What Is a Kitchenette? Plus What Makes It Different from a Kitchen

The kitchen is an important part of every home. However, when browsing apartment listings or looking for rental and hotel rooms, you may come across the term “kitchenette” instead of “kitchen”. So what’s the difference?

The suffix “ette” means “small”. A kitchenette is a smaller, more compact version of a traditional kitchen. It is unlikely to be a separate room, but is embedded in a bedroom or shared living space. At home, the kitchenette is ideal for renovating the basement and making in-laws suites or short-term rentals. But for a large family, a small kitchen has its limitations. Here’s everything you need to know to distinguish between the two.

What Is a Kitchenette?

Kitchenettes can be found throughout a variety of properties, including compact apartments, studios, student accommodation, offices, leisure facilities, and hotels. However, they are not confined to small spaces. You can also add them to your backyard, especially homes with outdoor kitchens. They are typically installed in guest rooms, pool houses, home offices, finished basements, or any other gathering space where easy access to food and beverages is required.

While kitchenettes vary in size and appearance, they are often equipped with compact appliances, including sinks, microwaves, mini or full-size refrigerators, and stovetops. They are more commonly found in apartments than traditional homes.

Despite their large size, gadgets such as electric kettles, instant pots, and slow cookers can prepare and cook food efficiently. Many kitchenettes don’t have full-size ovens, but some do. Small kitchens also have limited storage space and often lack overhead cupboards.

Because kitchenettes are small, they often lack the counter space and the number of electrical outlets that might be used in traditional kitchens. Standard features of the kitchenette include:

• Compact layout: Kitchenettes are often located along walls or corners to maximize the functionality and floor space of a small room.
• Endless configurations: Small kitchens can be built or assembled in a myriad of layouts and designs, some may be quite high-end, while others seem like simple makeovers.
• Small or multi-purpose appliances: Most kitchenettes are equipped with compact, full-size appliances. For example, a kitchenette might have a mini-fridge or a full-size refrigerator without a freezer compartment instead of a full-size refrigerator with a freezer.

Kitchenette Vs. Kitchen: What’s the Difference?

While both kitchenettes and kitchens provide places to prepare meals, the main difference is the size. The fully fitted kitchen has plenty of space for preparing meals, cooking, and storing food. Kitchenettes are much smaller, in fact, the 2013 New York Building Code defines them as a cooking area of less than 80 square feet.

A fully equipped kitchen is a better choice for cooking and entertaining large families and families for a long time. But for singles or couples who don’t plan to spend too much time cooking or entertaining guests, a kitchenette might just do.

Another difference is that the kitchen is usually its own room, even in an open floor plan. On the other hand, a kitchenette is located in the wall or corner of a single open room, usually within another room, such as a studio bedroom or a shared dining room/living room.

While a well-equipped kitchen may have appliances for a variety of cooking and dining needs, kitchenettes have limited appliances. Usually, a kitchenette has only a sink, microwave, mini-fridge, and a small stove or electric stove.

Finally, the kitchenette has less storage space. While standard kitchens have cabinets, shelves, and even a pantry for storing dry food, most kitchenettes rarely have a few cabinets. Countertop area is also limited, and there is often no separate dining area. As a result, you may find yourself cooking and eating on the same countertop.

Pros and Cons of Kitchenettes

Pros

• Aesthetics: Most kitchenettes are designed to be sleek and enhance the aesthetics of the space. They are mainly made of materials such as stainless steel and have a sleek, modern look.
• Cost-effective: They are less expensive to install than a complete kitchen.
• Easy to clean and maintain: With small appliances and less counter space, you may be comfortable making simpler meals. They have fewer surfaces, so you don’t need to spend a lot of time cleaning them up.
• Multi-purpose: Corporate and residential spaces of all sizes have kitchenettes.
• Reduce clutter: Since they only place essential appliances and have limited counter space, they encourage a minimalist approach, which helps avoid clutter.
• Efficient: A kitchenette is much smaller than a kitchen. In small houses, they leave valuable space for furniture and other amenities.

Cons

• Building codes or regulations: Depending on where you live, you may not be allowed to install a kitchenette. Before starting a project, make sure it’s legitimate.
• Limited counter space: Cooking several dishes at the same time in a small kitchenette can be challenging. There’s less space for stand-alone appliances like a coffee maker, toaster, or stand mixer.
• Limited storage space: If you want to store canned food or dry goods, and keep leftovers, a kitchenette isn’t ideal.
• Lack of privacy: Since they are located in the main living space, it can be difficult to hide the kitchenette when entertaining. In addition, the smell of meals may remain in adjacent rooms.

How to Optimize the Small Layout of a Kitchenettes?

Despite the small size of the kitchenettes, they still offer excellent functionality for small spaces. They’re perfect for people who move a lot and don’t need a full kitchen for cooking or entertaining, as well as rooms that are far away from the main kitchen or have an outdoor walkway.

Create functional workflows between sinks, refrigerators, and stovetops to optimize efficiency. Although you can configure the space to your liking, you’ll need to make sure that the device is placed in a suitable location for cooking and cleaning. Placing items in intuitive and easy-to-find locations ensures you don’t have to backtrack steps to cook simple meals.

Avoid cluttered countertops and overloaded outlets by creatively designing storage solutions. Install overhead hooks and shelves to provide extra storage space for small pots and pans. Use wall-mounted spice racks, magnetic knife storage racks, and drying racks above the sink to help maximize space. Choose multi-function countertop appliances that can be stored when not in use.

Finally, keep the color scheme and lights bright. The more open and airy the space feels, the bigger it looks. The kitchenette features eye-catching lighting and a sleek backsplash that can instantly elevate the mood.