How to Organize a Kitchen

Let’s talk about getting your kitchen organized. For the cook of the house, be it man or woman, the kitchen can be their cherished domain much as the garage is the man’s place to reign. Woe unto any trespassers who may try and interfere with food preparation or as gourmet cooks prefer to call it cuisine preparation.

There are different storage areas within the chef's domain to accommodate cookware, dining ware, food, and often even cleaning products. Let’s start with the pantry.

Pantry

Take everything out of the pantry and set it aside nearby like on a counter top or table. This is a good time to clean the pantry shelves and floor. It is also a good idea to place shelf liner on each shelve to help preserve the surfaces.

Once that step is done group all items together that are similar. In other words canned goods go together in one group and likewise with paper products, cereals, etc. You may even want to subcategorize within groups. For instance place soups with other soups or have all canned fruits together and so on.

Toss any expired items in the trash before you begin rearranging them in your pantry. You may want to purchase some products that are designed specifically for organizing. Consider turntables, spice racks, tiered shelving, over the door organizers, racks that attach to the inside of the pantry door(good for items like chips), under the shelf wrap racks(good for wraps like aluminum foil and wax paper, etc.), small baskets, and clear containers for keeping pastas and snacks fresh. I suggest clear containers to dispense with labeling.

See the following link for some ideas for kitchen organizing products which include pictures.

Shop Get Organized Product Link

Decide what products you want based on your needs, likes, and budget. You’ll have a good idea now that all your items are grouped. Bear in mind that some of these products like wire racks can be quite pricey, so you may have to compromise when it comes to convenience versus price.

Try to be creative and come up with container ideas for things you already have around the house. Baking tins or aluminum pans can be handy for lighter items. The containers with lids you see that many luncheon meats come in can be saved and used as storage containers.

A few tips are in order for when you are ready to place your items back in the pantry.

• Place taller items on the back of the shelf(high to low from back to front)
• Place frequently used items at or near eye level and close to the front
• Arrange cereal boxes like books with the sides facing you
• Consider items you may want to keep from children and place them on higher shelves(this could include things like candy or even matches)
• Place heavier items on the shelf ends at the wall or near braces to prevent shelf bowing or collapse if weight is an issue

Refrigerator

You will follow many of the same procedures for organizing your refrigerator as you did for your pantry. Set things out, toss expired items, clean the inside, and sort like with like.

Use the same decision process as you did for the pantry to decide on containers and racks needed. Go to the link above and select the appropriate section to see other products useful for organizing your refrigerator. Some of these may be beverage racks, pullout caddies, or turntables.

Use the same techniques as above when deciding on which food items go where, ie. eye level and in the front for frequently used items, etc.

Dinnerware and Pots and Pans

By now you should be getting the swing of things. Clear out, sort, clean, and group. You may want to line cabinet shelves here too.

Again store like with like, ie. baking items like measuring cups and mixing bowls should be stored together. Arrange large to small from back to front, ie. taller drinking glasses and stemware will be in the back. Stack plastic containers. Slide out baskets and racks are useful products for organizing your cabinets. Check the website above for insight.

Stack pots and pans according to size. You can save space by storing pots and pans on wall or ceiling mounts. A simple hand rail used with “S” hooks can be inexpensive. Pot and pan lids can be hung on the inside of cabinet doors for another space saving idea.

Silverware and Counter Tops

Silverware can be stored in utensil trays in kitchen drawers. Store kitchen tools like spatulas, large spoons, ladles, and such in drawers using dividers or in tool caddies on the counter top near the stove or food preparation area. Cutlery can be stored on counter tops as well in cutlery blocks.

Only keep frequently used appliances on counter tops to save space. Store other appliances away for maximum meal preparation space. Cookbooks can be stashed away under the cabinet on pullout holders for easy access and viewing.

Cleaning Product Storage

Most folks store their cleaning products like dish soap, counter top cleaners and disinfectants, cleaning pads, polishes, and cleaning spray below the sink. Storing food here could lead to contamination in the event of a drain leak so, it is fairly common to save this space for cleaning products.

There is one caveat with this practice…these items can be easily accessed by infants and younger children. In the interest of safety if you use this area for storage of cleansers then protect your toddler and visiting toddlers by using safety devices that will prevent them from gaining access to the under sink area or wherever you store these items.

Another idea assuming you have room is to store these items in a higher place like a kitchen cabinet where you would typically keep dishes. There is nothing like peace of mind.

Tidbit

You may find it handy to have a bulletin board in the kitchen where you can keep messages and other notes. Have it as your centralized area for communicating with family members. I use a cork board with push pins.

You can even place a shopping list here or on your refrigerator with a magnet for easy access. Add items to the list as you run out or better yet when you see them getting low. You’ll have a list ready to go when you head out for the local food mart. Hopefully with this idea you will never run out of a needed item and have to run out and get it in the middle of a cooking session.

It is my hope that these ideas for organizing will help you save time and money and maintain your sanity.

authored by Lon Britton

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