THE KITCHEN: Heart of The Home
The twenty-first-century Kitchen is the hub of the home: a place where homework gets done, art is created, plans are made, bills get paid, news is shared and batter bowls are licked. Whether your kitchen activities consist of making elaborate meals or ordering takeout, the following organizational tips will make your kitchen a high-functioning – and pleasurable – place to be.
THE KITCHEN: Heart of The Home
Tips for Making the Most of Limited Counter Space:
Food Prep
For some, this will seem like common sense; for others, a revolution: Store things where you use them. Keep pot holders, spices and cooking utensils very close to the oven and near the pots and pans. Store dishes and silverware near the dishwasher, the colander and cleaning supplies near the sink. Cuttingboard, knives, measuring spoons and mixing bowls go near the prep area.
– Buy small appliances such as toasters, microwaves and can openers that can be mounted underneath cabinets.
– Swap a knife block for a magnetic strip on the wall.
– Instead of storing utensils in a canister, install a stainless steel rod with matching S hooks on the backsplash and hang utensils out of the way but still within arm’s reach.
Cleanup
Just say NO to sink clutter: Keep all your sink accessories neat with a sink organizer that holds dish soap, scrubbers and sponge in one contained unit. If you are short on counter space, ditch the scrubbers and outfit your sink with a stainless steel suction-cupped sponge holder to keep sponges off the counter. Sponges used for deeper cleaning are the best stored under the sink. Swap homely plastic dish soap bottles for a stainless steel or glass soap dispenser. One trick is to use one liquid soap that multitasks as both a dish and hand soap.
– Replace the bottle of dishwashing soap with a soap-dispensing dish wand.
– Substitute a dish drainer for an over-the-sink or wall-mounted variety.
– Replace a countertop water filter or pitcher with one that mounts on a faucet.
Storage
The single most important component of an organized kitchen is clutter-free countertops. Countertop real estate is a hot commodity and should be reserved for items used frequently, if not daily. Relocate seldom-used appliances and gadgets to cabinets and drawers. Small items such as vitamins, supplements and tea boxes have a tendency to accumulate and produce visual clutter. To get stuff off the counters, think up (to walls and ceiling), in (behind closed cabinet doors and drawers) and out (of the kitchen altogether).
– Hang narrow shelves between counter and cabinets to hold everyday items such as salt, pepper, coffee fixings, teas and vitamins.
– Relocate the fruit bowl from the counter to the center of the kitchen table.
– Hang a three-tiered wire basket from a plant hook that extends from the wall to contain non refrigerated produce such as potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and onions.
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