The kitchen is a place of strength in any home, and it should be functional and beautiful. Of course, there is no perfect kitchen, but there are ergonomic principles. Competent arrangement of the kitchen by zones will help to avoid unnecessary movements in the process of cooking and cleaning, rationally use space and organize the storage of products.
The three pillars of the kitchen that form the working triangle are the stove, refrigerator and sink. Experts in ergonomics believe that the sum of the lengths of its sides should not exceed six meters, and it is around these zones should be placed around the functional purpose of storage and work surfaces.
The stove area
In the “hot spot” of the kitchen is located oven, stove or hob.
What to place
- Cooking utensils. Around the cooktop, place pots and pans for daily use. Convenient when you don’t have to climb anywhere to get the dishes – the places under the countertops are the most bulky and accessible. A corner cabinet with a rotating shelf inside will work well for storing large pans.
- Spices, sauces, vegetable oil.
- Rails or racks for ladles, spatulas, spatulas, spatulas and other utensils.
- Microwave. It’s a good idea to place your microwave oven in the “hot zone” if you’re cooking meals in it. If the main function of your microwave is to heat up cooked food in a plate, you can put it anywhere else.
Refrigerator area
Designers believe that the most rational location of the refrigerator – closer to the exit, to reduce the route of food delivery from the threshold of the house to the place of storage, rather than going with bags through the entire kitchen.
What to place
- Cabinets and shelves for groceries. Next to the refrigerator, it is recommended to keep other products that are stored at room temperature – it is convenient when purchases can be quickly put in places.
- Small household appliances. Items that are used from time to time: waffle maker, ice cream maker, kebab maker and other similar things. It is not necessary to place appliances at arm’s length from the desktop. The best place for such devices is in the “cold zone”.
Sink area
The area around the sink is a place for preparing and cutting products. It should be spacious and accessible.
What to place
- Washing and cleaning products. It is worth leaving dish gel, sponge, brush and brush on the surface. Other arsenal of detergents is desirable to put away in the cupboard at the bottom of the sink.
- Garbage can. If there is space, you can organize a place for sorting garbage into recyclable fractions. But it is necessary to have at least two types of containers: for mixed waste and recyclables. Plus receptacles for batteries and light bulbs.
- Serving utensils. After washing, it is advisable to place the dishes near the sink or dishwasher: in a glazed cabinet, column, shelf.
- Cutlery.
- Towels and napkins. Provide wall hook locations and an enclosed space for clean towels near the sink.
- Cutting boards. A rack or rail for cutting boards is a logical place to put them near where food is prepared for slicing.
Large areas can be divided into smaller areas – themed. Next to the oven place everything you need for baking, next to the tableware allocate a corner for containers that you take with you: lunch boxes, bottles and thermoses. Tea and coffee corners can be not only a functional area, but also decorate the interior.
How to competently organize storage in the kitchen
1. Clear out what you don’t need
Go through everything that has accumulated in the cabinets. First of all, you need to get rid of unnecessary and broken electrical appliances, gadgets, unloved gifts and definitely expired cereals, spices, canned goods.
2. Plan your tactics
You can’t just take everything back into the cabinets. In order to effectively utilize your cabinetry, you need to think strategically and understand the system. There are two main ones: open and closed.
The principles of the first organization are good in a small kitchen: open shelves are easy to place on the wall between tables, hanging nightstands, and even on the ends of cabinets. This also includes hangers: on them it is convenient to hang both small items: knives, spatulas, ladles, and dishes: cups or plates.
With a closed system, everything is hidden in drawers and behind cabinet doors, which is practical for storing large items that are not the most aesthetically pleasing: salad bowls, pots, pans, containers and baking dishes.
If you’re just planning to purchase a new kitchen set, plan for a few pull-out cabinets. This will help to conveniently store oil bottles, alcohol, and hide cleaning supplies out of sight. And corner pull-out racks and drawers will provide additional areas for utensils.
3. Put everything on the shelves
The most important factor in well-organized storage is accessibility. Chefs give this advice: keep what you need at arm’s length.
Things you use often, put them at waist height, close to the work surface. For things you use a couple times a week, put them in the bottom drawers. You should also use them for heavy items. Items that are needed no more than once a month, safely send to the top shelves.
By the way, the smaller your kitchen is, the more actively you should use the height: when planning a set, you can design cabinets up to the ceiling and use this space.
For storing large items, choose deep cabinets: pots, pans and baking pans stacked on top of each other will fit comfortably in them.
If your drawers are too large, use additional mini containers or dividers.
4. Pour all of your food into the same containers
In a nice and convenient kitchen, store all cereals, spices and pasta in the same containers. This way, you’ll save yourself from cabinet clutter and accidental accidents: because cereal in a bag or cooked breakfast in a box can easily be turned over and scattered. Also, the method of storing in airtight containers will keep the cereal safe from parasites.
The repacking process is called decanting. The idea of this system is beautiful and convenient: sunflower oil and liquids can be transferred into elegant reusable bottles, cereals, pasta, flour – in closable jars or glass storage containers. By the way, rectangular or square containers are easier to place in the closet than round ones: they are more compact and neater, which means it will be easier to keep order.
5. Don’t take up workspace
The place near the sink is strategically important for quality and comfortable cooking, so it is recommended to always keep it empty and clean.
While arranging, do not occupy the work area with decor, dishes and cutlery. The optimal length of the worktop is 90 cm.
6. Remove visual noise
Despite the importance of convenience and ergonomics, you can’t forget about beauty.
You can organize a sense of order by giving your kitchen a stylish look. Put away colorful sponges, souvenir dishes, cleaning rags and plastic jars in drawers. Also keep the dining table top empty, and send snacks, candy and nuts to the refrigerator or pantry. And don’t forget about wires: with the help of special fasteners, they can be easily hidden behind furniture or attached to the wall.
7․ Store everywhere
When you don’t have enough storage space, use unconventional ideas: you can keep not only pans and pots and pans in the oven, but also pots and pans, and under the seats of the sofas you can stash canned goods, pickles and groceries that you’ve bought in advance.
Another useful idea: don’t forget the doors: you can hang towel hooks on them or attach vertical hangers for lids.
8. Keep similar items close together
Sort all the things in your kitchen into categories and keep similar ones next to each other. Pots should be next to pans and napkins should be next to napkins.
This will save time searching for the right thing. When choosing a storage space, put the things you need closest to the work surface. The things you use less often, put them in the far drawers. Spare towels, sets of napkins, festive tablecloths and sets of dishes for special occasions can go there. The same goes for the shelves: put the essentials near the edge and push everything else deeper.
9. Hang
Use wall and apron hangings to avoid storing utensils on the worktop and taking up precious space. Hangers, rails and special perforated surfaces can be used to practically arrange mugs, dishes, spice sets and gadgets. It is especially convenient to hang wooden cutting boards: this keeps the material dry and clean. The idea of hangers is effective for storing knives: it is better to hang them on a hanging holder or magnetic board. Such advice will save the metal from dulling, which can happen when stored in a drawer.
10. Stack one thing inside another
No matter how hard we try to talk ourselves out of buying extra cookware, we still accumulate trays, pots and pans. The secret to saving money is to choose sets that stack on top of each other. This will give you the opportunity to place many things at once inside the cabinets in the kitchen.
11. Place vertically
Thin, narrow objects: trays, trays, cutting boards, ergonomically more ergonomic to arrange vertically. This idea will appeal to those who love to bake: you can easily reach the right tray without digging through the cupboard and pulling out everything stored in the drawer, and without fear of destroying the stack, as with horizontal storage.
12. Don’t forget the messy stuff
Under the kitchen sink in Russian homes there is traditionally a trash can in the kitchen. And this useful space is rarely characterized by cleanliness and order: so quickly it gets dirty and clogged. A pull-out bucket will help to improve the situation: it is convenient to throw waste into it. It is also convenient to keep household chemicals under the sink: cleaning products, sprays, sponges.
The main idea of keeping the kitchen in order lies in your own aspirations. Form a habit of making beauty and try to keep it. Create useful daily rituals: after shopping, pour new cereals into containers, put the dishes in their places every evening and clear the countertops of food and unnecessary things. This way, order will become your routine.