Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I have been in a state lately about how to reorganize my kitchen. Partly because on Harrison's roster of chores is dishwasher emptying--he used to be able to tell you where everything went; now, he has selective amnesia. Pie pans go with cookware, good luck on guessing which drawer the garlic press is in, etc. Being too cheap to put in all pull out drawers in base cabinets originally, I recently discovered rev a shelf. Rod is installing, and I am in love. They make the coolest stuff.

Please share tips and tricks you use to stay organized.

C
What is rev a shelf?
I don't have a lot of organization. Maybe H should organize it! I have a things that cut drawer - peelers, pizza cutter. A misc drawer - actually 2. One has shredder, microplane, silicone brush the other has garlic press chop sticks, jar opener (actually it is quite a mess). Most of my tools I keep on the counter in jars. One for spatulas, wooden stuff & 2 for tongs etc. We just got an electric kettle (which we love)for xmas & I've had to put all the tools in a basket to make room for the kettle. Not much help here!
K

Welcome Crystal! I was starting the board when you left so you may not remember me but I do remember you. Sunny too.

I checked the rev shelf things out. They are great. I have similar things in my kitchen and they truly help my organization skills (which are about nil).
I love my drawers. I have one very deep one with odds and ends... mixing bowls, KA attachments, microplanes. I have couple plastic baskets in there for the smaller things but I am not wholly satisfied. The other thing I always have problems with is plastic containers. If someone has a good solution for them I would love to hear it.

I do have a huge drawer of spices (photos of my kitchen are on the kitchen photo thread on TOB) and try to organize them by type of spice (peppers in one place, dried leaves, mixes... makes sense to me somehow). Of course none of my family understand this system so it doesn't ever stay that way for long.

As far as Harrison goes, the fact that he is emptying the dishwasher is a coup in my book. You can work up to the other stuff. I am not sure my girls know we have a dishwasher... Actually they will fill it but the rest of my family would rather wash their dishes by hand (and then leave them for me to put away) than empty the dishwasher. Fate worse than death.

Mary

If I ever remodel this kitchen, I will have drawers, drawers, drawers. I get so tired of getting on my hands & knees to pull out a pot or pan. DH says he will do it for me but where is he when I need him? And let's not even talk about the dead spaces!

My NY resolve is to clean out the two misc drawers in the kitchen which are practically useless anyway as they are only about 2" deep.

Fitzie

There is no way to get Harrison to put stuff where you want it, alas. But to keep things sorted, I like bins and dividers for drawers. Slide out shelves count as drawers. You could try labels on the drawers and cabinets, or making him cook for a while-they often figure out that it's nice to find a tool when you need it if they're cooking.

Crystal,

Odd. Kris and I have no problem agreeing on where things should go. Sometimes it's almost scary telepathic-like. Of course, given that we have the equipment of a small restaurant kitchen in our 700sqft apartment, many of those storage spaces are quite idiosyncratic, based on using every cubic inch of space available rather than any kind of externally comprehensible logic.

I hate emptying the dishwasher too. But I hate drying dishes even more, so dishwasher it is.

Kris says gravely, "Darling, I have bad news. The dishwasher is f ..."

"LA LA LA LA LA," I shout, covering my ears "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Anyway, periodically we take something apart and rearrange it to deal with the accumulated dreck. Last month it was all of the food shelves in the pantry, which took an entire Sunday. The drawers are overdue, I have no idea what's in the bottom of them anymore.

Remodeling is out, of course, because we rent. Actually, the landlord would probably replace the kitchen cabinets, but that would require us being out of the kitchen for a couple weeks, which is hard to manage.

I'm with Becky. I'd buy a P-touch label maker and put labels inside the cabinets to help out getting things in the correct place. I organize my drawers for utensils by use, e.g., pastry-related, or by frequency of use. It works for me, but with someone else doing the dishes it probably wouldn't fly for you.

Three of my cabinets have pull-out shelves which are large enough for all my pots and pans and over-sized items. These are truly a god send and would be easy enough to build.

Amy

Josh,

Having been in your apartment, I find it remarkable how you and Kris have made the most of every last inch of it.

Amy

K,
They make these killer retrofit pullout shelves. And drawer organizers. Just brilliant organizers--kinda pricey, but really well made. I am refraining and doing only a few at a time, but it is really increasing my space. R is installing a pullout cabinet thing right now. I have three 8-9 inch base cabinets that are 2' deep. Worthless. When clearing to prepare for install....."hum, oh, I forgot I had that" type of worthless. I only put pullout drawers in my baking counter section, and under the stove. Love the baking section, but H won't stack pans properly to suit me. So, those are going as well.

My drawers are languishing; just a jumble, like Fitzie says.

I think Josh has it too...I have lots of dreck going on in the kitchen and pantry, I am
sure he and Kris are more organized than I am.

I'll keep at it with some of your suggestions and hints. If Rod gets these in today, I'll
link to some pics.

Amy, Harrison is a typical teen right now...he drives me insane with his inattentiveness when doing chores. Hopefully, my real son will return in a few years.

Mary,
Of course I remember. Thanks for the welcome.