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It is just me in need of about a dozen kitchen organization tips stat?
It’s said that the kitchen is the heart of the home and I believe it. You do so much there. In my kitchen we cook delicious food, have heartfelt conversations, hear good news and bad news and wash plenty of dishes.
So since there is so much going on that means that there is a lot of stuff that needs to be accounted for.
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What is the best way to organize your kitchen?
Well this is a loaded question, and there are a lot of right answers. What you really need to keep in mind is that the best way to organize your kitchen really depends on your individual needs.
Do you like to cook and do it often?
Is your kitchen roomy or compact?
Depending on your circumstances you’ll have to go about your kitchen organization a little differently.
Step 1: Assess your needs
When you start to organize your kitchen the first thing to do is figure out what you’re working with. How much space do you have and how much stuff do you have to have in your kitchen?
If you have a small space think about what your necessities are and maybe try to put some less frequently used items (like a blender or slow cooker) into storage.
- Related: Organize your Entry Way
- Related: Your Simple Guide to Spring Cleaning
Four Main Kitchen Space Hogs
In my kitchen there are four main categories of things that take up the bulk of the space. And they are dry goods, canned goods, small appliances and dishes.
Let’s figure out the best way to organize each of these.
Dry Goods
I have found that the easiest way to organize dry goods is to use the tried and true mason jar.
These are great for things like nuts, seeds, protein powder, and anything else that you buy in bulk and use frequently. They are easy to open, organize and you can always see what’s inside. Mason jars for the win.
In my dry goods cupboard, I organize them so that like is with like and the most used is in the front and the least used is in the back.
I also have a few different sizes of jars. As an example, I have a smaller jar of nutritional yeast since I rarely have more than a cup of it at a time and I wouldn’t want to have a jar that’s always at least half empty.
A lazy susan spice rack is also an amazing kitchen organization tip for dry goods! I keep mine right beside my stove for easy access.
Now I do have way more spices than I have containers for so I keep a basket of bagged spices in the cupboard right above my stove as well.
Canned Goods
Canned or packed goods are another major category to address when talking kitchen organization tips.
From cereal to soup and everything in between there can be a lot to deal with.
My first recommendation is to figure out how much you really need to keep in your kitchen at a time.
I used to have a pantry that was overflowing with this type of food. It was to the point that I was always buying more since I didn’t know what was in there. What a waste of space and money.
In order to avoid this try to buy only what you need and what’s often in regular rotation. That will be different for everyone but once you know what you like to have on hand you can figure out how much space you really need for it in your kitchen.
I used I buy like 6 cans of black beans and I always had a ton of them. I use them often but they’re always the same price at the grocery store so it’s actually better that I only buy what I need for the week and keep my cupboard less cluttered.
A product that’s super helpful in organizing canned goods is also to use a wire kitchen storage rack like this one. They are good for all sorts of things, organizing canned goods being one of them.
Small Appliances
Small appliances take up so much space.
When I moved into my current apartment I was really worried about not having enough room to put them all. But I have a few ideas for you!
try out a bar cart
A cute bar cart (<- this one is so awesome!) can easily store lots of appliances keeping them off the counter and away until needed. It’s also mobile so you can move it if and when you need to. You could also try a mobile kitchen island with a butcher block top which gives you extra counter space. Win-Win.
Shelves
If you have a small space making use of your walls it a brilliant idea.
Try getting some strong shelves in a style that suits your kitchen and put your nicer appliances or large dishware on the wall. This can give a minimalist vibe, by using your appliances as decor of sorts or it can make your kitchen cozy and rustic depending on your appliances and colour palette in the space.
Corner cupboard
I have a small kitchen.
And I don’t have a lot of cupboard space. But I did find that I have a deep corner cupboard. I didn’t think that I would be able to fit all my small appliances in there but lo and behold.
My toaster, slow cooker, blender, food processor, rice cooker, waffle marker and grill/panini press all fit in that corner. It still blows my mind.
Don’t under estimate the power of a well ordered corner cupboard!
Dishes
This is probably the first thing that pops into your mind when thinking about kitchen organization tips. But I don’t find that they take up that much space.
One of the best organization ideas when it comes to dishes is to make sure your stacking things. I don’t know who doesn’t do this but if you don’t start today lol. And you can stack more than you think.
Bowls and plates
As an example, I stack my bowls on top of my small plates which are on top of my large plates. Try to use as much vertical space as possible. A wire rack like I mentioned earlier can be really helpful as well. Or you can try one that hangs like this.
Mugs
If you’re one of the many people that have more mugs than you could possibly use consider screwing hooks into the underside of a shelf to hang some from there adding plenty of storage space.
Tupperware
The dreaded Tupperwear drawer… I know. It’s almost always awful.
But you don’t have to be like that!
One thing that I like to do is try and have one set of containers. This way I don’t have 4 similar sized containers that I can’t fit together. That’s super annoying or when you can never figure out which lid is the right one. Ackk. The worst.
Keeping your food storage containers streamlined goes a long way.
Personally I like to stack my lids then put the corresponding containers on top of them. This way I know which lid goes with what container and I get to use more of the vertical space.
Pots and Pans
You can test out pot lid organizers that go on the cupboard door on a rack that fits inside. Shelves for your pans are also amazing options to use that vertical space and keep things neat.
Little Clutter Culprits
Ok so we just went through the big clutter culprits but when thinking of kitchen organization ideas there are a few more things that you should think about.
Counter Space
Using counter space wisely, especially when you’re organizing a small kitchen is incredibly important. I want to keep mine as clear as possible most of the time.
The only things that are on my counter consistently are my spice rack, a rack of mugs, and my 3 decorative glass jars or rice, risotto and quinoa. Behind these jars I also keep my frequently used cutting board.
But that’s it.
Once you let stuff start piling up it can get away from you really fast.
Extra Storage
Sometimes we just need more room.
One of the best ways I have found to make more room, particularly on the counter is to have a set of hanging baskets like this. I also saw this option for under the sink which I think is amazing.
I love to keep my fruit and veggies that are best at room temperature in these. It makes it easy to grab things, you know what you have and you also give your avocados a place to ripen in peace.
Another kitchen organization tip is to use all the little spaces that you have around your kitchen. Places like the top of your fridge or beside it. You can use window ledges if you have them. If your cupboards have space between them and the ceiling, use that space! The back of the cupboard and pantry doors can also work wonders in giving you more storage space to work with.
Get creative and use what the space you have in order to maximize it to the best of your ability.
What space do you want organization tips on next? Let me know in the comments!
