8 Kitchen Organization Tips

Last Updated on March 5, 2010

Here are a few quick ideas to help you stay organized before and after a kitchen remodel. Let us know if you have any other tips that have been useful to you in the past – we always love your input!

• Store Items Within Reach

Use a vase or narrow jug to store kitchen utensils with long handles, especially those that you need to keep within easy reach. Tongs, whisks, wooden spoons, ladles, and spatulas are perfect candidates

• Use a small bookcase or floating shelf to store cookbooks.

However, avoid placing them too close to the stove as steam will likely cause the pages to ripple and stick together.

• Rack Your Spices.

Speaking of shelves, you will want to find efficient storage for spices. Organize them alphabetically on a spice rack or by rows in a drawer.

• Make a recipe box for loose recipes.

Write them down on 4×6 notecards and file them according to category, e.g., deserts, salads, chicken, and pasta.

• Weed Out Useless Items.

For all you packrats out there, try to weed out everything you don’t need or use. It can be difficult, but if you’re honest with yourself, you will soon realize that you never did get around to using that cherry pitter. Ditto the shrimp de-veiner. Donate these items to a thrift store, sell them at a garage or stoop sale, or even re-gift them – doesn’t your second cousin have a wedding coming up soon?

• Clear your counters of all unnecessary clutter.

Store items that you don’t use on a daily basis in cupboards. Keeping your counters clear will make your kitchen more efficient and give it a more streamlined appearance.

• Hang pots and pans from the ceiling.

This will free up a lot of cabinet space and will display your cookware in a way that is both attractive and highly functional. If you have overhead beams, you can simply put nails or screws into the beams and hang the cookware directly from them. If you are not lucky enough to have conveniently placed beams, you can buy a hanging ceiling rack for as little as $40.

• Make it Make Sense.

Check that your organization scheme is logical and won’t interrupt the natural flow of work in the kitchen. Keep the knives next to the cutting board and the colander next to the sink. Keep frequently used items on cabinet shelves that are within easy reach.

These small measures will make a big difference in your life and who knows, they may even spare you from having to undertake a costly kitchen remodeling job.