4 Steps to Organising Your Kitchen Cupboards
Clutter-free and oh-so satisfying.
A well-organised kitchen is key to a stress-free cooking environment. But if you're more 'out of sight, out of mind' when it comes to storage, then let our easy guide to organising your kitchen cabinets help you find the right balance in your kitchen.
Step 1: Start from Scratch
When organising your kitchen, start by taking everything out of the drawers and cabinets then considering how much you use each item. Are there any forgotten plates, mugs, glasses or utensils? Donate them. If they're chipped or broken, bin them. Do you use the same six plates regularly but have 12 plates in your cupboard? Consider packing up the extra six and storing them in your attic or basement.
Match tupperware containers, pots and pans with their lids and throw away any tupperware that doesn’t have a matching one.
Now focus on grouping similar items together. Place all cooking and baking items, dishes, serving platters, utensils and glasses in their respective groups.
Step 2: Clean
While the kitchen cupboards are empty, clean them. Remove crumbs and dust, then wipe down the inside of the cabinets by spraying a household cleaner onto a clean cloth and wiping all hard surfaces.
Step 3: Plan
Now that your items are grouped together, it's best to store them closest to where you'll use them most. We recommend keeping everyday items such as plates, bowls and glasses on bottom cabinet shelves so they're within easy reach. Upper cabinets are typically used for dishes and glassware, while lower cabinets are for pots, pans and small appliances. Less frequently used items like pitchers, platters and serving bowls should be placed on higher shelves.
Cooking and baking items such as pots, pans and baking sheets should be placed near your oven or hob. If you want to conserve cupboard space, hang pots and pans on a pot rack. Pot racks can also be used to store lids upright and in an orderly fashion.
Keep utensils, cutting boards and small appliances (hand mixers, blenders, juicers) near your prep area. Depending on where you typically pack up leftovers, you can place tupperware, plastic storage bags, aluminum foil and plastic wrap either by your prep area or near your fridge.
Dishes, glasses and silverware should be placed close to the sink or dishwasher for easy washing and unloading.
Tip: Many ovens come with an additional drawer that is the perfect size for storing large baking sheets and pans.
Step 4: Organise
If you have unused space in your kitchen cabinets, use shelving racks and under-shelf baskets to double the amount of items it can store. These modern organisers can also be used in your larder to add more levels of shelves to hold food, extra dish towels, napkins, soap, plastic wrap and more.
When organising your larder, group similar items together. For example all desserts, crisps, tinned foods, soups and baking ingredients like flour and baking soda, should be placed in their respective groups.
If you have a small larder or cupboard, add a door organiser to provide more storage space without taking up any floor space.
If you have deep cabinets, consider pull-out cabinet organisers so you can easily reach items in the back and maximise storage capacity. These organisers are helpful for storing pots and pans, lids, food, rubbish bins or cleaning supplies.
Instead of storing your cooking utensils in a drawer, pick a decorative utensil holder and place your most-used utensils in there for easy access when cooking.
While a cutlery tray is most commonly used for storing cutlery you can also place these organisers in other drawers to hold tin openers, scissors, bottle openers, measuring cups and more. They're also great placed in junk drawers and give everything a designated section while making the drawer less of a catchall for items that could have been thrown away.
If you drink wine often and like to keep your wine glasses readily accessible, consider a wine glass rack. You can choose from freestanding racks, decorative shelving units or under cabinet hooks. The rack will provide more kitchen cupboard space for other items.
Easily make your morning cup of coffee or tea by placing a mug station next to your coffee maker. Your station should include a mug tree and decorative kitchen canisters or jars for holding coffee beans, creamers, sugar and more.
Tip: Find more ways to organise your home with:
- How to Organise and Store Your Jewellery
- 7 Under-the-Sink Storage Hacks You Should Try
- In Search of More Garden Storage?
