Last updated on September 13th, 2021. Studio apartments are ultra-efficient in terms of space. By ultra-efficient, I mean that all rooms you’d find in a typical house are condensed into one. Studio apartments are typically found in denser urban areas where space is hard to come by. In areas like Manhattan for example, over 1.5 million people live on the 23 square mile island. That’s about 70,000 people per square mile, or 400 square feet per person – the U.S. total average density is about 300,000 square feet per person! With this many people living in close quarters, it makes sense that apartments are as ‘compact’ as possible. In this process, one very important room is left out – the kitchen. Whether you order out most of the time or want to cook yourself, a few creative solutions must be implemented. Here are 10 quick tips for cooking & eating in a studio apartment with no kitchen.
Our Assumptions About Your Studio Apartment
We’re guessing that even in a studio apartment with no kitchen, you’ve got access to the following, which will be enough to do some pretty decent cooking:
- Sink: Either in your room or in the bathroom – some means to get water and wash dishes.
- Outlets: At least two 3-prong outlet boxes (four outlets) are ideal for covering cooking needs and normal daily activities.
- Window: One window is sufficient to vent out steam, smoke, etc. and circulate some fresh air in your apartment during (and after) cooking. Most kitchens have a ‘hood vent’ of some kind to ventilate while cooking, so we must make up for it.
10 Quick Tips For A Studio Apartment With No Kitchen
Here’s our quick list of ways you can optimize your cooking and eating on a daily basis in a studio apartment with no kitchen!
1. Buy Space Saving Kitchen Storage
In a studio apartment with no kitchen, every square foot matters. Cupboards or cabinets that save space are a must for plates, silverware, cups and more. Not to mention, you’ll need some storage space to keep small cooking appliances and other ‘kitchen stuff’.
The ideal shape for any type of storage in a small apartment is tall and slim to keep as much floor space free as you can.
Click here for more kitchen storage furniture ideas.
2. Never Use Charcoal, Gas Or Propane
Cooking indoors using these methods is highly dangerous and almost certainly against the building’s rules and local codes!
Between the chance of combustion, excessive smoke, high heat levels and emitting toxic fumes, it’s simply something we must do!
Related: Using A Generator In An Apartment: Our 2021 Picks (Plus Which To Avoid!)
3. Use The Top Of Your Refrigerator As Counter Space
To do any real cooking in a studio apartment with no kitchen, you’ll need a fridge for drinks, fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, etc. If you’d like some real fridge space, this will require you have at least a medium-sized fridge.
Luckily, you can take advantage of the flat surface on top of your fridge by using it as makeshift counter space to do cook prep and whatnot.
Click here for more apartment-friendly refrigerator ideas.
4. Have A Fire-Extinguisher On-Hand
When cooking in any apartment, it’s best to keep a small fire extinguisher on-hand – it takes longer for the fire dept. to reach you!
The best type to buy is generally an ABC extinguisher, as it’s versatile for a variety of home uses. Here are some top-rated small ABC fire extinguishers.
5. Cook With Electric Appliances That Produce Little Smoke
The last thing you want to do is to fill your small space with smoke. For this, it’s a good idea to use appliances that produce as little smoke as possible.
Here are a few examples:
- Slow Cooker: Great for rices, pastas, stews
- Hot Plate: Make all sorts of typical pan-cooked meals
- Microwave: We all know
- Griddle/Grille Combo: Cooks anything from chicken and meats to waffles and pancakes.
- Toaster Over: A toaster oven is potentially smoke-free, if you pay close attention and use it responsibly!
6. Use A Surge Protector When Appropriate
With several things plugged in simultaneously, it’s a good idea to use a surge strip to protect your appliances.
Smaller electric appliances can run off a surge strip in most cases, but other appliances with high power requirements should be plugged into the wall directly – this includes refrigerators and microwaves.
A surge strip will also give you more outlets for other uses if the fridge or microwave needs one of the wall outlets all the time.
Note: Be extremely mindful of the power requirements a particular appliance requires in tandem with the limitations of your surge strip! Overloading a surge strip is dangerous, we only recommend using surge strips in their intended capacities!
7. Choose Non-Stick Cookware
Doing dishes is problematic when you’ve got no kitchen! The next best thing is to use non-stick cookware to minimize the scrubbing and scraping needed.
8. Cook Near A Window & Use Air Fresheners
To minimize smoke and food-smell building up, it’s best to cook near a window if possible. A small fan helps push air out the window, and a kitchen air freshener will keep your place from smelling like a restaurant.
9. Foldable Furniture Is Your Friend
To maximize your apartment as much as possible, foldable furniture will be a life saver.
This includes small folding tables and chairs for eating, but can also include foldable counter space if you so choose.
10. Use Wall Space As Storage
Vertical space is highly underutilized in many apartments. We spend a ton of time trying to squeeze every square inch out of our floor space but struggle to find a picture to hang on our otherwise barren wall.
This is where wall-mounted kitchen storage comes into play. Below are a few top-rated models you can use to create shelving, hang pans and more.
Tips For A Studio Apartment With No Kitchen: In Closing
Cooking at home saves a significant amount of money and allows you to make exactly what you want. Even in a studio apartment with no kitchen, it’s entirely possible to cook all sorts of food in a safe, space-saving manner. I hope this article has been helpful.
