The situation is an older apartment with limited plugs and the breaker box in a location where the super has to reset the fuses. This means it’s easy to flip the breaker and inconvenient to get it reset. The kitchen has a fridge, AC, and various appliances. If multiple high-power devices are on at the same time–like a griddle, microwave, and toaster–it would flip the breaker. What I’m looking for is some kind of smart plug or switching mechanism which would allow me to limit how much current is coming through a plug. Perhaps it could be a smart power strip which had a configurable amp setting to pop at a lower amp. Or a manual switch which could have multiple plugs and I’d have to turn a dial to indicate which plug I wanted to have on so that only one device could be on at a time. Or something else that would allow me more manual control over how much current came through a plug. I’ve been searching online, but I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for. Does anyone have any experience with something like this?
Used the search term, multi switch power strip.
There are power strips with circuit breakers in them. The trick would be getting one that would trip before the main breaker box breaker trips.
In our kitchen, if I’m using my air fryer and the refrigerator compressor kicks on and someone uses the microwave, I’ll trip a breaker.
Invariably, if I’m working in the kitchen, my gf will find a reason to use the microwave.
My workaround is not elegant. I unplug the microwave when I’m air frying.
A solution is to wire a subpanel in the kitchen. A single circuit with breaker.
That would trip before the main breaker fuses blow in the basement. You’d still have to monitor what is used. Can’t run the microwave and Fryer at the same time. It would be easy to reset the breaker in the kitchen.
But, if a Electrician is needed anyway. It would be better to run a new circuit to the main box. Put the microwave on its own circuit. That would eliminate the problem.
I would still put a subpanel in the kitchen with two breakers. One for the new circuit and a breaker for the old circuit.
Remove any plug strips or multiple-outlet expanders.
Put plugs in all but one or two outlets.
This will force you to unplug an appliance before another one can be used.
OP: I think the term you are looking for is sidewall circuit breaker. For example a Google search:
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=side+wall+circuit+breaker
Or here is a Home Depot entry:
Note when you look at the specifications the maximum amperage is 15 amps. It’s possible this will work; it’s also possible that it too high and will cause your house circuit breaker to trip so you need a lower maximum. [Or perhaps it’s the other way around and your kitchen circuit is already wired for a higher level]
I have a drip coffee pot, microwave, and toaster on one circuit. Using any two is fine.
The coffee can even be just sitting on the warmer with the other two running. But if the coffee maker is actively boiling the water to brew a pot, that counts as one, so it’s toaster OR microwave in addition, not both.
When trying to make my standard high speed breakfast of coffee, toast, and a microwave poached egg it takes careful timing to orchestrate all three appliances. Easy at 10am. Not so easy at 4:30am while needing to dash off to work soon.
We used to have this exact issue. If the toaster was in use, and my wife tried to make coffee, or boil water in the electric kettle, it would trip the breaker. When we re-did the master bathroom, I took advantage of the open wall and ran a new circuit from the breaker box to the toaster outlet. This is more of a hassle than most houses, because we have aluminum wiring. After spending a day+ getting it working, my wife casually mentions that she’s moving the toaster to a different wall (which was already on a separate circuit.
sigh
At least it will be ready for the next owner.
I’ve always wondered why European homes have their plugs up high on the wall, but this is probably one reason. It makes changing which appliance is plugged in so much easier than when the plug is down low and blocked by furniture.
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I should be able to make something work from what I can find now. And even modern houses have this issue, as we see from these examples. Even in a modern house up to current codes, the same thing can happen with many devices plugged into different sockets since the sockets may all be on the same circuit. It seems like an opportunity for someone to develop smart sockets which communicate with each other and turn off as needed to ensure the circuit doesn’t pop. I’d be fine if the sockets decided to cut the power to a single device rather than the current situation of having the circuit pop.
It is also part of legislation designed to make homes more accessible.
Part M of the Building Regulations, which applies in England and Wales, requires reasonable provision to be made for people to gain access to, and use a building and its facilities.
Section 1.18 of Approved Document M, which applies to new dwellings, includes the objective of assisting people whose reach is limited, to use the dwelling more easily by locating wall-mounted switches and socket outlets at suitable heights.
LOL I was going to post that but was trying to find a video with a little better quality… You can’t plug in a 2 and a 6! 
That’s one of those obscure things I always assumed no one else would remember, but it was literally the first thing I thought of (and do in other such threads as well).
Come to think of it, though, it might actually be a good solution.
Put a little sticker on each device (or it’s plug) showing the rated amp draw. Keep the total below 15 on any given circuit and you’ll be okay (unless the breaker is rated for or otherwise opening at less than 15 amps, in which case, keep it under 10 and try that).
Another option would be to cover up all but 1 outlet. Keep unused appliances unplugged and plug them in as needed. If you’re only able to use a single outlet and therefore only a single appliance at a time, you’re not nearly as likely to blow the breaker.
First of all, math. 
Second of all, someone turning on an appliance would have to be aware of the load already on the circuit, which comes down to checking every outlet affected, and then… math.
I ended up getting one of these. It should hopefully work out, but I still wish I could set it to a lower amperage since I’m not sure if it will make much difference to have a 15A tap if the breaker is 15A. Hopefully the tap adapter trips before the breaker.
Along these lines, I’m wondering about building my own tap adapter where I can put my own breaker switch in. All the commercial ones I can find are 15A, but it doesn’t seem like it would be too much trouble to wire up my own custom box with a plug and circuit breaker switch of my own preference. Of course, the usual disclaimers about dealing with electricity apply, but it seems like it would be pretty straightforward. I may try doing that if the tap adapter is not sufficient.