Help me reorganise my kitchen cupboards!!

[AltheaVestr1t]

We’ve made some changes in the kitchen which means I have some more storage space but I’m at a loss at how to regroup my kitchen items. Currently have - an overflowing cupboard of glassware, tea and coffee. A cupboard chock full of random bits like ramekins and empty spice jars, crab shells, a toast rack - things that very rarely need to be used. Another cupboard that is the graveyard of loads of Tupperware and plastic children’s crockery. Under the sink, tall bottles and jugs and stuff that doesn’t fit anywhere else. I have space to move stuff into, but I don’t know where to start! Any top tips?

Do it by functional area. Mugs and tea above the kettle. Jugs, utensil drawer, graters, mixing bowls, chopping board by your work area. Pans and baking trays near the oven. Crockery by the dishwasher. Cleaning near the sink. Tupperware either near your working area or the dishwasher.

Also keep things you use together, together. For me that means Tupperware with lunch boxes and water bottles, for example. We have sporks for lunchboxes and they live in the same drawer rather than separately with the cutlery, because you only ever want a spork when you are making a packed lunch, and you only put one away when you are putting away lunchboxes, so why separate them? Grater, measuring jug, chopping boards, weighing scales and measuring spoons are another example.

The first step is to pull everything out and group by type. Ask yourself if you actually need 13 Tupperware boxes and 57 mismatched lids. Why are you hanging on to the crap cheese grater when you only use the good one, etc.

Try and use containers so you can pull out a whole box/tray/basket to get what you need rather than messing up the cupboard when you need something from the back.

I agree with grouping by function. We have the mugs, coffee and tea in the same cupboard above the kettle. Tupperware and reusable bottles etc in the same drawer.

We keep plates, bowls, things that are used daily in the top cupboards at eye level. Things that are less frequently used in the deep bottom cupboards.

All great advice thanks. I think pulling everything out is the first step, but that feels like a big commitment! 😆

Read The Magical Art of Tidying first. Chuck loads and then stick an extra shelf in every cupboard if you don't have that already.

Keep things in baskets within cupboards so you can lift out and choose things instead of rummaging in cupboards.

Do it in sections. Coffee mugs today, wash, count them, shelve the favourites and put the rest in the car. In a couple of days, wine glasses. Later, Tupperware.

I was finally allowed to do this for my dad. One man and 42 wine glasses.

Still haven’t started this... I’m off to procrastinate some more by reading ‘the Magical Art of Tidying’...

Tupperware......

stick an extra shelf in every cupboard if you don't have that already
Total game changer this idea.
I've added an extra shelf to most of my wall units. Makes such a difference.
I took the existing shelves to a DIY shed (I think it was Homebase) and got them to cut a sheet of melamine board to the sizes I needed.
I didn't bother with the iron on strip edging but I'm lazy.
Bag of shelf supports.
Job done and no teetering towers of crockery

We're installing a new kitchen later this year and sorting out my overfilled utensil drawer will be done then.
I read that you should sort utensils into Prep and Serve.... Potato peeler in one drawer, big spoons and ladles in another

I've also been having a purge of stuff.
Why am I KEEPING THIS?

We raided our local Lakeland for spice and tin stackers, under shelf plate hanging thing and tons of grab baskets with handles.

My kitchen is now transformed and so much easier to use.

Can we have a before and after picture? Love these transformations!

My name is WhereDoesThisToiletGo and I'm a Pantry Porn addict.

I watch YouTube videos.... of women organising their cupboards and pantries.

Note to self - get a bloody life!

Put plates and bowls in drawers if possible. Ikea do crockery stand things to help with this.

Use magnets inside cupboard doors for knives if possible.

Ikea do good organising boxes - variera come in different useful sizes. Curver is also super useful.

Think about your bins - is it a good idea to have somewhere (like a cupboard) as a recycling station.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo I’ve pre-planned where everything goes when my kitchen is finished but for now, I will leave you with this mid-build corner larder picture...

drools and goes for a cold shower

Best advice - imagine you're having to empty your entire kitchen (as we have just had to do, in preparation for a new extension/kitchen), or you're moving house - how much of the stuff would you actually want to keep?

We took mountains of stuff to the tip or the charity shop by having to empty our kitchen. Be brutal! If it's damaged, chuck it. If it doesn't match anything, chuck it. If it's a Gü glass ramekin, chuck it ... etc

I agree with group by function. After that assign post codes to each space. So area 1 is prime real estate - the places you can see and reach without stretching, bending down or moving anything out of the way. That’s where the stuff you use everyday goes.
Area 3 are the places you need a stool to reach, awkward corners, bottom drawers. This is where the things that get used very occasionally live. but before you give it space ask yourself if you will actually make the effort to get it out. If in doubt, let it go.
Area 2 is the in- between places. Not awkward, just not very convenient. Good for things that don’t get used every single day.

Figure out these spaces by standing in key areas and reaching out. So you could stand at the cooker and see what you can reach from there. Organize the cooking zone.
Then stand at the dishwasher and see what you can reach when it’s open. For example, you might find that a cupboard that looks like area1 prime real estate is actually blocked when you’re standing at the dishwasher.

Hope that makes sense.

I swear by this system dynamic space

We had to downsize into our kitchen so got rid of a lot of things that never got used or didn't stack nearly.

The zones work like this as you go round the room.

Consumables : pantry, fridge, all food.
Non consumables : all crockery, cutlery, also I like tea/coffee, /kettle /toaster in this zone
Cleaning : sink, dishwasher, cleaning materials, bins.
Preparation area: tools, utensils, good clear run of worktop. Possibly things used while cooking such as oils/spices.
Cooking : cooker, oven, pans, trays, serve out space.

This apparently reduces walking. You might have to compromise a bit depending on your room layout but certainly group similar items/ function together.

Also take control of your cupboard interiors : move shelves, add wire drawers, use boxes etc from ikea to get organised.