Tiny Kitchen = Tiny Combo Units

Here’s another moment where you might begin to think we’ve gone a little crazy.  This is our grill… er, oven… er, microwave:
Presto!

Actually, it’s all of these. This little fella is an oven/microwave combo that has about five other features that I haven’t translated yet.  I’m willing to bet it is smaller inside than most people’s microwaves.  Yes?  No?

Presto Take Two!

As we started sketching plans for our kitchen remodel, we really had to sit back and think about what we really, truly needed in our 36 square foot kitchen.  It was like packing for vacation.  You can’t have everything in your suitcase, so what do you bring?  Need versus want.  My dad would be proud.

An Oven

Well we obviously needed one of those in the kitchen.  But how much oven?  We agreed: not much oven.  (I wish everything were this simple.  Kitchen, build yourself!)  We started thinking about all of the things we used our oven for like this.  And since we’re no Martha Stewart, we didn’t see the point in heating a massive space for one little casserole dish or cookie sheet, which are usually the only types of dishes we use. Then there’s the whole electricity-in-Germany-is-outrageously-expensive thing, you know.  So no big turkeys or roasted animals for us.  There’s just no room, and we’re secretly fine with that.  (Not that they’d fit in our fridge, anyway)

A Microwave

Then came the issue of this guy.  I wanted to say, “Oh, who needs a silly microwave?”  Except it was obvious that we needed a silly microwave.  So it stayed on the must-have list while items like a food processor, my dream mixer (boo hoo), and any extra utensils were cut.

An Oven/Microwave Combo?

My husband originally found this combo unit.  I thought he was out of his mind.  Then he asked if I wanted to sacrifice my blender, our entire utensils drawer, the space for the towels and dishcloths, and…  I said okay.  Let’s try it.

Now?  We LOVE It.  We’re gradually getting used to having a microwave and convection oven in one, and we were able to donate our old oven to a kind Russian man.  I didn’t realize how much I relied on a microwave while the oven was on before.  Now I’m learning to melt butter on the stovetop like my grandma and organize my cooking schedule a little better.  Trust me:  It’s Not As Bad as It Sounds.

It’s also the most amazing oven I’ve ever used, not that my comparisons are exactly high standard.  Think fresh-out-of-college ancient apartment oven – that was us.  And let me tell you, none of those ovens whipped together anything like this:

Mmm…

It’s our version of a Halloween sugar high:  witch shoe cookies.  (We tried, okay?)

I’m thinking we might make pilgrim shoes next.  It’s too bad Germany isn’t known for wooden shoes like Holland.  I could have made wooden shoe cookies.  I love our combo unit that much.