Small kitchen TVs don't exist anymore, so I built one myself

Published Oct 27, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT Nathaniel Pangaro is a tech enthusiast who dives deep into Apple’s world, from Macs and iPads to iPhones, Apple Watches, and every gadget in between. He loves turning tricky tech features into guides and reviews that are actually fun to read—and easy to use. At AppleInsider, he broke down the latest Apple releases with hands-on testing, clear explanations, and visuals that make readers feel like they’re right there with him. He also keeps SEO in mind so people can actually find his work online. He’s also written for The Student Loan Help Group, turning tech and finance topics into simple, helpful, and engaging content. Nathaniel also takes photos and creates rendered visuals to showcase devices and highlight features. When he’s not writing, Pangaro enjoys listening to music, working out, baking, and spending time with his pets. These hobbies help him recharge and bring a fresh, creative perspective to his work, keeping his writing energetic and relatable. Pangaro's goal is simple: help readers get the most from their Apple devices and actually enjoy doing it. I remember when I was a child, the TV in the kitchen sat on the counter, not on the wall. It was small, portable, and had a charm that made it feel like part of the room rather than an electronic device taking up space on an already too-crowded counter. But these TVs seem to have vanished, and they're no longer widely available. Yes, they are miniature compared to today’s TVs, but they worked, so I decided to build one myself since comparable ones are either not easy to find or are too expensive. The good old days Remembering the past with our tiny TV Credit: LIAL/Shutterstock.com When I was younger, my family had a small television on the counter in the corner. It sat next to the back door that led to our deck. My father used to sit on a barstool in front of it and watch television all day while throwing peanuts outside for the squirrels and chipmunks. Additionally, when it was nice out, we took the TV out onto the deck—set up on a folding table—so we could keep watching our shows. Keep in mind, streaming wasn’t that popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s. While there was an outdoor outlet to plug the television in, the coaxial cable had to run from inside, so not tripping over that wire when going in and out of the house was a challenge. It was like this for years, but as life went on and dynamics changed, the kitchen TV wasn’t playing as vital a role. The main reasons were the rise in media consumption on phones and tablets and that my father didn’t sit at the counter anymore to watch television. As my father got older, he spent more time in his living room chair than on the barstool at the kitchen counter. Additionally, not many squirrels and chipmunks came around for peanuts after we got our dog. Since we weren't using the television much, we stored it in the attic. Since we weren't really using it, and it was collecting dust, we decided to recycle it, along with the other small televisions we had, to clear up space.​​​​​​​ Credit: GPT-4o Since my childhood is moving further into the distance, I try to recreate what once was. To be honest, I wish we'd kept one of our miniature televisions, but luckily I was able to recreate one, and I only had to put a few pieces together.​​​​​​​ Assembling what once was Putting together my miniature TV The smallest television that I can easily get right now is a 24-inch screen—or, more widely available, a 32-inch. While these are smaller than my 40-inch and 60-inch televisions, I was looking for something smaller. Now, I have seen some kitchen counter televisions on Amazon, but they are a little pricey, especially since some are priced the same as, or higher than, my 40-inch television. I was looking for a smaller television, but not one with a price tag bigger than the screen size. VIZIO 40-inch D-Series Full HD 1080p Smart TV I ended up getting an Acer AOpen 21.5" FHD 100Hz monitor from BJ's Wholesale Club for around $50, and even though it’s close to a 24-inch TV, every inch off makes a huge difference in a small space. But even though I had the monitor, it only displays the content; it doesn’t produce it. This is why I got a Roku streaming stick as well. Roku Streaming Stick 4K $43 $50 Save $7 Any streaming stick or box would work—like an Amazon Fire Stick, Google TV, or Apple TV 4K—but I wanted two things with my streaming device: compactness and fitting into my ecosystem. The Roku streaming stick checked both boxes: it hides behind my TV without taking up extra surface space and works with Apple Home, meaning that I can cast content from my iPhone to it, like music. This is optional, but I also included a multi-plug so I could plug both the monitor and Roku stick into one plug. Our kitchen has pretty limited outlets, so being able to plug both into the same outlet helped a lot. Credit: Andrew Heinzman / How-To Geek On the other hand, if I had bought a monitor with a USB port on the back, I could have powered the Roku stick from it. Unfortunately, the monitor I bought did not have one. After I plugged everything in and logged into all my streaming accounts, everything was ready to go, and our once-small kitchen television was resurrected, but with a more modern look. My small kitchen TV brings back the past A small kitchen TV won't fit in every kitchen, but where it does, it’s a great addition. It brings easy-to-reach entertainment to the counter, letting you catch up on your favorite shows without propping up your phone or tablet. My father passed away almost two years ago, and I miss him every day. Having this television back in the kitchen not only lets me remember the times he’d sit at the counter watching TV and feeding the squirrels but also allows me to step into the past and relive what once was. Thanks to a monitor and streaming stick, I can bring back a piece of my younger years. And even though it takes up counter space, it is worth it for the joy it brings me to sit there watching television while feeding the squirrels brave enough to come by again.