For me, my kitchen is my sanctuary. I am happiest when everything is neatly tucked, clean, and easy to find. I do not want to have my beautiful kitchen on fire because I took too long to get the butter from the pantry in the next room.
I keep three things in mind when envisioning my perfect kitchen: functionality, safety, and cleanliness. These should always be at the back of your mind: stacking, compartmentalizing, hooking, labeling, organizing. The perfect kitchen is one where not just you can quickly find what you’re looking for, but guests too.
Below we get into the top tips to keep in mind when storing kitchen tools and equipment.
The First Step Is Elimination
There are probably tools, pans, utensils gathering dust on those cabinets that you only used three Christmases ago. There is that tea set you got as a housewarming gift that just does not suit your aesthetic. It is time to get rid of them. You will be amazed by how much new space is created.
Another tip is shallow drawers work better than deep ones, especially for utensils. There is no reason it should be over 4 inches deep when storing basically flat and long items. You can take it a step further by getting drawer dividers so you can further organize your drawers into smaller compartments. Cutlery bins are an excellent alternative to drawer dividers. You can simply toss your spoons, forks, table knives into these bins and have them still look neat.
Let Us Talk About The Sink Area
This is an area that can magically store so much if you think creatively and apply your creativity. For example, the bottom of the sink can be used to keep your dishwashing soap, bleach, and sponges. Over the sink counter space can also be used to display utensils that need to continuously be aired out.
Wall Décor Or Kitchen Equipment
To give my kitchen that charming appearance, I display my pretty pots and pans as wall pieces—design by day, kitchen equipment by lunch. I also have several hanging hooks and rails to let my kitchen clothes dry out or put pans and ladles. Spoons and other utensils can also be kept in open jars and vessels. This is perfect for kitchen equipment that you use regularly. You do not want to constantly lean over or crouch to reach for the same thing five times in the same day.
Now Lets Us Dive into Storing Our Mugs And Saucers
The traditional way is to keep them with the mouth facing down, right next to each other in a cabinet. However, the new space-conscious way of storing them is using hooks or even a pegboard. These can hang inside the cabinet or even on a wall. You could also mount a rail and have a mug station or nook on one side with all your tea and coffee supplies.
Did you know that cabinet doors can be double-duty? Mine is! They have compartments where I can store the flatter pieces like saucers. You can also create side stations on some surfaces but keep in mind not to put anything sharp that might accidentally injure you or an absent-minded running child. But that’s not all: Your refrigerator is a cabinet on its own. There are numerous items you can store there like bread, ketchup, vegetables, and snacks.
Plates, Fryers, And Pans Should Be Stacked
This can be vertically or horizontally, depending on your preference. Additionally, pots and pans should be stored in open spaces to not gather bacteria from moisture that might be accumulated from closed areas. You should avoid stacking non-stick pans inside each other without inserting a paper towel or paper plate between them. Otherwise, they are bound to suffer scratches from each other over the course of storage.
How Can You Store Your Kitchen Condiments?
Condiments like your cumin, oregano, cinnamon can be conveniently stored on spice racks. These are easy to carry around, too, if you want to move them all to the dinner table. Alternatively, if you are a sucker for labels and identical jars, you can transfer your spices into uniform jars with print labels.
Where Do I Put My Dry Foods?
My favorite style is getting uniform-looking jars with print labels. Here, I can put my rice, flour, oats, nuts, and even cereal. This is very pleasant to look at, all my dry foods are easy to find, and I cannot get them wet accidentally. Ensure that these containers can be very tightly sealed because dry foods are susceptible to insect contamination, and moisture absorption must be avoided at all costs. Vacuum packaging is an excellent option if you do not trust these containers long-term.
What Is The Best Place To Store Kitchen Appliances?
Kitchen appliances are divided into two groups: the frequently used and the very rarely used. A quick tip while you are shopping for your dream kitchen, buy appliances with multiple uses. This is both economical and will save you the clutter. For example, do you really need both a rice cooker and a stockpot?
When you categorize your appliances, store away the rarely to never used ones or, better yet, give them to friends and family. Now, you can put your frequently used devices on countertops or on lower shelves. The ones you use once every two weeks can be put higher up in the cabinets.
Where Can I Put My Wine?
While it is convenient to store your wine in the kitchen so you can grab a quick glass on a cooking or cleaning break, it is ill-advised. This is specifically for bottles with porous corks because wine breathes through it and may absorb the strong odors, contaminating it.
The refrigerator is not a better option either. A few days would not hurt, but the vibrations and temperature could compromise its integrity. The next best place is the living room or study area on a metallic or wooden rack.
There are so many more tips on how you can store kitchen equipment and tools creatively and safely, but this is a good starting point before you get into styling your kitchen or switching things up.
