The Kitchen
An organized kitchen is a functional, efficient kitchen. And, after all, isn’t that the whole point of kitchen organization – to make using it easier? The kitchen is an area of your home which gets used more often than most other areas, often for multiple purposes. It stands to reason that, if your kitchen is organized and simple to use, your life feels more structured. Creating (and maintaining) an organized kitchen is not as daunting as it may seem, especially when you follow some basic steps. Consider the advice shown here and you'll find yourself with an organized kitchen that saves you time, unnecessary steps, and headaches. These tips are, of course, just guidelines since kitchen organization is based on personal preferences – but we feel that the information provided here is universal and can be adapted to almost any kitchen challenge.

Simplify
Convenience is a must. Having a place for everything and everything in its place is essential. The task of organizing your kitchen should bring to mind one word – simplify! Do you spend an excessive amount of time in your kitchen performing everyday tasks? Do meal preparations and clean up seem to take forever? Does everything you need always seem to be on the other side of the room? Have you found things in drawers or cabinets that you forgot you had? Do you sift through six spatulas before you find the one you need? If you answered “yes” to even one of these questions, you need to simplify. An efficient kitchen is all in the arrangement. Focus on these areas:

• Food Preparation
• Clean up
• Storage (both food and equipment)

As you consider these three major areas of concentration, the concept of simplifying should be the thread that runs through all phases of your kitchen organization plan. Before you begin any organization project, perform a complete cleaning. When you start with clean, uncluttered surfaces, organizing will go much faster.  Devote an entire day to this project. Go through your entire kitchen, emptying drawers and cabinets, and throw away any items that you do not use, or any food items which are expired or looking past their prime.

Food Preparation
Consider placement of tools used in preparation of meals. Do you waste steps going from one end of the kitchen to the other? Even in a small kitchen extra steps means wasted time you could use elsewhere. Accessibility is of primary importance when preparing a meal.

• For easy access, pots and pans should be placed as near the stovetop as possible, whether in the under-the-stove drawer (if you have one) or in a cabinet next to the stove. Stack pans and skillets by size with lids in a rack alongside them.
• Put baking sheets, muffin tins, cake pans, etc. in the cabinet next to the oven or in the cabinet beneath a built-in oven. Arrange by size and those used most often. A storage rack works well to store baking sheets on their side.
• Plastic containers that you frequently use to heat items in the microwave should be placed in the cabinet nearest to it. Other plastic storage containers, belong near the refrigerator, since that’s where they most often end up. Arrange by size placing lids in a rack alongside.
• Food preparation tools such as spice organizers, recipe holders, measuring cups, etc. should be in a top drawer near the dishwasher and counter where you prepare food.  This placement actually serves a dual purpose – easy access for preparing the food, then for clean up later.
• Stack mixing bowls by size beneath the cabinet where you.do? most of your food preparation. This will make it easy to use them for both cooking and baking.

• If you don't have a dishwasher, keep your dish drainer within easy reach to dissuade any urge to avoid washing the dishes.
• Place silverware in the top drawer closest to the dishwasher or sink, in a drawer organizer.
• Beverage glasses should go in the cabinets above and to the right of the dishwasher or sink.
• Put plates and bowls in the cabinet above and to the left of the dishwasher or sink. If you have limited cabinet room, use a stackable plate rack to make the most of the space.
• Cleaning supplies go under the sink (use a child safety lock if you have small children or curious pets). A plastic basket containing general cleaning items (dusting products, toilet bowl cleaner, window cleaner, paper towels and rags) can be stored here for quick cleaning jobs.

Storage
When setting up an efficient kitchen, storage is usually cited as the biggest problem – no kitchen ever seems to have enough storage space! Follow these guidelines for storing items that you use every day, as well as those you use infrequently.

Food Storage:

• Canned food should be stored together, organized by contents for quick access.
• Place your spices on a Lazy Susan in the upper cabinet next to the stovetop.
• Store all baking ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, baking mix, etc.) on a shelf together.
• Cake mixes, muffin mixes, Jell-o and pudding mixes go in the same cabinet with baking ingredients.
• Pastas, rice, and boxed quick meals should be stored together.
• In the refrigerator, store like food items together, veggies on one shelf, fruits on another, meats in a special section, juices on the inside of the door
• Place dividers and liners in your shelves and drawers. Dividers make it easier to keep all of those little bits and pieces straight, and liners make them appear newer and cleaner.

Other Storage
Think in terms of storing items by where they are used. For instance, knives stored by the cutting board area, potholders near the oven, glasses by the refrigerator, sink, or dishwasher, and plates and utensils near the table or dishwasher. Generally, cabinets on the floor are used for items that you don't use as often while dishes and glasses are usually put in the upper cabinets as they are used a number of times each day.
If your kitchen has limited cabinet and drawer space, consider wire baskets, stacking shelves, and wall door organizers. There are many decorative spice racks and holders that are functional and beautiful if you want to keep your spices on the countertop. A breadbox is also a fun way to store bread and free up space. There are a number of racks and holders that can be purchased and added underneath the upper cabinets to hold items. Stackable dividers for dishes and cups are also helpful in kitchens with limited storage. There are pull out racks and drawers that can be added to existing cabinets for more organized storage space for those who prefer to have kitchen items out of sight. Why should you arrange a kitchen this way? Once you learn the layout of your organized kitchen, you will save steps and have more time to do the things you enjoy!