Give Apartment Kitchens More Space With This Ikea Cutting Board Hack

There are plenty of advantages to apartment living, from often being just a street away from local amenities to never worrying about replacing large appliances or spending hours cleaning a big house. Space, however, is at a premium in most apartments, especially in the kitchen. This means that clever planning and creativity are paramount when you're planning a celebration or prepping food for a dinner party or holiday meal.

For instance, instead of placing all the components of your meal on the dinner table, you can set up a buffet on your kitchen counters, creating an even flow of movement that allows people to serve themselves before claiming a seat. However, a smaller kitchen often means less counter space, increasing the likelihood of you committing one of the most common mistakes when hosting a dinner party — not having enough food. Fortunately, you can remedy this situation with a clever hack using one (or two) of Ikea's generously sized Lämplig wooden cutting boards.

Measuring about 20 by 18 inches, these cutting boards feature a narrow lip along one edge. Flipped upside-down and placed on your stovetop, one of these cutting boards instantly creates more counterspace, with the lip neatly covering the front of your burners. Their beautiful wood finish creates a butcher block effect that won't disrupt your kitchen's aesthetic while simultaneously providing additional space to set charcuterie, appetizers, or even set up a cute yet practical mini cocktail station or a DIY home coffee and tea bar for brunch-themed events.

Though the original hack has these cutting boards flipped over to hide traditional raised burner coils, that might not be necessary if you have a glass stovetop with flat burners. In this case, it's still best to cover your stovetop to prevent it from getting scratched or cracked, but you'll want to place the cutting board right side up with the lip situated at the back of your cooktop. Placing the cutting board upside down on a flat cooktop would create a slanted surface poorly suited to holding appetizers or bottled beverages.

If you intend to use your stovetop to cook, it's best to wait until the burners cool off before putting the cutting board over them. Aside from being a fire hazard, residual heat could cause the wood to warp. To protect your wooden cutting board from warping, be sure you can safely rest your hand on the burner before placing it, and oil it regularly to keep it from absorbing moisture and stains from the dishes resting on top.

Something else to consider is the dimensions of your cooktop. Most apartments have relatively small appliances, but if you hit the stovetop jackpot, you may need more than one Lämplig to fully cover everything. Since they currently retail for about $30 per board, you may want to keep an eye out for sales and coupon codes to grab one (or two) without going over your budget.