And Which Can You Cut Out?

If you’re looking at building your own tiny house, either as a real estate investment, as a space for guests, or just as a home away from home, appliances are something to consider. Due to their very nature, a tiny house can’t handle full-size appliances for every single type of appliance. The question then becomes “well, which ones do I need to keep, which ones do I get rid of, and which ones can I get in smaller sizes?” Those questions are where we come in. For this post, we’re assuming that this is an actual ‘home’ with a kitchen of some sort, not just an extra bedroom, office, or hobby space. So let’s dig in and find out just how much you can squish into a tiny home! 

Dishwasher

We’re biased, we’ll admit this up front. To us, a dishwasher is a must-have. Fortunately, you can get dishwashers of all different sizes. You can have a full, cabinet size, or even drawer sized dishwasher. 

Full dishwashers usually measure in at = 24 x 35 x 24 (Lx Hx W

A ‘thin’ or ‘cabinet’ dishwasher typically measures about = 24 x 18 x 24

While a drawer dishwasher is a bit more flexible in its size, this one from Fisher & Paykel was 24 x 17 x 23. 

Sink

A sink is another nonnegotiable, but that’s due to food safety as much as anything. Especially if you give up having a dishwasher, you’re going to need somewhere to wash food, pots and pans, and your table settings. Not to mention all the other ways we use our kitchens. To us this is another one where you can’t really skimp, and we advise getting a double basin sink. However, if you just don’t have the space, the smallest kitchen sink we could find is this one from Kohler, which is 15 x 15 x 9. 

Refrigerator 

Refrigerators are one that you absolutely could get away with, but only under certain conditions. If you’re going to live mostly off of vegetables you eat the same day you buy them, or pantry staples, we could see that working. There are also several different sizes available, with the absolute smallest refrigerator being able to hold no more than a few cans of soda. For practicality’s sake though, let’s assume that you want a small, under-the-counter refrigerator. A good brand to look at here would be something like RCA. They have several different sizes and versions of mini-fridges. 

Freezer

Freezers are... Complicated. On one hand, if you’re not going to have a refrigerator, you will probably want a freezer of some sort for long-term food storage. You can also get a normal side-by-side or top and bottom refrigerator/freezer combination unit if you’re willing to give up the space for one. You can also get an under-the-counter freezer or a chest freezer. The benefit to a chest freezer is that you get right into the habit of a tiny homeowner, using a space for multiple things. Depending on how large a chest you get, you can put it to work as a table as well as storing food. Keep in mind though that you can’t put too much weight on the top or it can cause the lid to bow, ruining the seal. So it can be done, just check the manufacturer’s guidelines with your particular freezer. 

Washing Machine

In our Deep Dive on Washing Machines, we showed you many different varieties of washers, how they work and what makes them different from each other.  We stand by what we said then about all-in-one washer/dryers being an option, although not one we would typically suggest.  Instead, if you’re looking for something, we would suggest getting a standard or even a small washer. 

A standard washing machine is typically = 28 inches or 2 feet and 4 inches wide

A small washer might come in at = 20 or 21 inches.

Dryer 

For a dryer, this is entirely dependent on how much energy you want to spend on a regular basis. You could use a clothesline outside in good weather, and then a hanging system inside in cold or poor weather. Or you can get a dryer and have to find a way to work around it for space consideration. Like we mentioned in our Dryer Deep Dive, you’ll have to have double the amount of space in your dryer that you do in your washer or else you won’t be able to effectively dry everything from a single load. 

Stove

Here is where you really get to be creative. Options for a stove replacement are many and quite varied. It really comes down to how creative you can get. You could even replace many of your pots and pans, freeing up cabinet space for other things if you plan it right. With one or two multifunction Instant Pots you could replace the need for 90% of your pots, as well as a stove. 

Other options include one or two electric burners, which make for a portable stove. This way if it’s not in use, you can store it away. You can also use slow cookers to great effect, although we will point out that you can get an Instant Pot with the same function built-in. 

Oven 

Here again, you get to play around and get creative. Do you want a full oven? Or would you rather devote that space to cabinets? Do you have a wall that would otherwise be unused that you could install a built-in oven into? What about a toaster oven that doubles as a rotisserie? Toaster ovens can be surprisingly large and serve remarkably well as replacements to a standard oven.  

When it comes to outfitting a tiny home, it proves to be as much of a creative puzzle as the rest of the house is. What can you give up? What can you live without? What do you have to have in order to accomplish the basics of life? Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook page. We want to hear from you--what could you live without OR how have you structured your tiny home? 

If on the other hand your kitchen has gone kaput or your washing machine has washed out, we’ve got your back. We can repair any and all of your major home appliances whether it’s full size or meant for a tiny home.  You can get hold of us by calling us at ((214) 599-0055) or you can set up an appointment on our contact page.  

Additional Reading
Washer Deep Dive

Dryer Deep Dive