How An Organized Kitchen Will Improve Your Cooking Game
An organized kitchen can change the way you cook completely. A structured workspace can allow you to cook more efficiently (because you can find everything you need instantly) and clean up quickly, allowing for a more enjoyable dining experience.
Whether you are a once-in-a-while cook or someone who takes to the stove on a daily basis, you can maximize your time in the kitchen with some key organization and the right set up. The Culinary Institute of America's textbook The Professional Chef explains the "Kitchen Brigade System," which was initially "instituted by [Auguste] Escoffier to streamline and simplify work in hotel kitchens. Essentially, the system calls for streamlined work stations so there is less confusion, less cross contamination and less mess. The concept is easily executed with the IKEA SEKTION kitchen system. The frames, the doors, the hinges, the drawers even the lighting is designed to give you the freedom to create the kitchen that's perfect for your life, your home, your style, budget and cooking style.
Having access to your frequently used utensils and pantry items will help your recipe prep move along quickly and effortlessly. Rachelle from Mommyimhungry.com suggests storing all your plastic ware lids in one deep drawer standing up like a file system. The IKEA SEKTION kitchen offers drawer organizers perfectly equipped to organize and manage all your lids, pots, pans and more.
Liz Jenkins, a certified professional organizer and member of the National Association of Professional Organizers suggests thinking of how you cook instead of how your favorite chef does when organizing your kitchen. "One of the things I try to work with all my clients on is looking at actually how they use the kitchen," said Jenkins. "So, the more you use it, the closer it should be to your workstation. The less frequently you use it, the farther away it should be."
Labeling and binning things like spices, sauces and dry goods will help you be a more efficient cook, too.
Want more tips on how an organized kitchen can make you a better cook? Here they are.
Keep your go-tos nearby. The IKEA SEKTION kitchen has super efficient drawer organizers that keep your favorite spatulas, whisks, knives and more within arms reach.
An under cabinet light like the OMLOPP by IKEA wont bulk up your space with a hanging cord. Plus, it's integrated functionality means it turns on when the cabinet opens so no switches to flip with.
Store the items most often accessed in your pantry on shelves at heights between your hips and shoulders. That way you have instant access to them. Heavier items you access less frequently can go down low – at a height between your knees and hips. Lighter ones can be stored on shelves at heights above your shoulders.
When putting items away, arrange the items so the oldest items are at the front of your pantry shelves and the newer items are at the back. This will help you to use the food item before it goes bad. The CIA calls this the "First In, First Out" rule.