The working environment in the kitchen is one of the most hectic areas of your home. You likely spend a lot of time here whipping up breakfast, serving after-school snacks, and preparing family dinners.

Because of all that goes on in this room, do everything you can to make it a productive environment. This way, you spend less time prepping food and cleaning up, and more time with your family. 

While large-scale kitchen renovations work wonders, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make your kitchen work for you. Here are some simple and practical tips for creating a better working environment in your kitchen. 

4 Tips for a Great Working Environment in Your Kitchen

4 Tips for a Great Working Environment in Your Kitchen

1 • Invest in Multi-Use Items

Picture this. You’re trying to prepare a Sunday morning farmer’s breakfast and need a frying pan to cook some eggs. You spend a few minutes digging through your cluttered cabinets filled with items you never use until you finally find it. 

By de-cluttering your kitchen of items you never use, you’ll save a lot of time. You’ll know where everything is, and no unused items will be taking up valuable storage space.

When you stock your kitchen with multi-purpose items, you’ll have more space. Try to avoid specialty items like ice cream scoops and mortar and pestle sets unless you plan on getting a lot of use out of them. 

Instead, opt for items that serve more than one purpose. For example, consider getting:

  • A 2-in-1 bottle and can opener
  • Mason jars for serving and storing food
  • A dual strainer and steamer
  • A chopping, grating, slicing, and spiralizing device

On a similar note, you should also try to get collapsible items. This feature will create more storage space and help you search quickly for the food prep and cooking supplies you need. 

2 • Don’t Overbuy Food

To preserve your sanity in the kitchen, be a purposeful grocery shopper. Never overbuy, as doing so is a big waste of money and will compromise your storage space. 

If you subscribe to a food or meat delivery service, make sure you have enough space to store it all when it arrives at your doorstep. Keep track of the perishable food coming into your kitchen so that none of it goes to waste. Take advantage of lists and apps to monitor what food you need to use next. 

In your pantry, use the FIFO (first-in, first-out) method of organization. Place the soon-to-expire foods in front of the ones that still have a long shelf life. 

3 • Optimize Your Work Triangle

In the kitchen, your work triangle consists of the three most utilized parts of your kitchen. These three components are usually the sink, stove, and refrigerator. 

Depending on what kind of food you’re preparing, your work triangle may look a little different. Bakers won’t be needing the sink as frequently, so their work triangle will likely be the stove, refrigerator, and countertop.

No matter what your work triangle is, make sure you can easily access all of its points. Remove clutter and obstacles that could get in the way of you moving from point to point. If you have a movable kitchen island, position it, so it doesn’t block a pathway. 

4 • Store Like Items with Like Items

For optimal efficiency, store like items together. Designate specific drawers for all your:

  • Baking tools like spatulas, measuring spoons, and measuring cups
  • Cutting and chopping supplies like zesters, graters, and knives
  • Cooking essentials like spatulas, spoons, and thermometers

In the pantry, build different shelves for your dry ingredients, oils, and canned goods. 

Storing items in this way will save space and make you aware of where everything is. It will also help you move quicker in the kitchen and minimize the time it takes to prepare your dishes.

Creating a productive cooking environment doesn’t have to drain your time or money. Follow these simple DIY tips to make the most of your kitchen’s design!

Let us know in the comments below if you have any further suggestions for kitchen organization. We’ve also include other unique and interesting links below for all things design.

Images Courtesy of Canva.

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About the Author: Ashley Edwards