Kitchens tend to have a lot of little things and a lot of bulky things.  Keeping it all together and organized is always a hassle.  I know that in my small kitchen, I have too many things that I don’t use and not enough things that I do.  Plus, I have no counter space, so proper storage and placement is absolutely key.  You have to pick the kitchen tools that serve you best and create your organization based on the items you use the most and the ones you only use occasionally.  Applying this to every aspect of your kitchen will make using your kitchen so much easier and faster.  REAL SIMPLE has some fantastic ideas on organizing your kitchen that I have tried to implement into my own. Here are a few tips I’ve gathered from them.

1. Start by pulling everything out of your cupboards and organizing it by category.  Then assess how often you use an each item and reorganize them into those categories.  Donate anything that you will never use or is a duplicate (probably from your wedding!).  Then you can start putting things away.
2. A great tip to remember is to put items in the cabinets closest to where they will be used.  Food prep items will need to be near the stove and items used for eating are best kept near the fridge, sink, and dishwasher.
3. Place frequently used tools and appliances within your reach.  You don’t want to spend time searching for what you need at every turn.
4. Installing a rack above your stove to hang your cooking utensils makes them accessible.  Do the same with pots and pans on a rack hanging from the ceiling.
5. And speaking of organizing your tools, utensils can get lost in a sea of other utensils if you don’t use flatware dividers.  This isn’t just for your forks and knives, but also for your can opener, bottle opener, tongs and potato peeler.
6. Unlike me, if you have a lot of counter space, don’t be afraid to keep your regular items out so that you’re not constantly reaching into cabinets for that everyday item. If you don’t have counter space, then that means you may have to put certain things away after every use.  No matter what, make sure you place the waffle iron, food processor and pancake griddle in a cabinet.
7. I am crazy about shelves and gliding wire bins.  A great way to maximize your cabinet space is to place plastic-coated wire bins as well as those freestanding stacking shelves to make room for more!  My sister and her husband just moved into a new home that is actually pretty old.  It’s cabinets are very narrow and deep which does not allow them to be able to reach much.  But by installing gliding wire bins, they can pull their “shelf” out and get to everything they need with ease.
8. Don’t forget to use the space under your sink.  Not only can you have gliding bins, but you can also install a gliding trash can that can be pulled out from under the sink.  You can also use plastic organizers to keep your sponge, brushes and soap nicely corralled together.