4 Simple Ways To Create Extra Counter Space In Your Kitchen

One of the most important things a useful kitchen needs is plenty of counter space. According to Striking Remodels, ample workspace is needed for food preparation, cooking, and eating. Additionally, having lots of surface area allows for multiple people to be working in the kitchen at once, which means dinner may be ready faster.

Those who have small kitchens with limited counter space may assume that there's no easy way to create more surface area. They may believe the only way to add more space is by adding an additional counter, which can be complicated and costly. Additionally, because of the size and layout of some kitchens, adding a counter may not be possible without an entire remodel.

However, these assumptions are not true – there are actually many simple ways to maximize your workspace, even if you have a very cramped kitchen. Below are four easy ways to create more kitchen countertop space.

The first way to add more counter space is by covering your stove and sink when they're not in use. This can add tons of extra space for preparing food. According to Kitchen Serf, boards that cover your stove are sometimes called noodle boards because this extra workspace used to be used to make noodles. These boards can be made from wood, glass, or tile, and could be personalized on sites like Etsy. CuttingBoard.com makes customized boards that are made to perfectly fit your sink. They can also have a trash hole or only cover a portion of the sink so that scraps can easily be pushed into the garbage disposal.

Additionally, these covers provide your appliances with extra protection from scratches and dents, per Wyandotte Homes. However, for safety reasons, before placing one on top of your stove, make sure the appliance is completely cooled. You could also cover the knobs with plastic covers.

Another way to maximize your kitchen counters is by adding a storage cart. This will improve your kitchen in two ways: First, the top of the table can be a great place to prepare food, and second, any shelves or drawers will give you more storage space, so you can move some items off of your countertops. Epicurious recommends choosing a cart with shelves and wheels. Also, make sure that it's the right height for you to work at it – typically, this means the cart will be the same height as your counters.

The Home Depot also says that larger models can act as kitchen islands in a space, which can make your kitchen much more useful. Other ways to use your storage cart include as a breakfast nook, table, serving cart, dessert bar, bar cart, extra pantry space, or coffee station. And, because they come in a number of styles and sizes, it should be easy for you to find one you love.

If you keep your utensils in a container or your knives in a butcher block on your kitchen counter, you could free up space by hanging these items along your kitchen backsplash. Additionally, you could also hang other items like pots, spices, bakeware, platters and dishes, or other kitchen supplies, per Midwest Living. Hanging your items would allow you to use more vertical space in your kitchen, which could free up some counter space that was previously covered in various items.

New Hampshire Home says there are two main ways to do this: either add a horizontal hanging bar or a shelf to your kitchen backsplash. A magnetic horizontal bar could be used to hold things like utensils, spice jars, and knives. Or, you could hang items along a bar with hooks, which would be ideal for items like utensils, pots, and cutting boards that are manufactured with holes in their handles. A shelf would be best for those who want to display dishes, glasses, spices, or jars.

Similarly, using shelf risers along your kitchen backsplash would allow you to use more vertical space in your kitchen and, therefore, would free up counter space. This is an easier solution to having to hang a bar or shelf in the kitchen. Epicurious says that shelf risers are freestanding ledges that are typically made out of wood, metal, or acrylic materials. They could be used to store things like dishes, spices, or cookware.

Shelf risers are typically used inside cabinets, to maximize the space between shelves. Using them in this way could also help you free up counter space, because you could store more things behind closed cabinet doors. Coldwell Banker suggests putting small appliances that aren't frequently used into cabinets to free up counter space – perhaps using shelf risers would free up some extra space for these larger items. Alternatively, you could also store small appliances above your fridge or in the pantry.