Organizing Your Cookware For A More Efficient Kitchen
As an essential component of any kitchen, cookware should be kept neat and tidy for maximum performance. Whether you're a professional chef or just like to cook at home, keeping your cookware organized will help you save time, energy, and, of course, headache *wink*.
If you want to get the most out of your kitchen, let's dive into how to organize your cookware, shall we?
Assess Your Kitchen Routines
It's important to begin thinking about your cooking habits and routines, as this will help you determine what cookware you actually use + what cookware you actually need.
If you rarely bake, you may not need as many baking sheets or casserole dishes. If you have a small kitchen, you may not have room for larger pots and pans that you only use occasionally.
Once you've gone through a few of these considerations — not only in terms of what your daily routines are but also how you actually want to use your kitchen, you'll have a better idea of what you want + need.
Assessing where you are as well as what you want from an organized kitchen, will make it much easier to declutter, organize, + create a functional and efficient kitchen.
Declutter Your Cookware
One foundational step in organizing your cookware is to declutter.
And we know that doesn’t sound like the most fun part *wink* Trust us friend, we all want to jump to making your home beautiful. However, going through everything you have is essential for creating an efficient kitchen.
This means taking all of your pots, pans, baking sheets, utensils, and other kitchen items out of your cabinets and drawers, and laying them out on a clean surface, such as a kitchen table, your countertops, or even the floor.
As you declutter your cookware, it's important to evaluate each piece.
Now, in our full-service organizing membership, we do this with you. But if you’re going it alone you want to ask yourself for each pot, pan, or utensil:
Have I used it in the past year?
Is it in good condition?
Does it serve a purpose in this space?
Of course, if the answer to any of these questions is no, then it's time to let it go.
Another question that often should be asked is, "Do I have a duplicate of this already?" If you do, you can keep one and get rid of the others.
It's also worth noting that during this process, you may find some items that need to be replaced + that’s alright. Replacing them will make cooking more enjoyable :)
Organizing Cookware In Your Kitchen
Organizing cookware is identifying + creating order in your kitchen for everything you own.
Grouping similar items together is a good starting point for organizing cookware. Put pots and pans, baking sheets, and cutting boards in close proximity to one another while they are not in use. Utensils work well in drawers, while small gadgets can be stored on shelves.
When deciding where to store your belongings, take into account how often you use each item as well as how big or bulky it is. Keep the things you use most within easy reach, and the things you use less often in more inconvenient places.
It's important to think about the overall layout of your kitchen when selecting how to organize your cookware. If you have a smaller or more compact kitchen, you may need to think a bit differently or creative about how you use the space you have. Consider, in what ways can you possibly save room in your cabinets and drawers?
When you have a larger kitchen or there’s more room, it's easier to find places to put things. But it can also be more difficult to determine what’s the best place for things to live.
Remember, the goal here is to find a home for everything you need + nothing more®. This way, you can find it easily when you need it. :)
Because let’s be real friend, having everything in its designated spot ensures that you'll always be able to find what you need with minimal effort. Not only does this minimize friction but it makes cooking by yourself or with your loved ones far more enjoyable.
Use Dividers, Containers + Organizers
Another step in organizing your cookware is to use dividers, containers and organizers. Dividers and organizers can be a great way to keep your cookware in order and easily accessible. They can also help you make the most of the space you have because by dividing, containerizing or simply organizing they allow you to store more items in the same amount of space. And that my friend, is what we call a Win-Win!
For pots and pans, consider using dividers to separate them. This will make it easy to find the pot or pan you need, without having to dig through a pile of other cookware. There are different types of dividers available, from simple plastic dividers to more elaborate metal or wooden ones.
When it comes to utensils and other smaller items, drawer organizers can be very helpful. They allow you to separate your utensils, such as spatulas and tongs, from your other kitchen items, such as measuring cups and spoons. This will make it easy to find what you need, and also help to keep your drawers tidy as you open + close them.
From time-to-time, consider using hanging racks or hooks to store items in a pantry or appliance garage. This can be a great way to save space, keep things within easy reach but also not create visual clutter.
There are other cookware items that may benefit from dividers and organizers:
baking sheets
cutting boards
spices
appliance gadgets like mixer connections, graters, etc
Of course, using dividers, containers and organizers will help keep everything in its place, and make it easy to find what you need, right when you need it *wink*
However, it’s quite often that a lot of people don’t measure their space or their stuff, so when selecting dividers and organizers, look for not only durable, easy-to-clean materials such as acrylic, metal or wood. But take into account the size and shape of your cookware and kitchen space to ensure that the dividers, containers or organizers you choose will fit and work well for your needs.
Use Vertical Space
When organizing your kitchen, it's crucial to make use of the vertical space available.
And there are several ways our design + organizing teams at Elegant Simplicity recommend using vertical space.
Hooks + Hanging Cookware
While we’re no fan of visual clutter, hooks or hanging drawer glides inside of cabinets are an ideal method for storing pots and pans. They not only make it easier to keep your cabinets clutter free, but they also maximize the vertical space of your kitchen cabinets. This way, things won't get lost in the back of a cabinet, and you'll be able to find them when you need them.
Shelves For Cookware
While we’ve already discussed dividers + organizers — it’s important to remember that shelves can be maximized by considering how to best use dividers, containers + organizers vertically.
Label Cabinets + Drawers For Organizing Cookware
One of the most challenging aspects of living in an organized home + organizing cookware is maintaining it. Now, we can tell you a thousand examples of the last decade and a half of clients who LOVE their newly organized home + how that motivates them to maintain it.
But the truth is, that you’re not the only one in your home who likely is responsible for its upkeep. Whether that’s your partner, your kids, your personal chef or your housekeeper who comes into your kitchen + puts things away.
So one of the final steps in organizing your cookware for a more efficient kitchen is simply to label everything. Now, we talk all about labels over here— so if you’re in love with the value of labeling be sure to check that out.
In any case, labeling the cabinets + drawers that your cookware lives in can save you a lot of time, energy + headache in the long run. Because, it will make it easy to find what you need and keep everything in its place even if you forget.
Not to mention, it will also guide others who didn’t help set it up — to know your organizing systems. They’ll know where the pots go, where the pans go, where the utensils are. Where the mixing bowls and the measuring cups go.
Ultimately, when home is everything you need + nothing more®, there should be no other place you’d rather be :)
And if you loved this blog post then without question, you’re absolutely going to go nuts for our FREE video course: 4-Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home
Also, don’t forget to check out our amazing Free Resource Library or if you’re looking to start your home organizing journey, request a FREE 30-minute Clarity Call and… let’s chat!