Are you the proud owner of a corn zipper, avocado cuber or swivel peeler? Not sure? You’re not alone. It’s always so tempting to snatch up some new, shiny kitchen tool that promises to make your life easier, but keep in mind that if you buy it, you have to store it. And then, you have to be able to find it when you need it. So the more you have, the more complicated that task will become. Here’s how to keep it simple.
1. Inventory and need. Most people have drawers full of kitchen tools but use only five or six repeatedly, while the others go mostly untouched. If you’re eyeing what you need to prepare a new recipe or thinking about a new gadget, make sure you don’t already own one. Even if you haven’t bought it, your significant other may have, so take a quick inventory. And then, before you buy that new specialty gadget, ask yourself whether you really need it and whether you will use it more than once.If the answer is yes, then go for it. If the answer is no, then walk away.
2. Drawer storage. If you have ample drawer storage, organize tools by how often you use them and by purpose. Your favorite wooden spoon, spatula, ice cream scoop and vegetable peeler? Keep ’em close. Everything you use for baking, for wine, for grilling? Group like with like. Everything else? Donate or toss.
Drawer dividers or utensil trays can work wonders for keeping gadgets in order and ensuring they’re easy to find. Dividers come in all sizes and are made of many materials including bamboo and plastic. Be sure to accurately measure your drawers, especially the height, before going to buy one. In shallow drawers, dividers with a lot of small, narrow sections will not be as utilitarian as those with wider sections that can comfortably hold one or more objects. If you have deeper drawers, consider buying some narrow bins to keep things separated.
3. Cabinet storage. One popular choice is to use a pegboard with hooks inside a cabinet or pantry door. Think Julia Child, but on a smaller, less obvious scale. This is an inexpensive and practical solution for storing things like measuring cups and spoons, cheese graters and spatulas. Or affix hooks there. Cutting boards that take up precious counter space can be stored there by mounting a magazine holder there. And components for mixers, blenders and food processors can be kept together in labeled bins or baskets.
4. Under-cabinet storage. Using wall space or your backsplash for gadget storage is also an option. If it’s done neatly, with tools in good condition, this method not only looks nice, but also makes finding what you need and cleaning up a breeze. Try magnetic strips for knife and spice storage. A rod with hooks can hold spoons, whisks and ladles.
5. Keep it all together. As with organizing anything, maintenance is key. But because the kitchen is used every day, keeping order can be a challenge. Having well-organized storage, though, without useless or duplicate items in your way, makes cleanup simpler and faster, and keeps kitchen chaos away.
It’s a good thing to keep in mind before you buy your next mango pitter.
