5 Essential Products for Small Homes

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I don't think any of these items should really be considered as additions to what you already have, but perhaps they are worthy replacements, which may make your home feel that little bit bigger or simpler. The word "essential" is a strange one, as really most of what we own isn't truly essential. However, in small homes space is hard to come by and I think these items are designed in way that does pretty good job of saving it.

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⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:25 #1 Seating & sleeping
03:13 #2 Ovens are too big
06:28 #3 Nobody likes doing the dishes
08:35 #4 "Clean" garbage
11:00 #5 One less screen

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This video was sponsored by Curiosity Stream.

[jennasaurusrex]

Literally use my oven every day.... and I'd rather use it then have a toaster, toaster oven or bread maker or "insert appliance here" sitting on my countertop and/or having to lug it around everytime we move. And pre-pandemic I may have agreed with you but now I really appreciate having an integrated and full sized oven and stove top to cook home made meals which are far more nutritious and healthy than eating out all the time (when that's an option).

[il-ganna]

As much as I love our IKEA daybed for our guest room I would never recommend it for extensive use to anyone, let alone as an alternative to an actual bed. While it has slats, the mattresses are way too thin for long-term use. We’ve had to use it during covid in order to quarantine within the same household and after 2 consecutive nights it was a nightmare. You can definitely feel that your body has been crushed against the wooden slats the morning after. The only option is to get a better thick mattress and use it as a single bed, which might not work for some. A foldable bed with a proper mattress and multi-use as the one shown is worth saving up for imo.

[ElieBeth___]

I live in an apartment that has no oven and no dishwasher. My partner and I were just talking about getting a countertop dishwasher and something to use as an oven - love the air fryer idea. Our new kitten loves my recycling so thank you for the cupboard bins that was an added bonus!!!

[TomTomDam]

I recommend a toaster oven. It's small, it's a great way to cook foods that are too large to fit in a traditional bread toaster, and it offers some of the same cooking methods that an oven provides such as broiling. If I knew toaster ovens were a thing ages ago, I would never be using a normal toaster.

[tmdavidson]

One of the things I like about smaller appliances is that when they are unplugged they are not pulling a dead draw electricity like the 220 outlets for traditional stoves. I have used a toaster oven for years. I bake in it, including 12" pizzas.

[wenc]

We ditched the full size oven. We (just two of us) are renting and the kitchen is set up, with a gap in the run of counter top, for the tenant to fit in their own oven.
We decided to bridge the gap with a cut-off piece of counter top, then fitted open shelves in the space below. The shelves house a portable halogen oven, a portable plug in single ring halogen hob, cutting boards, lap trays and extra wire racks for the halogen cooker.
All easily accessible for every day use.
We also have a very functional Kallax unit in the kitchen ;-) home to all our other things we need regular access to. Microwave, toaster, fruit and veg baskets, cereals, coffee machine.

Thank you for the video. Some great points to think about.

[SS-witm]

I placed my desk at the edge of the bed and my monitor on a swivel table. That way we can just swivel it and watch a movie in bed. I also got amazing bookshelf speakers. So now I have a brilliant work from home and tv setup in one

[IsshouNiIkou]

In my country toaster ovens with build in hot plates are very popular for renters. They are small, offer the same advantages as a regular oven but they are cheap and easy to move around. There are also typical ovens on the smaller side that can fit in smaller areas. I feel like these options are more popular in Europe rather than in the USA.

[Dogsnark]

If my kitchen space was severely limited, I would get a couple of portable induction plates and a convection countertop oven, like the one briefly shown in the video (which is essentially an air fryer, but much more practical, IMHO). I agree with your criticism of standard range ovens as being little used - I rarely use mine. Rather, I have a Breville countertop oven and I use it most everyday.

[chris...]

Long ago, I settled on futons. I am usually limited to apartment size and moving costs as well as help in moving, so I needed something with a minimal footprint while also being something I can manage by myself. So I opted for a wooden full-size futon. It's simple to disassemble for moving, can be transported in a car, can be set up as a sofa, and can be pulled out into a 2-occupant bed when necessary. I'm now of an age and living in the Covid Era where I no longer have overnight guests, whether platonic visitors or romantic encounters, so it's entirely my choice which way the futon is standardly set up: bed or sofa. The best thing is that they're not 'precious'; they're pretty basic in appearance, inexpensive to acquire secondhand, so if you relocate a long distance, you can sell/donate the old one and get a replacement in the new location.

I do like to bake; I'm also a big fan of roast turkey (I could live on them all year every year). But I'm contemplating building a tiny house, and having an oven-alternative and induction cooking are things still in the mix of consideration for me. I'm currently trying out a multicooker (a Zavor, not an InstaPot) and whether I want to give up my ginormous crockpot. I recently downsized my Zojirushi rice cooker and need to sort out whether it could replace some of these appliances. I've also been trying out multi-function microwave ovens (a convection-cooking one previously and a 'grilling' one with heating element currently) but haven't found the best combo MW as yet.

I mainly see dishwashers as having only one real use: sterilizing things. Seriously, I enjoy the meditative practice of washing dishes. I usually put things in to soak overnight, then wash things in the morning, which starts my day off with a sense of accomplishment. I just don't see me wanting to buy and install a dishwasher.

I prefer a much larger trash bin in the kitchen, but I could change for the cabinet door mounted ones you show in your video. I like the efficiency and versatility of them as well as the reclaiming of floor space!

Again, trying something similar currently with monitor/flatscreen integration now. I've been putting it off, but I have to switch out my plasma flatscreen with a Smart TV flatscreen and connect up my Roku with it. I already cancelled my cable service, so need to finish setting up internet access to the new flatscreen. I'll next decide on content subscriptions (maybe try serial short-term subscribing or sharing subscriptions with others).

[fighne]

Hi Daniel have you ever considered the Scandinavian way of having a drying rack and cabinet combined where the draining is over the draining board for the kitchen sink.

[anik.]

Personally can't belive you use your oven so less, For my family and me its almost in daily use starting from a bread for breakfast, some vegtables for lunch or a lasanga or similar for dinner. Also the occasional baking for Sunday or Events. So while an air fryer sounds good its not an option. But the Beds are are great tip :D

[yellit]

It’s not just Asian mums who don’t like rubbish in the house, mine hated it too and I’ve got into the habit of taking the rubbish out everyday. Because of this, i don’t own any rubbish bins.
I use my oven fairly frequently, I can cook a whole dinner in it the meat, baked / roast potatoes, other roasted vegetables, Yorkshire puddings to desert Apple pie, etc. I do have an air fryer and use it a little more than the oven. I wouldn’t like to try to cook a ready meal in its plastic tray in the air fryer. Give it a go and let me know how it goes.
I loathe dishwashing and love my dishwasher more than any of my other appliances. If i didn’t have one, I’d probably be living off take out, ready meals and sandwiches 😂

[PavelSemin]

1. Daytime beds often use not so good mattresses. It's better, than transforming sofa, but still not so good as regular bed. And what's even worse - I think they not a great replacement for actual sofa.
2. In Japan there is a better alternative, than air fryer - they have little ovens, slightly larger than microwave, that can fit regular oven tray, or a skillet with frittata or something. Anyway, if you want more space it's more likely to get 2-top induction instead of 4

[gauseb]

Ikea has stackable single beds, which can be laid side by side to form a king bed. I use these in my home office. Triples as a couch, single bed for 1 person or King bed for a couple when we have guests.

[iseesomethinginyou]

Kitchen gadgets are always a problem, that's why, before I buy stuffs I think I need, I make sure I have enough space to store them in. I have been thinking about getting a countertop dishwasher, and changing my old small oven into a 2in1 convection oven/microwave, which saves time on reheating food. I also knew people who owns smaller washing machines, that fit in the bathroom, and could be attached only through the water source/faucet and drains into the bathtub. But only if one has enough bathroom space.
I have been living in my 20sqm room for almost 3 years now, and I say it is quite difficult to organise things around, and deciding on which storage or furniture to get without compromising the space. I love this kind of content, I hope you make some more in the future.

[scdobserver]

I have the same system from brabantia for my kitchen garbage situation but my version I screwed th 6l bin for kitchen waste and the 12l bin for general rubbish. I live alone so it's much easier to clear out both the bins without taxing the actual door under the sink. Still have tonnes of spaces for other stuffs under the sink. Also I wash my dishes. I hate dishwashers with a passion. I do have a washing machine though. 😆

Lastly I have the tefal air fryer that doubles up as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker and even works as a sou vides (sp). I'm very impressed with it...

[oursimplestory]

We loved using shikibuton mattresses and tatami mats that can be folded and put away, inspired by our time in Japan!

[simplelifesg]

Thanks for the video! I would also suggest considering multifunctional devices to cut down on the number of distinct devices and save space e.g. a countertop convection oven with steam and air frying function like the Panasonic Cubie. Or a pressure cooker with sautéing and air frying and sous vide capabilities like the Ninja Foodi multi cooker.

[DeadDancers]

I tried your bed design but instead of drawers I used four 1x4 KALLAX shelves on their sides.

This kept the bed relatively low to the ground while opening up 4 'rows' of storage, in which I use IKEA's seagrass-weave baskets (tied together using the twine that the baskets come with, so pulling the first in the row pulls out all those behind it) for ease of access and for good looks. I love it and never would have thought of it if not for your original DIY design.