How to Organize Your Kitchen
You use your kitchen every day, so it’s essential to keep it organized so you can find and get to what you need when you need it. Start by sorting your belongings according to their function: Kitchen Cleaning and Dishwashing Supplies, Food Storage (pantry and refrigerator), Meal Prep and Cooking Equipment, and Serving Pieces (dishes, glasses, flatware). Keep like items together. For example, baking utensils should be kept in a drawer near the stove, while cooking and food storage containers should be close to where you prep your meals. This will save you time and steps as you move from pot to container to sink.
Once you’ve sorted your items, make a plan to organize them. This might mean rearranging cabinets and drawers, or adding extra storage solutions like baskets or pegboards. Depending on the size of your kitchen and how much you need to do, this could take a couple of hours or a full day. You might even want to break this up into smaller chunks, doing the cabinets one day, drawers another, and pantry and fridge on a different day of the week.
When it comes to organizing your kitchen, the key is finding a system that works for you and will stick. This is especially important when it comes to your pantry and cabinets, where it’s easy to overfill and create visual clutter. For instance, if you have a beautiful set of spice jars, use them, and store them in a visible place. If you have a spare cabinet, consider installing a pull-out drawer or a VARIERA insert to maximize space while keeping your spices in sight.
Kitchen organization is a process, and it takes time to fully clean out your cabinets and rework the storage systems you have in place. Don’t try to do it all in one sitting — that will only feel overwhelming and may cause you to revert back to your old ways. Instead, tackle them one spot at a time. If you have a few spare hours, it’s okay to do everything in one go, but if you can only dedicate an hour or two per week to the task, that’s more manageable.
As you empty your cabinets and drawers, make sure to check dates on foods and donate or sell any that are nearing expiration. You might also want to get rid of any items that you’re no longer using, but have been hanging around for a while — like an old toaster or an unused crockpot. Using these handy tips, you can get your kitchen in shape in no time! Just think of all the time and stress you’ll avoid when you’re able to find what you need quickly and easily. Happy cooking!
