We all have kitchen storage woes at one time or another. Whether you are a baby boomer who has recently downsized or a student in your first apartment, it can be a challenge to store everything you need in a clutter-free environment that won't break the bank. Fortunately, cabinet designers are realizing our need for the latest and greatest kitchen gadgets, and they are designing very clever features that enable us to add more storage possibilities to our sometimes tiny kitchens. Does this Spark an idea?
If You Aren't Using It, Lose It
Think of your kitchen as a workplace. Eliminate items you don't use every day. Take a good, hard look at your kitchen cabinets, and pull out that giant slow cooker and other large appliances that simply attract dust until that first cold snap, when you begin yearning for a pot roast. Many of these bulky items are seasonal, so, just as you rotate your clothes closet, rotate your kitchen appliances. Pack the turkey roaster, food processor and deep fryer into kitchen garbage bags and store in a covered plastic container in the garage, laundry room or other storage area outside the kitchen. They will still be clean and ready to use when the time is appropriate. The items you haven't used in two to three years may be good candidates for the church rummage sale or Goodwill.
You can also find creative ways to use big kitchen items as storage devices. You do love your giant pasta pot and probably use it fairly often, right? So, roll up your kitchen towels and display them in the pot while it's not in use. This will free up a large area of cabinet space as well as one sorely needed kitchen drawer.
Pantry Confessions
We all have some bizarre items that have been lingering in the pantry a little too long. To remedy that situation, Kraftmaid has designed a skinny pull-out pantry that lets you see exactly what you have going on in there and eliminates the surprise of expired items. These pull-out storage solutions are tucked discreetly into cabinets and come in three widths. The largest is wide enough to hold all of your 2-liter soda bottles, while the smallest is perfect for your collection of oils and vinegars.
If your current budget doesn't allow for a cabinet redesign, consider storing some of your nonperishables in the refrigerator. Chips, cereals, pasta and even canned goods can certainly be stored in the fridge if you have more room there than in your pantry.
Kraftmaid also has created two ingenious products to help keep your spices organized. One is a swing-out, cabinet-door spice rack which allows high visibility on both sides, and the other is a spice drawer organizer which allows quick fingertip access to the herbs you use most often. Check the big-box home stores for these kitchen additions.
Pot Luck
Your clunky pots and pans take up a lot of cabinet space, so hang them instead. Pot racks come in a multitude of configurations for your particular needs: ceiling-hung, wall-mounted, stainless steel or wood. Creative new features include bookshelves and backlighting, as well as some that look like beautiful chandeliers. Keep in mind your ceiling height when purchasing; you want to ensure you can reach the bottom of the pots and that your view is not obstructed. If your ceiling is exceptionally high, make certain you purchase chain long enough to drop a ceiling-mounted rack to a reasonable level. Most important, secure your rack with strong ceiling hooks into joists, as they will be bearing a good deal of weight.
Tags: your kitchen, cabinet space, rotate your, which allows, your ceiling
