A few thoughts on organizing your kitchen:
Glasses, plates and silverware — these items should all be very close together and as close as they can get to the dishwasher. If you’re in a hurry, it’s no fun to run around the kitchen putting up your dishes and utensils since those are what mostly fill a dishwasher. I like to keep them all together on one side of the sink. When to throw them out – We’re all guilty of having one or two’s of a glass, plate or even silverware. If the ones aren’t your favorite then it’s time to throw them out.
Cooking spoons, spatulas and tongs — keep them next to the stove in a ceramic or metal container that will keep all of your necessary tools close at hand. The rest should be kept in a drawer next to your stove for easy reach at a second’s notice. Next to my stove, I have two, and sometimes three, containers of all my favorite kitchen tools. When to throw out – Throw out any utensils that have melted from years of wear, broken ones, utensils you never use and things you just don’t like.
Bowls, cookie sheets and baking pans — these can be next to, over or under the refrigerator. Bowls can help you to pile in everything you need out of the refrigerator to prep for a meal. When to throw out – If your bowls are overly scratched, chipped or you just don’t like them get rid of them. If your cookie sheets and baking pans were supposed to be nonstick and are now scratched and aren’t non-stick get rid of them. If your baking sheets are no longer flat and are so dirty you can’t get them clean it’s time to buy new.
Plastic wrap, foil and parchment paper — these items are great to keep in an island or next to open counter space so when you’re packaging the goods, you have enough room to lay it all out. I usually keep lunch sacks or lunch bags close to these as well. When to throw them out – Luckily these items last for a very long time, but if yours are stained, ripped in strange places it’s probably time to buy new.
Cutting boards — should be on the top of the counter lying up against a wall near to the stove, but far away so that they don’t catch on fire. I like to coordinate my cutting boards to my kitchen. When to throw them out – If your cutting boars have weird stains or so many cut marks you don’t remember what it looked like when it was new it’s time to throw them out. If your cutting boards are so old that you can’t remember when you got them it’s time to get rid of them (unless they are wooden and you’ve properly taken care of them over the years).
Knives — stored in a wooden block, these fine kitchen instruments should be close to the cutting boards. When to throw them out – Knives are very tricky because you can keep them for years and they can even be passed down from generation to generation if properly cared for. However that being said if your knife isn’t safe i.e. handles is breaking, or the blade is chipped, etc it’s probably time to let go and find a proper place to dispose of them in your city.
Pots and pans — as funny and as simple as this sounds, they should be kept close to the stove, either under, over or next to it for easy access. When to throw them out – If your pans and pots use to be nonstick but now they have scratched bottoms it’s time to let go of them. If your pots and pans use to sit flat on the stove and now they move definitely get rid of them. It’s no longer a health issue it’s a matter of safety.
Spices — keep them to the left or the right of the stove in the upper cabinets. When to throw them out – If you can’t smell anything when you open a jar it’s probably because they have nothing left to offer. Throw them out. Spices last about a year.
Olive oils and vinegars — I place these on a tray usually next to the containers with the kitchen utensils. The utensils protect the oils and vinegars from getting too hot, which prevents spoilage, but the closeness makes it accessible for all of my cooking needs. When to throw them out – Does your vinegar smell overly sweet and have a sediment on the bottom, does your oil smell musty and have either of them been sitting for longer than a year? If the answer is yes it’s time to throw them out.
Some of these ideas may seem obvious, but, in all honesty, it always amazes me when I walk into a kitchen and look through everything and find pots and pans are in the pantry that is in another room or cutting boards are on the other side of the kitchen in a random drawer or electrical kitchen appliances are kept in the basement in their original boxes.
Do you have any favorite tricks to organizing your kitchen? We would love to hear and if you liked this article and want more check out our organize your refrigerator and which cook are you articles.
