Are your kitchen cabinets overflowing? Are the drawers so full they seem like they’re about to burst? Have small appliances completely taken over your countertop? If so, you aren’t alone. Organizing all of the stuff that gathers in a kitchen can be a chore. And somehow, no matter how big a kitchen is, there just never seems to be enough storage space in it.
But there are things you can do to help keep your kitchen more organized. And here are just four of them.
Stack Those Storage Bowls
Storage bowls do come in handy. However, they can also take up a lot of space. Fortunately, they can take up a lot less space if you stack them properly.
Pull out every storage container and lid you currently have crammed into your cabinets, and spread them out on a table. Now, start stacking them. Your goal is to get as many containers into one stack as possible, without making a stack too tall to fit into your cabinets.
Chances are you will have a few strays, containers that simply refuse to fit in a stack. Unless you really need these strays, you can always toss them into a box and store them somewhere besides the kitchen. This way they won’t keep taking up valuable kitchen space, but you’ll still have them when you need them.
One way to make sure your storage containers will be stackable is to stick with containers of one brand. Different manufacturers create lines of containers that are meant to be stacked so they’ll take up as little space as possible.
Put the Walls to Good Use
Many people don’t think of using the walls to organize their kitchen items. But this can be a great way to free cabinet, drawer and counter space. It can also be a way to keep the things you use often within easy reach.
Use a wall pot rack to store some of your more attractive pots and pans. Many people prefer wall pot racks to hanging pot racks, especially if the ceilings in their kitchen are low. Pot racks are great if you have more pots and pans than your cabinets can hold. They’re also a great solution if you often find yourself rummaging through an overstuffed cabinet to find the pot you need.
Chances are you have a drawer stuffed with kitchen towels and oven mitts. But why not free up that drawer for other things? You can put hooks in the wall near your sink for your towels and unused dish rags. And a few hooks near the stove would be perfect for your oven mitts.
There are plenty of other things that can be hung on your kitchen walls, from spice racks to cutting boards.
Make a Plan for Small Appliances
If you’re lucky, you have more than enough counter space for your entire collection of small kitchen appliance. But, for most people, counter space is limited. Keeping all of their appliances on their counter would leave them with little room for food preparation. But those appliances have to go somewhere.
How many appliances can you actually leave sitting out on your counter, while still leaving yourself plenty of food prep space? Try to find room for the appliances you use the most, like your toaster, coffee maker, or blender.
There are probably some appliances you use semi-regularly, maybe two or three times a week. For the sake of convenience, you want to store them in the kitchen, but they don’t have to sit on the counter all of the time. If possible, store these appliances in a cabinet close to where you usually use them. This will make having to pull out your food processor every time you want to chop up some vegetables a little less annoying.
Finally, what about those appliances you only use two or three times a month, if that? (Like that crock pot you only use to make your special homemade chili.) These can be stored outside of your kitchen. A nearby hall closet would be perfect for storing little-used small appliances.
