4 Space-Saving Kitchen Gadgets Tested: Spice Jars, Soup Maker, Folding Pan and Murphy Table

Introduction

Kitchens keep getting smaller, and cluttered worktops are a real problem for a lot of us. To find out which compact gadgets actually earn their place, we tested four very different space-saving ideas: magnetic spice jars, a single-serving soup maker, a folding-handled frying pan, and a wall-mounted table that converts into a shelf. Some genuinely impressed us. One, frankly, did not.

Magnetic Spice Jars

The idea is simple: a set of see-through hexagonal jars with magnetic bases that attach to your fridge, oven side, or any metal surface. They tessellate into a honeycomb pattern, come with a generous sheet of pre-printed spice labels, and each lid has a dual shaker cap, one side for pouring granulated spices and one for sprinkling powdered ones. The lid also seals, and we confirmed it does keep contents contained.

At first, the reaction was underwhelming. Jars on a fridge? But the more we handled them, the more sense they made. You can see your stock levels at a glance, unscrew a jar without removing it from the surface, shake out what you need, and screw it back on. For anyone who already uses a magnetic knife strip on tiles or a cupboard, this slots neatly into the same space-saving logic.

A few practical caveats. Fitted or covered fridges will not take them without adding a metal plate first. We ordered a box of 20 and one arrived broken, so check on arrival. They are also pricier than they look: 20 jars with labels came to £70.98, around £2 a jar more than we expected. In the right setting, such as a camper van, an RV, or a small flat with a metal fridge, the concept works well and looks genuinely attractive in the honeycomb arrangement. Our verdict settled at a solid but not spectacular score, with the price the main sticking point.

Justme Soup Maker

The Justme soup maker is a tall, slim single-portion appliance that cooks and blends fresh fruit or vegetables into smooth soup, chunky soup, smoothies, and milkshakes. It weighs just 760 grams, stands only 22 centimetres high, and its functions are clearly laid out: Smooth (19 minutes), Chunky (24 minutes), Blend, Juice (a two-minute no-heat blend), and a Clean mode that just needs water and a drop of washing-up liquid.

We put it through a proper test by making a chunky soup of fresh tomato, onion, sweet potato, stock, and tomato paste, then blending it down to smooth. It heated up quickly, bubbled and beeped as promised, and produced a perfectly decent bowl of soup. The blending cycle is short, so for a truly smooth result you either run an extra blast or cut your ingredients smaller first. Seasoning and texture are entirely up to you, and softer vegetables would cook faster.

It feels well designed and sturdy, and the claimed running cost of about one penny of energy per cup of soup is appealing for solo diners, students, or small office kitchens. Our main criticism: it is sized for exactly one bowl. If it were just slightly wider and taller, it would serve two portions and be twice as useful for couples in small flats. As it stands, though, it does exactly what it promises, and it earned a full five-star rating from one of our testers, with a four from the other.

Joseph Joseph Space Folding Pan

Joseph Joseph is a brand synonymous with well-designed, ergonomic kitchen kit, and the Space range of folding-handle pans is finished in a premium midnight blue. The stainless steel handles fold over the top of the pan using what the brand calls lifetime-tested swing lock technology, and the claim is up to 50% more space saved versus standard pans because stacked pans do not need extra room for protruding handles.

In the hand, the build quality is real: heavy, sturdy, with a solid hinge and a strong locking mechanism, and the handle stays securely clipped in. The folding handle itself is not a new idea, and the main historical concern with this style has always been sturdiness when holding something hot, but this one inspires confidence.

Here is our problem: as a single pan, it makes very little sense. Regular pans already stack inside each other, and once the handle folds down, nothing can sit on top of the pan anyway, so you lose the space above it too. The genuine case is the full five-piece set, with three saucepans and two frying pans nesting together and lids stored sideways. The individual pan is around £50, and the full set around £214. If your cupboard is genuinely only a few pan-widths deep, the set could work; as a standalone purchase, we would skip it. One tester gave it a two, the other refused to give it a star at all.

Mikenas Murphy Folding Table and Wall Shelf

This was the standout. The Mikenas Murphy folding table mounts to the wall as a shelf, then folds down into a table that can seat four to six people. The marketing pitch is delightfully odd, but the idea lands: a temporary kitchen island, dining table, or computer desk that disappears back into a shelf when you do not need it.

Build quality surprised us. It feels solid and cleverly engineered, with a catch underneath the top that keeps the table level, even with a glass resting on it. It has that Swiss or Scandi engineering feel: functional, not pretty, made from a lighter wood rather than hardwood, but well made for the price.

Practical notes: empty the surface before folding it back up, and think about seating, since folding chairs can tuck into the otherwise wasted space underneath. It needs a spare wall, so it suits small flats and studio-style living where every surface has to do double duty. It earned a five out of five on the spot, with the other tester jokingly awarding six. At £227.99 it is not cheap, but both of us agreed we would have happily paid more for how clever it is.

Overall Buying Advice

If you cook mostly for yourself in a tiny kitchen, the Justme soup maker is the easiest recommendation here. If you want a genuinely transformative piece of furniture for a small flat, the Murphy folding table is worth the outlay. The magnetic spice jars are charming and functional if you have a suitable metal surface and can accept the price. The folding pan, however, only makes sense as part of the full stacking set, not as a single purchase.

Conclusion

Of the four gadgets we tested, two genuinely solved a space problem, one was a likeable idea with a pricing problem, and one we would leave on the shelf. The folding table was the clear winner of the test, with the soup maker close behind. Match each product to your actual kitchen setup and the space savings are real.