Simplify Your Kitchen, Inside Out

Your kitchen needs to be practical and have purpose. We're going to learn how to simplify your kitchen, inside out!

One of the biggest obstacles I run up against when helping people to simplify any space in the home is that they exist in "someday mode." That means, "oh, I'll use that someday," or "somebody might be able to use that someday."

I'm here to tell you--"someday" will probably never come. And if it does, you can almost always rent or borrow what you need.

Unless you are a gourmet chef, you probably don't need all of those gadgets and gizmos in your kitchen. Many of them were meant to make food preparation and cooking easier, but instead have created more headaches.

In the time it takes to put together and clean that super-duper, 15-piece, do-it-all food processor, you could have easily cleaned and chopped the veggies you needed by hand, faster, with less pieces to clean up!

I've spent lots of time in the kitchens of friends all over the world. They only have what they really need in their kitchens, and they aren't afraid to put in a little work to cook. In fact, it's not even like work for them, as they often visit and re-connect with family or friends while they're preparing meals.

Following their example, I simplified my kitchen by removing the clutter and unnecessary items.

Here's a list of kitchen items that we own and find indispensible:

• 1 small and 1 large stainless-steel skillet
• 1 small stainless-steel sauce pan
• 1 adjustable measuring cup (replaces 7 measuring cups!)
• 2 adjustable measuring spoons (replaces 10 measuring spoons!)
• bamboo spoons and spatulas
• set of 6 plates and bowls
• set of 6 forks, knives, and spoons
• knife set
• set of 6 glasses and coffee mugs
• glass casserole dish
• glass storage containers
• glass mixing bowl
• crock pot
• rice maker
• bamboo vegetable steamer
• blender
• water filter
• strainer
• bamboo cutting board

For cleaning, I simplified by making my own Natural Cleaning Kit.

The above list is just an example for simplifying the kitchen. Now I believe that a back-to-basics approach to simplify your kitchen is in order.

Ready?

What were your intentions for this space? When you consider putting an item back into the kitchen, ask yourself if it will serve your intentions and purpose for the kitchen.

As you touch an item, consider the following:

• How many plates, cups, bowls, and silverware settings do you REALLY need? Unless you host 12-person dinner parties often or own a catering company, 6 or maybe 8 settings should be plenty. Remember, you can always rent what you don't have in case you decide to have 6 couples over for a get together.
• Consider purchasing inexpensive but classy white place settings. This will simplify your kitchen because white never goes out of style and can be paired with any style of decor. Use colorful accessories to brighten up the dining room table and kitchen.
• When was the last time that you used that bread maker, pasta maker, juicer, etc.? If you haven't used it in the past 12 months, it's time to let it go to a better home. If you decide to keep large, infrequently-used items like a turkey roaster, store it in a high cupboard or low cabinet you don't use often.
• Remember the days when we would just borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbor if we needed it? Consider borrowing or renting items you don't use often but may need such as linens, place settings, silverware, roasters, etc.
• Another back-to-basics idea: If you are truly eating healthy, you don't need a lot of appliances taking up precious space in your kitchen. A healthy diet comprised mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat and wild game, nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains doesn't require lots of pots and pans and gadgets.
• As old appliances break or wear out and you're considering purchasing a new one, try to find something that has multi-purpose functions to cut down on the number of appliances your own. For example, find a blender that is also a juicer, or a vegetable steamer that can cook rice at the same time.

Do you have some of your own tips and ideas to simplify your kitchen? Share them with others here!