The Top 12 Luxe Minimalist Tiny Kitchen Must-Haves
Nothing beats the feeling of having a clean functional kitchen to work in. When you have a minimal kitchen, it is even more important to choose the items perfectly. Every item in your tiny kitchen has to have a purpose and preferably has to be cute to boot. If an item can have several functions, then it is even more useful in a tiny kitchen.
My tiny house kitchen is no exception. I’m going to share with you the top 12 items in my kitchen that make it perfect for us. If you’re considering going tiny, or decluttering, or just trying to be more conscious about your choices, these tiny kitchen must-haves are just for you.
These items would also make a perfect gift for that minimalist friend looking to simplify.
Here are the top 12 minimalist kitchen gadgets that you will not regret buying.
#1 Tiny Kitchen Must-Have
My # 1 must-have is literally my top favorite kitchen gadget of all time. That’s right, I pulled out the big guns right out of the gate.
This kitchen appliance gets used E.V.E.R.Y. single day. We use it several times a day and it has already over exceeded our expectations of it. This espresso maker is the coffee machine of my dreams. Ever since Jason and I got married over 13 years ago, I wanted a white kitchen. Our tiny home that we just built ourselves is finally that dream come true. I have my white kitchen with ROSE GOLD accents. All of the hardware throughout my kitchen is rose gold, or copper depending on your take with the color. The espresso machine from Cafe appliances was no exception to continuing the white and rose gold theme in my tiny home kitchen. It is just the right size for our pantry. OK OK I’ll admit, my dad and I designed the pantry around the coffee machine. I bought it during a Black Friday sale only a month after we brought our tiny house trailer to the property for building on. So it had been sitting in my father-in-law’s garage for almost two years before I plugged it into the tiny house. Was it worth the wait you ask? Yes! So here are the details of this gorgeous automatic espresso machine so you can see if it will fit in your own tiny kitchen, or that of a dear friend’s.
Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine
Dimensions: 7.1"D x 16.1"W x 12.48"H
Special features: It has One Touch Brew, a Removable Water Reservoir, WiFi Connected, Built-In Bean Hopper, Steam Frother & a Frothing Pitcher (I wish that was also in rose gold, but at least it is stainless steel.
Capacity of: 1.2 Liters
Material: Stainless Steel
Weight: 19 pounds
Wattage: 1235 Watts
The Café Affetto Automatic Espresso Machine with milk frother is available in Matte White, Matte Black or Steel Silver. I have it in Matte White with Rose Gold accents. The other two styles also have rose gold colored features.
The wattage was important when we were wiring the tiny house. Thankfully our electrician (shout out to Jerome!) told us about the need to have the coffee maker on a separate electrical load from the refrigerator and the ERV that were all going to be close to each other in our kitchen. We also made room for the electrical plugs on the wall to go right behind the custom pantry.
This machine is so smart that it tells you when to refill it with water, when to empty out the coffee waste, and when to descale it. It is super easy to clean and I do it every week to two weeks. The steam frother is amazing too. It automatically purges steam from the spout at the first push of a button, so by the second press you know it’s time to steam your milk. I use Silk Almond Milk whenever I can get my hands on it for the perfect froth every time. Jason and I call it our marshmallow fluff coffee.
#2 Lavazza Whole Bean Coffee
I could talk for hours on how much I love this espresso machine. But no espresso machine would be great without delicious coffee beans. This machine grinds whole beans automatically with a single press of a button. We have been loyal Lavazza drinkers for years. I officially learned about, and tried Lavazza for the first time, from my Italian friends in Peru in 2007. I never drank coffee before Lavazza and I have been hooked ever since. Here are a few of the whole beans we purchase on Amazon that can be delivered on a subscription basis so we never run out. Although, I love this machine so much that I have run out a couple of times already.
That leads to the 2nd kitchen must have on this list.
The Lavazza Espresso Whole Bean Coffee Blend is a medium roast with a 5/10 in intensity. It is 100% Arabica with floral and fruit notes.
This coffee blend is 7/10 in intensity. It is a blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. It has a medium roast with aromatics of honey and roasted coffee.
Coffee containers
If you are a coffee lover, you need a beautiful container to store your beans or ground coffee in. You might think that you want a glass container because they are more aesthetically pleasing. A glass container might match your glass decanter containers in your kitchen pantry. But have you noticed that all coffee is sold in dark packaging? There are actually four things that can ruin the flavor of your coffee. Direct sunlight, heat, oxygen, and moisture can make your coffee beans spoil quickly. So stick to non glass containers to store your coffee beans in. These metal ones are a great option. Ceramic would work well. Just make sure that they seal well to keep moisture and oxygen out of your luxurious coffee. These canisters are a great choice because they come in four different sizes with airtight lids and measuring cups to match.
#3 The Café Couture Oven
My next recommended kitchen must have is none other than the matching Couture Oven from the Café line. When we decided to go tiny, we knew we wouldn’t fit a normal size oven and stove into the tiny kitchen. I had seen several toaster ovens with air fryer functions that were really practical, functional and efficient, but none of them were cute. My mom even wanted to give me her toaster oven, but I just didn’t want a stainless steel appliance in the middle of such gorgeous white cabinets, appliances and rose gold accents. Thankfully, we also found the Cafe Couture Oven on the same Black Friday sale. After months of scrolling and calculating, we finally purchased this dreamy countertop oven. It is better than we imagined and it heats up super quickly. I am so glad that we got the appliances that we really wanted for this tiny kitchen. This is the prettiest countertop oven I have ever seen in my entire life. It goes with my white and rose gold kitchen aesthetic and it is a 10/10 all around. Jason agreed that if you have a tiny kitchen with few appliances, those few appliances should be ones that you’re going to love, that will last a long time and that match your aesthetic.
Here are the deets on this beautiful toaster oven. Did you ever think that you can use the words beautiful and toaster oven in the same sentence?
I have it in Matte White with Rose Gold accent
It is also available in Matte Black or Steel Silver
Dimensions: 17"D x 18.6"W x 14"H
Capacity: 22.64 Liters
This can hold a 12” pizza, a 9” x 13” cake pan, or a 2 qt. Casserole dish.
Wattage: 1.8E+3
Material: Aluminum
Weight: 28 pounds
It is also very functional. It works as an air fryer, an oven, a toaster oven, and a convection oven. We don’t have a microwave oven in our tiny house and we use this oven to reheat our food, to keep things warm, to cook a pizza, or to make just about anything you would need an oven for. You can even roast a whole chicken in it! I even used it to bake an apple crisp using the Crisp Finish function to caramelize the top. We’ve been using this oven for over three months almost every day and still haven’t tried all of the cooking modes in it. One amazing dish I did make in it was for my mom and step dad. They loved these zucchini roll ups so much that mami recreated it in her own kitchen for guests. Here’s the link to that recipe by The modern Nonna….
Another well loved kitchen item is our round charcuterie board that we received as a gift when we moved into our last apartment in 2018. I still have it and I love it just as much as I did then! Thank you Busheys! I can’t find the exact same one today, but I am linking a similar one that you can find on Amazon. This Acacia Round Charcuterie Board is about the same size as the one we have and it fulfills the same purpose. This one measures 17” by 14”. Just slice your cheese, add crackers, meats, olives, and spreads and you are set for a party. I have already started several dinner parties in the tiny house with charcuterie served on our wood board. I don’t recommend using it as a cutting board so as to keep it pretty for presentation, but it lasts a long time when used just for cutting cheese. Manchego is our favorite! We love pairing it with Jamon Serrano, manzanilla olives and these multi-grain gluten free crackers. It all tastes even better with a glass of Rioja or Cabernet Sauvignon before the meal.
Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Gluten-Free Crackers
#5 Wooden spoon
Honestly Jason and I always prefer to use wooden spoons and spatulas when cooking over rubber or plastic ones. Who wants to eat black plastic with their eggs in the morning? Well definitely not me since I don’t eat eggs, but especially not Jason since he’s the one to fry his eggs over well in the morning. We finally found a set of a wooden spoon and turner in one at TJ Maxx. If you can find the same set it is from Cuisineart. This wooden spoon I’m linking here is the most similar to the one I have. I love that it matches the wooden charcuterie board and it looks great on the kitchen counter.
Natural Premium Teak Wooden Spoon
Although we prefer using wooden spoons for cooking, we can’t deny how handy a silicone spatula is in the kitchen. It can be used for so many things. Have you tried using one when making pancake batter or waffle mix? Tell me why it is so satisfying to get every last drop of batter into that last pancake on the frying pan? This silicone spatula is a dream for cleaning out the last drop of a smoothie bowl from the blender too. If you haven’t used a silicone spatula for cleaning out your bowls before you stick them in the sink, then you are wasting so much goodness! And being an almost minimalist and as sustainable as I can be, I can’t imagine wasting my waffle batter or smoothie mix. This silicone spatula is heat resistant up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and can work when cooking so many things.
DI ORO Silicone Spatula
#7 Baskets for Storage and Decor
Going on with the coastal luxe look in the kitchen, baskets are a must. The pendant light is made from rattan and kind of looks like a basket upside down. Most of my baskets in my kitchen were gifts or came second-hand. But these baskets from Amazon are pretty similar in size to the ones we have. We use our baskets to hold our snacks above Jason’s closet. Yes, his closet is in the kitchen. We also use baskets to hold our fresh produce like our onions, tomatoes and bananas. Here are a couple that are similar to the ones we have. The farm fresh basket for our produce here is from Rae Dunn. It has the black and white striped basket liner that is great for keeping the onion layers off of the top of the fridge and inside the basket. You might wonder if the farmhouse basket matches the coastal aesthetic? In our case it does because our tiny house is on a farm. We live on agricultural land and are surrounded by goats and chickens, so this farmhouse accessory is just right in our tiny house. It was also another gift from my mom. We have a very generous family!
Other wicker basket
#8 Mug Hooks
Number 8 on the top luxe minimalist tiny kitchen must haves is mug hooks. These mug hooks go perfectly in the pantry screwed into the bottom of the shelf above the coffee maker. It’s so convenient to have the coffee mugs and measuring cups hanging for easy access. It saves space and allows your coffee mugs to double as decor. That makes for a nice excuse to have pretty coffee or tea mugs on display. Make sure you declutter your chipped or unused coffee mugs that don’t “spark joy”. That way every morning you get ready to make your coffee, you only have options of coffee mugs that make you happy and put you on the right track to start your day. Remember, tiny doesn’t always mean less options. You actually use everything you have and therefore all of your options are actually more likely to get used.
#9 Floating Shelf Brackets
Number 9 on the tiny kitchen must have list is crucial to installing floating shelves. In a tiny home where all of your dishes must be easy to access and pretty because they are usually on display, you need a floating shelf that is sturdy. These floating shelf brackets did the trick. They were an incredible deal. They allow for a really seamless look in the kitchen wall. They are not the easiest to install, no floating shelf ever really is. My dad as a cabinet installer always gets a kick when his clients ask him to install floating shelves instead of cabinets in certain spots thinking that it will be easier to install than cabinets. Wrong! My dad installed all of our cabinets in the kitchen and bedroom in a few hours, while the four floating shelves in the kitchen and living room took him an entire day. It turned out prettier than expected, but it was a lot of work! These hidden floating shelf brackets are a great choice, just make sure you do your research on how to install them.
#10 Oster Blender
The tenth minimal tiny kitchen must-have is a blender. We have had the Oster blender for several years and we recommend it over any other blender. The other blenders we had didn’t last as long and didn’t work as well. The one we have is the Oster Pro 1200 blender with a glass jar. Glass is so nice to use when you’re trying to blend pureed soups that are already warm. Since we bought ours several years ago, it’s no longer available on Amazon. Here is the link to a similar one that is also highly recommended. It has 4.7 stars out of over 1000 reviews, which is pretty high in my book. Here are some more details on the tiny kitchen blender of choice.
Brand: Oster
Color: Chrome
Special Features: Stainless Steel Blade, 3 Speed Blender, 700 Watt Power, All Metal Drive System
Capacity: 1.5 Liters
Product Dimensions: 9"D x 8"W x 12"H
#11 Two Burner Electric Cooktop
Number 11 in the luxury minimalist tiny kitchen must-have list is an electric stove. As mentioned previously, in a tiny home, you most likely won’t have room for a regular sized oven and stove combo. This stove is a great choice for a tiny kitchen. It is super easy to use and seamlessly ties into the minimal kitchen aesthetic. I really thought I wanted the white version of a similar stove, but the price of white versus black just wasn’t worth it in this case. Our countertop is quartzite and it has white and grey marbling. The black stove is sleek yet barely noticeable since it is set inside the countertop. The stone slab guys did a great job of using the template that came with this stove and cutting the hole for the stove perfectly. Our recommended stove details are listed below.
Brand: GASLAND
Heating Elements: 2
Color: Black
Power Source: AC
Fuel Type: Electric
Special Features: Safety Lock, Timer, Adjustable Temperature, Hot Surface Indicator, Automatic Shut-Off
Heater Surface Material: Glass Ceramic
Material: Vitro Ceramic Glass , Metal
Product Dimensions: 20.5"D x 11.3"W x 2.1"H
Burner type: Radiant
The lock feature is really helpful in a tiny kitchen when you want to prepare and chop near the stove but you don’t want to turn it on by mistake. It also has a timer that you can set to each eating element. I use it when I’m making pasta and it’ll beep and turn off after 9 minutes for perfectly al dente spaghetti. Here’s the link to the best gluten free spaghetti.
#12 Instant Pot
The last minimalist tiny kitchen must-have on this list is an Instant Pot. We did not realize how useful the Instant Pot would be. In a tiny home, you would think you wouldn’t want such a clunky appliance, but the key is to plan your storage just right so it can be put away when not in use. Any minimalist would tell you that putting things away is key to making your home feel less cluttered. This instant pot is not very pretty and definitely needs to be put away when not being used. It’s big and awkward but it fits just right under the countertop in our kitchen cabinet. It’s always a good idea to plan your meals in such a way that you can use your leftovers. Cooking soup, borscht, stews, or Indian curries are a dream in this Instant Pot. In a tiny kitchen, when you don’t need large pots on your tiny stove, the Instant pot replaces a need for a special pot to cook your spaghetti. Are you a whole spaghetti maker or do you break your spaghetti in half to fit it in the pot? We love our spaghetti whole, so I make it in my Instant Pot. Here are the features of the Instant Pot Duo Crisp. Jason’s parents gifted it to us for our anniversary one year. We used the crisper/air fryer function only a couple of times and the top of the Duo Crisp didn’t actually make the cut when we moved down south in preparation for our tiny home life. We don’t regret decluttering the air fryer cover, especially since the Cafe countertop oven has an air fryer function that is much easier to work. I will link both the one we have and the other Instant Pot without the air fryer top so you can decide which one you think will work best for your family.
Brand: Instant Pot
Capacity: 8 Quarts
Material: Stainless steel
Color: Black/Stainless Steel
Finish Type: Chrome
Product Dimensions: 13.58"D x 14.76"W x 15.28"H
The 8 quart Instant Pot might seem like overkill for a family of two, but it’s actually not. Jason loves my soups, chili, and Indian recipes from here and I can make enough for two nights plus extra to freeze for another week. The Instant Pot makes meal prep a breeze.
Brand: Instant Pot
Capacity: 5.68 Liters
Size: 6 Quarts
Material: Stainless steel
Product Dimensions: 12.2"D x 13.38"W x 12.48"H
There you have the top 12 luxe minimalist tiny kitchen must-haves. If you’re ready to upgrade some of your key kitchen tools, while trying to downsize your kitchen gadgets, I hope you find these recommendations helpful. The key to a successful minimalist kitchen is to have just what you need and use everything you have. If you’ve found this blog post useful, please share it on your favorite social media platform. If you know of anyone that can use any of these tiny kitchen tools, please let them know about our recommendations on the Gram, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. You can even share it with them by text or an email. I really appreciate it whenever you share the love of Sustainable Sunsets.
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