Whether you've just moved into a new space, are settling into a summer rental, or are just frustrated with your kitchen, here are some ideas to help you arrange your kitchen for maximum cooking and cleaning efficiency that will making mucking about in the space a lot more fun.
Start with what you have: You may love them, you may hate them, but unless you've got the money for a full scale renovation, your sink, stove and refrigerator aren't going anywhere. Their position will dictate where everything else goes. Cleaning them up (Magic sponges, Barkeeper's Friend, Mrs. Meyer's All Purpose Spray, Bon Ami and those curly stainless steel sponges sometimes called Kurly Kate's, are my weapons of choice), inside and out, can go a long way towards making them presentable.
Create stations: Taking a cue from restaurant kitchens, mentally assign stations for all of the tasks that you do in your kitchen: cleaning, storage, prepping, cooking, putting food away. I bake a lot, so I also have a baking station.
Organize items according to task: The point is to organize the kitchen so that there's as little unnecessary movement as possible. If, after you've washed the cutlery from tonight's dinner at the sink, putting it away means walking across the kitchen to do so, chances are it will never get put away, no matter how pretty the cutlery drawer organizer is.
Move things around so that what you need is in arm's reach: Cutlery and dishes should be near the sink; spices and cooking implements, whether rubber spatula or skillet, should be near the stove; put knives and chopping boards near your prep area; store sugar, flour, rolling pins, cookie sheets and standing mixer near your baking area.
Out of reach: Put things you rarely use — the turkey platter you pull out at Thanksgiving, the holiday-themed cookie cutters — higher up or lower down. Having to get on a ladder, or even bend your knees, means you'll use something less frequently.
If necessary, buy two: I use cinnamon for cooking and for baking, so I've got one canister near the stove and one in my baking area. While I'm not suggesting you buy two food prep machines, consider doubling up on little items like spices and spatulas.
Merchandise your storage: Yes, I confess, my kitchen is always ready for its close up. I like my kitchen organized, I also like it pretty. Arranging items by size and color as well as by how often you use them can go a long way towards making your time in this room pleasant.
Pretty but also useful: If the canister that you use to store flour is hard to open, it's not useful. Before you buy something, try it out in the store and consider how you'll use it. Does it feel substantial in your hand but also light enough that it's easy to use? Can you open a container with one hand? I've removed rubber sealant rings from many a flour container in order to make them easier to open.
Stick with the place you've given for things: With everything in my kitchen assigned a spot, it's easy to see what I have and what's missing. With a quick glance into my refrigerator, I can tell that I'm out of butter or milk or low on veggies. Since I always keep these things in the same place, a glance at my kitchen cupboards tells me I'm out of glasses and I'd better get washing!
(Images: 1. John's New York City Interior with a California Garden, 2. Abigail Stone)
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I guess cutlery and dishes near the sink makes sense (not that it matters, since my kitchen is small enough that the stove is near the sink) but I always store my dishes toward the stove, not the sink. After all, when I'm done making dinner, I reach for a dish. Likewise, the glasses go near the fridge.
You should never put your spices near the stove. I know that most people do, and most people have a pretty looking spice rack right next to the stove, but the heat from the stove will shorten the life span of the spice. I keep all of mine in a cool dark place- in a cabinet away from the stove. It's actually closer to my prep area so I can get my mise en place together before I start to cook.
@luciafabiolove - It's fine to keep spices in a cabinet near a stove. You shouldn't be exposing spices to a lot of light anyway.
95% of the meals in our household are for 2. So I only keep a small number of dishes -- 6 plates, 6 bowls, 6 forks, 6 glasses, 4 storage containers, etc. in the drawers and cabinets near the sink/dishwasher. The majority of the dishes are stored in a dining room cabinet and only come out for entertaining. This house is the first time I tried doing it this way, and I just love it. The cabinets look spacious and tidy, it's easy to reach everything, and it prevents us from being lazy about doing the dishes. I know it's not for everyone but I thought I would put the idea out there in case it appeals to other small households (and small kitchens).
So much of the eating and cleaning occurs when I am not around - that despite all my attempts at organization - things end up in random places. Any suggestions from the AT community on how to deal with that?
Great, thoughtful post.
I really love the way my kitchen is organized, which is good because I worked really long and hard on organizing it. Here are some things I've learned.
1) Some 'stations' that useful in family kitchens are 'Breakfast' - so cereal and toaster etc. are together. 'Hot beverages' so all the coffee and tea stuff, including mugs and coffee, grinders, duplicate sugar, cinnamon and cocoa. etc. is together, preferably near the breakfast stuff. "Pets' - for food (canned and kibble) and treats etc., near where the pet dishes are. 'Kiddie snacks' - permissible snacks at a height they can reach. I also have an 'oil and vinegar' station, which is a pull-out cabinet next to my stove. It contains different oils, vinegars, fish and soy and tabasco sauce and basically anything in a bottle. It's the first thing I'd add if I built a new kitchen or moved. 'Recycling' is also an essential station in our house.
2) Things can happen in stages: start where you are with what you can afford, knowing things change. I didn't bake much when I first did my kitchen, but now I bake a lot. So, I added a new, bigger island with a baking station in it several years after the original kitchen. I've also gotten new countertops, repainted, added additional cabinets etc.
3) I find it more important to have the dishes and flatware near my dishwasher, rather than the sink. Obviously, if you don't have a dishwasher then the sink is the place.
4) Even horrible kitchens have some lessons, so think about what works in your old kitchen. I had an unimaginably horrible kitchen when we moved in, but the dishes and flatware were right by the dishwasher and that's where I learned what a difference that made.
Lazy... Be grateful that others are cooking & cleaning! And, invite them into a collaboration on organizing the space. If everyone designs it, then all will know where things go, and will be more invested in follow through.
@lazy_lurker - Put your foot down and tell people that when you find something that is put where it doesn't belong, you put it in a bin and they can't use it? Let's see what happens when there aren't any more plates, bowls, and forks to use! :)
In seriousness, though, it's a "people training" problem. It's teaching others the basic skill of being considerate to others.
We have a lot of forks and plates even though there are only two of us. Sometimes we host during holidays, so between serving food and using dishware to hold food, we use pretty much every plate and bowl in the house.
@lazy_lurker: it might make you look like a crazy person, but i swear it helps: make some quick labels for the pantry shelves, and a little map for the cupboards to hang inside the cupboard door. then everyone knows where things go, and no one (including you) has to guess where to find/return something.
great idea about storing extra dishes/flatware. we live in a pretty rural spot, so having a pantry to store larger quantities of food is important; otherwise, all the groceries would totally overwhelm to the kitchen. in our smallest house, we put non-perishable bulk items in bins under the guest bed to keep them cool and out of the way.
While I understand what you're saying about buying two of things that you use in different parts of the kitchen, I can't help but think that if your kitchen is so large that walking across it to get the cinnamon is a hardship, your kitchen is just too big.
Double utensils? Not for me! Less is more in my kitchen!
Lazy... A collaboration is in order, just like Cleo said. If others are using your kitchen more often than yourself, they probably know by now what works and what doesn't.
The end result should be a kitchen where you know exactly what's in a drawer before you open it.
Lazy, have you tried labeling the shelves so that people know where things go? When we were kids, my mom did this at one point, until we learned where things were supposed to go.
@parnassus, that's a GREAT suggestion for me to hear! I live alone, and don't want the few items I need on a daily basis to be ALL I have - but also don't want all the guestware to clutter up the spaces I use all the time!
@Pi's comment about keeping dishes near where they'll be used really made me think! I've always wanted dishes stored RIGHT next to the dishwasher. Her suggestion makes way more sense and, if you count how many steps are needed for each way of doing it, she wins hands down. You can carry a whole stack of plates across the kitchen when unloading, but if you get one at a time, each meal, that's many more trips.
But in the end, I decided it's necessary to look at what I RESIST more, that it's crucial to make THAT the deciding factor. So for me, there's never have a feeling of resistance to walking a few steps in the morning to grab a coffee cup; but I very much resist emptying the dishwasher if it's not as streamlined as humanly possible.
And I vote YES to double utensils if, like suggested, they're small. Anyway, the spatula I use during prep will most likely not be the one I use near the stove, unless I wash off the raw ingredients first, so why not two?
Parnassus and others, do you rotate your dishes and utensils? When I take plates out of the dishwasher, I put them back underneath the others. So I'm never using the same 2 plates all the time. Same with forks/spoons. I pick up the others from the caddy and drop the freshly cleaned ones on the bottom. Uniform wear & tear is the name of the game.
We just moved and I did what @AYME suggested and label EVERYTHING. It's not pretty at first, but it's easier then opening every cupboard to find items. In a few weeks I'll take the labels off (it's just painters tape) and everything will go in its proper spot. If it doesn't, then the labels will go back on.
LOL @yonella !! My husband thinks I'm NUTS to do that with everything -- eggs, plates, mugs, underwear, pajamas... But I don't bother about cutlery, because once a month I wash every piece and the cutlery tray and it gets mixed up anyway, one hopes.
Instead of cutesy containers, on your countertop, use as many clear ones as you can (Anchor Hocking for instance) because anything that reads as open/airy increases your perception of more space AND less clutter. Also, as a measure of the stations approach, do the same inside your fridge and cabinets. I have brownie pans, that hold my ingredients, so I can literally just grab a pan and be ready to cook or bake in an instant (one for sandwich fixings, another for basic baking ingredients, everything for my favorite stir-fry or noodle dishes, etc).
@ pi
Your advice that, "It's fine to keep spices in a cabinet near a stove," flies in the face of information offered by every herb and spice purveyor I've ever dealt with. Heat ruins most products just as quickly, if not faster, than light will. The following advice is offered by The Spice Barn, an Ohio purveyor with a comprehensive online presence. I chose their site because this is concise and well-written by searching the term "storing spices will provide similar advice from many sources:
"Spices and herbs contain aromatic substances called "essential oils", which are responsible for the aroma and much of the flavor. Most spices and herbs are available in ground and whole form.
Whole herbs and spices last much longer than crushed or ground. Many people prefer to buy the whole form and crush or grind as needed. Herbs and spices can be crushed with a mortar and pestle, or a coffee grinder. Check ground spices for freshness at least once a year. If no aroma is detected, the seasoning needs to be replaced.
Spices and herbs should be kept in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, dark place. A screw-cap container is better than a flip-top container because it can be tightly resealed.
1. Keep them away from heat. Do not store near dishwasher or refrigerator, and they should never be stored near the range, even though it may seem more convenient. Heat, air, and light cause aromatic oils to evaporate, which causes spices and herbs to lose their flavor.
2. Store away from moisture as dampness will cause caking and loss of quality. Store in tightly covered jars and use clean, dry spoons for measuring. If you live in a high humidity area you may experience difficulty with caking.
3. Store in cool place away from light. Do not store in a window or in sunlight. Spice racks are nice, but not the best way to store your spices.
4. Refrigerate cayenne pepper, chili powder, and paprika to retain color longer."
http://spicebarn.com/storing_spices.htm
Here's another interesting take on the subject:
http://www.simplebites.net/storing-spices-recipe-black-pepper-shrimp/
I alphabetize spice for ease of use, but for weird-sized containers and seldom used items I love this OXO double rotating rack.
http://www.target.com/p/white-black-oxo-softworks-rotating-spice-board/-/A-13291917
My two cents may be old, but I wish someone told that a friend of mine before:
Never ever store something above your ceramic glass cooktop, don't even hang something there that you take in your hand now and then....
@Lazy; we have a family cottage where a lot of people use the kitchen at different times throughout the summer. My mom sighs a lot, but every year, she's just really good about making sure everything is in the right place when she's using it at opening and closing of the place, and hopefully people will figure out where things go that way. If it were my kitchen little things would be different, like at the cottage the measuring spoons and measuring cups are kept separate from one another, which makes no sense to me. Alas, that's the way she keeps it, and she owns the place, so I fight the urge to put the spoons with the cups. I think the labeling suggestion is smart, and I might suggest that in the future..
oh, so that little cupboard above my cooker is meant to be a spice rack!! also, why do people always seem to put knives in the niche above the cooker? that seems to be an odd place to have to reach across for a knife.
I store my dishes in the cupboard between the dishwasher and the table, so dishes just make a full circle from cupboard to table, to sink, in the dishwasher and back to the cupboard. I store my teaspoons in an old 2 cup measuring cup and my tablespoons in different measuring cup, making it easier to find what I need in the many sets I've collected over the years. Great Article! I love an organized kitchen.
Spices I keep in the drawer next to the stove- same drawer that I keep my cooking utensils in. This way they are handy, but out of visual clutter sight, & out of the heat.
Dishes- just keep them in a place that is handy. Different places I've lived, different kitchen floor plans, all call for different requirements. What may work for one person won't work for another & will vary according to wherever you live. I used to keep plates in the lower cabinet when my daughter was young so she could reach them to help set the table. They've also been near the stove, the kitchen table, the sink. Varies.
Yes, little stations really do help! I've always had the "coffee/tea/hot chocolate station" & a "cereal station". Really helps in the morning when I'm too bleary eyed to search for a spoon! Also, "snack station"- with bowl & healthy quick grab snacks so I'm not standing with the fridge door open trying to come up with something to nibble. "Baking Station" is really important- with utensils, pans, & ingredients all together.
May seem strange, but it works for us, we keep a few plastic tumblers in the fridge so that when we are grabbing a cold bottle of juice we just grab a cold tumbler at the same time. It works if you have the room in the fridge- we just keep about 4 stacked in there at a time.
I agree with tex-ann - the whole "super size kitchen" phenomenon is ridiculous! If your kitchen is so big (I mean, c'mon, who ya trying to impress?) that it's too far to walk to the other side to retrieve something, that you find it's easier to have 2 of them, your kitchen's too big. And it's not fun. Nothing sweeter than "accidentally" bumping into my honey when I'm stirring the sauce. Keeps more than just the food simmering, if you get my meaning. Truth is, I've cooked up quicker & better meals in smaller kitchens where everything is within reach, than I have when I've lived in places with "designer" kitchens. And that island just gets in my way- another thing to have to walk around!
Parnassus is correct- if there are only a few people in the house why have so many dishes, glasses, cups, etc. cluttering up the cabinets. There are 3 of us - hubby, me, & housemate. We keep 1 extra of everything in the cabinets. The extras, for guests, we store in a cupboard in the laundry room (which is next to the kitchen). This way they are accessible when we need them, but out of the way for day to day.
There really is no right or wrong way to set up a kitchen for efficiency & esthetics. It's really a matter of- if it works for you great! If you are struggling in your kitchen trying to find things, or are taking too many steps, then it's time to pull everything out & rethink the whole situation. One tip I read somewhere is to pull everything out & put in boxes according to what they are (glasses in one, plates in another, pots&pans, appliances, etc.). Then for one month as you need an item take it out of the box, use it, & put it in the most efficient & logical place. After a month take what is left in the boxes & either donate them or, if it is something seasonal, store it in an accessible location out of the kitchen- like a storage area in the garage, etc. Label that box or cabinet with what's in it. If after a year & you haven't used it, it's gotta go.
Everyone here has great suggestions here!
LOL again, Yonella and Yellow Coffee Cup. I have never even imagined a world in which I rotate my dishes for "uniform wear and tear." So... you lift the entire stack of stored plates so that you can slide the newly-washed plates underneat them?
That is Never Going to Happen in my house! :D
If people put things in places other than the one you've designated, ask them to help you look. Mention where you usually keep the item, and ask where they might have put it. You can either learn to use their system, or they'll learn to use yours. No one wants to waste time looking.
As for PI's suggestion: Power trips -- like taking away all the dishes until others learn to read your mind and use your system -- turn the "heart of the home" into an unpleasant place to be. Also, people who insist on things being "just so" usually end up doing all the work themselves. If others know you're going to be mad at them, even when they're trying to help, then why not just leave dirty dishes lying around?
@Lazy-lurker: I often find myself in a similar situation. LOTS of people use my kitchen in my absence. You just have to try and familiarise yourself with their way of doing things, and vice versa to avoid conflict and keep the kitchen a communal space. You don't want to be the only person cooking in there!
my kitchen would need to be much bigger for placement to matter much - if you only need to take one or two steps to get to EVERYTHING put it where you want. And having multiples of things - I would need more space, I already have few things, don't need lots of fancy utensils and more of anything would take up too much space.
Too hypocritical that a blog with a "green living" section is suggesting you buy two of everything when necessary. I guess necessity is in the eye of the beholder, but come on, couldn't we significantly reduce our carbon foot print if we just walked to the other side of the kitchen for cinnamon or a spatula? We might even get a bit of exercise too.
Quote: If, after you've washed the cutlery from tonight's dinner at the sink, putting it away means walking across the kitchen to do so, chances are it will never get put away, no matter how pretty the cutlery drawer organizer is.Quote
That's why there are stools at the kitchen island to rest during that arduous trip (sayeth the mother to the teenager). Really, seems the drawer nearest the sink and or dishwasher for cutlery would be a no brainer.
Why yes, yes I do. I lift the whole stack of 7 plates to put my last used one on the bottom. Cuz otherwise I'd be using the same plate all the time. And I like to show the other plates some love.
Label maker from Brother.
So I read everything. And maybe I'm crazy but I already have a favorite spatula for pancakes/cookies and one for dinner. I have a small food storage and a few empty glass jars. Ta-da instant double of ingredients that I use for baking and cooking. I put all of my spices in a drawer and put lables on top. I hung my measuring cups and spoons on the inside of the cabinet door and I have two sets because one year I got two sets for christmas. Now one set is hanging in my baking/breakfast station next to the oven and one is hanging in my cooking station next to my stove. I'm not big on kitchen appliances so I don't have a graveyard of things I don't use. But I have so many mugs and kid friendly cups. So I put all but 2 mugs way up on the top self along with all but four kid friendly cups. (I have four kids) Thanks everyone for all of the tips and tricks. With 4 kids we usually have someone make dessert and someone make a side and a few lookyloos trying to poke into whatever is being made. Our kitchen isn't very big so this is working out great. And with so many of us using the kitchen I asked everyone for thier opinion. Thanks again.