The kitchen is bursting at the seams and you are desperately looking for new storage space? With the right system you can create more space and order. You can find out exactly how this works here.
It is one of the most used rooms and is why it often sinks into chaos: the kitchen. Although there is all sorts of storage space here, upper and lower cabinets, drawers and shelves are jam-packed. But is it really because you have been hoarding more and more food in recent years – or could it possibly be that you have distributed dishes and cutlery, pots and pans, spices and baked goods around the kitchen without any real system? Next time you find yourself looking for something in particular for more than five minutes but can’t find it, you might want to rethink your organization system and reorganize the kitchen.
Clean out your kitchen
Even if it’s not a lot of fun, cleaning out is still necessary – and the first step towards improvement: clear out all the cupboards and drawers in your kitchen and sort out everything that is broken, duplicate or unusable . The things either end up in the trash or you donate the discarded things that are too good to throw away but no longer have a place in your kitchen.
In the second step, you should thoroughly clean the kitchen cupboards and drawers once they have been emptied – this option will no longer be available to you so quickly, so take advantage of it! Before you put all the leftover items away, it makes sense to divide them into different categories, i.e. dishes and cutlery, pots and pans, cans and spices.
The same applies to your food: divide your stocks so that you always have the foods together that you need more often, that you have bought in advance and that you need for cooking. Also pay attention to which foods no longer have a shelf life so that they don’t end up in the trash. Incidentally, this does not apply to canned goods – the contents can be consumed for significantly longer than stated.
Clean out the drawers
Do you also have a kind of “junk and clutter” drawer where you store all sorts of things that you think you’ll be able to use again at some point? Then you’ve probably lost track long ago. Here you can bring more order into the system by adding a to use. So-called drawer organizers are available in different sizes and different designs, here is an example:
Always keep everything at hand
Store all household utensils so that everything you need more often is within easy reach. In other words, the drawers near the stove are best suited for cutlery or the spices you need for cooking – there are also those for this . Pots and pans should be stored near the cooking surface, sharp knives near the work surface: For example, use a space-saving one for this which is attached to the wall.
Make full use of the interior cabinets
Far too often, valuable storage space is wasted: starting with the trash can, which has a place in the base cupboards in many households. Apart from the fact that food residues release moisture and mold forms more quickly, the area can easily be used for other purposes. Instead, use a separate one which you put in the kitchen.
Does your kitchen have a corner cabinet? Then you probably store a lot of household appliances there, such as a , which you don’t use very often – because they are difficult to access. It is better to use a special one here , which offers space on several levels and can be rotated so that you can easily get to everything. The cheaper alternative would be a .
Sort your groceries
Regardless of whether you have a pantry or just a drawer or cupboard in which you store food: you can also create order here by systematically organizing your inventory. All products that are used most often get the best place. So that you can get a better overview recommended, which you should ideally label (don’t confuse salt and sugar) – for example with one .
Create more storage space
In small kitchens it is particularly difficult to create storage space. At least that’s what most people believe. The fact is that there are many little tricks that can help you get more storage space – no matter how big the room is. Use the kitchen cabinet doors to hang smaller items on the inside. There are also special devices for this, such as adjustable ones (plus kitchen hooks), a or even one (for e.g. cups).
Organize the refrigerator properly
You can also create order in the refrigerator, because what many people don’t know is that every device has different climate zones, i.e. the temperature varies between the individual compartments. If the refrigerator has been set to the recommended average temperature of seven degrees, the vegetable compartment (at the very bottom) will be around twelve degrees, while the top compartment will be just under four degrees – and there’s a good reason for this – to make food last longer. However, eggs, milk and vegetables like different degrees of cold, and some foods don’t have a place in the fridge at all. It is therefore best to proceed as follows when tidying up.
- As the name suggests, the vegetable compartment at the bottom of the refrigerator is best suited for sensitive foods such as salad, fruit and vegetables – the temperature here is between ten and 13 degrees.
- All foods that perish particularly quickly should be stored in the bottom compartment, such as fresh fish and meat, but also sausage and cheese – the temperature here is between four and five degrees.
- All dairy products feel particularly comfortable in the middle compartment, i.e. quark and yoghurt dishes, cream and milk, but also fresh eggs – the temperature here is ideally between six and seven degrees.
- The top compartment is the warmest because warm air rises to the top. It is best to store previously prepared dishes or sauces and jam here – the temperature here is between seven and ten degrees.
Tip: You can check the temperatures with a special one .
There are also different climate zones in the refrigerator door. The best way to put the food away is as follows:
- Drinks go to the bottom – except for the milk, it’s too warm for them there
- Mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise or dressings go in the middle compartment
- Butter and margarine, i.e. foods that keep for a long time, go in the top compartment
And one last note: Tomatoes, lemons, garlic, onions, avocados and bananas do not belong in the refrigerator – these foods should be stored at room temperature as they cannot develop their full flavor in cold temperatures.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
