How to take control of cluttered cupboards

July 19th, 2012

Appliance Talk Kitchen Ovens & Cooking

In a threatening state of affairs the boarders between nations spill over each other in my spice and hearb tin container. Tumeric spoils the oregano, Chinese five spice gets mixed with Moroccan lamb and beef rendang becomes massaman beef. It’s all become quite a confusing mess.

This is due to the haphazard state of my kitchen cupboards. The clutter makes it impossible to fit the tin in any cupboard within easy reach, which means the potential spice war zone has been relegated to the top cupboard for which I need a a step-ladder to access.

It’s time to take control of the situation before things get nuclear. If this sounds familiar the following advice applies:

Firstly, be prepared to take a couple of hours out of the day to do a decent job.

After you have readied yourself for some kitchen maintenance, start by emptying everything out of all the cupboards. It’s a terrific opportunity to give them a clean and wipe off the dust of whatever was stored inside. In my case, a whole spice tin overhaul was required for international food peace.

Take a look over what you have. If space is an issue in your kitchen, throw away anything you haven’t used in the last 2 years, even better, drop it at a local Salvos or Vinnies, one man’s trash…

Right, scan again and select the things you use least. Maybe the fondu maker or an ice cream maker, whatever it is, place these items in the unreachable cupboards that as in my case, may require a step-ladder.

Prioritise the rest of the bits and pieces from most used to least. The crockery and gadgets you rely on least while preparing meals are best placed at the back of the cupboards. On the same note, taller items can be located at the back and shorter items at the front, that way you reduce the chance of knocking things over when reaching for something.

Now, consider a spin turntable. These are great for mugs and glasses. Whatever is at the back of the cupboard comes to the front without losing half an arm looking for it.

And like my infamous spice tin, putting smaller items, such as teas, inside of bins or baskets is a great way of tracking where they are, all in the one place!