We spend so much time in our kitchens, from making a quick cuppa while we read the paper to a full blown dinner party, they have to be efficient and functional workspaces. Here are few tips to guide you.
- If possible store items close to where they will be used. Even if you’ve got a small kitchen, those unnecessary extra steps can make preparing anything in the kitchen a chore if it”s not organised efficiently. For example, put the tea/coffee and mugs close to the kettle, put the crockery next to the dishwasher so it can be put away easily and put condiments and oils close to the stove so they are within easy reach when cooking.
- Tidy the cupboard with storage containers/tupperware. This one easily gets out of hand but is very quickly rectified and a lot more manageable once it’s done.
- Find a home for everything in the junk drawer! Chances are that most things in there aren’t kitchen items and can go elsewhere in the house/shed, plus you’ll gain an extra draw for spreading out your cooking utensils or spice jars into.
- Go through the fridge and get rid of last weeks dinner left-overs, out-of-date jars, and the unknown dish at the back that looks like a biology experiment! Once you have cleared out what’s not required you can categorise the shelves, meat (ideally on a glass shelf at the bottom of the fridge), dairy, veg, condiments etc. As well as looking better it also means you can see exactly what you have and what will need topping up next time you go shopping.
- Put small appliances away to maximise usable worktop space. Not only giving you more room for cooking but instantly also looks tidier and far easier to clean.
- Think about how you deal with your rubbish. We have so many bins in the kitchen these days, recycling, compost, general waste, that a little thought needs to go into where we locate each one. Under the kitchen sink is a handy location, if you’ve got room, as it’s not generally used for food or equipment. There are so many options and sizes of containers available these days you should be able to find the perfect size for your available space.
- If you have limited cupboard space think about utilising the walls for shelving or hanging racks. Also a great way of displaying your favourite mugs.
- A must have for any functional kitchen is under-cupboard lighting. If you don’t already have them consider buying a strip of LED lights that stick to the underside of the cabinet. Very easy to attach and plug in. They will make a dull corner usable, especially as the gloom of autumn sets in!
And above all tailor your kitchen to your needs, not to anyone else’s.
