In a small apartment, extra kitchen counter space is hard to come by. You kind of have to deal with what you have and what you have is almost never enough.
But that doesn’t mean you have to settle for one measly scrap of space.
There are two ways to create extra counter space in a small apartment:
- adding kitchen counter space
- creating extra counter space
The first one is pretty straightforward. You add counter space by investing in a kitchen island, a rolling kitchen cart, and any other kind of surface that gives you more area to work with.
The second one is where we get creative. Any counter accumulates clutter. Necessary clutter, for sure, but clutter nonetheless. This includes utensils, spices, towels, jars, cans, appliances, and every other et cetera you can see in your tiny kitchen.
So to create more kitchen counter space we need to take all this necessary clutter off the counter and bring it somewhere else. This means that we need to find more storage solutions that will a) find a proper placement for your things; b) take up minimal space; c) not disrupt your cooking workflow.
This list is a healthy mix of both approaches.
So prepare to see a lot of foldable, hanging, over-the-something kitchen counter space savers that will help you with the headache that cooking in a small kitchen can be.
Let’s go.
P.S.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link like that, I’ll earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) to feed the bottomless pit that is my cat.
Over-the-sink kitchen storage station
This is, without a doubt, the ultimate tiny kitchen counter space saver.
Using the empty space above the sink, it combines a dish and bowl rack, knife and cutlery holders, cutting board rack, a basket for detergent and sponges, another basket for fruits and vegetables, and 6 hooks to boot.
You can adjust and remove the parts to match this space saver to your kitchen workflow. Expanding on that, you can use the cutting board rack, for example, to store pot lids. It’s always hard to find a proper place for them.
This wonder space saver is available in two versions depending on the width of your sink. One is suitable for sinks equal to or smaller than 32 1/2 inches (82 cm) and the other one is for sinks equal to or smaller than 33 1/2 inches (85 cm). Don’t eyeball it and make sure to take the right measurements. It will be worth it.
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Everything that sits on your counter can reside on this storage rack. Even transferring utensils and dish racks onto it will create extra counter space in your tiny kitchen. The same goes for fruits and vegetables that don’t belong in the fridge. Basically, with this thing over the sink, you can get as creative as you want with storage and it will still result in one thing – more kitchen counter space. Cheers to that!
Foldable rolling counter kitchen cart
Do you want additional kitchen counter space on demand? Your wish is my command.
This folding kitchen counter can be set up every time you cook. This way, you get more space in your tiny kitchen to do the prepping and cutting. Afterward, just fold it and store it under the bed or behind the kitchen door.
Alternatively, you can keep it around as a small rolling kitchen island. With two additional bottom shelves and a solid iron frame, you can load it with 100 lbs worth of stuff.
It would also do a great job as a buffet on wheels or a bar island whenever you have some guests over.
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If your tiny kitchen has little to no floor space, this foldable kitchen island is ideal. You get an additional work surface whenever you need it without permanently cluttering an already crowded space.
Additionally, it gives you plenty of new storage space and can double as a cutting board, microwave, or slow cooker stand.
Wall-mounted kitchen rail
Show of hands, who else keeps their kitchen utensils on a counter?
For the longest time, I did too. Until I, once again, knocked it over while rolling pizza dough. The racket was loud and glorious. The cat was traumatized and pissed off. The counter was a mess.
You probably already see where this fascinating tale is going – to get extra counter space the utensils need to go.
While storing them in a drawer is a viable option, keeping your utensils on a wall rail is a lot more comfortable. You don’t want to rummage through the drawers while your bechamel sauce is on its merry way to escape the pot.
Most of these hanging utensils racks require drilling. But if you are renting or just don’t want to mess up the wall, you can try the no drilling option.
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Removing the utensils is great for adding counter space to your kitchen. You can hang all kinds of things on this rack, even the oven mitts, tea towels, cleaning brushes, and even planter pots. All while saving space and creating more work surface in the kitchen.
Wall-mounted foldable extra counter
If you have an empty wall, you can have additional kitchen counter space.
This wall-mounted folding table is ideal for a small space. It folds up against the wall and instantly frees up tons of space. Originally, designed as a dining table for small apartments, it can be customized to sit at the height of a typical counter.
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This table provides an additional work surface in a small kitchen. And it gives you extra counter space to do your cooking, chopping and even dining. It’s a brilliant solution for small apartments and condos.
Foldable over-the-sink dish drying rack
Another way to create extra kitchen counter space in a tiny kitchen is to give your sink an additional purpose.
A dish-drying purpose.
You can use this roll-up mat to quickly turn the sink into a dish drying rack. Simply unfold it and place it on the sink. The silicone edges will keep it in place while you dry the dishes and glasses over it.
This mat can also double as a cooling rack thanks to its heat-resistant quality.
After everything is said and done, it rolls up for easy storage which is always a plus in a tiny kitchen.
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With the sink drying the dishes, you can retire the bulky dish drying rack and free up the counter.
Also, you can cool piping hot baking sheets over the sink without crowding or ruining the counter. Happy cooking!
Dry your dishes off the counter with this rack
In a similar fashion, this drying rack also gives your sink something else to do.
Shaped as a more traditional dish rack, it is more oriented towards drying plates while still leaving enough space for glasses and cups.
Even if you use a dishwasher, this will be great for drying stray dishes that didn’t make the cut.
This dish drying rack has extendable handles to make sure that it fits your sink. So in an unextended state, it measures 15.75″(L) x 8.25″(W) x 4.50″(H) but you can prolong the handles to have it sit at 21″(L).
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You will get extra counter space by relegating the dish-drying duties to the sink. It also looks stylish, clean, and overall makes the kitchen look neater by “hiding” the dishes inside the sink.
Multipurpose kitchen counter storage rack
When all else fails, get an additional work surface.
If you have any free space in the kitchen, this shelving unit is the one that needs to fill it. With its sturdy frame, it can hold up to 176lbs (80kg) so all your cookbooks, pots, pans, and even a microwave or a slow cooker can go there.
The shelves give you plenty of versatility and can serve as a small pantry or kitchen storage space for larger appliances.
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The unit’s surface area measures 35.4”L x 15.7”W x 33”H (90cm x 40cm x 84cm). It is just high enough to serve as an extra counter. You can prep the food on it, roll the dough, keep mixing bowls and dishes on it, and plenty of other stuff to boot. With extra shelves and baskets underneath, it’s a perfect solution for a small kitchen.
Over-the-stove cutting board for extra counter space
This cutting board has legs and it’s ready to rumble.
On the surface, this is a premium grain bamboo cutting board that every cooking extraordinaire wants to have in their kitchen. It also has “juice traps” on the sides that catch extra moisture that can escape from the food during the chopping process. This makes the prepping process more hygienic and prevents cross-contamination. I’d like to think that Gordon Ramsay would approve.
But there’s more than just “juice traps” to this board. In a true kitchen counter space-saving fashion, you can attach legs to it and place it over a gas or electric stove. This will give you additional space to do all the mincing business while sparing the counters. And it comes in 4 different sizes so you can perfectly match it to your kitchen setup.
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Since you’ll be using the work surface on the stove for all the mincing and chopping business, the counter will be free as a bird. You can then use the counter to store prepped ingredients, cookbooks, baking sheets, bowls, and anything else you’ll need during the cooking process.
Apart from the cooking, this cutting board can turn your stove into a handy side table during the day. You can never have enough surface space in a small apartment.
Extendable over-the-sink cutting board & strainer
This patented over-the-sink cutting board has two things going for it.
One, it is expandable. This allows you to comfortably fit it over the sink without sacrificing storage space. The non-skid surface keeps the board securely in place while you do the chopping.
Two, this cutting board has a built-in colander. You can wash and chop vegetables in the same spot. The colander can be taken out for a proper rinse and it collapses for easy storage after the cooking is done.
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The kitchen counter remains free while you do the mincing.
Washing and then transferring vegetables to a cutting board usually leaves a wet mess behind. A cutting board combined with a strainer allows you to do both in one place and keep water spillage to a minimum.
Get everything off the kitchen counter and into these rolling utility carts
A rolling kitchen cart is one of the fastest ways to create extra counter space in a small kitchen.
You can move this rolling cart around so it never gets in the way of the cooking process.
It has a metal pegboard on the side that you can customize with 3 included baskets. It should also work for other pegboard accessories.
You can also transfer your most-used spices into magnetic round containers and keep them on the side of the cart.
This rolling cart is more advanced and gives you not only storage space, but also an additional surface area to work on.
The drawers allow for silverware storage and the shelves are ready to be filled with everything that’s cluttering the counter.
It also features a drop-leaf additional surface that makes the cart easier to store in a small kitchen. The 2 of the 4 wheels lock for when you need a bit more stability.
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Everything that sits on your counter can now reside on this rolling cart.
Here is just a small list of things you can keep on the cart and off the counter:
- kitchen utensils
- tea towels and oven mitts
- spices
- containers and jars
- saucepans
- kettle and french press
- oil, vinegar, and other liquids
- coffee and tea
- root vegetables
- your own indoor herb garden
That’s just from looking at my own rolling cart. A very persistent cat sometimes also appears in the mix.
Cabinet door cutting boards & baking sheets organizer
In a small kitchen, it can be hard to find a place for even a few cutting boards.
This organizer can be hooked onto a cabinet door or mounted on a wall. You can use it to store cutting boards, baking pans, cookie sheets, and food wrappers.
Only make sure that your sheets and pans will fit. The basket without hooks measures 13.5” x 9.5” x 3.62” (34cm x 24cm x 9cm). But if you hang it over the cabinet the height will measure approximately 18.5” (47cm).
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If you used to keep cutting boards in a cabinet, freeing it up will give you more storage space. Anything that crowds the counter can be now kept in there.
And if you used to prop cutting boards against the sink faucet, you might want to put an over-the-sink organizer there instead. Extra kitchen counter room guaranteed.
Narrow 3-tier rolling storage cart
Got any narrow nooks in the kitchen? Like between a fridge and a counter or a wall?
Instead of letting it collect dust and spiders, use it to create extra storage space.
This rolling cart was designed to fit into narrow places like these. It is less than 7” (17cm) wide but its 3-tier design gives you plenty of storage space.
Having a pantry in a small kitchen is sort of an impossible dream. But this rolling cart comes pretty close.
Unlike the rolling carts, this narrow organizer takes up little to no floor space. And since it hides in a nook, the kitchen will look much neater and cleaner.
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You can turn this rack into a small pantry on wheels. Keep oils, spices, and root vegetables in close reach and off the counter.
This will give you a lot more working surface in the kitchen.
Storage space fridge shelves
Adding kitchen counter space means taking advantage of every other surface in the room.
This includes your refrigerator.
This organizer rack hooks onto the side of your fridge. It gives you 3 tall shelves with an additional rack at the bottom. This whole structure measures almost 30” (76cm) giving you plenty of storage space.
Now, your counters might be too tall or the side of your fridge is too close to the kitchen doors.
In this case, the fridge organizer above will be better suited for you. It has a powerful magnetic base that will readily stick to the front of your refrigerator.
The organizer measures only 18” (45cm) and gives you 2 tall shelves with an additional paper towel holder. It can hold up to 17 lbs (7.7kg) and stick to any metal surface.
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A fridge organizer is one of the best ways to create extra counter space in any renter’s kitchen. It effectively gives you several hanging shelves with no drilling or wall damage.
You can take everything you have on the counters and place it on the shelves. This includes spices, paper, and kitchen towels, condiments, jars, bottles…
Seriously, anything can find a new home on your fridge.
Cabinet hooks for cups & utensils
We’ve already established that to create additional kitchen counter space utensils need to go.
If you are reluctant to do any drilling or sticking, you can use these cabinet hooks to store your spatulas and ladles.
Slide it onto the bottom panel of the cabinet and tighten it with a discreet screw. This keeps the hooks in place despite the weight of the utensils and cups.
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Your utensils are once again off the counter giving you more space. Now, they are neatly organized right within your reach on 6 handy hooks. No drilling or sticking involved.
Rolling microwave storage cart
A microwave, unless built-in, takes up a lot of space on the counter.
It is a convenient thing to have, no doubt. But in a small kitchen, the cons keep piling on. It hogs that precious counter space with no compromises. If it sits too close to the stove because the only outlet is near the stove…Well, let’s just say I’ve been there and I’ve melted the microwave just a bit.
This tray was designed to solve this problem. You plop the microwave onto it and wheel it in only when needed. Plug it in, cook, plug it out, and off it goes to a secure nook with no flames in reach.
It’s got a 50-pound weight capacity and it measures 15” x 21” x 36.7” (38cm x 53cm x 93cm). Additionally, it sports 4 chrome hooks on the side and 2 shelves that you can adjust to your liking. Basically, it’s more storage space on wheels. Yay!
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One of the best ways to create extra counter space is by relocating the microwave. With it out of the way and on the tray, you’ll have a whole new area of your kitchen to explore. You’ll also get extra storage from the shelves and additional hooks.
Plus, your kitchen will look a lot lighter and ready for fun decorating experiments with the bulky microwave out of the way.
Wall-mounted produce storage baskets
Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is incredibly good for you. But not so much for your limited kitchen counter space.
Let me elaborate.
Not all of them belong in the fridge. So what do you do? Throw them on the floor? Keep them under the sink? Dump them on the counter?
If you opt for the latter, your usable counter space shrinks significantly to the point where you can’t even make a cup of coffee without it landing on a banana.
This 3-tier hanging basket is the perfect way to store fruits and vegetables.
Keeping them on display adds a fresh and colorful atmosphere to the room. You can label each basket with chalk to keep organized, prevent some fruits from aging too quickly, and add a nice rustic detail to this storage solution.
Plus, having everything right in front of your eyes will make shopping lists a lot easier to make. No more rummaging through plastic bags for you!
You can also use these beautiful tote bags for storing your vegetables and hang them on wall hooks.
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The kitchen counter is no longer taken up by your latest trophies from the farmer’s market. And these baskets filled with colorful fruits and vegetables make for an amazing accent piece, don’t you think? Combine it with fun kitchen wall art and you’ll get yourself a real show stopper.
Prep & storage cutting board station
Prepping ingredients for a stir fry or stew means one thing. Bowls with chopped vegetables everywhere. And lack of any free kitchen counter space.
This ingenious cutting board stores 4 containers and an iPad stand. They sit at the bottom and at the top of the cutting board and can hold the ingredients, chopped vegetables, and food waste.
This cutting board is a full-blown prep station and a must-have for every cook. Especially for the one confined to a small kitchen.
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With this cutting board, both the chopping and the storage of ingredients take up just a tiny bit of space. You can also safely keep your iPad on the counter without worrying about its safety.
Veggies & fruits hammock holder
A fruit bowl is kind of a cornerstone of kitchen decor. But it can also take up kitchen counter space which is exactly what we’re trying to prevent.
Fortunately, there is this unique solution that will not only add a splash of boho style to your kitchen but will also free up your counters.
This little hammock is perfect for holding fruits or vegetables and for helping you to sort through your products and let them ripen.
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Your fruits are chilling in a hammock while your counters are freer than ever. What’s not to like?
Over-the-microwave storage rack
While a microwave is a useful thing to have, it is deadly for your kitchen counter space.
This two-tier rack aims to elevate the microwave’s bulky presence. It gives you two shelves and 3 hooks for hanging utensils and oven mitts.
The rack measures 12.6 x 15.74 x 30.7 inches. So make sure you measure your counter and cabinet height properly.
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This kitchen organizer will not magically lift the microwave off the counter but it will give you more surface space to play with. You can fill the shelves with everything in sight which will give you more kitchen counter space in general.
Even if you don’t have a microwave, I’d still give this rack a go.
Over-the-door 15-pocket organizer
If you want a pantry, you get a pantry!
This hanging organizer has 15 clear pockets you can fill with literally anything. It’s the perfect pantry alternative for a small kitchen. Canned food, spices, teas, sauces, towels, coffee machine, capsules – everything goes on the door. And off the counter.
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The presence of this hanging organizer will do two things. One, stuff that clutters your counters can go right there and free up some space in your tiny kitchen.
Two, it will help you organize on the go. Coming back from grocery shopping, you will no longer be tempted to just dump everything on the counter. You will have this awesome organizer that is easy to reach and even easier to use.
A kitchen is one of the most dynamic rooms in any home. Everything’s bubbling and brewing, appliances come and go, and new cooking hobbies are taken for a spin.
There’s always a need for more storage and counter space.
So make sure to pin this post to your “Kitchen Ideas” Pinterest board for future reference.
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