According to numerous studies, apartment units got much smaller, almost everywhere globally, in the last twenty years. The rise of the ubiquitous one-bedroom studio apartment has a sociological explanation: Millennials now marry later in life (if they do) and generally delay their search for a bigger space. Appliance manufacturers have adapted to the growing target of single adults living alone, offering smaller versions of their family-sized products or coming up with novel ideas for space-saving alternatives. In our gallery, a selection of ten small appliances that can help you save space without sacrificing the comforts of a modern home.
10 mini-appliances for small apartments
A selection of tiny devices that can save space in a tiny apartment without forcing you to give up on the comforts of a contemporary home.
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- Andrea Nepori
- 12 October 2020
If you need to save space in your kitchen, a tabletop dishwasher is a great alternative to a regular built-in appliance. Bob, developed by a French startup, comes with a cartridge system to ensure the best cleaning. With a special add-on lamp, it can even double as a UV-sterilizer for masks and smartphones.
Developed by Dongbu Daewoo Electronics, Mini is a wall-mounted washing machine. With a depth of only 29.2 centimeters and a total weight of 3 kilograms, it’s the smallest appliance of its kind in the world. It’s perfect for single people living in tiny metropolitan apartments.
Another great idea to make a cramped kitchen more livable (or to create a cooking corner anywhere) is to get rid of the stove altogether. Just get a couple of Ikea’s portable induction hobs: they’re powerful, and they pack enough power to cook a meal for a full family. And when you don’t need them, they’re easy to clean and stow away in a cupboard or under the sink.
Ironing, we’ve said it multiple times, is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, we can’t always wear wrinkle-free sweatpants to every occasion yet. For those specific cases, steam is the way to go. SteamOne’s S-Nomad, for example, has been developed to fit easily in a business traveler’s suitcase, which means it’s a great alternative to an iron and ironing board for people who want to save precious space at home.
Have you ever wondered why all toasters always offer a minimum of two slots, even the smaller ones? Well, someone at Xiaomi definitely has. The company offers a single-slice toaster that’s perfect for singles with small kitchens. Unfortunately, it’s one of the many Xiaomi gems that’s still available only in China.
Need to make space on your kitchen top for the Bob Dishwasher? Well, get rid of your toaster, coffeemaker, and oven with this all-in-one Americana Breakfast station.
Xiaomi, the Chinese maker of basically every electronic product ever conceived on Earth, has an interesting alternative to the Bob tabletop dishwasher. It’s called the Mijia and, like many Xiaomi appliances, if fully connected to the company’s ecosystem, letting you start a cycle with a voice command. Unfortunately, you would still have to load and unload the dishes manually.
The Adventurer is the world’s first portable solid-state RF microwave. It’s conceived for hikers and travelers to heat food and beverages everywhere, but it’s also a smaller alternative to a regular microwave oven for smaller kitchens and tiny homes.
Fridges are another nightmare appliance for anyone who needs to furnish a tiny home. Luckily the market is ripe with inexpensive tiny alternatives to the two-door family-size beasts usually on display in electronics stores. Like this mini refrigerator by Urban Outfitters, which even sport a handy bottle opener on the side.
If money is not an issue and you really want to save space, even on a TV set, well, LG has the right solution. The Korean company’s rollable TV is definitely a space saver that will make a tv sideboard superfluous and is assured to wow your guests with its one of a kind unfolding mechanism.