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No matter how much floor space in your home is dedicated to the kitchen, it seems like there’s never enough room to fit everything you want to have at hand. Careful planning and design, of course, can alleviate some of the biggest issues. But there are also a number of innovative and ingenious items to help you maximize the space you have.
1. Appliance storage
Adding a cupboard for storing small kitchen appliances is a great way to free up valuable counter space, and minimize the visible clutter. Sliding or retractable doors on these are best so that you don’t have to keep the area in front of them clear.
2. Magnetic knife holder
Ditch the bulky wooden, countertop block and store your knives on a wall-mounted magnetic strip. This allows you to display your set and ensures you’ll never reach into the rack again and pull out the wrong one.
3. Corner shelving
Corner cabinets often become the dumping ground for large, rarely used kitchen gadgets. But since you have to remove everything to get to the items in the back, things often get forgotten about. Keep everything accessible by storing it on a swing-out shelf system.
4. Pot lid holders
These mount on the inside of drawer and cabinet faces so that you can hang your lids and stack all the pots and pans in a tidy pile. If you happen to be in the market for new pots and pans, another option is to look for a set with removable handles for easier storage.
5. Adjustable shelving
Adjustable cabinet shelves allow you to experiment with different heights so that you can fit all the tall items in the pantry, while minimizing wasteful voids.
6. Slide-out cutting boards
Create an extra workspace by installing a slide-out cutting board, mounted below the counter, then store it away out of sight when not needed.
7. Hanging pot racks
If you’re going for the “chef’s kitchen” design, finish the look off by hanging your pots and pans from a ceiling-mounted rack. It saves drawer space and saves you time spent rummaging around in the drawers for the item you need.
8. USB electrical sockets
With all our phones, tablets, and other electronic devices clambering for outlets, we often come up short when trying to plug an actual appliance into a kitchen outlet. These sockets replace a standard one, with room for two plugs and two USB cables for charging electronics.
9. Pullout filler drawers
If you’re installing a new kitchen, rather than using filler strips to fill gaps and leave room for doors to swing open, use pullout filler drawers to store spices and other small items. Some models are as narrow as four inches wide.
10. Nesting bowls
If your assortment of hand-me-down bowls is hogging up too much cupboard space, consider replacing them with a nesting set that fits together like Russian dolls. In addition to mixing bowls, there are a number of other products that stack neatly, including measuring cups, mixing spoons, and more.