How to Organize Your Kitchen Cabinets Like a Chef
Chefs are busy individuals who always work on the basis that time is of the essence. To enable swift movement and ensure they are functional and efficient in the kitchen, chefs must maintain a systematic working environment.
A few tricks chefs keep up their sleeves help them make optimum use of space and stay organized. Learn these tricks, and you’ll be cooking like a pro in a professional kitchen.
Getting Started
Before organizing all your tools and appliances, make sure that you have sturdy storage units. Your cabinets should be of premium quality to ensure they last longer and keep your essential and expensive tools and appliances safe.
There are a lot of places where you can find good storage units. For example, purchasing wholesale cabinets at Kitchen Cabinet Kings, you can be sure of getting high-quality, all plywood kitchen cabinets, at discount prices too.
Once you have enough cabinetry, before using them for the first time, make sure to wipe down the shelves, countertops, and cabinets with a good multipurpose cleaner to sanitize the area.
If you aren’t buying new, make sure all your kitchen appliances are working. Fix those in need of repair or replace those that are unusable.
Sort all Your Tools
Remove everything from your kitchen. Now decide which items you are keeping and which you really need to throw away. Try to declutter by removing unnecessary or excessive items to give more space inside your cabinets. They shouldn’t be filled tight as you need room to easily maneuver items inside.
Remember to sharpen your knives and sanitize your dishware before storing them back inside your cabinetry. This can prevent damage to both your cabinets and utensils.
Placement is Key
What makes a good working kitchen is placing the right items in the right cabinet.
If you have a pantry, store in it as much food as you can so you’ll have more space for your tools in other cabinets. If you don’t have one, keep your food in the kitchen cabinets close to your countertop.
It’s best to store spice, condiment, and other storage containers in the cabinets above your workstation, so you can easily access them when prepping. As for your glasses, mixing bowls, cutting boards, and other dishes, keep them near the dishwasher or the drying rack for faster clean up and storage.
Keep larger cooking items like pots, pans, mixers, and baking sheets in the lower cabinets. You can maximize space by placing pans on their side and keeping pots nested together. You can also store the lids vertically inside a larger container.
You should keep cleaning supplies under the sink. If you have shelves, place cleaning supplies that can tip over or leak on the bottom shelf. To avoid contamination, never keep cleaning supplies above or in the same cabinet as your food items. Remember to childproof the area if you have kids or pets to prevent accidents.
If you don’t have any space underneath your sink, you can store harmful cleaning supplies in the bathroom. If your bathroom doesn’t have cabinets, or you’re considering replacing old ones, check out online bathroom cabinets for other storage options to keep your house extra organized.
If you live in a small apartment and need more storage space outside your home, consider renting out a storage unit in a nearby self-storage facility. You can find plenty of self-storage units on StorageCafe.com or other marketplaces.
Categorize and Separate
Have a separate drawer for utensils near your workspace countertop. A separate storage area will give you easier access to tools such as spoons, spatulas, and knives when prepping your meal.
You can also categorize your cabinets by keeping food items in your hanging cabinets, appliances and tools on countertops or in lower cabinets, and plates and tableware in tall cabinets.
Prioritize Frequently Used Items on Countertops
Countertops are best for items that you use all the time. Placing the things you frequently use on your countertops saves you time when retrieving and storing items as they are readily available at your fingertips.
Keep certain foods, serving platters (like holiday-themed dishware), cookbooks, and appliances that you rarely use inside cabinets to avoid kitchen clutter.
Be Neat and Label Things
Try storing most of your items in transparent containers if you’re storing them inside your cabinetry because this will allow you to easily access what you need.
To avoid confusion between similar-looking ingredients or condiments, label the containers. You wouldn’t want to put in salt when you need sugar. Try to keep labels readable and facing out. Lining up the containers and stacking bowls and plates in order of size will give a clean and more organized look.
Keeping Things Tidy
Professional kitchens maintain their cabinets and organize them regularly. Try to go through your cupboards and do a complete overhaul at least once or twice a year.
You should also clean and sanitize your cabinets as you go and do a weekly quick decluttering. Regularly cleaning your cabinets will keep your kitchen mold and pest free.
You can always set a reminder for a monthly organizational plan to help you maintain your kitchen’s professional look.
Takeaway
Preparing and making delicious meals is more comfortable in a well-organized kitchen space. You can also focus more on practicing your skills when your kitchen is efficiently and professionally maintained.
Rest assured that by following the tips above, you’ll have the maintenance and cleaning habits of a top chef.
