10 Clever IKEA Hacks For Tiny Kitchens

The tiny kitchen — it's a blessing and a curse all wrapped up in one spaciously-challenged dwelling. Sure, there may not be as much surface area for you to clean, but that comes at the expense of constantly bumping arms with your partner as you both attempt to maneuver about the tight space. Sound familiar? A teeny cooking area is quite a frustration that fortunately for you can be made a little easier with clever tips and tricks. 

That's why we've rounded up some of the best tiny kitchen hacks that feature IKEA products, which never fail to have our backs with affordable space-saving solutions. Below you'll find nifty ideas that make even the tiniest of kitchens look and feel much more functional. 

Vertical storage is a must in tiny spaces, especially kitchens with barely enough elbow room. This is why incorporating the IKEA KUNGSFORS system in the heart of your home is such a useful way to maximize storage without compromising any floor space. Used in this kitchen is the KUNGSFORS stainless steel shelf, which retails for $23. But don't just limit the shelves to your walls when you can install the grid shelves practically anywhere in your kitchen. Under a cabinet. Yupp. Inside a pantry. Totally. The options are endless!

Looking for a way to zest up your current spice rack? These IKEA test tubes that fit into a DIYed plywood organizer have kitchen organization down to a science. Learn more about the crafty project here.

Dreaming of a kitchen island but your tiny food prepping space simply won't allow it? You'll be happy to know there's an IKEA hack perfect for your home. Feast your eyes upon the compact DIY kitchen island made entirely of IKEA products. The base of the island is a KALLAX shelving unit with two inserts, where the wooden tabletop is comprised of two LÄMPLIG chopping boards. Pretty nifty, huh? Be sure to check out the entire building process by Jen Lou Meredith.

Keeping your kitchen cabinets from looking like they've been ransacked on the daily can often be a challenge. But this simple IKEA fix can transform your cooking space from a disheveled mess to the neat and tidy kitchen of your dreams. All you'll need are some wire baskets. Yupp, it's that simple! IKEA offers a wide range of wire products, such as the JONAXEL wire baskets, which retail for $4.50 each. They're super affordable and oh-so-chic.

This clever kitchen feature, crafted out of a KNOXHULT base cabinet, houses a mini-fridge, washing machine, and hot plate all in one. Could an IKEA hack get any better?! Take a look at the entire transformation here.

Bence Fazekas from IKEA Hackers offers a crafty solution to one of the most intricate kitchen dilemmas — where does one store coffee capsules? Fazekas uses a metal shelf (similar to IKEA's KUNGSFORS wall grid) that's paired with a spring cylinder to create a capsule organizer that folds down when you're in dire need of caffeine and conveniently folds back up for discreet storage. 

Fitting a dining table into a tiny kitchen can sometimes feel like an impossible task, but IKEA hacks have once again come through with a nifty solution. The compact IKEA dining table in this kitchen is attached directly to the wall, meaning there's only one leg supporting the table. This then frees up quite a bit of floor area that an additional leg would have taken. For those with extremely space-challenged cooking areas, a similar table that's foldable onto a wall may be an even better option for your petite space.

Here's yet another super functional KUNGSFORS hack. Pairing a simple stainless steel wall grid with s-hooks allows for an abundant amount of vertical storage anywhere in your kitchen. 

Room dividers can be useful for many purposes, like separating one large space into two differentiated areas. But does this really work for a tiny space? One Reddit user thought so. Using only an IKEA bookcase and wooden butcher top, the DIYer created a clever unit that functions as both a room divider and tiny peninsula with plenty of storage. Be sure to check out his entire project. 

Crafting a kitchen cart that rolls in and out of the cranny beside your fridge is such an innovative way to maximize every available space in your tiny-teeny kitchen. This is exactly what one clever DIYer did with nothing more than BEKVÄM spice racks, copper tubes, and casters. The result is a super functional and totally affordable shelving feature that you can also build in under $100. It's an absolute yes in our books!