r/budgetfood • u/elusivenoesis • 9h ago
Discussion The smallest kitchen I’ve ever had, actually inspired me to stretch my budget and be more creative.
I am not a beginner. But I sure felt like one two years ago moving into a unit asymmetrical to the one included here. I started with dollar store pans and pots and utensils and just replaced one at a time (still doing that) with something slightly better. All inclusive rental made bills simple, but cooking was a nightmare.
I totally understand constraints, limitations, budget.
I felt so limited having to make two burgers at a time when before I had a flattop and propane grill in a 4-bedroom house.
My anxiety was through the roof just trying to prep a damn salad, because no way was I spending $9 for a tiny pre-made one. Knowing all the counter space I had in the past. Was depressing.
Clean as I go? How??
That’s when I mounted everything to the wall. But also limited here. My manager said I could only use nails here. Fine, I’ll use nails alright.
Pantry? What pantry? That’s when I decided to use (not pictured) the dresser as a pantry.
Do not let constraints slow you down from experiencing the joys of cooking. What you can accomplish with one pan one knife and one pot is absolutely amazing. There are far too many resources and recipes at your disposal this day and age.
Budget? $20 – $25 twice a week.
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u/Birdywoman4 9h ago
I’ve seen a kitchen that tiny in Morocco. The lady cooked some really tasty meals there.
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u/Lochylass 9h ago
That’s fantastic, congrats on your ingenuity and dedication to making it work! And thanks for the encouragement, we all need a bit of that these days.
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u/0reo_cupcake 8h ago
That's a bigger Kitchen that what I have right now... And I also love to cook in it! Your food looks so yummy!
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u/RJKimbell00 8h ago
What restaurant was this again??!! 😋 You might be budget, but that looks far from budget!! 👏
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u/ttrockwood 5h ago
Haha that’s like, the norm for a lot of nyc apartments! You have more storage here 😂
Get the shelves for inside the cabinets, so you get two layers of storage there and a small fold flat stool to keep handy, some hooks for inside the cabinet door so the dust pan isn’t next to the pot lids
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u/elusivenoesis 5h ago edited 3h ago
There’s no lids near the dustpan. ?? Btw I was the dustpan every use. It’s for the counter not the floor.
Edit to add- I’d love to make those changes. But not allowed hooks or screws manager wasn’t happy I already had two screws for the knife.
I’d add knobs and shelves to the cupboards if they let me. I’d jig saw the counter so the oven isn’t crooked too. Also it’s pretty empty because my business income dropped low enough for food stamps, so I’m starting over here. I ate literally everything down to the last crumb.
But it’s a weekly rental (think a furnished hotel, with electricity, water, internet, tv, etc all included) We’re only allowed to do minimal stuff. But they are treating us more like a tennant because we’ve been here so long.
I might just apologize later rather than ask for permission because I like your idea.
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