During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.
Less Kitchen Confusion
If you’re anything like me, you do a lot of baking and cooking from scratch. And this means you have to have an organized kitchen. Otherwise, everything becomes chaotic and messy very quickly. Here are a few things that help me have more organization in the kitchen:
Stick With a Few Appliances — Despite what manufacturers want you to believe, you don’t need a different appliance for every single thing you do in the kitchen. Consolidate your appliances and only have those that you use very regularly and that serve dual purposes.
Cut Down on the Cookbooks — With the advent of the internet, cookbooks are becoming less of a necessity. In fact, as much as I love cookbooks, I only have a few of them. Because I mostly just use Pinterest and blogs for recipe ideas.
Clean As You Go — One surefire way to keep your kitchen more organized is to train yourself to put things away as soon as you use them. It’s amazing how much more efficient and less messy cooking becomes when you clean as you go!
More Organized Pantries
I have to confess: I don’t have any fantastic system for organizing my pantry. I just basically make sure I can see everything and that it looks in decent order.
But if you’re looking for a detailed list, be sure to check out this Pantry Stocking List printable. Or, read Ruth’s post on How to Deep Clean the Kitchen (she also has a wonderful free printable available).
What are your best tips for keeping your kitchen and pantry organized?
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Kitchen Confusion and Edie’s post on More Organized Pantries. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
Mel says
Get creative! My house was originally a guest house, so while the bedrooms are large, the kitchen is teeny tiny – the whole room is about 16 square feet and I have about 2.5 feet of counter space, half of which is occupied by the dish rack (no dishwasher). A few years ago I comandeered the small dining nook to serve as a prep area and more storage with a long credenza. That alone nearly tripled my prep space (the microwave lives on one end) and storage. I’ve also repurposed a large closet in the spare room as a pantry for food and those items I don’t use regularly.
Regular purging of unused items, thinking about where something will be stored if it’s purchased, cleaning as I go, and keeping like things stored together are also huge helps in my small space.
Connie says
I just bought a 5 tier metal shelf that I was able to put in an out of the way unused space off the kitchen. I live in a very, very small space. No counter space to speak of. So getting all of the kitchen appliances out of the kitchen has freed up a lot of space.
I am lucky to have been a professional organizer before I retired. Everything is pretty organized, but I do reorganize often.
I will also eat from the pantry for a month or so to clean it out while I’m still shopping for good deals.
Alaine says
I keep my muffin tins, baking pans, rarely used appliances in a storage tub in the garage. They are labeled so I can easily find what it is I’m looking for.
WilliamB says
I indulge my preference for organization by having a hyper-organized kitchen and pantry. I have a lot of space, and a lot of counters, and a lot of stuff, but I could tell you exactly where everything is without ever looking. The extra bottle of mirin? That’s in the right-hand large cupboard, top shelf, about 2/3 to the left and almost all the way back.
A year and a half ago the host of the blog The Mrs. honored me by asking for a guest post. I chose kitchen organization. If you want to see what works for me, complete with photos, visit http://www.themrs.ca/2012/03/guest-post-how-to-organize-your-pantry.html.
OTOH my kitchen would give Crystal the heebie-jeebies – not only do I have a lot of appliances, several of them live on the counters.
Crystal says
🙂
Susan says
So, I checked out your post on themrs. Thanks for sharing — your pantry appears similar to mine in that it’s narrow and deep, so I’m always open to ideas about how to organize it so that things don’t get lost in the back.
Just curious … is there a reason you store your cans upside down? I found it amusing.
Never heard of “mirin.” What the heck is that?
WilliamB says
Susan, I store them upside down so that anything that settles and is hard to get out, is near the top when I open the can. For example, evaporated milk always settles and it’s much easier to scrape the thickened stuff off the lid than from the bottom of the can.
Mirin is a Japanese product, a sweetened cooking wine that’s commonly used in Japanese sauces and marinades. For example, it’s an integral part of making sushi rice.
Susan says
Am I the only one who woke up to this post and at first glance thought the title said “more organized panties”? 🙂
I first read about filling your sink with hot soapy water while you cook and cleaning as you go from Fly Lady. Best tip ever!
Another things I started doing a couple years ago that has helped me immensely is cleaning my fridge every Thursday evening. My trash pickup day is Friday, which is why I do it on Thursdays. If just takes a few minutes. If you clean it out often, it never gets messy enough that cleaning it becomes a huge chore. I grocery shop on the weekend, so as I clean out the fridge, I note what we need to put onthe grocery list.
Jessica says
LOL!
Lydia @ The Thrifty Frugal Mom says
I love my kitchen gadgets but I totally agree with you, you really don’t need that many to do the job well. If you are willing to improvise it’s amazing what all you can do without.
This isn’t necessarily an organizational thing but I find that if I rinse out my dishes/bowls whatever as I go or just stick them in the sink to soak, it makes washing them up take half as long and it’s not nearly as an annoying of a job. Often I’ll just stick the bowl/dish/whatever in the sink and then as I use the sink to wash my hands etc. the bowls get filled with water and they can soak that way.
Also, I alphabetized my spices/herbs a couple of years ago and although it’s such a simple thing, it has made my life a bit easier!
Jen says
I learned to “clean as I cook” from my mom and grandma. I had no idea how much of a difference it made until I saw my husband cook, haha. I LoVE when he cooks, and he’s a wonderful cook, but he makes a HUGE mess!!! And it’s so overwhelming after a meal.
Laura says
I know that Clean As You Go works. I put things away as soon as I’m done. I also wipe down my stove and counters right after dinner every day. I do my floor twice a week and the microwave once a week. The rest, monthly.
I also realized I didn’t need a huge stockpile. I only stockpile the items I use heavily like regular and bread flours, sugar and ketchup. I will also buy certain items for baking like chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff, corn syrup, etc., when stores clear their holiday stock, for use with the next holiday, and have a special place to store these items.
I used to have a large freezer, but as my family has become smaller, I find I don’t need to have as much as I did when I had a family of 5.
There are some specialty kitchen appliances that I always wanted like a rice cooker, but after getting one, I almost never use it. Dito with the toaster. And, I still only use the microwave infrequently (being right over my stove, it’s mostly in the way!).
annie says
my excuse for not keeping on top of my kitchen is my kitchen doesn’t have a pantry. over the past couple of years i’ve relocated our stockpile at least 3 times.
i was inspired by the picture in the link from LWSL . we have a hallway closet off the kitchen that is used for linens, tools, and a mini-walgreens storage. this summer i moved the girls linens upstairs into a spare dresser. now it’s time to rethink what’s left. i’m inspired by the wains coating and frame detail in the photo.
now i know where i’m heading. it’ll just take a few weeks to get there. Thanks!
kathy says
Something I learned over the years when I was working in a professional kitchen – that still serves me well now that I am a stay-at-home mom – is to always fill the sink with soap and water prior to starting any cooking. That way when things are sauteeing or cooking in the oven, I can turn around and do a few loads of dishes. By the time the food is cooked, most of the dishes are done. This works wonders when I am having a baking marathon, too.
Another thing that is great is that if you are a frequent baker, keep your measuring spoons, favorite whisks, measuring cups, etc., in a large bowl on the counter . This way you won’t have to dig around for it when you’re in the middle of a recipe.
Julie@teachinggoodeaters says
Oh my goodness!! I love your tip about filling the sink with soapy water before cooking. This could be life changing…
Gardenpat says
We have all the grains we use stored in our basement in buckets and used to lug the buckets upstairs to the kitchen every time we wanted to use some. Was it a surprise that after a big baking day that we were too tired to take the buckets back to the basement? 5 gallon buckets taking up all kinds of space in my kitchen!!! Yikes!! Then DH & I repurposed some upper kitchen cabinets one of our sons gave us when they remodeled by putting them all together to make one long base cabinet against a wall. Took a leftover piece of pressed board (one side laminated) and cut it to fit as a top for cabinets. Used a Mother’s Day gift card from another son to buy some tight sealing canisters for the shelves & filled those with each grain,bean that we were using often. No more buckets in kitchen and not as much running up & down to basement- only to refill canisters!
Jessica says
I’ve decluttered and revamped my shopping strategy. I used to stockpile quite a bit, and I found that it ultimately wasn’t saving me much money, because I bought too much and I’d find things 1, 2 years past the expiration date because it either got lost or hidden or we just didn’t use that much of the item. Now I have about a 4-6 week supply of most items instead of 4-6 months. Some items that had been stockpiled I still have a lot of it remaining, like canned tomato items, so I have more of that and am not buying any until it’s used up. Items it turned out we didn’t like, that were still in date, we donated. The main grocery store I shop at recently stopped doubling coupons, so that further sours the stockpiling strategy in my area.
Jillian Kay says
I’m not super organized, and I don’t have a lot of space for a pantry, but the best tip I’ve implemented is to keep all the common baking stuff like flour, baking soda/powder, sugar, and salt in a basket. It makes it so much easier to bake when I just have to take out one basket instead of 5 individual things.
Plateful pf Publix says
Great tips and ideas Crystal! Here are my tips for keeping my kitchen organized:
* Clean you refrigerator before you go grocery shopping. If you make it a habit, your refrigerator will be clean, you will know what needs to be used/tossed and you can also see what items your low on or in need of.
* Alternative Storage- I keep most of my serving trays, extra appliances, and anything big I don’t daily use on open shelves in my laundry room. This gives me more room in my kitchen and I always know where to find these items.
* Yearly Purge- I try to go through my kitchen at least once a year and get rid of items that I never use or we no longer need. I’m amazed at some of the items I find in the back of cabinets!
* One in-one out- Anytime I buy something new for my kitchen, I try to find something else to get rid of. That way I am keeping my kitchen clutter to a minimum and I only have the items I am truly using.
*Baskets- I use baskets to store my over abundance of fruits and vegetables that don’t fit in my refrigerator. Apples, lemons, potatoes & onions, etc. look great in baskets and they’re also a good way to keep them organized and in view, so I use them.
Hope these tips help and everyone has a great weekend!
Heather says
Group things together by task!
I keep my most commonly used baking stuff in a cupboard right over the counter: flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugars, hand mixer, bowls, oil mister, glass measuring cup. In the drawer at the same spot are the mixing spoons, scrapers, pastry blender, measuring cups and spoons. In the cupboard underneath are the wheat grinder, muffin tins, electric griddle, etc. So I hardly have to move a step to whip up biscuits, bread, cookies, etc. It really makes a difference in motivating me to cook. It just feels faster. If I had to walk all the way across the room to get the flour out (I know, 1st world problem), I’d be less inclined to do it.
Similarly, I keep spices for cooking in a cupboard near the stove.
I keep the bread and bread knife near the fridge for quick sandwich making. Even the peanut butter is close – I have it in with the plates. It’s the only food item on that shelf, but I wanted it by the fridge.
Colanders by the sink.
Oil, vinegar, and salad dressing container on the same shelf.
My mother used to keep dishes in the lower cupboards so we kids could set the table, and get our own drinks. I’m thinking about making that change myself.
amy says
We put the dishes on a lower shelf so the kids can set the table and clean out the dishwasher. As a bonus, we have a kitchen cabinet that faces the Dining Room, so that is where the dishes live for easy setting of the table without being in the kitchen.
Lana says
My best kitchen organization tip is to put everything that you can into baskets in the refrigerator. No more yucky surprises at the back of the shelf and I can pull out a basket and find things quickly.
Plateful of Publix says
Great tips Crystal! I also have very few appliances and most of them are stashed away in cabinets. I like my counters to be clutter-free and clean. Here are the ways I keep my kitchen and pantry organized:
– I have two tall glass cabinets that have various sized sealed glass jars on the shelves. Not only does this “decorate” the shelves but it holds my tea, beans, oatmeal, nuts, candy, seeds, chocolate chips, etc.
– I “try” to clean out my fridge before I go grocery shopping so I can keep it clean, organized, and evaluate what foods need to be used or tossed.
– I have a large laundry room with three long shelves that line the back wall. I use these shelves to hold serving trays, appliances, and other items I don’t use daily. It gives me more room in my kitchen and I always know where to find them.
– Since we buy a lot of fruits and vegetables, we often run out of room in the refrigerator to store them. That’s where my baskets come in handy. I will fill them with potatoes and onions, lemons, pears, apples, etc. It adds a nice touch to my kitchen and dining room, while keeping the fruits and vegetables organized and in sight for us to use.
– I also go by the motto ” Clean as you go, so the mess doesn’t show.”
Have a great night & weekend!
Julie@teachinggoodeaters says
Organization is most definitely NOT my strongpoint, but my pantry is possibly the most organized, and most often reorganized part of my house. If you have children, my best tip is to think about what you do and do not want your children to have access to and use that to guide your placement. Also, think about what they see, and don’t see, every time they open the pantry door. Think “product placement,” just like the grocery stores 🙂
Leah says
‘Think product placement’- I love this tip!! 🙂
Melissa says
Our toaster broke, and we never bought a new one. Instead, we just broil our bread in the oven when we want toast. One less appliance on the counter.