5 Things Nobody Needs in Their Kitchen After 40

Right around my 40th birthday, I realized how much better I knew myself, including my likes and dislikes, and what (and who!) I wanted to surround myself with. This had really practical applications — like making me far better equipped to let go of what no longer fit in with the actual life I was living with my family. 

This came at a good time because by the age of 40, I’d accumulated a lot of stuff, many of which lived in my kitchen. But by this time, with the perspective of years of cooking, parenting, and hosting, I had a realistic idea of what I truly needed to support our home life. This meant that I could edit our possessions with clarity, and I did it with vigor. 

Here are 5 things nobody needs in their kitchen after they turn 40:

My husband and I registered for our wedding at Bed Bath & Beyond with a scanner gun, and all I remember about it is arguing about the necessity of a garlic press. Since then, I’ve found out what I really need and use, and more to the point, what I don’t. Among wedding items (registered for or not) that I’ve donated are a fondue set, a madeleine cookie pan, and a white ceramic teapot. Obviously these will be different for everyone, but no one over 40 needs kitchen items they haven’t used in nearly 20 years, wedding present or not. 

Whether it’s menus, plastic utensils, or tiny little packets of wasabi, they don’t need to be taking up space in your kitchen. Put those utensils in your glove box and toss the rest. You don’t need these disposable items that — let’s be honest — never get used, taking up space in your junk drawer or elsewhere. They make storage spaces look cluttered, and you probably have your own full-size tube of wasabi or bottle of soy sauce if you need it. 

If you’re anything like me, at some point over the years you started collecting magnets of the places you visited. Or maybe you’ve hung on to promotional magnets that may or may not have useful info alongside the dentist’s phone number. This is your sign to get rid of them! They make your fridge look messy, and those broken ones sitting in your junk drawer? You’re never going to glue them back together. Instead, say goodbye and choose some unobtrusive or fun magnets that bring you joy and look good. (I love these rainbow tile magnets!).

By now you know your hosting style, which platters you pull out for big celebrations, and all the cutting boards you use (and don’t) for your charcuterie spreads. Give yourself the gift of frustration-free storage by clearing out your unused servingware and let it live its life being useful to someone else. Next, time to tackle sorting through your unused tablescape decor. You know what I’m talking about: the place mats, chargers, napkin rings, and runners you haven’t used for years. Plus, those candles that no longer smell so good! Donate and toss. 

You surely know the kinds of kitchen tools you use often as well as those that you don’t. Donate anything you don’t use. Broken or duplicate tools are harder to spot as extraneous ones, but they’re equally important to let go of. Accept that you aren’t going to glue that broken spatula handle (it would be a hotbed of bacteria, anyway), and toss it. Similarly, go through your collection of measuring cups and spoons, pull out every one of your peelers, and the like. Pick your favorite and only keep more than one if you actually regularly use two of any given tool at once. You can thank me later!

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there:  5 Things Nobody Needs in Their Kitchen After 40