I love to bake/cook and live in an apartment, so you could say I streamlined out of dire need. hehe :flower:
I decluttered my kitchen in stages:
First, I donated the things I never used (certain spatulas, specialty bowls, etc), trimmed back the "rarely" used, and separated out seasonal items from the regularly used ones. The seasonal goods I stored in a hutch cabinet in the dining room. I rotate things out as they're needed, but they no longer clog up the kitchen's flow.
Next, I designated zones for certain kitchen activities. For instance, one cabinet for baking with muffin pans, bread pans, cookie decorating kit, etc (kept right next to the over). Another cabinet for cooking sprays, oils, flours, etc (right above the stove). One for tupperware/plastic containers (stacked with lids vertically leaning on the sides). Another for seasonings and related items like food coloring. Yet another for pots, pans, skillets, and baking dishes, et al.
Finally, within those zones, I organized the things I use most often ("urgent" items) into the most easily accessible location (eye-level and/or within hands-reach without having to move something else to get to it or get a chair). Sort of like zones within zones. It's not hard to do. For instance, I rarely use pot lids, so I put them in the back of the pots/pans zones, and I rarely use powdered sugar or baker's chocolate, so I put those at the top back shelf of the seasonings cabinet.
I especially love the mini zones in my food pantry. From bottom to top, I have a breakfast shelf (cereals, oatmeal, and breakfast bars easily grabbed in the front; pancake mix, syrup, surplus supplies, etc in the back of the shelf) and a separate lunch shelf (bread, peanut butter, sandwich baggies in the front; canned soups, tuna fish, etc in the back). Above that is a shelf where I store canned fruit, vegetables, beans, and broths in the back of the shelf and small snack items in the front (easily grabbed for lunch) like mixed nuts, dried fruits, applesauce, etc. Then above that, I have an Italian shelf devoted to pasta boxes on one side and sauce jars on the other, and a separate starch/grains shelf (potatoes, stuffing, different rices, couscous, et al). On the very top, I store little things we rarely touch (like popcorn or dried beans) and on the very bottom shelf, I store big or heavy supplies.
To make sure no food goes bad, I place new jars/boxes/cans in the back/bottom of stacks/rows and we always grab from the top/front. It's like with our bathroom towels, where I place the fresh ones on the bottom and we grab from the top. We keep a magnetic memo pad and pen on the fridge, so when something runs out, we quickly jot it down. When planning my shopping, based on our menu plan, I decide whether or not we need the items. I also quickly glance in the different zones to double check I didn't forget or mistakenly think I need something.
Some other space/time-savers:
- I use magnetic hooks on the side of the fridge to keep one set of oven mitts and one set of pot holders. One kitchen towel goes on the oven door. Extra mitts/towels/etc go in the dining room hutch and I rotate them and declutter them periodically.
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- I keep a sturdy basket on top of the fridge for the occasional triscuits, pretzels, girl scout cookies, extra big box of cereal, etc. This is easily moved when I want to grab a cookbook from the shelf above it (and I only keep a few of those, along with a small plastic index card holder where I store my favorite recipes on index cards).
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- Kitchen broom and swiffer go in the utility room, stored on hooks for when I need to sweep/mop. Other kitchen cleaning supplies, extra kitchen sponges and soap, etc are stored in a plastic container under the kitchen sink. There is also a small bucket with my regular household supplies (windex, pledge, towels, rubber gloves, duster, dust mask). It's quick and easy to grab for my weekly house blessing (I'm a FLYbaby).
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- At my kitchen sink, I keep a sponge in a bathroom soap dish (keeps area nice and dry) and some dish soap. That's it. The counter to the side there is my main prep space. I keep it empty by washing dishes throughout the day and "shining" my sink (another FLYbaby reference).
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- The small counter to the left of the oven holds a vertical utensil organizer with spatulas, ladles, etc (I had a bulky rotating one until I got this perfect flat one that fits the space perfectly: SimpleHuman. It even has a detachable spoon rest. I recommend!). The long counter to the right of the oven has a rice cooker, vertical knife block (tip: some people put magnets on their knives and store them against their fridge or against the wall behind their stove), toaster oven, blender, George Foreman grill, and microwave -- my essentials that I use very often. They line the wall. There is nothing in front of them, no trinkets or doo-dads, so the space serves for prep. It's all business.
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- On top of the microwave, I keep a breakfast tray where I can store a rare tupperware of cookies, fruit that needs to ripen, or things that need a temporary home (like right now, I'm trying to figure out a system for my beloved bento lunch -- my bento box, chopsticks, food picks, etc). Other essentials that I don't use as often, like my bread maker or food processor, I store in less "urgent" places.
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- I keep aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and large storage bags all in the same drawer along with some masking tape and a Sharpie for marking leftover foods (I jot the date down quickly so we know to eat it before it goes bad) and some clothespins to use as food clips for cereal bags, pretzels, etc.
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- I keep it simple. No keeping junk I don't need/use/positively adore. For instance, unless you have a physical reason, you don't need an electronic can opener (a handheld one will do, and it'll fit so easily in a drawer). I have a toaster oven (I love love love), so I don't need a regular bread toaster. My rice cooker has a veggie steamer in the top, so I don't need a separate electronic steamer (and the only reason I have my rice cooker is because it's tiny and earns its keep! -- and again, I love love love it!). And how many X,Y, Z of the same thing does a person really need (spatulas, whisks, baking sheets, cutting boards, cups, mugs, etc)? It becomes clutter, just another thing in the way, after a certain point. Clean it up, get back to the basics and your creative energies will thank you. I also like to think that each item deserves to be used and appreciated. So if I'm not filling that spot, I need to set the item free so whoever gets my donated good can appreciate it as it deserves!.
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- And most importantly, now that I've decluttered, I don't shop for more. I treasure the quiet space. I function so well without the junk, I realize that enough really is enough (and then some!). No more is needed, and I don't want it either.[/*:m:8d403]
I hope you found a gem or two from what works for me personally. Good luck!
He especially likes to make banana bread and blueberry muffins. :grin:
