If you have a tiny kitchen how do you cook from scratch? Any tips?

[McKayz]

We have a really small kitchen. The only real room for prepping is the hob. Which obviously isn't great when we also need to use the hob for cooking.

I really enjoy cooking but it gets quite annoying trying to do everything.

Just wondering if anyone else struggles with this and has some tips to make life easier.

Plan ahead and clean as you go. Lots of small blue peter style pots so you pre chop stuff then pop them in the fridge or anywhere out of the way. Could you fit one of those trolley things in anywhere?

No we don't have space for a trolley. I had a look at them but unfortunately it wouldn't fit.

I had a really small kitchen in my first flat. I did lots of entertaining. It taught me to be a VERY tidy cook!

Have a look at the "little paris kitchen" for ideas and recipes using little space and few pots.

BBC have some episodes on line and there is a website for the reci[pes.

I'll have a look at that. Thanks

My kitchen is about the size of Rachel Koo's, if not smaller.

It's fine - no one else is allowed near the kitchen when I'm cooking, there just isn't room.

Apart from that - prep is key, so I get everything ready first - TV cook show style. I have really good basic equipment so I have eg three really good cast iron pans, small medium and large - no point I having three of the same size etc.

It has made me very tidy!

Smitten kitchen is an another food blog based in a small kitchen. I've seen some good tips from there on minimising the amount of equipment you have and clever storage.

Ours is a little bigger - -but we find space for ingredients a problem.

Keep it tidy, don't overbuy, clear out cupboards regularly, resist the urge to buy any new gizmo.

I have been known to sit on the floor to prepare food.

Our bathroom is off the kitchen so when I have tried to ban the DC from the kitchen while I am cooking they all are suddenly desperate to use the toilet!

I will go and look at Smitten Kitchen.

I had thought of using the table but while it's fine for prep it's not as easy to use while actually cooking.

I've had a series of not small but badly designed kitchens over the years. I agree with prepping everything then cooking.

Also see what doesn't really need to be kept in the kitchen, so you may have things you don't use often like a rice cooker that you can actually store elsewhere.

If you don't eat in the kitchen then there is no need for there to be a full set of crockery/cutlery in there it can be kept nearer to where it is used.

A large wooden chopping board over the sink can give you extra prepping area/space to put things down. When my kitchen was tiny I did a lot of prep at the dining table (which was in the living room) and found the family were a lot more inclined to pull up a chair and help too :-)

drop down table like this helpful for small space...even better if you can get one that acts as the front od a shallow cupboard so you can store ingredients too

About 10cm either side of the hob and about 45cm next to the sink where the kettle and slow cooker are. The slow cooker is used 2-3 times a week and we don't really have anywhere else it can go.

We have more than that but it can still get tricky. We have a draining rack on the draining board which I fold and dump in a corner to free up draining board space. I also open the cutlery drawer and put an open cookbook in it as I don't have room on the counter for a book.

I have a little Paris kitchen and cook everything from scratch. I have to be ruthless about putting stuff away. In your situation I certainly wouldn't keep any stuff out on the tiny side you have - can you get a kettle to go on the hob and find somewhere else for the slow cooker? What sort of hob do you have? Can you get one of those covers that pulls down when not in use to make an extra surface? I also agree with not keeping anything in the kitchen that doesn't need to be there. I actually love my little kitchen - I'm in the habit of clearing up as I go along, putting things straight in the dishwasher and washing up as I go which makes me super- efficient.

I don't like doing slow cooking in the oven. I'm not keen on going out and leaving the oven on.

We have a very small house so there isn't really anywhere to put the slow cooker. But I'll have a look and see if I can move anything to make room.

Put a board of wood over the sink.

Can you put a wooden board over your top drawer when you're working thus having somewhere else to at least put things?

Also is there space to put up a shelf for the kettle and slow cooker so they are out of the way unless used? I reclaimed kitchen space by wall mounting our microwave - it doesn't look particularly smart but it freed up so much space. I also got rid off all one trick worktop items (I'm looking at you, toaster) particularly if I could do the job with them elsewhere, and have carved out space for them in the understairs cupboard.

I'll get a board to put on the drawer.

Nowhere for a shelf. The toaster and microwave are in the dining room already.

I might try prepping everything on the table and carrying it through when it's needed.