When it comes to kitchen organization, here are a few simple tips that will keep everything within easy reach. The key is being sure that everything has a logical “home.” Limit yourself to one category per area. An “area” depends on the amount of space you have; it can be a shelf, an entire cabinet, a drawer, or a pantry depending on your needs and space available. The key here is to simplify by removing items you never use or don’t use often– either store them elsewhere or get rid of the extra excess that is cluttering your life. If you find you have duplicate items you don’t need once you’re organized, donate them. You don’t need four pairs of scissors in the junk drawer. Here are some basic category zones:
- Baking Essentials (I actually dedicate a shelf below my baking essentials to mixing bowls and measuring cups to keep it all in one place)
- Pasta/Pasta Sauces/Rice
- Breakfast Foods
- Snacks
- Glasses
- Dishes
- Canned Goods
- Specialty Cooking Condiments
- Serving Trays
- Pitchers & Vases
- Storage Containers
- Pots and Pans
- Gadgets
- Spatulas, Ladles, Serving Utensils (Metal)
- Wooden Utensils or Tools
- Napkin Drawer (If you have an entire drawer you can spare, this is a treat.)
- Coffee/Tea Center (Coffee Mugs/Coffee Items/Sugar/Cinnamon)
- Baking Trays/ Cutting Board (Vertical tray dividers are great for this)
- Cleaning Supplies/Paper Towels
- Plastic Wrap/Aluminum Foil/Baggies/Brown Lunch Bags
- Spices-alphabetized (My 7 yr old son marked the letter it starts with on the top of all my spices with a sharpie. I have a spice pull out cabinet next to the oven that I have to look down at. Having the letter visible on the top is such a treat and saves me from bending to read the side of the bottle. Maybe when he’s 9, he’ll write the entire name out for me.)
- Appliances (I keep some of my appliances together in one cabinet including the toaster, rice maker, blender, waffle iron, mixer, and electric tea kettle. I personally don’t like appliances or clutter on the counter. I prefer to keep counters clear and only have a few decorative things on them. It makes cleaning a breeze.
- Junk Drawer #1 Supplies (Organize with customizable plastic or wood drawer dividers for safety pins, paper clips, stapler, scissor, scotch tape, pens, pencils, post-its, mini sewing kit, stamps, etc. Make sure divider fits item, and keep only that item in the plastic square. Everything has its own home.
- Junk Drawer #2 Miscellaneous Personal (Organize with customizable plastic drawer dividers for misc personal choice items. My #2 junk drawer has gum, mints, vitamins, hair ties, bandaids, Neosporin, chapstick, mini tube of sunscreen and hand lotion.)
- Less Used Items (If you have room in your kitchen to store these items, keep them together. I have a cabinet under my stools on my center island that is perfect for storing less used items such as specialty holiday pieces, my knife sharpener, slicer, pasta maker, etc.)
The kitchen is such an important space in our lives. For us, it is where family and friends congregate. Keeping it organized creates a sense of peace and comfort. Once it is organized, it is relatively easy to maintain. Our kids (ages 18 down to 7) love to bake because it is so easy with everything at their fingertips. Our AGA oven is a big help here since it is always “on” and ready to go.
You will want to organize your kitchen according to your sense of style and convenience.
