Here are a few tips for making a usable kitchen:

Creating some real counter space: Many people make the mistake of cluttering up their counter with small appliances and decorative features. However, if you want to make your kitchen more usable, you need as much counter space as you can have. The more counter space, the easier it is to chop, cut, dice, and slice food. A usable kitchen should have plenty of usable space for the various tasks of creating meals that are tasty and healthy. So, start taking better advantage of your cupboards, pantry, and kitchen storage space so that your counters can be used more effectively.

Intuitive design: If you want your kitchen to be more usable, you need to have a more intuitive design. Where you put plates, cups, forks, pots, pans, rags, etc. will make a huge difference in how much you want to use your kitchen. If you naturally reach for a certain drawer each time you want a serving spoon, then that is the drawer you should store them in. The more natural the feel of your kitchen design, the more usable it is. Before you put anything in a drawer or cupboard in your kitchen, stand at the various stations of your kitchen (the sink, the stove, the dishwasher, the fridge) and think what you would want within arm distance of that space.

Cleaning supplies: A usable kitchen is one that is clean. So, even after you have cleared off your counters, and put your dishes and utensils in the right places, you have to make sure your kitchen it clean, and that it has all of the right cleaning supplies. Regular cleaning is an important part of a usable kitchen. Not only should you do your dishes every day, but also make sure you frequently clean out your refrigerator, mop the floor, disinfect and sanitize, so that your kitchen is always ready for preparing a meal, and keeping your family safe and healthy at the same time.

When you have a more usable kitchen, you will cook more. It does not matter what size your kitchen is, whether it is basic or gourmet, a kitchen that is set up poorly, cluttered, and improperly cleaned will not get the use it should. So, consider the above three tips, and do a more personalized evaluation of your kitchen. Why is it not getting as much use as it ought to? Is it because it is dingy? Is it because you don't have easy access to your pots and pans? Now remedy the problem.