Big Impact, Small Budget: 7 Kitchen Upgrades That Make a Difference
The upgrades our editors swear by.
Updated Oct 11, 2018 11:50 AM
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Living in New York City means generally smaller spaces and a proclivity toward renting rather than buying, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it means that large-scale renovations are often out of the question. It also means we’ve had to get creative when it comes to storage, organization, and even decor.
Even if you have plenty of space to spare in your kitchen, a bit of strategizing can make a big difference when it comes to keeping your kitchen tidy and functional. After all, you’re definitely not going to want to meal prep if your countertop is filled with clutter.
No matter what your own storage and layout situation may be, we’ve amassed plenty of tips and product recommendations that make cooking (and hoarding fresh produce, boxes of pasta, and more) a cinch. Without further ado, here are the simple changes team Domino made in the kitchen that completely changed the game.
Rebecca Deczynski, digital editor
Every weekend, I go to one, if not two, farmers markets. And every weekend, I find myself with piles of produce that overflow onto my countertops—that is until I got two of these stackable baskets by Target’s Made by Design. The lower basket is large enough to hold the spaghetti squash I’ve been meaning to cook for the past two weeks, along with some onions and potatoes, and the top tier is for my bounty of citruses and apples. It’s like my produce has its own double-decker tiny home.
Anna Kocharian, digital editor
Given the limited shelf space I have in my studio kitchen, every bit of surface area counts. This storage rack easily slides under a cabinet or existing shelf and provides ample room for knickknacks and linens.
Alyssa Clough, senior social media editor
I am devoted to Yamazaki products for the kitchen. The Japanese company designs items for every room of your small space, but its kitchen storage solutions are clearly the best. My two favorites that have moved from apartment to apartment with me are the dish rack and kitchen rack. They’re pretty enough to be left on the counter and displayed but also functional enough to be hidden away too. Adding these to my kitchen was an instant upgrade.
Lydia Geisel, digital editorial assistant
I’ve had my eye on these herb storage containers for a while now. I make tacos a lot at home and live for fresh cilantro, but I have the tendency of just storing it in its original grocery bag, which means it goes bad pretty fast. I love that these have adjustable lids within them so they can hold different-size bunches and fit nicely along the refrigerator door.
Kristin Limoges, beauty and wellness editor
I’ve already mused on about my deep love for toaster tongs, and here I am again, musing even more. The usefulness of this less-than-$5 tool cannot be overstated. It makes my daily life with hot pieces of toast so much easier. And it does look really interesting—and dare I say, civilized, perhaps?—when propped beside the toaster in my kitchen. I feel like I get a lot of positive feedback on the brilliance of it. (Maybe it’s just me admiring it every day when I walk past it, though.)
Tracy Cho, general manager
I confess: I do not cook, so I have a LOT of paper bags from deliveries. In a small effort to not create too much waste, I reuse them for garbage, but it’s really not pretty to look at and the paper bags do not easily fit inside normal waste baskets, so this one is a game changer for me. It’s white. It’s light. It’s perfect.
Elly Leavitt, associate digital editor
My rental is blessed with really tall narrow kitchen cabinets that for whatever reason have no built-in shelves, which means that about 90 percent of the cabinet space wasn’t ever being used. These mesh shelves have doubled my storage and were super affordable. For anyone looking to organize a tiny kitchen with minimal effort, they’re definitely a must.
See more kitchen ideas: 10 Pantry Shelves That Aren’t Sad Stacks of Metal This $10 Spatula Is the Cooking Essential I’ll Never Give Up 25 Stunning Kitchens We’re Pinning Right Now