting your cabinets better organized.

We’ll start by looking at some pots and pans storage ideas.


15) Ceiling-mounted Pots and Pans StorageVertical Pots and Pans Storage

Sorbus® Pot and Pan Rack for Ceiling with Hooks — Decorative Oval Mounted Storage Rack — Multi-Purpose Organizer for Home, Restaurant, Kitchen Cookware, Utensils, Books, Household (Hanging Black)

Just because have a cabinet where you keep your pots and pans, doesn’t mean you have to store them in there. You can store your pots and pans in other places.

Think vertical when it comes to posts and pans storage.

If you have the space, you could hang a rack from the ceiling (like the photo above.)

It’ll free up room in your cabinets, and your most used pots and pans will be within easy reach.

Do you have a spot on your ceiling where this would work?






16) Wall-Mounted Pots and Pans Storage Rack

Cooks Standard Wall Mount Pot Rack on Walmart.com
Cooks Standard Wall Mount Pot Rack (Photo credit: Walmart.com)

Another great option for storing pots and pans, is to put them on a wall.

If you have room on a wall you could install nice open shelves, or install a rack like the one above.

This rack from Cooks Standard comes with 6 hooks that allow you to hang pots or pans below the shelf, and then you still have the shelf itself to store stuff. Pretty cool.

It is currently rated 4.7 stars out of 5 on Walmart.com





17) Wall-mounted Pot and Pan Storage Rail

A pot and pan storage rail like this is another good way to take advantage of vertical wall space.

You can hang stuff from the S-hooks, but you can also place pot lids on top between the rail and wall.

Below is a product photo of an industrial-looking set of pot rails that I think would look good in a white kitchen.

OROPY Wall Mounted Pot Pan Rack 21'' Set of 2, Industrial Utensils Wall Hanger Iron Pipe Kitchen Hanging Rail with 10 S Hooks

It’s a popular and well-rated set from the company OROPY.

Check current price of this 2-pack.







18) Pegboard Pots and Pans Storage

If you have some wall space – even a narrow rectangular section of wall – you can install some pegboard and use “S” hooks to hang your cookware.

Check out the picture below. So awesome! (And it’s right next to the stove so within easy reach.)

Small kitchen organization ideas - Pegbaords and "S" hooks to hang pots and pans.
Pegboards in a small kitchen let you use vertical space

I love magnetic knife bar too.







19) Stack Pots and Leave Lids separate

2 Pack - Simple Houseware Cabinet Door/Wall Mount Pot Lid Organizer Rack, Chrome

Stack your pots inside each other in your cabinet, and leave the lids separate.

You can use a lid rack to store your pot lids.

What’s cool about lid racks is that you can mount them to the wall, or to the inside of cabinet doors (like in the picture above).

This one is a 2-pack from the company Simple Houseware.







If you don’t want to screw into your walls or cabinet doors, check out this over the door lid organizer from Spectrum Diversified. They make quality organizers.

Spectrum Metal Bloom Over the Cabinet Lid Organizer (Chrome) - Storage for Kitchen, Cabinet, Pantry, & Under Sink Organization





You can also get lid organizers that sit in the bottom of a kitchen drawer like in the photo below. Nice and tidy!

A lid organizing rack like this one can help you organize inside kitchen cabinets and large pull-out kitchen drawers.
Lid Organizer inside a large kitchen drawer








20) Nesting Cookware Set

Stackable non-stick nesting cookware set takes up less room inside a kitchen cabinet.

This is a cool idea. Instead of having your pots and pans spread out inside a cabinet, you can buy a nesting cookware set like the one shown below.

It stacks nicely and it’ll will help organize your tiny kitchen.

The set below is available at Walmart.com

It is currently well-rated at 4.7 stars out of 5 with 26 reviews.

There are lots of nesting (or stacking) cookware sets available. So have a look around and I’m sure you’ll find one you love.








21) Store Pots and Pans in Oven when not in use

This is an easy DIY pots and pans storage tip that anyone can do. When you’re not using your oven you can store cookware inside it.
My mom did this when we were kids.

You just need to remember to remove the cookware before pre-heating your oven. But you’ll soon develop a habit of checking the oven before you turn it on.







22) Slide-out Cabinet Shelf

LYNK PROFESSIONAL® SELECT™ Pull Out Cabinet Organizer, 11" x 21" - Slide Out Drawers for Kitchen Cabinets - Sliding Pantry Shelves - Roll Out Shelf for Pots, Pans - Lifetime Ltd. Warranty, Wood Chrome

If you hate getting on your hands and knees trying to find something at the back of the cabinet – you are not alone!

And there is help.

These slide out cabinet shelves make your kitchen items way more accessible.

You can get them in different widths and depths – so measure and order carefully. (I know in my 70’s kitchen there are no cabinets wider than 14-inches.)

Would this help you organize your small kitchen?

The product shown above is a slide out organizer made by Lynk Professional.










23) Nesting Mixing Bowls – metal

FineDine Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls (Set of 6) - Easy To Clean, Nesting Bowls for Space Saving Storage, Great for Cooking, Baking, Prepping

Most of us already have these, but it’s worth mentioning. If you have nesting bowls that fit inside each other, they’re going to take up way less cabinet space.

Stop the cabinet sprawl!

If you don’t already have a set of mixing bowls, check out this popular stainless steel set from FineDine.

(These sell like crazy and they’re well-rated.)







23B) Colorful Nesting Bowl set

YIHONG 6 Pcs Plastic Mixing Bowls Set, Colorful Serving Bowls for Kitchen, Ideal for Baking, Prepping, Cooking and Serving Food, Nesting Bowls for Space Saving Storage, Rainbow

Here is a colorful nesting bowl set that will help brighten up your kitchen.

It could help you organize your small kitchen cabinets, or it could a great house-warming gift for someone moving in to a place with a smaller kitchen. (RV’ers love these nesting bowls in their small RV kitchens.)

They are really popular on Amazon, and currently have a really high rating.







24) Water Bottle Holder

mDesign Stackable Plastic 3 Bottle Refrigerator Wine Rack - Kitchen Storage Organizer for Champagne, Wine or Water Bottles - Stacking Wine Organizer for Fridge - Ligne Collection - 2 Pack - Clear

Here is a neat idea to keep your cabinets organized.

If you’ve got water bottles all over your kitchen, this plastic stackable set from mDesign will help you get them organized.



RELATD ARTICLE: Do you struggle with storing water bottles?

Check out our article on helpful Water Bottle Storage Ideas

Water bottle storage ideas






25) Dish Risers (aka cabinet shelves)

These handy shelves can essentially double your dish-storing ability.

These dish risers or wire cabinet shelves are a great way to stack smaller plates above larger plates and allow you to better organize your dishes cabinet.
Dish risers to improve dish-storing ability



Small kitchen organization ideas. Dish risers or wire racks like this allow you to store cups and mugs above other smaller glasses or mugs.
Dish risers used to store extra coffee cups



Your local retailer will likely have some. But you can click here to see some on Amazon.



26) Repurpose Magazine Holders

To help contain cutting boards and cooling racks you can make new use of an old magazine holder.

It can help tidy up your cabinets for very little money.




Kitchen Counter Organization

Messy kitchen counter – Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay

Question for you –> What is on your countertop?

Look at your kitchen counter right now. Or better yet, take a picture of it.

What things are on your countertop?

  • Does it have to be on the counter?
  • Do you use it regularly enough to warrant it being on the counter?

Below are some kitchen counter organization ideas and organizers.



27) Banana Bungee

Banana Bungee Black Banana Hook Holder, Made in USA; Multiple Bunches or Single Banana Hanger

Do you always have bananas at your house? But tired of having them on the counter?

This is a clever-looking banana hanger. It is supposed to decrease bruising, and it gets the fruit off your countertop.







28) Countertop Organization Stand

DOLALIKE Microwave Oven Rack, Expandable Microwave Stand Countertop Kitchen Utensils Tableware Storage, Carbon Steel Over Microwave Shelf Countertop with 6 Hooks

The product photo shows it with some sort of mini microwave below the rack, but having a stand like this provides lots of organization possibilities.

It’s cool how there are spice rack shelves along the side of the stand, and a cutting board holder on the opposite side.

If you like the look of this, click here to see details on Amazon.







29) Over the Sink Drying Rack / Organizer

ADBIU Over The Sink Dish Drying Rack (Expandable Height and Length) Snap-On Design 2 Tier Large Dish Rack Stainless Steel (24" - 35.5" L x 12" W x 19" - 22" H)

If you have space above your sink, an organizer/drying rack like this could really help you get “stuff” off your kitchen counter.

It is made by ADBIU, and is available on Amazon. (Just make sure your sink is between 24-inches wide and 35 inches wide.)

Will this fit in your small kitchen?






30) Bamboo Stove-top Cover and cutting board

Prosumer's Choice Bamboo Stove Top Cover Board - Stylish and Versatile Wooden Stove Cover with Adjustable & Removable Feet, Large Cutting Area - Ideal for Kitchen Use - 3"H x 21.5"L x 11"W

This elevated bamboo cutting board has height-adjustable legs that allow you to position it over stovetops and provides an extra kitchen work surface.

One of the most frustrating things about working in a small kitchen is lack of countertop space. This product helps solve that problem by giving you some extra food prep space.

You may be able to find similar products at your local stores or you can click here to learn more about this one made by Prosumer’s Choice.



31) Slide-out Garbage Can

LYNK PROFESSIONAL® Pull Out Trash Can Under Cabinet - Under Sink Trash Can Storage - Trash Cabinet - Trash Can Pull Out - Sliding Pull Out for Kitchen Garbage Can (Trash Can Not Included)

Having a slide-out garbage can would help organize the cabinet, but it will also help keep it cleaner. (Less garbage missing the can.)

The one shown here is a slide-out shelf made by Lynk Professional.

If you have a small garbage can, you could likely fit a recycle bin or food waste bin on this shelf too.







32) Over the Cabinet Door Garbage Can

ELPHECO Kitchen Compost Bin, 9.5 Litre Hanging Trash Can with Lid, Kitchen Cabinet Door Under Sink Plastic Garbage Can Compost Bin Wall Mounted Slide Open, 2.5 Gallon Under Kitchen Counter Bin, White

If you don’t want a big slide-out garbage can shelf, perhaps an over-the-door trash can like this one will fit your needs.

If you have room inside the cabinet you can hang this can on the inside and conceal the garbage, or hang it on on the outside.

Plus, it comes with an adhesive if you prefer to stick it your cabinet.

Will this work in your kitchen?

Check current price here.





33) Expandable Under Sink Organizer Shelves

Simple Houseware Under Sink 2 Tier Expandable Heavy Duty Metal Shelf Organizer Rack, Silver (Expand from 15 to 25 inches)

You don’t need to settle for a messy under-the-sink cabinet. There are lots of clever under-sink organizers, and they are often under-utilized. They are one of the important small kitchen organization ideas to help reduce the clutter around your kitchen sink.

This under sink organizer expands to fit a variety of cabinets. It expands from 15 to 25-inches wide.

It is a popular product that you can find on Amazon.

(I looked on Walmart for it, but couldn’t find it on their website.)






34) Slide-Out Under Sink Organizer Shelves

2-Tier Under Sink Organizers and Storage 2 Pack Sliding L-shape Under Cabinet Organizers For Narrow Space Multi-purpose Sink Organizer for Bathroom Kitchen Drawer(White 2 Pack)

If you want to tidy up under your kitchen sink – and actually have a chance to reach items – there are under sink organizers that can help.

This one from Nature’s Source features a slide-out bottom shelf for easy access to your stuff.

It is made of plastic so don’t go overboard loading the top shelf with heavy items.






35) Stackable Drawers to go under the kitchen sink

SimpleHouseware Stackable 2 Tier Sliding Basket Organizer Drawer, Chrome

Another under-the-sink storage shelf option is the stackable drawers like the ones above.

It’s a good option for an under sink cabinet front that has a divider down the center. (The kind of cabinet that won’t allow a full-width organizer.)



36) Scrub Pad Holder

scrub pad holder mounted to inside an under-sink kitchen cabinet. It is a good small kitchen organization ideas to help reduce clutter around your kitchen sink.
Scrub pad holder mounted inside a kitchen cabinet door under the sink

Our scrub pad holder was supposed to suction to the wall of the sink. But it didn’t stay on very well and I always knocked it off.

So we used cup hooks to attach it to the inside of under-sink cabinet door.

Once it dries it gets put back into its little cradle.




37) Label your Spice Bottles

Spice Storage Ideas = label the top of your spice bottles and put them in a container inside a drawer or kitchen cabinet.
Label the top of your spices.

If you store your spices upright it can be difficult to find the spice you’re looking for.

But if you label the top of your spice bottles you’ll easily be able to find what you need.

You can buy printable stickers at Staples or your local stationary store. Then you can use your computer to print off your spice labels. This is a great idea for people with bad handwriting (like me).

Then if you have free space inside a drawer you can place your bin of well-labelled spice bottles in there.



For more Spice Storage Ideas, you’ll want to check out this article.




38) Try keeping a magnetic whiteboard on the fridge and keep a running tally of items you need.

Putting a magnetic whiteboard on your fridge is a convenient way to jot down the food items you need. If something is running low, write it down.

Then when it’s time to go to the grocery store just snap a picture of your list.

This will save you money and it’ll ensure you buy what you need and need what you buy.



For more pantry organization ideas, check out this article on how to organize a small pantry.

How to organize a pantry




What are some of the different opinions on how to organize a kitchen counter?

There are two main differing opinions on kitchen counter organization.

  1. Some think the counter-top should be bare (nothing on it)
  2. Others think that the counter-top should contain the things you need regularly


Opinion #1 is about LOOKS. There is something calming about having a sparse and clean counter.

Opinion #2 is about FUNCTION. If you use something regularly (like the toaster or coffee maker), why have it hidden in a cupboard and have to pack it in and out every day?




Conclusion and Appreciation

I really hope you found something helpful on this list of ideas


I’d like to thank all my sisters and sister-in-law for helping me with ideas and photos for this article.

It was truly a team effort.


Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Tim from LearnAlongWithMe.com





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