Want to be a Masterchef but have no kitchen space? We got your back.

Nowadays kitchens are so small, aiyoh. I got a shock when I went to a house-warming party last week. The kitchen barely had enough space to walk around, let alone to store all the pots and pans I need for cooking. Then Uncle Tng said something that made me scared: “Maybe next time we can downsize to a flat like this after the children grow up ah.”

Wah, I think already also scared. So to prepare for such an event, I went to ask around and compiled this small list of innovative space-saving kitchen devices my neighbours and friends recommended. Take a look! If you are not considering downsizing, you can also introduce these to your children who are getting their BTO flat soon.

1. Multi-purpose Microwave Oven

If you are like me, and have a microwave, oven, air fryer, steamer in your kitchen, it’s time to combine all of them together! Did you know that there are ovens out there that have multiple purposes? You can steam, fry, and bake all in one oven! Here are some of my favourites:

LG Smart Inverter Microwave Oven (544 x 327 x 525 mm)

Besides heating up your food, this device can help you toast, roast, fry, steam and grill! This series is also more compact than its previous models with a much larger capacity. This means it can fit into your small kitchen, but still provides enough room for tall or wide dishes.

What’s more? This oven can make yoghurt for you with its fermenting function! But my favourite is its even heating function, which means when I defrost or heat up my food, I don’t have to worry if parts of it are still cold or uncooked!

There are different sizes for this oven as well — 23L, 25L, and 39L. If interested, you can get it online at Amazon, Courts, or Best Denki.

Panasonic Convection Microwave Oven (500 x 480 x 391 cm)

If the above is still too big for you, I also found this slightly smaller microwave oven. Even though it has a smaller width, there are two levels that you can simultaneously use to cook your food.

This is also a 4-in-1 combination steam oven that allows you to cook your meals using steam, convection, grill, or microwave power. That means you can bake and roast as well! How convenient.

This is also a smart oven which automatically calculates the optimal heating time when you reheat your dishes! So no more guessing if your leftovers need 3 minutes or 5 minutes to reheat—just press the “Auto Reheat” button and let the oven decide for you.

You can get this oven at Amazon, Shopee, or Lazada.

BRUNO Toaster Grill

For those who prefer to grill their food, you can consider getting the BRUNO Toaster Grill. This is a 3-in-1 toaster oven that has an open-top style, which allows you to easily check on your food while cooking! Besides baking your food, you can also toast and grill them.

The BRUNO Toaster Grill also allows you to create those popular Shibuya thick toasts that you can impress your children with. 😉

2. Thermomix – All-in-one Food Processor

Thermomix should not be an unfamiliar brand for you if you regularly cook at home. This device is said to incorporate 24 functions to help you with various cooking methods. These include stirring, mixing, grinding, kneading, whisking, chopping, weighing, cooking, steaming, simmering, emulsifying, and even caramelising sugar.     

With this Thermomix, most of your cooking needs can be done, in one device! It even has an Egg Boiler mode, where you just pick your desired setting for eggs and it will prepare your eggs the exact way you want it. This is perfect for me because while Uncle Tng loves hard-boiled eggs, my kids prefer half-boiled eggs with gooey centres. 

Find out more/get yours here: Thermomix

3. Steamboat and BBQ

Is your family also indecisive when it comes to food? Sometimes they want to have a steamboat for dinner, and sometimes they like to have BBQ? Instead of having two different devices to support both functions, why not buy a 2-in-1 to save space and satisfy everyone’s cravings at the same time?

Cornell 2-in-1 Steamboat BBQ Pan Grill (674 x 305 x 190 mm)

One device that serves two purposes! Now you don’t need to prepare two different set-ups. The best part is the individual temperature control for the grill and steamboat function. So you can have Korean BBQ and Shabu-Shabu at the same time without worrying about overheating either one!

You can get it here: Cornell

Takahi Electric Grill with Hot Pot (600 x 440 x 430 mm)

If you are looking at the Cornell 2-in-1 steamboat grill and think it’s a bit long in design, no worries, you can opt for this Takahi Electric Grill with Hot Pot instead.

This device comes in a circular shape, so it doesn’t take up too much space horizontally when you are putting it away. It is also good because it has a heating element that ensures food placed on the grill is evenly and quickly cooked.

Get the electric grill here: Takahi

4. Tefal Ingenio — removable handle stackable cookware

This is a definite life-saver, I tell you! I used to have a lot of pans of different sizes lying around, and the inconvenient part was finding space to accommodate the length of the pans. With Tefal Ingenio, I can easily deconstruct my pans and stack them on top of one another. It really saves a lot of space.  

5. Sporks and Chorks

One other small hack you can have to save on kitchen space is to get multi-purpose utensils! The spork is a spoon that can double up as a fork, while a chork is a chopstick that doubles up as a fork.

With these 2-in-1 utensils, you can save less space in your kitchen drawers, and also less soap and water when you wash your dishes after a meal!

Quality over quantity

Umommy knows that some of my suggestions above can burn quite a hole in your pocket. But hor, I always believe that quality is better than quantity. I always tell Uncle Tng, if I spend a bit more for an item that can last us a few years, it means it is a good investment! But of course, you must make sure you have the budget for these space-saving kitchen solutions lah. Must save your wallet first before saving kitchen space okay!