From Chaos to Order: Organize Your Kitchen Like a Pro with These Simple Tips

I love my kitchen, I really do. Even though it doesn’t have a walk-in pantry:). It’s well-lit, has a good workspace, and has decent storage. I have had to get creative with some storage and play a bit of Jenga with containers now and then. But overall, I love it! Whether you love cooking or just need to make a quick meal, a well-organized kitchen can save you time and help avoid frustration.

Before you start emptying drawers and moving things around, take fifteen minutes to think about your storage, workspace, and how you use your kitchen in general. Should the dishes be stored near the sink/dishwasher for easy storage? Or, should it be placed closer to where you eat your meals ( if you set the table)? Are you able to store coffee mugs near the coffee machine? Cutting boards near your workspace? Kids’ plates and utensils in a place where they can access them or higher up?

Here are some of my favorite solutions for keeping your kitchen organized.

1: Use Drawers for Utensils - Keep utensils like spatulas, whisks, and ladles in drawers rather than on the countertop. I like to keep them in the drawer closest to the stove so that they are easy to reach when I cook. You can use draw dividers or a utensil organizer. These are available in a variety of materials from bamboo to plastic.

2: Keep Cutting Boards and Bakeware in Vertical Organizers - Use vertical organizers to store cutting boards and bakeware so that you are making the most of your shelf or drawer height. I have a drawer under my oven where I store the bakeware.

3: Use Lazy Susans for Corner Cabinets - Okay, I HATE corner cabinets. I used to have to get on the floor and almost disappear into the abyss of the corner cabinet to fish something out. Thankfully there are a lot of great hardware solutions for these pesky spaces now. But, they aren’t cheap and need to be installed. If you don’t want to deal with hardware, using a lazy susan in your corner cabinet makes it easier to access items. Use the corner cabinets for the food/appliances you seldom use.

4: Keep Spices in a Drawer Organizer - All spices need to be kept away from light and heat. I store them in bottles and store the bottles in the drawer that’s closest to the stove (usually on the other side of the stove from the drawer with the cooking utensils). I keep the backstock of my spices in the pantry. This way, I only need to look at my backstock to see if I’m running out of anything. As soon as I empty the last of the back stock into the bottle, I add the spice to my shopping list.

5: Use Bins or Drawer Dividers for Misc. Tools - I keep all my tools - mashers, measuring cups and spoons, vegetable peelers, meat thermometers, etc. - in one drawer. You can use drawer dividers or small bins. I keep anything with a blade/ sharp point in one bin so that I know to be careful when grabbing things from there. Then I have another bim with measuring tools and a third with things like whisks etc.

6: Store Heavy Items in Lower Cabinets - Keep heavier items like pots and pans in lower cabinets to avoid lifting them overhead. If you have to nest them in each other, use felt pot savers like these. They are available in different sizes and colors.

7: Use High Cabinets for Seasonal Items - Use high cabinets (like that smaller cabinet above the refrigerator) to store seasonal items like holiday dishes and decorations.

Taking fifteen minutes before you organize/reset the kitchen will save you energy and time in the future. And, nothing is permanent so if something doesn’t work, change it!