Kitchen Organization: 10 Commandments

Kitchen organization is a subject dear to cooks' hearts. Whether you're making the most of a small kitchen or you have acres of cabinet space to fill, if you're like many cooks, you have pretty definite opinions about What Goes Where. For example, in this Colin Cowie video (one of my all-time favorites), the entertaining expert reveals the organization strategies of his fabulously beautiful and buttoned-up kitchen, including a whole freezer dedicated to specific ice cube shapes, all stored in neat containers: It's extreme organization at its most luxurious.

I happen to be an organization-obsessed person: I spend a lot of affectionate quality time with spreadsheets. My kitchen may not match Colin Cowie's in organizational splendor (he alphabetizes his spice rack...drool), but I do have some pretty intense feelings about the importance of labels, clear plastic storage containers, wire racks, and using vertical space, like the insides of cabinet doors.

And I'm not alone in being a wee bit passionate on this subject: Friends and co-workers weighed in with great, focused suggestions, which often read more like capital-c Commandments. A list of ten collective-wisdom kitchen organization commandments is after the jump.

"Preserve and defend your counter space: Keep only frequently-used utensils out, organized in crocks, plus small appliances you use every day, but try not to have too much else on your work surface."

"Hooks and racks are the answer! Mount hooks under cabinet shelves for mugs. Hang potholders from hooks inside cabinet doors or on the side of the fridge. Use graduated wire racks in under-the-counter cabinets for pots and pans, and smaller versions in over-the-cabinet counters for spices. Hang a pot-lid rack inside a cabinet door."

"It's smart to use wall space however you can: Hang knives on magnetic strips mounted to the wall (they don't get as dull as when you store them in a knife block). And install shelves over doorways for extra storage."

"Location is key: Put dishes and glasses in the cabinet nearest the dishwasher and sink, dry goods in the cabinet nearest your work space, and cookware in the cabinet nearest the stove. Think the same way for drawers: Forks and serving utensils go in the drawer nearest the sink, cooking utensils in the drawer nearest the stove."

"Drawers can be hard to keep organized, especially when they hold too much: The kitchen 'junk drawer' is the secret shame of many otherwise-organized cooks. Use drawer dividers. Store rarely-used utensils and gadgets (like corn cob holders!) in cabinet containers, not drawers. And keep your measuring cups and spoons on hooks instead."

"Purge like crazy: Make sure you clean out your food cabinet regularly, and take a hard look at which pans you really reach for."

"Avoid single-use appliances. They're just clutter-makers."

"Use storage space outside the kitchen: Keep roasting pans and stuff you use once a year in the garage or the basement."

"Bring back the breadbox! We have a vintage metal breadbox that holds snacks plus several loaves at once. If you're short on cabinet space, a breadbox is a great countertop storage solution because it holds a lot but keeps things organized and out of the way."

"Organize the food cabinet by type and weight. Cans go on the bottom shelf, at shoulder-level, and baking ingredients and pasta go in the middle, at eye-level. On the shelf above your head, stash the lightest stuff: boxes of tea and cereal, for instance."

What are your Commandments of Kitchen Organization?

by Siobhan Adcock

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