You love just about everything there is to like about cooking: mixing flour and eggs to create your choice cake, whipping up potato soup in your slow cooker, and topping off your pork chops with smoked paprika. The one thing you don’t like about cooking? Not having enough space to do all of this at once. Kitchen organization is key here, as a disorganized kitchen can be a cook’s worst nightmare and enemy.
It can hamper your culinary process, and research shows clutter can negatively affect your mental well-being. It can cause anxiety, make it hard to concentrate, and even lead to interpersonal conflict with your tidier family members. The great news? You can take steps today to turn your kitchen into an orderly oasis. Let’s explore the top tips and tricks for keeping your kitchen organized and efficient.
Add Racks
Do you struggle to find enough room to store dishes and food in your kitchen cabinets? A heavy-duty shelving unit may be the perfect solution. These units are available in various sizes: Choose a three-shelf or five-shelf one, for example. Use these metal storage shelving units to store the pots, flour, canned foods, recipe books, and more that can’t fit in your cabinetry.
Say Bye to the Block
Has a bulky wooden knife holder sat on your kitchen countertop for years? Replace it with a wall-mounted knife holder or place your knives in a drawer using a drawer knife storage container. This will keep your kitchen countertops from looking cramped and give you more room to work your culinary magic.
Purge Your Pantry
When was the last time you cleaned out your pantry? Chances are your pantry has foods that are at least a couple of years past their prime. Eliminate these foods. Do you notice any foods you don’t plan to eat but are still in great condition? Set them aside to donate to a food bank near you. Organize any remaining items to make them easier to find during your next cooking session. Put baking goods in one corner, sauces in another, and cereal in another area. Place a hanging organizer over your pantry door to boost storage. Need a special space for your favorite spices? Add a two-tier rotating turntable to the mix for your cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and whatever else your signature dishes call for.
Hang in There
Are you frustrated with cluttered countertops and cabinets? Free up space in these areas by hanging your teacups, pots, and culinary utensils. A pegboard can be a handy way to organize items like whisks, wooden spoons, and strainers on your wall.
Under-cabinet hooks can also easily hold your utensils. Use a ceiling pan rack to hang your pots and pans. A rack with a shelf area on top is perfect for stowing small kitchen devices, like your food processor, and even your nesting bowls (different size bowls used to store, serve, and prep food).
Incorporate An Island
Does your kitchen have enough space for an island? Consider installing one in the center of the room. An island is much more than a convenient place for preparing and serving meals. It can be the perfect storage solution in a constricted kitchen. Choose an island with sturdy side shelving for your tequila bottles and appliances, like your electric mixer and toaster.
Add Fridge Bins
Tired of feeling like you’re playing hide-and-seek with your milk, cheese, or yogurt? Eliminate fridge frustration by adding clear food storage bins to your refrigerator. Put like items in each bin. For example, create a bin for deli meat and one for veggies. This will make your refrigerator easier to navigate in a hurry.
Use these same see-through containers for your pantry, too. They’ll make it easier to determine what’s running out so you can add it to your grocery shopping list.
Roll On
Perhaps you don’t have enough space for an island. No worries. A kitchen cart with wheels is the next best thing. These rolling storage solutions may fit perfectly against your oven or refrigerator. Use their shelves to store your coffee stash, paper towels, or dry goods, like rolled oats. Extra plates and bowls can also find a home in these island alternatives.
Go Big
Maybe you have big appliances that don’t fit well in your kitchen. Invest in slide-out kitchen cabinet drawers or shelves large enough to accommodate them. Disassemble any appliances still too tall to fit the drawers or shelves, especially if you don’t use these devices often. Examples of these appliances range from air fryers to electric kettles. This will instantly create more room on your countertop for nightly meal prep.
Check Out This Recipe for Success
Are your old-fashioned salmon burger or shrimp dip recipes taking too much space on your countertop? Don’t ditch them: find a new home for them. Recipe card boxes, picture albums, and binders can store recipe papers of various sizes to give you more room to cook.
Bag It Up
The plastic bags you bring home from the supermarket may accumulate in the corner of your kitchen. That corner is now out of control. Reign it in with a plastic bag dispenser. Free up your floor space by mourning the dispenser inside a cabinet or on your wall. Quality bag holders may hold nearly 20 bags or more. Choose a steel one for a durable and chic addition to your space.
Spruce Up Your Kitchen with Confidence Today
Keeping your kitchen orderly can feel overwhelming when you focus on what you do best: creating five-star meals for your loved ones. Make it easier by adding shelving units for your pans or installing an island for storing your wines and more.
Clear fridge bins and a plastic bag dispenser can make your kitchen more user-friendly and efficient. Consider implementing the above-listed kitchen organization ideas to create a top-chef-worthy space from one meal to the next.