Skip One Popular Appliance Trend If You Have A Smaller Kitchen

While it may be a cliche to say that a kitchen is the heart of a home, it's often true. Americans spend over an hour a day in their kitchens on average, and kitchens are one of the most popular areas of the home to remodel. Considering how much time people spend there, maybe it's no surprise that one of the top things Americans wish for in their kitchen is extra counter space. But even if you aren't able to remodel your kitchen, you can still give yourself extra space and make your small kitchen feel bigger and less crowded. The trick is to keep your countertop appliances to a minimum. As cool as a popcorn popper or air fryer may be, chances are, you won't use them nearly often enough to justify the counter space they'll take up.

Of course, there may be some exceptions, An appliance like a toaster oven or an Instant Pot Duo Plus may be especially easy to justify, if, thanks to their multiple features and modes, you will actually get regular use out of them. However, unlike space-saving multifunctional appliances, single-use countertop appliances are almost never worth the space they take up in small kitchens.

When your counter space is at a premium, you can't afford to waste it on gadgets and appliances you rarely use. Even countertop decor items may be hard to justify if they have too large a footprint. Even worse, in many small kitchens, it's not just the counters that are in short supply, it's also the cupboards and storage spaces. So simply throwing that espresso machine in a cupboard during the 99% of the time it's not in use may also not be a viable solution.

Small kitchens aren't all bad though, and you can certainly make the most of your limited kitchen space. Having a small space prevents you from wasting money and mindlessly filling your kitchen with expensive gadgets you'll rarely or never use. Before bringing any new appliances into your home, be sure to ask yourself if you already have a tool or appliance that fills that function. Do you really need a large countertop blender if you already have a smaller immersion blender? Do you need an air fryer, or does your oven already have a similar feature? Keeping things simple helps both your wallet and your kitchen's functionality.