A functional kitchen often requires a list of large and small appliances such as an oven, a range, refrigerator, dishwasher, coffeemaker, and other food processing machines. There are knives of different kinds, sieves, ladles, can openers, etc. There are also pots, pans, woks, and kettles of all sizes, shapes, and materials specifically suited for certain ways of cooking food. Dishes, bowls, plates, and silverware have to be in the kitchen, not to mention the place mats and linens. There are also canned goods and other food ingredients not stored inside the fridge. Often it is a tribute to the mothers or fathers whose responsibility is to keep the kitchen organized. More so if they have to do it in a limited area.
The proper storage and organization of all your cooking needs goes a long way in transforming your life in the kitchen from pure drudgery to absolute delight. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to help you with your storage.
First is to de-clutter. This advice, important as it is to all the other areas of your life, is equally important in the kitchen. Open all your cabinets and take a serious look at their contents. Often you will find that there are at least a few items that you have not used in a long time, or even not at all. Sometimes we receive gifts of kitchen tools from well-meaning relatives and friends but would have no use for them. Sometimes they come as a bonus item for some other thing we bought. Your kitchen will be better off without them.
Group related and similar items with each other. Apart from making your cabinets look neat, putting together items of similar sizes will allow you to save space. Think of a cabinet where plates are arranged vertically on a rack on one side with spoons and forks laid on the other. This leaves unused space above the silverware.
You can also use this idea in your pantry. Try to minimize the gap between the top of the items stored and the next higher shelf to three inches. In addition to this, consider attaching a rack behind the pantry door.
Installing an island is also a great solution to storage problems. Additional drawers and shelves can be built into it. Also, racks can be installed above it where pots and pans can be hanged.
You can actually increase your storage area without the need of expensive renovations to expand your kitchen. Indeed, a little imagination can make your small kitchen look big.