Who doesn’t love an organized kitchen? But many kitchens hold more gadgets and gizmos than anyone needs to cook dinner for their family. At least that’s my goal, to cook healthy meals for my family. And I believe everyone would like to prep dinner without cleaning up the kitchen first.
Less Clutter and More Organization in just 5 Days with my Free Mini-Course.
Kickstart your decluttering efforts with my Free Mini-Course.
Click HERE and learn how to create a clutter-free and organized home.
Organized Kitchen
When it comes to an organized kitchen, I find there’s a lot of stuff getting in the way of how the room is made to function.
- Piles of paper and mail
- Small appliances covering countertops
- Bulk food buys with nowhere to live
- Decorations and dust collectors
- Items that do not belong in the kitchen
Try these 3 easy steps to an organized kitchen.
Step #1 – Meal Plan
I know. You hate meal planning but it is necessary. The only way to understand what food to buy and appliances to own is with a meal plan.
- What recipes do you routinely make?
- What meals do you enjoy?
- How do you store healthy ingredients?
The answers to these questions inform your decisions about what equipment to own, pantry and fridge staples to buy, as well as how to best stock the freezer. These spaces should hold items you actually use in the recipes on your meal plan.
Step #2 – Maintain Clean Counters
There is nothing more frustrating than coming home with bags of groceries and nowhere to put them, or having to clean the kitchen before you make dinner.
- Do you have space to prep dinner on your kitchen counter?
- Are your counters cluttered with papers and other items that get in the way?
- What has earned a spot on the prime real estate known as your kitchen counter?
Perhaps that Instapot isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and doesn’t deserve all that precious counter space?
Step #3 – Respect Boundaries
Often I find that maintaining clean counters is difficult because cabinets and drawers are jam-packed. By addressing the space inside your kitchen cabinets, a clean kitchen counter is achievable.
- How many dishes do you really need?
- Are the food storage containers taking over?
- Who lives in your house 365 days a year? Plan for those people not Thanksgiving.
- Do you assign a home for small appliances before you buy them?
Organized Kitchen
Let’s start the week off right with a simple meal plan, empty kitchen counters, and boundaries for all kitchen items. By decluttering first, the equipment and food used in dinner prep will be easy to find and put away. And if you’re struggling to let go of small appliances, try moving them to the garage for 90 days. Then donate or sell if you have not used them in that time.
Do you struggle to keep an organized kitchen? Leave me a comment.
Looking for more inspiration? Check out my free Mini-Course.
*This post includes affiliate links which means if you purchase one of the items, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. These commissions help me maintain my website and write new articles. Thank you for your support!*
I’m not a mom, I barely cook, and I never meal plan. That said, as a professional organizer, I really appreciate the appeal of an organized kitchen; without order, healthy meals and relaxed family time will always be harder to accomplish. And I love that you accented organizing your kitchen for the life you lead every day, not for the special events like holiday meals.
Also, I covet those square, white dishes!
So well said, “without order, healthy meals and relaxed family time will always be harder to accomplish.” And yes, I do love the square white plates. Our kitchen is definitely geared to 365 days as I call it. Thanks for reading!
I think meal planning is a practice that can reap the most benefits. It has saving me money and time every week.
Yes!! I agree Janet. We’ve also had some very funny meals and laughed about it as a family. But it does say time and money every time. I still call an audible from time to time. Like last night, too many leftovers to warrant making a new meal, so I moved it out a day. But having it written down based on what we have in the fridge leads to better meals and less waste too. So glad it works for you too!
Boy, did I need to read this today. I have been struggling with our kitchen since we moved in . . . LAST JANUARY! Thank you for reminding me to refocus and be deliberate in my effort to organize and stay organized. Love your blogs!
You’re so kind Isabelle! I’m so glad it was helpful. Thanks for reading. I’ll keep writing. 😉