Think you might have too much stuff in your kitchen cabinets? If you even hesitated answering that question, you do.
News flash: To cook great meals and entertain like a champ, you don’t need five spatulas or more frying pans than you have burners. A professional chef can tell you in short bullet points what it takes to run an orderly kitchen that produces great food. It’s not much!
Below you'll find a step-by-step game plan, based on sage advice from kitchen designer Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn, along with some supremely tidy kitchens to inspire you.
Below you'll find a step-by-step game plan, based on sage advice from kitchen designer Susan Klimala of The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn, along with some supremely tidy kitchens to inspire you.
Phase 1: The Purge
1. Remove everything from your kitchen and put it on a large table or island.
2. Categorize every item: spices, baking, pantry, pots and pans, storage supplies like Tupperware and plastic wrap, glassware, silverware, serveware and so on.
1. Remove everything from your kitchen and put it on a large table or island.
2. Categorize every item: spices, baking, pantry, pots and pans, storage supplies like Tupperware and plastic wrap, glassware, silverware, serveware and so on.
3. Remove multiples, broken items and pieces you simply don't like or use. Donate, regift or toss them. "You don't need six mixing bowls," Klimala emphasizes. "You just don't."
4. Toss any food that's expired. "You will be amazed by the amount of space this one act alone will clear up," Klimala says.
5. Remove items you use less than twice a year and store them in another area. This includes cookbooks. "Pick your top five to 10 favorite cookbooks," she suggests. "Then store the rest elsewhere or donate."
Tip: If you're holding on to a cookbook for a single go-to recipe, photocopy the page and then pass the book along to someone else.
5. Remove items you use less than twice a year and store them in another area. This includes cookbooks. "Pick your top five to 10 favorite cookbooks," she suggests. "Then store the rest elsewhere or donate."
Tip: If you're holding on to a cookbook for a single go-to recipe, photocopy the page and then pass the book along to someone else.
6. Call in the professionals for a thorough cabinet cleaning inside and out. Of course, you can do the scrubbing yourself if you prefer. Klimala advises using this opportunity to bring in a painter to touch up as needed or give stained cabinets fresh paint.
Phase 2: Putting Stuff Back
Once you've completed the steps above, take a hard look at what's left. Think about how and when you use each object in your kitchen as you follow Klimala's next set of steps, putting everything back in a better way than before.
Once you've completed the steps above, take a hard look at what's left. Think about how and when you use each object in your kitchen as you follow Klimala's next set of steps, putting everything back in a better way than before.
1. Store items used daily in the most accessible shelves, cabinets and drawers.
2. Consider frequency of use of every item before finding a spot for it.
For example, store everyday cups, dishes and stemware in a cabinet near the dishwasher to facilitate a productive workflow. Pots and pans should be close to the stovetop.
2. Consider frequency of use of every item before finding a spot for it.
For example, store everyday cups, dishes and stemware in a cabinet near the dishwasher to facilitate a productive workflow. Pots and pans should be close to the stovetop.
Only store the amount of dishware you realistically use between dishwasher cycles. "There's no need to store all two dozen coffee cups together if you use only a maximum of four to six every day or two," Klimala says.
Tip: Store extra dishes and stemware in the upper or lower recesses of your newly purged cupboards so they're safe and still nearby for large gatherings.
Tip: Store extra dishes and stemware in the upper or lower recesses of your newly purged cupboards so they're safe and still nearby for large gatherings.
3. Think about how to streamline your storage with aids such as cutlery dividers, tray dividers, caddies and more.
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