The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook: Everything You Need to Know about Setting Up & Cooking in the Most Ridiculously Small Kitchen in the World--Your Own

After having borrowed this book from the library at least 3 times, I am finally buying myself a copy. I have a galley kitchen with only three useable cabinets and they are all upper cabinets. Moving into this kitchen from a large country kitchen was a disaster. Not only couldn't I fit everything into the kitchen, I couldn't find the things I needed. As I learned from this book, my real problem was that I didn't know what I really used versus the things that were "nice to have." This is the first and only book that I have *ever* read that helped me tackle the problem of how to actually cook in a very small (6 ft x 8 ft) kitchen. What counts as small? If you have ever visited a New York City apartment, then you know that a kitchen can be inside a coat closet, share the sink with the bathroom or be approximately 6 feet along the wall of the only room. Often there are two burners, an easy-bake oven, and a dorm-size fridge. This is the kind of small that the author is talking about. About half of the book is a discussion of what you as an individual cook need in your kitchen, accented with hilarious stories of mistakes made by the author's friends. The author's recommendations actually apply to every room in your tiny house, but they are invaluable for setting up a kitchen where you can actually cook. If you are looking for advice for living in a small space (really small, not 1200 square feet small), this book succinctly covers the concepts. The second half of the book is recipies, which may or may not be of interest. Even if they aren't what you are looking for, they do provide ideas for how to adapt recipies--and cooking in general--to situations with a grand total of 3 square feet of counter space. Even if your kitchen isn't all that small, this is a great book. I would also recommend it to college students, people starting out or starting over, and anyone who has to cook somewhere other than in a gourmet kitchen.

I am one of those who live in an apartment with a micro kitchen, and I also love to cook, so making it all work in a tiny space has been a real challenge. The recipes are fine, but what makes this book special are the great tips on how to make the most of your space and how to use as little equipment to make what you need as possible. I have lovely well-meaning relatives who know I like to cook and consequently give me lots of cooking equipment, small appliances, china ("here, take this, I haven't used it in years"), serving dishes, etc. that I have absolutely no room for. This is a situation he addresses with both humor and practical advice, and I found his suggestions on de-cluttering both tactful and helpful. A must for anyone who would actually like to use their small kitchen, and good advice for anyone on effective space use.

For those of us who choose to live in urban areas, it usually follows that we trade space for the excitement of city living. At the same time, the desire to have a warm, inviting kitchen even in a small space is natural--it's a hallmark of domesticity and comfort. Believe it or not, for many of us, the tiny kitchen is not where you make coffee, put take-out on plates or store sweaters in the oven. (All fairly common in NYC). The kitchen is the heart of the home. And even the smalled home needs that. In his wonderful book, Justin Spring shows you how to make the most of even the tiniest kitchen with practical tips, great recipes and ideas about organization. (This is priceless advice even if you live in a mansion.) His gentle wit and terrific advice fill the book and make it a consistent pleasure. The drawings are great, too, and for its small size the book is beautifully designed...seems like there's a theme here. Quite simply, Spring shows us that size doesn't matter. It's the intelligence, ingenuity and inventiveness that goes into the kitchen that guarantees what comes out--the warmth, care and great food that give even the tiniest kitchen a big and loving heart.

We never have enough space in Arctic Alaska, and we sure like to eat, especially when it is super cold and dark outside. So this book, and the cheerful, upbeat way it is written, should help us. But as Spring points out early on, the book can help anyone who has to deal with a hot, crowded and rather claustrophobic kitchen area ("something like taking a berth on "Das Boot." The man speaks from experience, and shares 100 recipes, successfully done in his 45-sq.ft. New York apartment kitchen. Included is a recipe developed for a 25-pound Alaska wild salmon, caught and sent by his sister from the far north. He shares the limited space in his 500-sq.ft. apartment with several dogs, who often stake out key locations in the tiny kitchen. Stay tuned for reports on who wins that battle. The book can help you clean and prep your kitchen, select the right appliances (he loves his toaster oven) and get rid of the clutter many of us accumulate in our kitchen. So get this book and then stretch out and read it, but not in your tiny kitchen, especially if you have dogs.

This is a gem of a book, suitable for anyone whose kitchen is smaller than ideal. In his humorous, easy-to-read manner Justin Spring provides numerous ways to get the most out of a tiny kitchen and entertain with ease.