Organizing Your Kitchen

Okay, so you’ve started getting stuff for the kitchen. Before you start putting it in, there is one major consideration:  Who gets to decide where things go. This isn’t just a territory thing, it’s an efficiency thing. If you are by yourself then this is not an issue, but if you have roommates it invariably going to be a problem. Whoever is going to do most of the cooking should do the organizing; although other arguments can be made, that person has a better idea of what is used on a daily basis, as well as setting things up for the most efficient use. Although other arguments can be made, the goal should be to make cooking as easy as possible and not some idiotic power grab.

The next thing should be to wash all of the dishes. Between dust, coverings, and anything else that’s in the air, a good wash is pretty much required. Use the dishwasher as much as required, and water as hot and soapy as you can stand it for the rest. Let all of it dry thoroughly and then put up.  Do not use towels; a good air-drying is always the best option. Make sure that all of the items you picked up are given a good cleaning.

Organize your best; keep in mind that it is okay to have some items on the counter. Too many people see the counters in cooking shows and want to have all of that space. The easiest way to have all of that space? Get rid of items on the counter. It makes sense for cooking shows, but that’s because they need to allow for cameras and making it easier to film what they are cooking. If it works for you, go for it! Personally, however, I prefer to have the coffee machine, rice cooker, microwave, and toaster where I can use them without having to take them out every time, but that’s just me.

Putting the food itself away shouldn’t be hard. First thing is to put any meat logs in the freezer before you start putting other stuff away; if you let it freeze a little before you cut it into portions it will be easier to cut and less bloody. Save off separating the rest of the meat for now. The freezer and refrigerator will take organize themselves, and should be done first. You will want to designate three basic areas: spice cabinet, pantry, and fruit. Fruit should go where it is easy to find and the spices should go where they can be easy to grab. The pantry will be the biggest problem. You need to organize it so that your starches, dry goods, and snacks separate from your cereals, gravy mixes, and onions. Nonetheless, organize as well as you can and do so so you can find things quickly.

Now, back to your meats. There are a number of ways to do it, but it breaks down to whatever is easier for you. I usually break down most of my meats to portions for two; it just usually works out best for the way I cook (I usually cook for an even number of people). The exception is hamburger, and that can get weird. Figure out how many people you will cook for, and then package it in quarter-pound per person chunks (two people will be half-pound chunks). The weirdness is that there are some good reasons to not package some of it, such as meatloaf; allow for that and don’t freeze any if you are planning such uses. If you really have the time, put it  into quarter-pound patties for ease of use later.

Feel free to make changes in the organization to reflect how you cook. Just remember to respect the primary cook and forget about making our kitchen a mock up of your favorite shows, and things should go swimmingly.