How to organize your kitchen
The kitchen in many homes is truly the heart of the home. If your kitchen is where everyone gathers to cook, eat or just hang out you will want it to be an organized space that cuts down on chaos and clutter. Here are some tips on how to organize your kitchen-
- Utilize your cabinets-You can get much more mileage out of cabinets by using some creative dishware rearranging. A good way to start this is pull all of your dishes out of your cabinet so you can have a clear picture of what you have to work with. Remember that the most frequently used items should be on the bottom shelves of a cabinet that is the most convenient to you. You may also want to consider rearranging the cabinet's interior shelves to accommodate your different size dishes. If your shelves are stationary and cannot be moved nesting bowls and casserole dishes can be a great space saver.
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- Get a grip on your plastic container obsession-Do you have one of those cabinets that when you open it plastic containers and assort lids come crashing out? Declare an end to these tired re-usable and invest in some containers with interlocking lids. These types of containers have different size lids that snap together and each container nests inside another, giving you more cabinet space.
- Make a baking zone- A baking zone in the kitchen is ideal for any baking enthusiast and allows you to take quick inventory of your baking needs. Try to devote a counter and upper or bottom cabinet to the following: cookie sheets and loaf pans; a kitchen mitt or hot pads; and flour, sugar and other baking necessities in plastic containers (and placed away from the oven). If your mixer is stylish, (many new models are today) leave it out on the counter; otherwise stash it with the mixing bowls.
- Wrangle your utensils into order-If you find that digging in an overloaded drawer for a potato masher, pasta spoon or meat fork is more work then the actual cooking, it is time to invest in a compartmentalized organizer. These are found at major home stores, the drawer organizers (also called cutlery trays) come in a variety of sizes and materials. Organizational experts recommend expandable, fine mesh containers that are easy to fit and easy to clean. Try to resist the urge to pile everything back into the drawer. Instead, make sure you can clearly see and reach everything without having to dig around.
- Devise a recipe for organization- Recipes have a tendency to overrun a kitchen, especially if there is a foodie in the house. Start to tackle your recipes by tossing any you have not used in ages (or that recipe for flan that turned to mush). The size of your recipe cards will determine which system you should use. Index cards work extremely well in a labeled recipe box or a small photo album. Full sheet recipes look great in a three-ring binder. If you want room to grow, choose the binder and simply tape your index cards to larger sheets of paper. Handy dividers can make for easy organizing either by ingredient or dish type.
- Purge the pantry-While it can seem daunting start by taking just 30 minutes to reassess your food storage, whether it's a pantry, your kitchen cabinets or a freestanding cupboard. You can start with the obvious: throw away all expired foods. Next, sweep through your canned goods for extras that you can donate to a local food pantry or a neighbor. Depending on the space, you may also want to use a lazy Susan for spices and sauces or an over the door shelf to increase storage.
