I am going to nominate my self for the dullest thread of the night but, can you please share you kitchen storage tricks

[pud1]

i have a small kitchen and the cupboards are overflowing. I have cleared all the crap I don't want or need but would love some ideas for making the best use of the limited space.

I have a set of tupperware ovals (airtight storage containers - diff shapes, not all oval shaped!) in a variety of sizes and use these to store everything like pasta, flour, sugar, cereal etc. Decant all packets into these and can see at a glance when about to run out of something and need to top up.

Use small baskets to store things like salad oils, stock cubes/packets - just pull out basket and use then put away again. Saves having to move everything to get to stuff at back.

I am watching with interest.

What are the specific things you are struggling to store?

There are lots of gadgets for making 2 layers within a shelf in a cupboard and that sort of thing.

My problem is lack of general space. Every thing is just thrown in and I can never find anything. I have a great set of pans that stack iside each other perfectly but they bare getting knackered and need replacing but I can find any that stack aswell. Baking trays and pan lids are all over the cupboard. I arrange them but the space is so limited that I can never find what I want as theyvare all stacked together. My packets and tins are a nightmare and I don't even want to think about under the sink

I also use baskets, small baskets for sauces, spices etc. Larger ones for veg.

Less is more really, i know you have binned a lot but i have only a few pans and stock pots- i never use more than three pans. Same for baking sheets, plates etc. ( i have extras in the loft for parties) really how many plates do you need day to day?

What gadgets do you have and use? Bread maker, smoothy maker....

My kitchen is quite minimal in terms of stuff it works well. Everything has a home.

Wall units that go up to ceiling so no wasted space. Storage on backs of cupboards doors.

Ikea is good for this kind of thing, ie fitting for the inside of cupboards and the back of doors.
You can get racks for suacepan lids and wire racks for cleaning products etc.
www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/categories/departments/kitchen/20625/

I have been very stroked with my throwing out of rubbish. I bake a lot so I have a lot of different size tins.

Mumdebump - I have looked into this but all I can find are the ones that hook over the top of the door. These look like they will drive me mad banging when I open the door. I had a towel rail in the bathroom that was over the door and I got rid int he end for this reason

Baking trays/roasting tins/cake tins can all live in the oven. Stops that awful cascade of metal when you open a poorly stacked cupboard. Take them out if you want to use the oven (obviously) but unless you are doing a 24 hour slow roast-y type thing they won't be out for long.

How about this ?

Pinterest is brilliant for this sort of thing

Or this

We have a turning two layer carousel that holds tins as well as pots and pans - works very well. Also butcher's hooks above sink for sieve, metal spoons, etc.

You can get plinth drawers too, so that isn't wasted space, good for baking trays etc

I havea hanging pot rack. It's ace :)

I have converted most of my kitchen cupboards to "drawers" by finding plastic boxes that fit on the shelves. Means you can pull the box out and find what you want, rather than it all tumbling out when the door opens.

I also converted a built under freezer to storage for tinned stuff and boxed tonato puree; the tins fit in the drawers nicely, and I write the contents on the top with black marker pen so I can see what I'm looking for.
I also "store" my most used pans on the hob

put cork mats on inside of cupboard doors and use as notice board - neater
or use blackboard paint to make a chalkboard

use carousels (lazy susans) to store stuff - can just turn to get stuff rather than pull it all out.

put pull out trays or wire baskets in cupboards for pans/crockery/tins again can just pick out what you need.

look on pinterest - loads of useful ideas there. But be warned, it is very addictive!

I agree with the baskets for storage.

I have cheap plastic baskets from Tesco on the top shelf which I can pull down: one for vitamins, one for medicines, one for first aid, one for treats, one for dog medicines etc.

I have all my sachets in an empty large margarine tub.

I have all the plastic cups in a plastic basket too so I can pull it out and rummage for what I need.

I have food colouring and essences (those tiny bottles) in a metal earl grey tin. I have the baking powder, bicarb etc in a lidless roses tin (the sort that you get a Christmas)

I currently have all my plastic lunch boxes etc in a bag. I need a place to hang it. You could do the same with baking trays (I have loads of that sort of thing too). If you had the right sort of cupboard you could use those Orla Keily style bags from Tesco and pull out the baking tray bag or plastic boxes bag etc.

Is there room on the ceiling for a pulley? You could hang stuff from that if you were desperate.

The baskets and tubs mean that everything has a space and you can get at the stuff at the back of the cupboard without making an almighty mess of the whole cupboard.

Cutlery trays are handy for top drawers, even if they don't have cutlery in them, as they divide all the equipment and minimise rummaging.

Evict everything from the kitchen that doesn't belong there. The random drawer of DIY type stuff and string and paperclips should be in the garage or a basket in another room or under the stairs. Not in the kitchen, unless you are cooking with paperclips. I don't have a cleaning cupboard under the sink either - the stuff I use constantly (washing up liquid, handwash, floor cleaner) is in a metal box on the windowsill by the sink and everything else is stored under the stairs with the hoover. Under the sink is where all my bowls and casseroles and serving dishes live.

The whole fitted kitchen "cupboards above and below and worksurface" thing is actually a big waste of space, imo. You can't get much in the top cupboards and the bottom ones are so deep you never see the stuff at the back, and in the middle you can't store anything at all. I have a couple of base units and an island, but most of our storage is a small tall larder thing and open floor-to-ceiling wire shelves.

Our iron and ironing board live on a rack on the back of the kitchen door. Well actually the ironing board is always up :oops: but if it should ever want to go home, it has one on the back of the door.

Agree with the baskets suggestion, especially for low cupboards where it's hard to dig around in there - Tesco sell sets of small plastic baskets, quite flimsy and unlovely but very very cheap and do the job luvverly.

this kind of thing to store spice jars/small items behind cupboard door

also have wall shelves built to maximise small areas of space, e.g. over doorways or at end of run of units.

Baskets with handle These are brilliant for organising your cupboards, fridge etc but I don't know where to find them in the UK

pengy Lakeland does something similar which woudl work well
www.lakeland.co.uk/22240/Easy-Reach-Storage-Caddy

Pannacotta you are fab! Thank you!

Though how I could miss anything at Lakeland I don't know! Duh!
And they are good price too! Thanks again! My fridge and cupboards are now going to be super-organised and all my problems will vanish!

I have one of those fabric sausage things you stuff carrier bags into.

(Why am I on MN at 11.37pm posting about carrier bag storage?)

I have these and these and lots of these.

I keep tins underneath and on top of the metal shelf and mugs/glasses on the plastic one with metal legs. I've also got some of the storage containers that are the same height as the metal shelves and so they sit underneath, they are for lentils and other annoying stuff that get lost at the back of the cupboard and spill everywhere.

Nearly everything gets decanted so I can get to it easily even if it's at the back (my kitchen is also tiny). Nothing gets kept if it's not being used. Mugs are kept to a minimum.

Has anyone mentioned this yet? Highly recommended. Maximises available space.

Top shelves - use cheap plastic tubs ( or go to shoe shop and ask for shoe boxes) and then use these for anything small and light - herbs & spices, cake sprinkles, baking powder etc, nuts and dried fruit