I have a small kitchen and three children – these are the 4 kitchen features that make my life easier, and I'd easily choose them again
They're all busy-mum approved
My kitchen isn't my dream kitchen. For a family of five, it's relatively small, storage is limited and most days I feel like I'm constantly fighting the clutter. While I'd love to one day bring my kitchen Pinterest boards to life, at the moment practicality wins over aesthetics.
Having a small kitchen has meant getting creative when it comes to kitchen storage ideas and keeping clutter (and my sanity) in check. While I have made some changes over the years - including adding a breakfast bar, replacing the kitchen worktops and painting the kitchen cabinets - there have been a handful of things that have genuinely made everyday family life easier.
Surprisingly, I've found that it's often the smaller, more practical things that have made the biggest difference. So, here are the four features in my kitchen that I think are worth it, and I'd happily choose again if I were starting from scratch.
1. An air fryer that's become my mealtime saviour
Hands-down, having an air fryer is the one thing that's made the biggest difference to my kitchen. I'm not ashamed to admit that I regularly wonder what I did without one. With three hungry (not to mention often impatient) mouths to feed, I rely on it daily for making sure everyone gets fed quickly.
It's quick, convenient and when it comes to the air fryer vs oven debate, I'm firmly team oven. Not having to use the oven as often is something of a priority right now with a very curious one-year-old who wants to touch everything (IYKYK), so it gives me peace of mind knowing the air fryer is out of her reach.
One of the best air fryers we've tested at Ideal Home I rely on my trusty Ninja to turn food out quickly.
2. A breakfast bar that the kids actually use
One of the changes we did make to our kitchen when we upgraded our worktops a few years ago, was to add a breakfast bar, which worked well with the space that we have.
Despite having a perfectly lovely dining table the kids will always choose to sit at the breakfast bar. I think they prefer being right in the middle of the action, and if you ask them they'll say sitting at the bar stools is way more fun.
The breakfast bar is also much easier to wipe down after breakfast, snacks or a messy meal, and it's quicker and easier than having to clean and re-set the dining table too. While a kitchen island is still on my wish-list, for now I'll happily settle for a breakfast bar - it's functional, practical and makes good use of the space we have.
3. A storage trolley that frees up cabinet space
With a small kitchen comes limited storage space. Having to store food, crockery and appliances to accommodate a family of five has meant I've had to get creative about where everything lives.
My cabinets are full to the brim, so one of the simplest storage solutions I've used has been to add a storage trolley to store extra bits and bobs that don't have a permanent home.
Mine is this RÅSKOG trolley from IKEA, which slots neatly at the side of my dining table. It also has wheels so it doesn't feel like I've sacrificed precious floor space, as I can easily move it around if I need to. I've used it to store the kids' lunchboxes and random Tupperware, as well as dry ingredients like flour and pasta.
I rely on the IKEA trolley, however if you're short on space this slimline pine trolley, £30 at Argos is designed to squeeze into tiny underused spots in a kitchen.
4. Practical food storage solutions
With three children, I've accepted that a picture-perfect kitchen isn't realistic right now, but I've found a few simple storage kitchen solutions can make a noticeable difference to how how organised my kitchen feels - and how independently the kids can use it.
Things like decanting the cereal into nice-looking storage jars that I can line up on my worktops, not only makes it look less cluttered, it also means my older two children can help themselves at breakfast time. I also use storage for other dry ingredients, such as pasta and spaghetti, which makes it easier to see what I have at a glance.
Similarly, I use clear, storage boxes on every shelf in my fridge, to make it easier to see what I'm looking for, rather than rummaging around for ingredients when mealtimes are already chaotic. I keep the kids fruit in smaller containers, which is something they can help themselves too - one less thing for me to do.
These are small changes, but anything that helps to keep me organised and gives the kids a little more independence is a win in my eyes.
These OXO cereal dispensers are easy enough for my kids to open themselves. I've got them in different sizes, and they look better on my kitchen worktops than bulky cereal boxes.
Kilner has a great array of storage jars. I use these to store pasta and spaghetti, and they help me to keep on top of cluttered shelves.
Fridge storage solutions have been a gamechanger in my home. I love the selection from IKEA, which come in different sizes, but these ones from Dunelm are also great. I use the smaller ones to store fruit so they kids can help themselves.
These are all things that stand out as making family life easier in my kitchen. I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and hacks to try, though, so watch this space!
