How to Organize Your Kitchen for Efficiency

Do you find that you're spending a lot of time in the kitchen, looking for items and walking back and forth to collect items from areas other than where you're working? It may be time to rearrange your kitchen to make it more efficient!

Usually an inefficient kitchen is simply the result of appliances, tools, and other items being brought to the kitchen at different times. When you bring home something new, you tend put it where there is a convenient space. Over time, all those single items being brought in end up strewn all over the kitchen, instead of collected into areas that would be more efficient. Here's how to rearrange your items, so that you can spend less time in the kitchen and still get more done.

The Stove Area ~
The stove area is your primary cooking area, so it needs the things you cook with. The cabinet nearest your stove and oven should be filled with pots and pans. Those are the things you'll be reaching for most often while you're standing there at the stove.

Cooking Utensils ~
Again, your cooking utensils are going to be used most often at the stove. All your spatulas, your big stirring spoons, your tongs, and other things of that nature, should be in the top drawer closest to your stove. Also in that drawer (or under it), should be your hot pads and oven mitts. These are the things you'll be reaching for while you're standing at the stove and suddenly you realize you need a hot pad or a set of tongs.

Baking Items ~
When you're baking, you're going to be using things like mixing bowls, and measuring cups and spoons. As you dirty up measuring cups and spoons, you're going to need to toss them into the sink (instead of setting them down wet on the counter!). So, it makes sense that your baking tools should be fairly near the sink. Putting small things, like measuring spoons and spatulas, in the drawer nearest the sink will keep them handy, while putting mixing bowls and electric mixers in the cabinet nearest the sink will keep them near at hand.