OK, you're ready to start cooking from scratch.
You know it's going to take more time to prepare meals and you're looking for a way to cut as much time as possible while you're in the kitchen.
Now simple appliances like crock-pots and pressure cookers are amazing at saving time for cooking. Some prep ahead of time can spread out tasks.
But let's say you want to organize your kitchen to make things easier and more efficient.
I learned a lot of this when I was in a very tiny apartment and learning how to cook from scratch in the smallest kitchen ever.
I learned a lot of this when I was in a very tiny apartment and learning how to cook from scratch in the smallest kitchen ever.
Here are my 4 best tips for organizing your kitchen for efficiency and ease.
1. Zones: Dividing your kitchen into zones makes it easier to work efficiently in the space. By not needing to move or find things you will cut down on the amount of time it takes you to do each task. Keep the cutting boards and knives near each other and the counter you usually cut at. Place all the plug-in appliances in cupboards near the outlets and have accessories that go with them in nearby drawers, shelves, hooks.
1. Zones: Dividing your kitchen into zones makes it easier to work efficiently in the space. By not needing to move or find things you will cut down on the amount of time it takes you to do each task. Keep the cutting boards and knives near each other and the counter you usually cut at. Place all the plug-in appliances in cupboards near the outlets and have accessories that go with them in nearby drawers, shelves, hooks.
2. Go vertical. Adding shelving at arm’s reach near a workspace and being able to keep the most used items close by will save time and energy in going to get what you need. I invested in some customizable shelving from Ikea that I could set up above my worktable in that tiny apartment which made a huge difference in work flow and space.
3. Keep counters clear. It’s easy to get clutter built up on horizontal surfaces. But you will have more room to work and less headaches (if something spills) when the counters are clear, especially if you are making multiple recipes at one time. Keep small appliances in cupboards or on shelves until needed to make more space. This ties into the extra shelving and going vertical. If you have items that you need, that you use frequently, at arm’s reach by adding a shelf over your workspace, you will have more room without taking up counter space.
4. Use bins in the pantry. When you're organizing your pantry cupboard, grouping things that are alike in a bin will make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for. So, if you have multiple gluten free flours or multiple sweeteners, putting them in a bin together on a shelf makes it easier to find them. You can also do this in the spice cupboard by either using bins to organize like spices that you use together on a frequent basis; or like I do, a lazy-susan, two-tier shelf inside my spice cupboard so that I can spin it around to find the spice that I want.
I also use bins in my freezers. A small plastic bin or a basket makes it so much easier to find items, because I can group like items together and keep them more organized. Then I can move them out of the way if I'm looking for another item that's behind them or below them.
There you have my best tips! Happy cooking! Do you have any tips to add to this list? What makes your workflow go easier? Share in the comments below.
If you liked this post you might be interested in my post “Time Management at home”.
If you liked this post you might be interested in my post “Time Management at home”.
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