This post aims to help readers improve their home kitchen system. Food is essential to life, and it is important we learn how to manage our food through regular kitchen cleaning and maintenance.
I have linked resources that have been helpful to me. Some of these resources are products available for purchase. These products may be linked through affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Why do We Need a Kitchen System?
An effective kitchen system makes it easier to live a healthy everyday life.
Unless we eat out for every meal, we need a place to store, prepare and manage food and foodware. A well-managed kitchen gives us the opportunity to control every aspect of our meals. This can be most effectively done through building a kitchen system.
We have the opportunity to control which foods enter the house, determine how they are prepared, and present them with our chosen plates, bowls, and flatware (come on, tell me a home cooked meal doesn’t feel better with silverware like this or dinnerware like this).
The freedom to control our diets and foodware is empowering, but, if we want our kitchens to work properly, we will have to do a lot of basic maintenance. A food-safe kitchen requires regular inspection of our food storage, cooking areas, cleaning areas, and working surfaces. Many of these requirements have their own timelines, instructions, and risks if improperly completed.
An effective kitchen is central to healthy living, so it’s crucial that we learn to handle it properly. I have found that the best way to keep my kitchen consistently clean and fresh is through an efficient cleaning and management system (for more on building room systems in general, check HERE).
With that said, let’s get into some kitchen basics.
Kitchen Basics
If we want our kitchen to best fit our lifestyles, we have fine-tune how it operates. To get there, we must first consider some kitchen basics.
Kitchens generally share a few common features. A standard kitchen typically has refrigeration, cooking appliances (usually a stovetop/oven and microwave), food and foodware storage, and water/cleaning spaces (kitchen sink and dishwasher). Additionally, kitchens often have storage for kitchen cleaning supplies and additional appliances.
Our kitchens are designed to handle most (if not all) of our food and cooking needs. A good kitchen system starts with keeping food fresh, safe, and accessible so meals are served safely and with little waste.
Food Storage
Food storage is a key component to maintaining a healthy kitchen. A food storage system ensures that all of our refrigerated goods, countertop perishables, and dry/nonperishable products are properly stored and maintained (for a good guide on which foods go where, check this article from WebMD). Let’s look at some useful tips for keeping these storage areas clean and operating smoothly, starting with the fridge.
The Fridge
Our refrigerators are central to our kitchen system. These appliances provide the revolutionary ability to store goods that would otherwise quickly expire, making it easier for us to buy foods in bulk and eat more diverse meals. I find a two-step process is key to making sure my fridge stays fresh:
(1) Create Fridge Zones
Being that fridges often contain perishable goods and fresh produce, it is essential to keep them clean and tidy so that we can keep track of food and keep it fresh longer. For me, its easiest to keep my fridge tidy when I know where everything should go.
I try to organize my fridge in zones so that I can quickly access what’s inside. The longer it takes me to find something in my fridge, the more likely I am to forget about it and let it go to waste and/or buy duplicates. Therefore, I use zones (ex. a fruit and veggie drawer, ready-to-eat/cooked foods on top, and things like milk in the back to stay cold) so I know generally where to check for items before I open the fridge, helping me keep track of what I have, save energy, and know when to restock.
(2) Manage Zones When You’re There
In addition to keeping food fresh and saving energy, fridge zones help us keep our fridge clean. A fridge structured in zones is easier to clean because the items stored together typically have similar maintenance requirements. This makes it easier to clean the fridge while we use it, because we can now quickly screen a fridge zone and check for common signals that cleaning is needed (for more on how to spot common maintenance tasks, check HERE).
For example, I keep my produce together in a drawer of my fridge. I know that my produce is going bad when it starts to get mushy and/or wilt. By keeping all of my produce together, I can quickly look it all over when I go into the drawer, allowing me to spot things as they start to turn and use them or compost them so that they do not damage my other produce.
Similarly, I like to keep my condiments on the fridge door. I know that my condiments don’t turn to mush like produce (but don’t be fooled, condiments can still go bad), but they often get on the sides of their containers, which can turn the doors to a sticky mess. I generally try to wipe my condiments before putting them in the fridge to avoid this issue, but I also do a quick inspection of the condiments section when I grab one from the fridge to make sure toppings aren’t tainting my fresh fridge space.
Frequent inspections of our fridge zones keep our fridges fresh longer and help us make sure goods don’t go to waste. Once this food storage area is under control, it is important we manage our nonrefrigerated food storage, starting with countertops.
Countertops
Countertop food storage adds fun, color, and occasional clutter to our kitchen system. Foods stored on the counters generally have a shorter shelf life and/or need to ripen. I find it best to keep countertop food storage at a minimum, focusing on fresh fruits, breads, and vegetables we otherwise don’t want in the fridge.
Counterspace is limited and valuable (as will be discussed in the appliances section below), so I like to define my countertop food storage spaces. For example, I keep my bread in a bread box so that it isn’t floating around my countertops (and because breadboxes keep bread fresh longer). Additionally, I keep fruits in a fruit bowl and any countertop spices in their appropriate containers.
In addition to adding texture to our countertop environments, these items keep my food fresh and organized (I’ll admit it, I don’t do much when it comes to adding texture or color to my house. I am a grateful bystander to my wife’s artistic tastes). These areas are best maintained on an as-needed basis, with regular visual inspections helpful to spot moldy bread and make sure your bananas aren’t mush in the fruit bowl. I tend to do these inspections when I go into the kitchen, taking a few seconds to check the designated storage spaces and make sure they’re clean.
The Pantry
Unlike the fridge and counterspace, which handle fresh foods with limited shelf-lives (barring salt, pepper, etc.), the pantry is where we store dry and canned goods. These goods can last much longer than fresh foods when stored properly, making them useful to buy in bulk if we have the storage.
The key to managing a pantry is organization. Pantry goods should be stored neatly, with stable stacking and no overcrowded shelves. Heavier items, usually canned goods, should go in lower shelving to prevent injury (you’d hate to knock a can of beans off the top shelf and hit your noggin).
Beyond preventing injury, organized shelves make for easier inspection of your inventory. This way, you can prevent overbuying and spot and toss any damaged or leaking containers.
The pantry is an area where, despite containing things that by themselves are shelf stable, goods go bad because of poor storage techniques. Critters like moths and mice can easily pick into dry good containers and make homes in your stored foods. If you notice damage to you pasta boxes or moths around, it might be wise to switch to reusable plastic containers with a seal like these (and if they look nice enough, you might even consider moving them to your counters for aesthetics. Again, I am not the person to ask when it comes to aesthetics).
Now that reviewed maintenance tips for major food storage areas, it is discuss the importance of maintaining our cooking and food preparation (“prep”) spaces .
Cooking and Prep Spaces
I find that my cooking and prep spaces work best for me when they stay clean and clear of unnecessary clutter. Beyond select food items that are stored on countertops (discussed above), I like to keep my cooking and prep spaces as empty as possible. These spaces, which are primarily counter space and the stovetop, work well when they are easily accessible and usable.
For example, it is easier to spread out our ingredients and set up a cutting board if we don’t have to first put away appliances and wipe crumbs off the counters. Similarly, properly storing pots rather than leaving them on the burners allows you to more effectively access your stovetop and clean after each use.
Note: your counters are yours to do what you wish. If you like having plants, select cook books, and whatever else on your countertops, great! You should express yourself. However, it does not strike me as wise to put so much on your counters that it impacts your cooking abilities. Balance is nice.
Prep Spaces as Our Food-Creation Headquarters
Our cooking and prep spaces help us transform ingredients into complete meals. These spaces make it easier to manipulate ingredients (crush, chop, puree), combine them, and cook them.
When organizing cooking and prep spaces, its important to think about the meals you typically enjoy and what they require to create.
Do you often need a toaster or air fryer? If so, these appliances may be useful on your countertops. If not, they may be better stored (or even, dare I say it, not purchased).
Are you regularly chopping, cubing, or dicing ingredients? Identifying counterspace for your cutting boards will help you more effectively keep everything clean and toss scraps without creating a mess or obstructing other cooking tasks.
Prep Spaces and Food Safety
Throughout the meal prep process, we often tend to handle raw meats, cooked foods, vegetables, fruits, and spices, as well as various tools and appliances. While our primary goal is to make a delicious meal, we should also prioritize making food in a way that keeps our kitchen clean and maintains a foodsafe kitchen.
I find that I can best prepare meals with food safety in mind if I think about the necessary steps and tools before beginning work. For example, we are making a chicken dish, we should get out our tools and cutting boards before handling raw chicken so that we avoid risking food poisoning.
Additionally, I like to clean my kitchen as I cook to prevent cross contamination and dishes piling up. Dishes tend to clean the most easily if they are cleaned right after use, and I find that when I address each cleaning task once the necessary step is done, I can clear my prep spaces of clutter and allow more room for work. This strategy is key when counterspace is limited. (note: we do not have to completely hand wash and clean each dish individually while we are prepping. Rather, general tidying up and placing things in the dishwasher or sink as we go can save a lot of trouble down the line. More about this below).
Along with removing dirty tools and appliances, it’s important to wipe down countertops during the prep process so we can avoid cross contamination and save work down the line (for tips on how to actually clean the countertops, check somewhere like HERE for a guide on cleaning different surfaces and HERE for general guidance).
Clean cooking and prep spaces will make food preparation smoother and safer. Where do the dirty things go? Read more below.
The Kitchen Sink
There’s something magical about running a good kitchen sink system. Our kitchen sinks regularly toil in both the land of the clean (ex. rinsing fresh produce) and the dirty (ex. cleaning dishes), making them fickle systems to run. More troubling still is the eternal back-of-mind anxiety which comes with wanting to function more sustainably. Our water, paper towel, regular towel, and cleaning product usage can all be controlled with an effective kitchen sink system.
It’s important to keep our kitchen sink clean because our kitchen sinks play a major role in cleaning and maintaining everything that goes through a kitchen. To keep it my sink clean, I follow a few steps:
Set the Sink Up for Success
Our kitchen sinks are very useful tools in themselves, but are much easier to use, more sustainable, and easier to maintain if we take a few initial steps. First, I make sure I have my hand soap, dish soap, sponges, brushes, and towels (both paper and reusable) readily accessible. If we have to fiddle around for these things while cleaning or prepping, we will get water all over the place and risk damaging our kitchen (I also strongly recommend a soap caddy to keep water off my counters and dry my cleaning tools. Less mess is better!).
Next, I designate an area for drying items. If you don’t already have one, I recommend getting a dish drying rack to let our dishes air dry and reduce our towel usage. I like to limit the paper towels used and hand towels I need to wash (note: a dish drying rack does require cleaning. Otherwise, we will be putting our clean dishes onto something that will contaminate them. I think they’re worth the reduction in towel usage, but I’m always open to good data!).
From here, I strategize about my dishes themselves so I can keep the sink clean and reduce my waste.
Do NOT Deep Clean Before the Dish Washer
Experts have left no room for debate. Dishes that go in the dishwasher should not be cleaned beforehand. This is both a waste of water and leads to worse cleaning. Instead, we should remove large pieces of food from our dishes and then pop them right into the dish washer.
When handling most basic dishes, we should try to quickly transition them from use to the dishwasher. The longer we wait, the more dishes pile up, leading to an overflowing kitchen sink and a greater risk of damaged dishes. Moving dishes (that can be in the dishwasher) to the dishwasher will save us work throughout the process and help us tackle cleaning that cannot be done in the dishwasher.
Identify Hand-Wash Only Items
Some dishes require special care. Whether they are delicate, meltable, or we just prefer hand washing them, these dishes are not to go in our washing machines. I like to pay particular attention to these dishes so that I can separate them and avoid unnecessary risk.
There are plenty of strategies to handling hand-wash only items, so take mine if it helps you and look around for what makes the most sense to you. For me, I prefer to place my hand-wash items next to the sink as opposed to in it so I can avoid any damage to them being in there and have a good understanding of which hand-wash items need cleaning. This way, I can prepare drying spaces, determine when I should start cleaning, and avoid any risk of a spoon falling on an heirloom plate and putting me on bad terms with my mother.
These tips may not work for every item, and it is important that you consider your cleaning needs and make a system that suits you best.
Appliances
Nowadays, we can find kitchen appliances for just about everything. No longer are we limited to the waffle maker and griddle (though if you are in need, I have linked my recommendations), but we can now get all sorts of gadgets and appliances like this multifunction vegetable choppers, handheld vacuum sealers, and this cool little garlic puncher (which looks like it’d get me into all sorts of trouble).
The big question: which appliances do I need, and where should they go?
I typically err on the side of fewer appliances. First off, I do not like to buy unnecessary things. This leads to waste throughout the production and consumption process and puts our planet in a worse position. Additionally, more things requires more space, challenging an ever-delicate balance needed for an organized kitchen. Buying appliances willy-nilly will crowd your storage (I wish I thought of this before I got my ice cream maker. I can’t be too mad though because it’s an ice cream maker).
However, some appliances make things much easier. For example, the griddle I previously mentioned will make pancakes and crepes much easier than using the stovetop or getting a griddle pan. I love crepes, and that convenience makes the machine worth it.
It is critical that we look at our available storage space and whether the convenience presented by the appliance would be outweighed by the difficulty accessing and/or storing it. Each appliance requires its own assembly, cleaning, maintenance, and storage, and these additional logistical factors may make them more of a hassle than the convenience provided. Each purchase should be weighed carefully so that we save ourselves time and future hassles.
Once we weigh the pros and cons for each potential appliance, we may find that we need less appliances than we originally thought, but we will better understand each one we have, making them far more useful overall.
Conclusion
Our kitchens are ours to customize and optimize based on our needs. We may be able to skirt by with limited cleaning or thought, but the more we do, the better our kitchens will run. A smooth-operating kitchen saves us from health risks, lets us cook more easily, and looks better than a kitchen assembled without planning.
Does this post interest you? Be sure to read The Pitch to learn more about Efficiently ELITE and how you can make the basics easier.
Thoughts, questions, or concerns? Let me know!
-G