Organize Your Kitchen To Make Cooking Easier
I'm big on organizing. The gene was passed down from my Mom, so I can't help it. A Sunday of organizing my kitchen cupboards while dancing around to pop tunes is my secret source of fun.
Go ahead and mock, I don't mind.
But even if you hate organizing, taking a little bit of time to organize your kitchen - the most used and essential area of your home - will help make your daily life go a heck of a lot smoother.
I have to confess, I kinda hate cooking. I just don’t enjoy it or have a lot of patience for it. So the easier I can make any culinary experience the better. That’s why I set up and organize my kitchen for the ultimate in ease and convenience.
Below are the ways I've done that, in case you’d like to give your kitchen set up an overhaul and make your life simpler as well.
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN SO COOKING (AND DAILY LIFE) IS EASIER
1. Group cooking oils near the stove.
Gather all cooking oils, vinegar, salt, pepper, and any other spices you use in dishes cooked on the stove. I use turmeric a lot on veggies, so I include that here. Find a platter, tray, or cutting board and place it on the counter on one side of your stove, and group the oils and spices you gathered on it. They'll still look neat and tidy on your counter because they're grouped together, and they'll be handy right where you need them.
2. Group your go-to cooking utensils.
Gather all wooden spoons, spatulas, ladles, whisks, etc. that you need for cooking and put them into a crock, vase, vintage measuring cup or some other kind of utensil holder and put this either with the oils and spices if you have room or on the other side of the stove.
3. Organize your spices.
Gather all your cooking and baking spices. If they're in varying containers of different sizes and shapes, consider switching them to ones that are all the same - both so they’re easier to store and easier for you to find what you need. You can buy these at the dollar store or online, or just use small mason jars like I did. Label them clearly (I used chalk paint and chalk on the lids) and find a spot where they can be stored all together. I've kept them in a tray on the counter, in a homemade spice cabinet, and inside a cabinet close to where I cook and bake on the countertop, so they're easy to grab (in my various past homes).
4. Gather cutting boards and display them.
Keep functional cutting boards together and near to where you will use them. You can stack and lean them against a backsplash, hang them above the stove, or keep them together in a cabinet beside the oven or wherever you’ll be cutting on them.
5. Invest in good knives and keep them all together.
You don’t know how much you need good sharp knives until you use one. Invest in good ones, and keep them handy to where you use them - and separate from your other utensils (even if that's only in their own compartment inside the same drawer). Use a knife block on your counter if you like that, or a magnetic board on the backsplash to hold your knives is also a nice option.
I hope this inspires you to take a little time this week to organize your spices and cooking gear for a smarter kitchen and a simpler life at home.
