Is your kitchen drowning in chaos? Then you need a new organisational system. With our tips and tricks, drawers, work surfaces, fridges, and more can be quickly reorganised and tidied up, so your kitchen shines anew.
For links on this page marked with
, Haus.de may receive a commission from the retailer/provider.
When hunger strikes, things sometimes need to be quick – to the detriment of kitchen order.
Key Points in Brief
- In a well-organised kitchen, you find your way around quickly and have everything at your fingertips.
- Storage containers, organisational systems, and labels are essential when organising your kitchen.
- In both kitchen cabinets and the fridge, items that need to be used up quickly or are used daily should be placed at the front.
- Drawer dividers, cutlery trays, and lazy Susans can create order everywhere.
Why a Kitchen Must Be Organised
Are you more of a creative chaos type? This can quickly become a problem in the kitchen, especially in the fridge. When everything is in disarray, it’s usually impossible to find anything and easy to lose track. kitchen sink tidy
Loose lids flying around in cabinets, spices chaotically scattered in a drawer, and pot holders nowhere to be found? Then it’s time to organise your kitchen. With a good organisational system, everything is where it should be and quickly within reach: the right lid for the pot, that one spice for the delicious curry, food items no longer rotting in a corner. With the right overview, you buy less, saving not only money but also preventing food waste and unnecessary consumption.
The 5 Best Tips for More Order in the Kitchen
We have five simple tips to bring more order to your kitchen – and keep it that way. With this step-by-step guide, order becomes your new way of life.
Tip 1: Declutter and Sort
The first step towards order is to start from scratch. That means: empty everything out. Cabinets, drawers, and even the fridge. This gives you an overview of what you have. While the storage space is empty, it’s also worth giving the insides a clean, especially in the fridge.
Note:
Use this step to sort out things you no longer need. Consider how often you really use items and whether they are still needed in your kitchen. This applies to dishes, pans, pots, appliances, and accessories. The sandwich maker used only once a year could perhaps go to the cellar or storeroom.
Items that you no longer need don’t have to be thrown away immediately. If they are still functional, friends, neighbours, or a charity shop might appreciate them.
For food items, discard anything that is definitely no longer edible. Pay less attention to the best-before date and more to smell, consistency, and taste. Empty jars, deposit bottles, and paper waste can be disposed of right away.
Tip 2: Find Optimal Storage Solutions
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for perfect storage. Look at different systems and decide which one best suits you and your kitchen.
- Dividers: Cabinet organisers and drawer dividers are practical as they give a system to chaotic storage, ensuring everything has its right place. Dividers and organisers come in various sizes, colours, and shapes.
- Lazy Susan: If you’re planning a new kitchen, consider a lazy Susan. It saves space and offers a lot of hidden storage.
- Utility Cart: If you lack surface space, a utility or serving cart is a good option.
- Knife Block: To keep good knives in top condition, they should be stored properly, ideally in a knife block.
- Cutlery Tray: Cutlery should be neatly sorted in the drawer. A cutlery tray helps with organisation. Tip: Occasionally vacuum the individual compartments.
Tip 3: Design Efficient Work Surfaces
The kitchen counter often looks untidy because it’s cluttered with various items. Toaster, soda maker, food processor, knives, cutting boards, wine bottles: everything is disorganised.
The work surface should not be chaotic but efficiently arranged. Only things you really use every day should be on top. Salt, kettle, two good knives. Items not used every day can be safely stored away. This makes your counter much clearer, giving you more space for chopping, cooking, and washing. It also reduces dust accumulation.
Tip 4: Organise Food Supplies and Spices
Admittedly, organising food supplies and spices is particularly tricky. Again, follow the frequency principle. Spices and supplies used daily should be in the front row. Products that expire soon, thus not lasting long, should also be at the front.
Spices can also be transferred to jars, either lying in a kitchen drawer or standing on a shelf. Ensure proper labelling: Lying spices should be labelled on the front, standing spices on the lid.
Dry foods like pasta, rice, or nuts should be stored airtight and dry. Screw jars or special storage containers are suitable.
Tip:
Label all storage containers. You can write not only what’s inside the jar but also the expiry date of the food item. Besides labels, special pens or a label maker are also suitable. If a food item is empty, be sure to clean the container before refilling it.
Create an order in the shelves or kitchen cabinets with supplies and spices that work for you. If the established order turns out to be extremely impractical after two days, adjust the system so that it is as quick and easy as possible for you in everyday life.
Those who value a well-organised kitchen store their supplies in airtight, dry, and sunlight-protected containers.
Photo: iStock / Getty Images Plus / Kostikova
Tip 5: Effectively Organise Kitchen Appliances and Electronics
Here the rule is clear: Anything used only once or twice a year goes to the cellar. And preferably in the original packaging or a suitable box. This keeps dust and dirt at bay. This includes devices like fondue sets, waffle irons, juicers, or table grills.
Drawers and Cabinets or an Open Shelf?
Do you prefer to have your utensils and food items where you can see them? A well-organised and stylishly arranged open shelf with beautiful glasses can be a real eye-catcher in the kitchen. However, in everyday life, it’s often difficult to maintain an aesthetic look. Open shelves in the kitchen are not only dust catchers but also surfaces where grease and dirt easily accumulate.
In general, only supplies that do not need to be protected from light should be stored on an open shelf, so items that don’t require dry and dark storage. In most cases, a pantry cupboard is more suitable in the kitchen.
If you have a pantry for supplies, it should always be protected from sunlight and cool. This way, food can be stored safely for a long time. A pantry is especially practical when a whole family needs to be provided for and there should always be something in the house. You can also store kitchen appliances there, significantly easing kitchen organisation. But: Create an organisational system here too, and don’t forget to tidy up from time to time.
You Might Also Be Interested In:
Cleaning the Fridge
An organised fridge makes sense, as it reduces food spoilage. As different temperatures prevail in the fridge, you should store food items as follows:
- Top: Prepared dishes like jams and sauces
- Middle: Dairy products and meat, fish, and sausage
- Bottom: Vegetables and fruit
- Door: Bottles, butter, eggs, mustard, small glass preserves
Maintaining Order in the Kitchen
To maintain order, a bit of discipline is needed. Remind yourself when taking out and putting back that it’s just a small gesture to place the container or cutlery in the right compartment.
