Use these helpful organizational strategies and storage solutions to make the most out of the limited space in your kitchen.
As someone who lives in a smaller apartment herself, I am familiar with the unique organizing and storage issues offered by a quirky and compact home, particularly in the kitchen. Since I live in a quirky and compact home myself, I can say that I am no stranger to these challenges.
Built-in storage that is too small, space-hogging blenders and toasters, crowded Tupperware, and an excessive number of cumbersome coffee mugs that don’t match. And of course, there is the ever-present “junk drawer” in the kitchen, where all of the trinkets and knickknacks that we have amassed over the years and that laugh in the face of neat organizing labels are stored.
To help you make the most of the space you have and bring some kind of order to the mayhem, we have compiled a list of our best kitchen organization hacks, gadgets, and suggestions. If you want a better organized and more functional kitchen, follow the steps below.
Step 1, give some thought to how you actually make use of your kitchen, and then arrange things in accordance with those routines.
Before you can begin to organize your kitchen, you need to take some time to think about how you actually use the space. Do you frequently create elaborate meals, or do you typically use the microwave as your primary means of cooking? Do you like to cook meals on your cooktop with your pots, or do you use your pans for baking the majority of the time?
Step 2: Declutter
After you have made an assessment of what you require from your kitchen, declutter it. Be as harsh as possible; your kitchen needs to support and accommodate your actual usage and routines, not the ones you desire to hold in the future.
For instance, perhaps that fruit holder isn’t often used for holding fruit, but it has recently been put to use as a cumbersome method of storing bread. It is time to get rid of that fruit holder and replace it with a bread storage solution that is more suitable for that area.
Also, get rid of or donate the food that you know you won’t eat. There are food giveaway groups for many cities on Facebook and other social media platforms; therefore, if you live in one of these locations and have perfectly edible food that has not been opened but that you are aware you will not consume, you should consider offering it to someone else.
Step 3: Organize
Bear in mind the following few basic guidelines:
Take into consideration the so-called “Point of Performance.” This means that you should always have everything you need to execute a task in your kitchen at an arm’s reach, regardless of what task you are working on. Have you have your coffee yet? Make an effort to bring all of the tasks associated with preparing coffee within easy reach of one another. The same goes for chopping vegetables and fruit (have chopping boards and knives close by), dealing with trash (have plastic bags and trash can deodorizers ready), cleaning the kitchen (have cloths and cleaning solution within easy reach), and so on.
“Like goes with like.” Cans of food are stored with other cans of food, wine glasses belong with other serving ware, flatware should be collected in one area, etc.
If you find that a particular item is better stored elsewhere for “Point of Performance” purposes, you might want to think about keeping that item close to that space instead, or you might want to consider purchasing two items of that kind: one specifically for that “Point of Performance” space, and another for use in other contexts.
Should you get rid of your tools after just one use or should you keep them? There are times when a device seems like it would be incredibly helpful for doing that one laborious activity in the kitchen; but, we don’t use it often enough to justify the space it takes up when it’s not in use. Really, how effective is your strawberry huller when it comes to helping you out in the kitchen? Who, in all honesty, requires a container for bananas?
Finally, if you have a “junk drawer,” you should clean it out and put everything away. It’s time to clean out the junk drawer in your kitchen, assuming you have one. Even if you intend to preserve everything, utilizing little drawer storage bins will help you keep things more organized and make them much simpler to locate. Take everything out of the drawer, identify the objects that can be sorted and the best way to do so, and then personalize the storage bins.
Step 4: Items that are “season-specific” in the kitchen should be rotated.
In the spring and summer, you’ll want to stock up on grilling accessories and ice chests, but in the fall and winter, you’ll want to stock up on cookie cutters and electric carving knives.
When they aren’t in use, these products shouldn’t be taking up space in your kitchen that may be better utilized. Make an investment in high-quality plastic bins that come with lids and locate space in your storage area to keep them there until the following year.
Step 5: Investigate the vast universe of possible storage and organization options for the kitchen
It seems as though there is a storage or organization solution that is convenient for kitchens of every shape and size. Keeping in mind what you determined to be the optimal use of your kitchen (back in Step 1), identify the parts of your kitchen that are causing you difficulty and what would help to make the experience more streamlined.
Keep the following in mind as you browse through the suggestions that are provided below:
It is strongly recommended that you should not stack items on top of or in front of each other. If there is a place in your kitchen where you can’t easily get to an item without removing the items on top (for instance, you can’t reach the Tupperware lids because all of the Tupperware bowls sit on top of them), or without having to move an item out of the way (perhaps you’ve stored your toaster in the back of the cabinet, and placed your bulky blender in front), you should think about finding an organizational solution to avoid this headache.
Are you completely out of options? You may also try going vertical. There are a plethora of storage options that enable homeowners and apartment residents to make use of spaces that were not available to them before, such as the walls of bathrooms, the insides of kitchen cabinet doors, and other areas. Look for potential solutions on the internet by searching for “[kind of storage] + vertical,” for example “shoe storage + vertical” or “cleaning product storage + vertical,” and see what results you get!
VARIERA Shelf Inserts
Simply stacking these basic shelf inserts from IKEA will allow you to increase the amount of space in your cabinet by either doubling or tripling it. This will also make it easier to view and retrieve your plates and cups.
Roll-Out Bakeware Organizer
Items of bakeware, such as sheet pans and muffin tins, can be neatly organized and are made more easily available when stored on their sides. The roll-out feature eliminates the need to feel around in the dark for the appropriate pan.
Drawer Organizers
When it comes to providing high-quality drawer organizers at prices that are reasonable, IKEA is hard to beat. You may develop a storage solution that is tailored to the specific size of your drawers by browsing through their range of customizable drawer organizers.
Utensil Crock
I made a purchase of a jumbo-sized utensil crock a few months ago, and it has proven to be one of the best purchases I’ve made in terms of improving the organization of my kitchen (and personal sanity). When cooking tools are stored in drawers, the drawers will eventually become jammed because a spatula will wedge itself between the back of the drawer and the entrance of the drawer. That source of frustration has been eradicated entirely as a result of my decision to store everything in an extra-large utensil crock.
Over-Cabinet Door Storage Organizer
You can easily create an additional storage option for your belongings by hanging these baskets on the cabinet doors. This is a perfect example of making use of vertical space that is otherwise useless.
Containers for the clear storage of food
Decanting your dry goods into clear plastic, airtight containers will not only keep your food fresher for a longer period of time but will also make your kitchen look more put together than if you kept your food in its brightly colored packaging.
read also:
Steps That Will Completely Transform How You Organize Your Kitchen
