Organize your kitchen cupboards

There are many methods and options in organizing your kitchen cupboards. What worked for your Mom or best friend may not work for you and your situation. The kitchen cupboard needs to be organized to allow easy and effective food preparation for the people actually preparing the meals.

Break the kitchen cupboard area into 3 zones.

1. Easy to reach zone. There is no bending, reaching over things and no need to move any thing out of the way.
2. Take an extra second zone. This may require moving bowls or boxes on the shelf, kneeling or stepping up to reach a shelf.
3. Special effort zone. This is for things that are rarely needed, it may be necessary to pull things completely out of the cupboard or move chairs to get to the opening. If you have a larger kitchen with several workstations, then you may want to have zones 1 and 2 for each work area.

Easy to reach zone: Items used daily need to be in arms reach of where they are used.

1. Place spoons and other utensils used daily in a jar or large mug on the counter near the stove.
2. Store the serving plates or bowls on a shelf close to where they are prepared.

3. Put canned goods, tins and packaged goods on shelves between eye level and waist level (within easy arms reach).

4. Line up cans and tins in a queue when there are more than one.

5. Locate any common herbs and spices on a shelf by the stove, not over the stove. If you have only a few, consider placing them on a trivet or shallow dish on the counter. Placing them on a specific plate provides them a home, and looks intentional and ordered.

6. Put the most often used baking pans in the oven.

Special effort zone: items used infrequently, 3 or less times a year.

1. Gather items used together for specific events, like cake decorating or cookie making; put them together in one labeled container. 2. Place rarely used items at the back of cupboards or hard to reach corners.

3. Use the very top and bottom shelves. It is important to get these out of the way.

4. The china can be distributed in several locations, store the rarely used items out of the way.

Organizing within these zones may be needed. Plastic drawers or baskets are helpful for storing items in bags. Labels can be put on containers to identify the contents. Grains, cereals and powders that are not used with-in 1-2 weeks of purchase should be stored in airtight containers. Labeling is essential here to distinguish the contents. If you have to pull down the container everyday to see if it is flour or sugar, then you need the label.

If you are short on space, streamline the contents of the kitchen cupboards.

Purchase mixing bowls that nest together or that have lids for storage. Keep re-sealable plastic bags on hand for storing leftovers.

Only the fire extinguisher has a single use. This is also the only items that should be in arms reach, but you hope is never used.