A small kitchen does not really have a storage problem. It has a shape problem.
How we choose
Most tools are designed for cupboards that do not exist in a studio apartment: rigid colanders that are mostly air, spiralizers with the footprint of a food processor, ladles that stop the drawer closing. Four of the eight below deal with that by physically changing shape — nesting, collapsing or folding flat once the job is done. The other four keep their shape and have to justify the space another way, whether by replacing several tools, doing without a motor, or reorganising how you work rather than what you own. Prices run from $15.99 to $42.00.
Our 8 Picks
Joseph JosephNest 9 Piece Compact Food Preparation Set with Mixing Bowls, Measuring cups, Sieve and Colander, Space Saving, Blue
What it is
A nine-piece prep set of mixing bowls, measuring cups, a sieve and a colander that stack inside one another.
Why it's worth it
Bowls, a colander and a sieve are the group that eats a shelf, and this replaces all of them with a single stack. You get a 4.8 quart mixing bowl, a 3.2 quart colander, a 1.75 quart steel sieve and a 0.5 quart small bowl plus measuring cups, and they nest together when you are done. The bowls have wide non-slip bases and easy-carry handles. Well suited to a kitchen where one shelf has to hold everything for baking and pasta night.
Caveat
The pieces are BPA-free polypropylene and not microwave safe, and the steel sieve needs hand washing while the rest go in the dishwasher.
fullstarPro Original Vegetable Chopper & Mandoline Slicer Kitchen Gadget | 12 in 1 Veggie Slicer, Onion & Fruit Cutter with Sharp Stainless Steel Blades & Container, All-in-One Meal Prep Tool (White)
What it is
A chopping and slicing box with twelve interchangeable blades and a catch container underneath.
Why it's worth it
One housing covers what would otherwise be three tools: 5mm and 2mm slicers, coarse and fine graters, spiral blades and a ribbon cutter, replacing a mandoline, a box grater and a spiralizer in the same drawer. A catch container sits underneath so prepped vegetables land somewhere rather than across the board. A finger guard and non-slip base come with it, and every part is top-rack dishwasher safe. A good fit if you cook from scratch but have one drawer to work with.
Caveat
Swapping blades mid-recipe is slower than picking up a second tool, so it rewards prep-everything-first cooking over improvising.
OXOCollapsible Colander, 3.5 quart, Green
What it is
A 3.5 quart silicone and nylon colander that closes flat for storage.
Why it's worth it
A rigid colander is the classic awkward shape, all air and no stacking. The silicone sides open for use and close flat afterward, which is the whole reason to choose one over a solid bowl with holes in it. The holes are spaced for draining pasta without letting shapes through, and two non-slip handles give you something to grip when shaking out the last of the water. The silicone is heat resistant and dishwasher safe.
Caveat
Flexible sides mean it needs a hand or a sink rim to keep its shape when you tip a heavy pan into it.
DASHPrepdeck Lite White Stone Meal Prep Station Set 6.75 x 21.6 x 6.5 Inches
What it is
A 21.6 by 6.75 inch prep station with stackable containers that hold ingredients as you chop.
Why it's worth it
This one earns its place on workflow rather than storage. The problem in a small kitchen is rarely the chopping, it is having nowhere to put things once chopped, so every ingredient gets a container as you work and the containers then slide straight into the fridge instead of leaving a sink of bowls. Measurement markings mean you can portion without a separate measuring cup, and DASH positions the Lite as the version for small spaces and lighter prep.
Caveat
At 21.6 inches long it needs a clear stretch of counter, so measure before assuming it fits beside the sink.
Chef'nFreshForce Lemon Squeezer Citrus Juicer, Manual Hand Press with Dual-Gear Power for Maximum Juice Extraction, Durable, Yellow
What it is
A handheld citrus press with a dual-gear mechanism, sized for lemons and key limes.
Why it's worth it
At $15.99 it is the cheapest pick here, and the dual-gear mechanism is what separates it from a plain hinged squeezer: the gearing does more of the work, so your hands do less for the same result. Nylon and stainless steel construction and top-rack dishwasher safety keep upkeep to nothing, and it is small enough to live in a drawer rather than on a counter. Well suited to cocktails, dressings and anything where you want fresh juice without setting up and washing a machine.
Caveat
Chef'n specifies it for lemons, key limes and similar fruits, so check the size of what you want to juice before assuming larger citrus will seat properly.
DreamfarmScizza 2-In-1 Easy Ergonomic Pizza Scissors with Stainless Steel Pizza Cutter Blades & Non-Stick Slice Server - Red | Cuts and serves pizza with non-scratch, heat resistant serving base, spring-loaded German stainless steel blades
What it is
Pizza scissors with a spatula shoe beneath the blades that cuts a slice and lifts it out in one motion.
Why it's worth it
It does the work of a wheel and a server in one drawer slot: the shoe slides under the pizza while the blades shear from above, so nothing needs picking up afterward. Because the shoe sits between blade and pan, it is designed not to score a non-stick tray, and Dreamfarm describes the serving base as heat resistant. The 5.9-inch stainless blades come apart for sharpening and cleaning.
Caveat
It covers no job beyond pizza, so unlike the multi-blade picks here it cannot be justified by versatility.
BrieftonsQuickFold 5-Blade Spiralizer: Compact Foldable Manual Vegetable Spiralizer & Zucchini Noodle Maker, 5 Japanese Stainless Steel Blades, Spaghetti Maker for Potatoes, Keto Paleo Gluten-Free
What it is
A manual spiralizer that folds down to half its working size, with five interchangeable blades.
Why it's worth it
A spiralizer that folds is a spiralizer you keep, because the full-size ones are shaped to live on a counter you may not have. The five blades cover 2mm angel hair, 3mm spaghetti, 5mm fettuccine and 7mm pappardelle plus ribbons, and Brieftons lists potatoes, sweet potatoes and beets among the vegetables it handles. The brand notes a smaller corer than usual, which leaves more of each vegetable usable. A blade caddy and cleaning brush are included.
Caveat
It is a manual tool, so throughput depends entirely on your own arm — this is not the pick for spiralizing in bulk.
DreamfarmFladle Fold-Flat, Space-Saving Serving & Cooking Ladle Measures up to 1/2 Cup with Silicone Scraping Squeegee-Tip - 12" Red
What it is
A silicone ladle whose head folds completely flat, with quarter-cup and half-cup measuring lines inside.
Why it's worth it
A ladle is one of the taller objects in a utensil drawer, and this one collapses flat while still holding its shape in use. The measuring lines mean it portions as well as serves, covering a ladle and a half-cup measure in one handle. The silicone tip scrapes a pan clean like a squeegee and Dreamfarm rates it heat resistant to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. A bend in the handle keeps the head off the counter and hooks it over the edge of a pot.
Caveat
The head is silicone rather than steel, so it is a serving and scraping ladle rather than something to press or crush with.
How to choose
How to choose the right compact space-saving kitchen gadgets for small apartments
Takeaway
One practical note that applies to all of these: measure the drawer and the shelf before you order anything, in inches, and write the numbers down. Almost every disappointment in this category comes from a tool that works beautifully and lives somewhere it does not quite fit.
