Ten great tips for making your kitchen storage seem much larger

Anyone who’s moved into a smaller home knows that you end up throwing out or donating boxes and boxes of food containers, jars, kitchen utensils and other bits and pieces.

It can be tricky, then, when you go to find something in your new, smaller cupboards, only to realise that it was one of the things you discarded because it wouldn’t fit.

But with a little bit of clever planning, there are ways to make sure even a tiny kitchen has room for the implements you require, without storing a load of items you don’t.

Sean Anderson, general manager of food at Cater Care, shared his top 10 tips for making the most of limited kitchen space.

• Keep a little notice board right close to the cupboards and fridge so you can write down what you’ve run out of straight away – it stops you cluttering up your storage spaces by buying more than you need.
• A basket is great for storing essential ingredients – you can just pull it out every time you need a reminder of what you’ve got in the cupboard rather than having to rummage around high shelves or at the back of cupboards.
• Use the ‘Russian Doll’ approach – buy containers, pots, and pans that are stackable to save space in a small kitchen.
• Magazine holders are perfect for storing aluminium foil, cling wrap, and baking paper, without taking up drawer space.
• You only need three knives, not a drawer-full – a paring knife, a chopping knife, and a serrated or bread knife can do all your food prep if you keep them sharp.
• An old tissue box is perfect for storing plastic bags – it keeps the bags from expanding to take up the whole drawer and you can easily pull one out as you need it.
• Fresh isn’t always best when you have limited fridge space – go for frozen and tinned foods because they can be just as healthy as the fresh equivalent, have a much longer shelf life, and are usually cheaper too.
• Colour-code your cutting boards so you know what you use them for, and have just one for each type of food.
• A tension rod can make a useful ‘rack’ in your under-sink cupboard to hand spray bottles from.
• A shower or desk organiser is a good way to store essential items around your sink, ensuring they don’t spread all over the countertop.

Do you have any cool space-saving tricks of your own?