As you can probably guess, the key aspect of a nice kitchen for every chef and cooking enthusiast is functionality. In that respect, you should work on minimizing the physical steps as much as possible. The ideal way to do exactly that doesn’t have to include renovation work unless you want to; what you need to focus on is the proper organisation system of your kitchen and pantry.
1. Start Your Kitchen Organisation with a Declutter
Whatever you plan to do, you’ll still have to get all of the items you have in your kitchen out so that you can work out the storage system. Therefore, this allows you to do a thorough declutter as well. Your goal is to organise your kitchen like a professional chef, which means that you need to think practically. So, get rid of all the herbs and spices you just never use, or no one in your household, including yourself, likes. Of course, you should definitely bid farewell to those items that are way past their expiration date. Let’s face it, we all tend to have a couple of these lying around, completely forgotten.
Now comes the more challenging part but it’s definitely rather crucial for your effective organisation: pots, utensils and kitchenware. If the kitchen is an important room for you and you really enjoy cooking, you probably already have your favourite tools. In that respect, do your best to declutter everything and anything you just never reach for. If you can’t remember how to use a pan, pot or utensil practically the moment you see it, you really don’t need it.
2. Make the Most Out of the Storage Options
With everything emptied out, you can now clearly see your entire storage space. This includes the pantry, cabinets, shelves, drawers, and so on. For starters, make sure to give these a good clean. A professional chef keeps their storage fresh, clean and tidy as well – not just the countertops.
Once everything is properly cleaned, you can decide where and how you want to store your items. In general, a pantry is a good option for herbs and spices (although you can place them on an open shelf if you have one just above your stove), non-perishable items and containers. You can even go a step further and organise the spices, herbs and non-perishables by flavour and date.
The tools that you tend to use the most should be easily reachable. In that respect, try your best to hang them under your countertops, shelves or ceiling nooks to utilize the space in the kitchen in the most practical and functional manner.
Obviously, you have all the freedom and creativity when it comes to designated storage space for different items; after all, all professional chefs tend to have their own unique system. But, if you notice that you seem to lack effective storage, you can put up some floating shelves or get containers and boxes as well as drawer dividers to add more storage space and make some order.
3. Boost the Safety of Your Kitchen
If you want to have a dream kitchen similar to those of professional chefs, your organisation and design won’t be enough. You’ll also have to deal with the safety issues. For instance, it’s only natural that the risk of fire and gasses is bigger in the kitchen. Hopefully, you won’t ever experience this particular hazard but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. That said, installing a proper HVAC system is definitely worth the investment. Together with an aspirator and functional fire/smoke alarm, you’ll create a strong first line of defence in case something unfortunate happens.
4. Don’t Forget to Tackle Your Fridge
Once you’re done with storing your pots, pans and utensils as well as the spices and non-perishables, and everything is nice and clean, it’s time to deal with perishable food items and your fridge. Just like the rest of your kitchen, you should clean your fridge thoroughly and on a regular basis.
However, you also need to organise your fridge properly. For starters, keep in mind that cooked food should be separated according to the cooking temperature. In that respect, red meat, fish and veggies should be kept separately in the fridge. Instead of crowding your fridge space with pots, store soups and liquids in zip-lock bags. What’s more, try not to waste anything – If there’s some leftover food, freeze it!
You know your cooking routine the best, which is why you should always focus on your own movement and practices when organizing the kitchen. In the end, you can confidently use various ideas from professional chefs as inspiration, but keep in mind that everything that works for them might not necessarily work for you and your kitchen area. After all, for someone who loves cooking, the kitchen should become a personal space.
