What is the busiest room in your home? Odds are, it is the kitchen. During this month, we’ve already worked on kitchen utensils, the pantry, the kitchen counter, and the refrigerator. Today on “Select-an-Effort: Organizing Tasks for 2023” we will look at one final category of kitchen items: cookware and small appliances.
Cookware and small appliances take up a lot of space, so it is important that each one “justify its real estate” in this prime location. This is fairly easily accomplished when we are in the early years of setting up a home, but over time, it is common for an overabundance of these items to accumulate. Maybe we kept the old set of pots and pans when we got a new collection. Often, we receive specialty appliances as gifts. Whatever the source, today is your chance to regain some valuable space by reassessing your collection.
Here are three choices from which to choose:
Low Effort
Open your cabinet and find one or two pieces of cookware or small appliances that you are willing to let go.
If you don’t know where to begin, click here for a list of common “Kitchen Clutter Culprits.” If you have unused items on this list, this is a good place to start.
Medium Effort
Want to dig deeper? Empty all of your cookware onto a sorting surface (e.g., the kitchen island or table), and group them by category. Most people will have some pots (with matching lids) and skillets. You may also have:
- Steamer (s)
- Double boiler
- Large cooking pots (soup pot, lobster pot, steamer, teapot)
- Bakeware (Pie Pans, Cake Pans, Springform Pan, Tart Pan, Loaf Pan, Bundt Pan, Cupcake Pan)
- Mixing Bowls
- Pyrex & Cooking Pans
- Casserole Pans
- Ricer
- Baking Sheets
- Cutting Boards
- Broiler Pan
- Cooling Racks
Consider how much cooking you are actually doing, and whether any of your items are superfluous, broken, worn, or otherwise unlikely to be used.
Kitchen items are much needed, so consider donating unwanted cookware that is still in working order.
High Effort
Do you have a bit more time? Complete the “Medium Effort” task, and then do the same with your appliances.
Consider the following:
Large Appliances
- Microwave
- Toaster
- Toaster Oven
- Coffee Pot
- Stand Mixer
- Slow Cooker
- Electric Skillet
- Rice Cooker
- Pressure Cooker
- Electric Wok
- Popcorn Machine
- Food Processor
- Blender
Small Appliances
- Coffee Grinder
- Hand Mixer
- Waffle Iron
- Electric Knife
- Electric Can Opener
- Juicer
These are just a few examples. You might have others!
The question to ask yourself is: How often do I use this?
If the answer is every day, every week, or monthly, then keep it. The ones you use often should be either out or in an easily accessible location.
If an item is used, but only very rarely, it is a candidate for placement in an out-of-the way location, such as the back corner of a cabinet, or on a top shelf. Seasonal items can even be stored in a container in a basement or attic.
If you can’t remember when you last used the object, donate it.
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Organizing the kitchen feels so good! You can read more about kitchen organizing here, or visit my Kitchen Organizing page on Pinterest.
What do you think you will do in your kitchen today?
I am still keeping a few appliances that I don’t use much but I actually do use most of what I have. I am entertaining less and could probably get rid of some serving pieces I haven’t used for a while. I will take a closer look. I find it hard to part with those sometimes-used things but I need to be more realistic.
Well, it comes down to whether the presence of those lesser-used items is impeding access to the ones you use most. If you have space, you can keep them!