The Sheet Pan Hack That Makes Cooking Prep Way Less Chaotic

If you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, you probably have a lot of instruments, gadgets, and the like to help keep the cooking experience as painless as possible. Nevertheless, some equipment gets used more than others. After all, specific instruments, like a sheet pan or cookie sheet, only serve one explicit purpose, right? Well, that's not true, especially in this case.

Sheet pans, like plastic wrap or Lexans (sturdy plastic containers), are used for every imaginable situation in the restaurant industry. There's a reason: Chefs and line cooks don't have the time to run around trying to gather all the necessary items they need for service, even if they're regularly on the move. Sheet pans act as a tray that holds everything they need in one trip. So, try following their lead the next time you need to collect your ingredients and tools before starting a meal. It might keep you from making a mess.

You may already be familiar with the phrase "mise en place," French for everything in its place. It's an important rule for professional chefs to streamline production in a kitchen. It has a long history dating back to the 19th century with Auguste Escoffier — the father of modern culinary practices and the brigade organizational system. However, despite being an old strategy, it is still very much implemented today. 

According to Insider, the late Anthony Bourdain even spoke on the practice in "Kitchen Confidential." He explained, "Mise en place is the religion of all good line cooks ... The universe is in order when your station is set up how you like it." The items you need are always nearby. Ergo, a sheet pan can make all the difference during a cooking session precisely because it'll keep everything organized and, more importantly, clean.

Granted, no cook is spotless; everyone gets messy sometimes, particularly when they're in a rush chopping, dicing, or multitasking. Still, the overlooked tool might help create order out of the chaos.

Even if you're not a professional, the overall objectives here are efficiency and cleanliness, which anyone can achieve. By staying methodical and having all the essentials ready beforehand, you can prevent unplanned mishaps that could otherwise ruin a meal, like digging around your pantry or fridge for a bottle of soy sauce while your wok of fried rice scorches on a burner. The idea may seem farfetched, but it could happen at the worst times, mainly with dishes requiring quick cooking and no breaks.

Whether you're feeding dozens of people or just making a meal for one, staying tidy might be in your best interest to maintain the cooking quality. And although it should go without saying, ensure your sheet pan is up to snuff. If there's rust on your baking sheet, don't use it to carry kitchen tools or food.