Whether you cook for yourself, your family, or the occasional big dinner party, a pantry stocked with essentials is, well, essential. There are certain basic items everyone should keep on hand because they’re ingredients used in many recipes, relatively inexpensive, and have a long shelf life, including many refrigerated and frozen foods.
Once you’ve purchased all the ingredients chefs claim every kitchen should have, you have to find somewhere to put everything. Large, walk-in pantries are a thing of the past, which means you have a lot of ingredients needing to be stored in cabinets and cupboards, and things are going to get very crowded, very quickly.
Happily, there are ways to organize, making everything in your kitchen more accessible. An inexpensive way to start is by putting as much as you can into glass containers with color-coded labels. The glass lets you see what’s inside, and the color-coded labels can be used to separate types of food, making it easy to differentiate between rice and orzo at a glance.
From rolling shelves to pot racks, it’s important to utilize every square inch of space in your kitchen. A bookshelf can be added to available wall space, or at the end of an island or counter. Your cookbooks can be put on a bookshelf, along with any items you think could be attractively displayed—i.e., decorative bottles containing oil or vinegar, spices, dinnerware, or a stylishly designed kettle or toaster.
Another option is to find a baker’s rack that suits your needs and space requirements. There are several styles of baker’s racks, many on wheels so that you can put them wherever you need them, and then wheel them back against a wall when you’re done. Most baker’s racks have shelves, drawers, and a cutting area, and can provide extra storage and surface space. Many general merchandise and home improvement stores carry a variety of baker’s racks.
Once everything is organized and easy to find, and you’ve left some room to work, the last ingredient in the perfect kitchen is having some basic utensils—measuring cups and spoons, cutting boards, baking dishes—and a few essential electrical appliances. It’s easy to go overboard on appliances. Are you really going to use that juicer, bread maker, or pressure cooker? The answer is probably, “No.” You will, however, frequently use a blender or hand mixer. Keep your list of electrical appliances as short as possible since they can be costly and can take up a lot of valuable space.
The perfect kitchen is a kitchen that’s ready for any size event, with any number of diners. Whether making dinner for the family, a midnight snack for yourself, or hosting 50 relatives for your annual Bastille Day celebration, you’ll have peace of mind knowing you’re ready for anything.
