The kitchen is the heart of the home but when you’re rummaging through plastic bowls or squeezing drawers closed, it’s no longer a happy and functional space where you can get things done quickly.
If you have a small kitchen and a ton of accessories, then you need to find ways to improve your storage. Getting organized in the kitchen helps you find what you are looking for and it makes it easier to clean the kitchen from the counters to the drawers and cabinets. Most importantly, it will make you fall in love with your kitchen again! Who knows, a brighter organized kitchen could inspire a healthy lifestyle or ignite your inner chef...
So, if you have clutter in the kitchen or you need to find a way to improve storage in your pantry, then our helpful tips will get your running your kitchen like a true chef!
1. Clear the Clutter
To start organizing your kitchen you need to start from scratch. Look at the goodies inside your cabinet and the gadgets in your drawers. If you no longer use or need something, then toss it! When we accumulate things that we don’t actively use, it’s better to put them in a box in storage, to give them to someone who will use it, or to throw them away. This helps you prevent clutter inside the cupboards and on top of the counter.
Start decluttering your space on a day when you have time. You’ll have to unpack your kitchen so you can decide what to keep and what to let go of. Broken gadgets expired foods, and items that you don’t use should make your throw-away list. If you aren’t sure as to whether you want to keep a saucepan or can opener, place it in a box, label the box, and pack it in storage. If you ever need the item, it will be waiting for without having to spend money to replace it. At the same time, it creates more space and organization.
2. Tricks to Organize Cups, Mugs, and Utensils
The easiest thing to do with cups and mugs is to stick them in the cabinet but these glass accessories can quickly take up much-needed space. To create some extra room inside your kitchen cupboards, use mug holders, racks, or hooks to hang them.
A storage rack is raised, so you can place mugs and cups on top of it with extra space underneath it. You can also purchase storage accessories that allow you to hang mugs on hooks so that it doesn’t have to be placed inside the kitchen cupboard at all.
You can also use a storage rack for utensils. Hang your cutlery on a stand to clear out some of your drawers.
3. Organize the Kitchen Cabinet
How frustrated do you feel when you can’t find a particular spice while cooking or the one bowl you use to prepare your meals is missing in action? It’s annoying and it’s unnecessary. To find your items, simply organize them. Sounds simple but it does take a little bit of time and planning so that you give everything a place and avoid overfilling drawers and cupboards.
Start By Cleaning the Cabinets and Drawers
Once you’ve removed most of the goods from your kitchen cupboards and you’ve started the process of sorting through your checklist, the next step is to give everything a thorough clean. Wipe the inside of the cabinets and the drawers especially where the crumbs and spills have left a bit of a mess.
For apartments, these scheduled cleans can also remove dirt and food particles before it creates tough stains.
Cleaning everything out can also help you spot critters such as cockroaches and rodent droppings that might have been hidden behind foodstuffs and accessories.
Group Similar Food Items
The easiest way to know where everything is is to group similar items together. All spices should be in one draw, kinds of pasta in another, and tinned foods somewhere else. Organize your consumables based on similarities. You would keep sugar, flour, and rising agents in one section and jars in another.
A great way to keep your foods organized and easy to see is with jars or canisters. The canister can be clear or labeled and placed on the kitchen counter or inside the cupboard. This way you always know exactly what’s inside these holders and it looks great when placed on top of the counter.
Another helpful trick is to place the items that you regularly use (Whether every day or weekly) in the front of the cabinet with other products positioned further back.
4. Check Kitchen Gadgets
From your mixer to your sandwich press, check that your kitchen gadgets work and keep these in a section where it does not block your access to items you use regularly. If you find broken accessories and gadgets, it’s best to let go of these items and to replace them with items that you regularly use or need.
5. Keep Things Labeled
As previously mentioned, you can use jars and canisters to hold portions of pasta, cereals, and even tea or coffee. If the containers you use aren’t clear or labeled, you can tag each of these items yourself. Print a few sticky labels or print a small image of the food item and glue it onto the jar or container so you always know what’s inside of it.
6. Group Your Pots and Pans
You can even group your pots and pans inside the cupboards. Place saucepans together, put smaller pots inside the larger ones, and keep the lids organized in the front o the cabinet. You can also use shelves to place your pots or hang them above the kitchen counter as décor. Hanging your saucepans makes it easier to reach especially the ones that you use frequently!
7. Use Kitchen Drawer Dividers
Have you sorted through your drawers only to nick your finger on a knife among your utensils and gadgets? Enough of rummaging through you’re drawer! Instead, you can use a drawer divider helping to separate the spoons from the knives, forks, and extras.
How Do Chefs Arrange Their Kitchens?
Professional chefs need to maximize efficiency in their kitchen which means making good use of space and knowing exactly where everything is. This level of organization also makes it easier to keep the kitchen clean and hygienic. If you want a chef’s kitchen, you’ll need to think about ways of arranging your consumables, utensils, bowls, and pantry items that make it easy to reach and simple to keep clean.
A general rule of thumb in the kitchen is to keep the items that you use daily close by. If you use sugar in your coffee every morning, you can have both sugar and coffee canisters on your counter and clearly labeled. It looks neat, it’s practical, and it prevents you from scrambling through your foodstuffs when you want to find something as simple as sugar.
To improve space and practicality, you can also check out our guide on Improving Storage in Your Small Apartment.
Keep the Counter Clean
Professional kitchens are neat and tidy because the countertops are always organized and clutter-free.
Modernize Your Kitchen with Storage and Practicality
We previously mentioned hanging your saucepans close to your stovetop well, in a beautifully modernized kitchen, you can find hooks and specific accessories to place above the oven or over the counter allowing you to hang your saucepans for decorative purposes. Hang beautiful copper saucepans or cookware with bright colors and designs to add an edge to the appearance of the kitchen.
Add a small pot plant or you could place glass kitchenware and cake holders on the counter with fruit inside of it so that it gives color and storage at the same time!
Conclusion
To keep your kitchen organized and functional consider the following steps:
Place your pots, pans, and cookware close to the oven where it’s easy to access and you can change or add kitchen accessories as you need.
Make use of kitchen storage racks and shelving to place items such as mugs and glassware.
Use drawer dividers to keep your utensils and basic kitchen gadgets in place and clean.
Use over-door hooks to place inside your kitchen cupboards where you can hang cleaning cloths and oven mitts.
Many stores sell plastic caddies that are great to hang over the cabinet door and store your sponges and cleaning cloths.
Think about ways of improving your space, storage, and organization.
The kitchen is a space that needs practicality but this doesn’t mean that it can’t look good in the process. When you pick bread bins, storage food containers, and similar items you can also lookout for a colorful design that adds a bit of interest to the counter and to the cabinet. You want to feel happy in your space and when you are well-organized, it becomes easier to cook with joy.
Take your time to arrange things as you need it and get creative with your storage so you never have to worry about poor organization or difficulty cleaning the kitchen ever again.