This Cutting Board Tip Adds So Much Extra Space To A Tiny Kitchen (And It Doesn't Cost A Dime)

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Huge islands might be the trend du jour in the world of kitchen design, but for those of us who don't even have room for a mini mobile island, we have to resort to some pretty creative solutions just to chop a few tomatoes. From folding tables to cooking on the coffee table, it's probably all been done, but what if the perfect solution was there all along? If you have the right size cutting board, all you have to do is place it over the sink and you can add a ton of extra counter space to a tiny kitchen without ever spending a dime.

Placing a cutting board over the sink requires zero engineering skills, just check to see if you have a board that fits across the entire span of your sink with at least an inch or so of overhang on either side. To make sure that the board doesn't slide around, wet some paper towels or dish clothes and lay them on either side of the sink where the edges of the board touch. If your sink has a lip, go for thicker dish towels to fill the gap between the countertop and the cutting board, and fold them in half if necessary.

The only drawback to this kitchen hack is that a lot of small kitchens don't have large enough cutting boards to cover the sink. After all, if there's no counter space, why bother getting a big cutting board? If that's your situation, all you have to do is measure your sink and find a board that's a little bit larger. You don't need any special kind of cutting board to pull this off, but there are models that are especially designed for the job that could work for your setup. 

The SIERRA ANGELS Over-the-Sink Bamboo Cutting Board will fit across most standard, apartment-sized sinks, and as a bonus there are three containers that fit into the expandable space to collect your fruits and veggies as you chop. The Lipper International Bamboo Wood Over-The-Sink/Stove Kitchen Cutting and Serving Board, on the other hand, will cover the entire sink and give you plenty of space to slice up large roasts, squashes, and bigger volumes of ingredients. There are also plastic models, but we don't recommend them if you're concerned about microplastic contamination.

Even though these boards are designed to be used over the sink, it's still a good idea to use wet towels to keep the board from sliding around. Neglecting to secure the board is one of the most common cutting board mistakes, and one slip could cause a nasty cut. Don't risk it.