Having an organized kitchen makes life so much easier. It shortens the time you spend meal prepping and cooking, reduces confusion in thought and encourages the members of your household to participate in meal prep. For us mommies and daddies – there is just never enough time, but these tips will help you reclaim more time to do things outside the kitchen.
So you ask, how to make your kitchen organized? These are my favorite tips for anyone wanting the benefits of organizing their home kitchen like this chef and caterer does.
Characteristics of an Organized Kitchen
The first step in streamlining your kitchen is to consider the characteristics of an organized kitchen.
Setup Your Layout to Allow Fluent Movement
Ideally you’d want your three main appliances formed into a triangular pattern. That is, the sink, the stove and the fridge, should be like points of a triangle, with a work bench in the middle of them all. You will be using your workbench (island or table) a lot, so the flow of moving from stove to island, to fridge back to island, to sink and back to island has to be smooth. Your island is like the joints of a ballerina that bends and shapes the dancer.
This may not be practical, but if you can, try moving the fridge to a position which will facilitate this formation. I believe this will help you flow even better.
A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place
Designating a specific zone or space is key to organizing your kitchen like a pro and being more fluent in your space. Here’s some principles to get you going
- Under the sink – stuff you rarely use
- Cabinets
- Closest to stove – things you need to grab quickly while cooking, and will be used frequently: e.g. spices, oils, mittens
- A little further from stove – things you eat with, do meal prep and cook with: e.g. plates, cups, mixing bowls
- Furthest away – things you rarely use or ingredients that shouldn’t get hot: e.g. flours, pastas, occasional pots, appliances
- Drawers – anything short & flat that you use frequently but needs protection from dust and critters. e.g. tongs, ladles, thermometers, forks
- Counter space – place things you use everyday to make it easy to grab…like your fruit basket, magnetic knife bar, salt, food processor
- The Island/Worktable – Perfect for storing prep bowls, pots and pans out of the way, but easy to grab
A Quick Note: Use Your Kitchen Counter Wisely
There are several creative ways to capitalize on the counter space without creating clutter. For those large cooking utensils, storage on the counter top may actually be better than having a drawer with a sea of utensils.
The hub of your kitchen: the multi-functional work table
Is there ever enough counter space? As someone that spends a lot of time in the kitchen the answer is no. Some kitchens have an island, however for a small kitchen like my own, a work table is a great substitute – even better, one on wheels.
It’s quite handy to have a multi-purpose work table that can be used for meal prepping, dining and storage. If your kitchen doesn’t already have an island and you’re considering getting a work table – look for a work table that:-
- gives you more storage
- can hold items for daily such as your pots, pans and cutting boards.
- Has space to accommodate pot organizers and lid racks, which enhance organization
From my view, a kitchen work table is worth the investment especially for small kitchens that don’t have an island. But as I mentioned above, you’re hoping to neatly tuck away your pots and pans that you need everyday in your island/work table.
Helpful Gadgets to Organize Kitchen Cabinets…
…and improve storage, accessibility and cleanliness.
Labeled storage containers
Whether glass jars or BPA free plastic containers, these are a great solution to organizing your grains, flours and food additives. Having these containers and storing them in the top cabinets makes them easily accessible while cooking. Rather than keeping the large bags of flours or grains, and pouring or scooping when cooking – it’s so much easier to sprinkle or pour from a smaller hand-held container. Be sure to label them! Some come with pre-made labels and if not you can easily create your own. So at a glance, while stirring the pot you can grab for your additive and sprinkle into the pot.
Spice Racks
You’ve gotten your spices and bottled your bulk food additives in small glass jars, labeled them and neatly placed them on a shelf in the cabinet. This is a great step, but now you find yourself picking up a bottle at a time to read the labels of everything behind the first row. You’re in need of levels, like the seating in a movie theater, so you can identify the contents at a glance. Adding a spice rack or two, is a very effective solution. Be sure to check the dimensions of your cabinet or shelf for the best fit.
Optimize the dead space in your kitchen cabinets
There are a few awkward cabinet spaces like the corners, under the sink and way in the back that is sometimes too far to stretch. There are several accessories we can use to optimize the use of your kitchen cabinets so as to create more shelving or reach the back of the lower cabinets with ease. One such accessory I have found very helpful are sliding shelves. You can store more under the counters with no need to bend too low or stretch too far, just pull the shelves towards you with ease. This is one of the best ways to organize kitchen cabinets, especially those under the counter.
Benefits of an Organized Kitchen
There are many benefits of an organized kitchen, which can be quickly achieved with just these few tips. The idea is to optimize the space available in your kitchen cabinets and shelves, so that items are more accessible and better maintained. Remember it’s great to have a multi-functional work table…on wheels; kitchen accessories to lessen clutter; storage solutions for easy access; and labeled hand-held containers for the bulk items.
I hope these tips will help you enjoy your time in the kitchen even more! Drop a comment below
Leave a Reply