Simplify Your Work Spaces, Starting in the Kitchen

Few cooks have the luxury of having too much storage… most of us have too much "stuff" and too few places to stash our "stuff!"  Have you ever paid attention to how much of your time is spent finding what you need to accomplish a task?  Perhaps it's time to spend a day reorganizing your kitchen workspace.  It will be time well spent.

Here's a few simple ideas to help you get jump started:

  1. The more frequently an item is used the closer to the core of your work area it should be stored.  Conversely, the less frequently an item is used, the further to the edges (or ceiling) you should store it.
  2. Take on one drawer at a time or one cabinet at a time.  Done over the span of weeks it can be very easily accomplished.  Look at every item in the drawer.  Why do you have it?  Have you used it?  Is it broken?  Is it dull or less than functional?  Get rid of anything you can truly live without.
  3. Have you used an item in the last year?  Since we cook some specialties only once a year, I generally utilize a 12 month rule (rather than the more common 6 month rule).  In other words, have I used this item in the last year?  Do I intend to use it in the next year?  If not, donate it!
  4. Do you have a pantry?  A good pantry can solve many storage issues, especially of items that you rarely use, but are important to keep.  If you don't have a pantry in your kitchen, can you carve one out of a corner of your garage to organize storage for your rarely used kitchen equipment?  Getting them out of your daily work space yet still easy to access can make your kitchen live much larger.
  5. Banish fussy finishes from the kitchen.  White tile  counters or floors?  Copper bottom pans?  Unless you love extra cleaning chores, purchase items that will be easiest to maintain.  I've had white tile, white linoleum, Mexican saltillo tile and wood floors in my last 4 kitchens.  By far the easiest to maintain was the wood (as long as I kept water off of it) and then the second easiest was the saltillo tile.  A good heavy sealer every couple of years and they were easy to scrub but never looked dirty!  Another example is the cannisters, bread box & counter decor in my new kitchen are all antiqued, textured surfaces.  They look great all the time and require less daily maintenance than the highly polished fussy items they replaced. 
  6. Granite counters really are as great as advertised.  My last kitchen came equipped with granite countertops.  Honestly I wouldn't have spent the money to put them in myself before having them.  They're durable, the mottled surface always looks clean even when it isn't and having no grout lines to clean really is awesome!  Also, install an under the counter mounted sink and you'll cut your sink area cleaning chores in less than half.
  7. How many serving bowls, mixing bowls pans or cookie sheets do you really use?  Do you have odds and ends of old sets that don't stack well to conserve space?  Treat yourself and buy new stackables and donate your old ones. 
  8. Do you waste time looking for the right spatula or whisk in messy drawers?  I use two beautiful matching containers placed on either side of my stove.  I place my wooden or plastic tools in one and metal tools in the other.  They look great, are easy to access and things don't gather dirt in the bottom of the drawer.
  9. Do you really need multiples of the same item or can you get by washing your dishes more frequently?  Sometimes less really is more in that it forces us to clean up as we go and we'll have less mess to deal with in the long run!
  10. Some gadgets really are as good as advertised.  Those spin 'n store stackable containers are wonderful.  We never lose a lid, they're always handy and they store in almost no space at all.
  11. Buy the best you can afford and take care of them… whether it's knives or pans, any money spent on cheap goods is wasted in the long run.  Be careful not to buy the latest fad, look to ease of care for the surfaces and recommendations of other cooks you trust.  Remember, sometimes the most expensive isn't necessarily the best.
  12. Match your equipment to your cooking style.  If you're a gourmet cook who loves trying out every interesting recipe and the harder the better, then splurge on the specialty equipment necessary to accomplish the task.  But if you're a basic cook, most of the specialty items that sound so amazing or "time-saving" end up costing you more time in the storage space and maintenance they require!

More later.  Have a great day!  It's time to start gearing up for spring cleaning!

Audrey Jeanne Roberts