How to Set Up Your Kitchen

A great kitchen setup can save you time, energy and stress. It can mean the difference between spending 20 minutes to prepare a simple meal and spending over an hour on the same meal. Coming up with the right organization style for a kitchen will depend on your cooking style, available space and the amount of equipment you have. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

Setting Up a Kitchen

1

Start with a clean slate. Clear out all available space so that nothing is left in the cabinets and pantry or on the shelves and counter. You will also want to wipe down all these areas with disinfectant while the space is empty.

2

Determine what you will need. Setting up a kitchen is a great opportunity to get rid of cooking supplies that you no longer use and which are only contributing to the clutter. This will create more space for the things you use often, making them more easily accessible. You can donate pots, pans, dishes and appliances that are still in good condition.

3

Group items into general categories including, but not limited to:
cookware
bakeware
dishes
storage
utensils (eating)
utensils (cooking)
cleaning supplies

Determine within each category the items that should be most accessible. Grouping items in this way will also help you remember where they can be found.

4

Begin to place the grouped items into cabinets and drawers, keeping the things you use most often toward the front. An organizational article published on the website "What's Cooking America" suggests that you place groups of materials closest to the appliance with which they will be used (see Reference 1). For example, keep cookware and bakeware in the cabinets closest to the stove and oven. Cleaning supplies can be conveniently stored under the sink for easy access to soaps and sprays for the sink and counter areas. Keep breakable dishes in easy-to-reach places like eye-level shelves inside cabinets, so that there is less of a chance they will be dropped and broken. Bowls and mixers should be stored in cabinets above or below the area of the kitchen with the most counter space so they can be easily retrieved during meal preparation.

5

Reserve one drawer for miscellaneous items. Try not to think of this as a "junk drawer" because it may lead you to accumulate just that: junk. Designating one place for miscellaneous materials will keep you from having to store random things where they do not necessarily belong.

6

Do not crowd the counters. Some small appliances are acceptable to keep out on the counters, such as a toaster or a standing mixer; it really depends on the amount of space you have. You may decide to keep nothing on the counters in a small space.

7

Keep up with your system. When you finish setting up the kitchen, be sure to keep it organized as you go. It is always easier to keep up with the system you have put into place little by little, rather than waiting until the mess builds.