Tip Tuesday – Key Kitchen Concepts

As we charge headlong into the holiday season, with meals to make and treats to bake, I encourage you to take a fresh look at your kitchen and divide how you store items into four unique zones. PREP, COOK, SERVE and STORE are the categories I use to divide kitchen tasks:

PREP: Everything you need to prep your food. Cutting boards, knives, mixing bowls, and measuring cups belong in this category. Basic ingredients like flour and sugar could be included. Don’t forget your food processor, blender, and other prep appliances. These things should be easy to access and ideally located by the counter that you usually use to chop and mix.

COOK: This is a large category as it encompasses all of your pots and pans, utensils, pot holders and colanders. It also includes spices, vinegar, and oils that are used for cooking. Ideally, these items will all be within arms reach from your stove or cooktop. Think about your dominant hand and try to put utensils to your right or left depending.

SERVE: All of your plates, bowls, cutlery, mugs, glassware, stemware and trays fall under this category. Be realistic about what you keep close to hand. If space is tight, perhaps only 8 of the set of 16 glasses need to be accessible? If you have more than one set of dishes, then the seldom-used china may need to be stored elsewhere to make room for your everyday plates.

STORE: This category includes foil, wrap, plastic or reusable bags, food storage containers, and all of the lids for them as well. The little snack holders and all of the various lids that come with this group can be difficult to match and manage. Again, take inventory and when possible store Tupperware with the lids ON to save the frustration of trying to find a match.

I find it super helpful to group things according to these categories in any kitchen, big or small. Let me know if this helps you prep for the holiday season, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!