How do I maintain a happy little kitchen?
July 4, 2022 6:06 AM   Subscribe

What are your proven tips and tricks in keeping, maintaining, and nurturing a little kitchen and pantry?

I live alone and have a tiny kitchen with not enough storage but I make do. Whatever pantry items I have I put on a trolley that I can move around as I please. After a long depression, I'm finally cooking again and keeping everything nice and clean. I have an induction stove, a small oven toaster, a microwave, a rice cooker, an electric water kettle, a fridge, and not enough sink/counter space so I do a lot of prep on my dining table.

I've been reading articles but want to ask for advice from the hivemind based from your own experience. How do you make your kitchen a happy space? I want to create a lot of good memories here.

For example, some of the things I've been wondering about: how do I maintain my bamboo cutting board? Should I decant everything I buy from the grocery, even the ones I keep in the fridge? Is a wooden spoon better than silicon cooking utensils? Are homemade lemon disinfectants really good? What am I missing from my spice rack? Should I really buy the expensive descaling solution to clean my coffee machine? What do I do to keep oil from getting everywhere when I fry something? What's a nice artwork to put on the wall? What material should I get for the kitchen towel that will dry the dishes and won't leave any fuzz?

Thank you in advance!
posted by pleasebekind to Home & Garden (39 answers total) 64 users marked this as a favorite
 
What am I missing from my spice rack?

Does your spice rack contain lemon pepper seasoning? I put that shit in almost everything that calls for pepper instead of the pepper. It's amazing on eggs, on meat, on all sorts of things.

What do I do to keep oil from getting everywhere when I fry something?

Splatter guards. I find the cheap metal mesh ones hard to keep clean and free of rust, so aim for silicon or the metal ones that look more like a cheese grater and don't have that mesh.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:21 AM on July 4, 2022 [9 favorites]


What do I do to keep oil from getting everywhere when I fry something?

It doesn't solve everything, but a splatter guard at least helps keep the oil a bit more under control.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 6:22 AM on July 4, 2022 [3 favorites]


I can answer some of your specific questions!

- The only special thing I do for my bamboo cutting board is make sure it doesn't stay wet for long periods. So, I never leave it in the sink after use, always to the side of the sink. After hand washing I towel dry it before placing it in the drying rack. Mine is not a particularly high-end cutting board but it's held up very well for over 5 years so far!

- I mostly don't decant things, because one of my other goals is making cooking as easy as possible for myself, so why give myself extra work? (My one exception is that I do transfer the contents of cans after opening, since I've heard the plastic lining can leach bad chemicals once exposed to air -- I'm not 100% sure whether this is true.) Otherwise I leave most things in their original container.

- In general, vinegar is perfectly fine for descaling.

- 100% cotton tea towels are the best dish towels. I have basically these ones from IKEA but you can get similar ones anywhere, just make sure they're 100% cotton.

- Wooden and silicone utensils are good for different purposes; wood is good for general cooking and stirring and silicone is good for scraping the last bits out of a bowl.

Other general advice: Think about the 10 or so actions you do most often in the kitchen, and think about how to make those actions as easy as possible. Example: I bake a lot, so I put my flour and sugar in big plastic 5 gallon containers with their own scoop, which makes baking much more convenient.
posted by mekily at 6:26 AM on July 4, 2022 [8 favorites]


I like to have art on the walls and plants on the windowsill in my small kitchen. They're not very useful but they certainly make the space more cheerful and happy! I have slowly but surely found utensils and bowls and plates and cups I love to use. They can be secondhand and inexpensive but the joy of using pretty crafts everyday makes me happy.

I love to cook but I'm not a naturally organized person. One way I have maximized space and use is to have a friend or family member who loves to organize come over and give me feedback! They enjoy the challenge and I appreciate their help!

I hate dealing with dirty dishes and they can quickly pile up. Washing them right away is always best: I try but often I'll get behind. Not having them in the sink but somewhere else, like in a small tub on the floor (since you don't have counter space) means that at least they won't get as gross in the sink.

I'm so glad you are feeling good and finding joy in the kitchen. Thank you for asking this great question as I'm excited to read and learn from everyone's answers too!
posted by smorgasbord at 6:28 AM on July 4, 2022 [9 favorites]


Quickly wash and dry the bamboo cutting board any time it gets dirty in a way that just wiping off crumbs won't fix. It doesn't go in the dishwasher. Occasionally rub it with mineral oil, maybe once a couple months or so.

And get linen kitchen towels, they're the best for fuzz-free and quick-drying, plus they last forever.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 6:30 AM on July 4, 2022 [3 favorites]


I made a framed photo collage by printing out 12 photos of me and friends Polaroid style, then sticking them onto some nice hand painted wrapping style paper I found on Etsy, and it’s hanging in my kitchen and makes me smile every time I'm in there.
posted by ellieBOA at 6:50 AM on July 4, 2022 [1 favorite]


Is a wooden spoon better
Silicone utensils can go in the dishwasher (if you have one), wooden ones generally die a slow death if put in the dw. For all intents and purposes I would prefer wooden utensils for a lot of cooking but I have a stronger preference to be able to put things into my dw.

Should I decant everything
I decant things that make sense to decant. Makes sense to me is a combination of protection from creepy crawlies and dampness but also use of available space. I have several nice, stackable containers that make the most of my space and I do decant things into them.

I also find that I am much more likely to use up all my produce if I manage to rinse it and perhaps pre-prep to a degree when I get home. Storing it semi-prepped means I can then just pull ingredients together when I cook.

What material should I get for the kitchen towel
I have some thin linen and some cotton tea towels. They wash well and most have been going strong for over a decade.

Should I really buy the expensive descaling solution to clean my coffee machine?
That depends. I'd be perfectly happy to pour cheap white vinegar into my electric kettle. I would not use that for my fancy espresso machine that would cost and arm and a leg to replace....especially because the manual expressly states that vinegar will destroy it. So YMMV.
posted by koahiatamadl at 6:54 AM on July 4, 2022 [5 favorites]


My kitchen space is 6'x8'. Is that small? It doesn't feel that way, but I think it probably is. Anyway, here is a picture I just took of it and some things I do:
  • I "putz around" in the space regularly. Like, I dunno if you can see but there are three wooden spoons on the cutting board and a little jar of spoon wax. This morning, while my coffee was brewing, I waxed three wooden spoons. A couple of days ago, I went through one of the picnic baskets I've repurposed as a pantry and got rid of some falafel mix that disappointed me and moved some things around so I remembered I had them.
  • I hang things up (from the ceiling, from vertical surfaces) so I know what I have and I move things around so that they are as easy to access and as enjoyable to use as possible.
  • In general, I find function beautiful, so even though I'd never think a clear plastic tub is beautiful, it feels beautiful to me because I rise dough in it regularly and I love having it easily accessible to encourage that.
  • This is a little thing, but I have a small cup filled with tiny spoons and I use them to taste while I cook and it's so enjoyable and handy.
  • I have fresh and dried flowers and herbs around.
  • Lazy susans are a must. I use mine for fats and vinegars.
  • I buy spices in small quantities so that I can sort of match what I have to what kind of cooking I'm doing. I just don't have storage space for a lot of them. Mainstays, however, include chili powder, cumin (seeds and powder), za'atar, and oregano).
  • I got a small piece of marble countertop cut at a local dealer and I love it so much.
  • A few years ago, we experimented with immediately drying dishes instead of using a rack and never missed it.
  • No matter the size kitchen I've had, I never store appliances on the counters. A bowl of fruit, a lazy Susan, flowers, sure, but appliances are ugly, hard to move, and take up too much space.
  • I bought some magnets that have holes in them and I've installed them in various places so that I can store things that way, too. I have a grater stored on a magnet, knives of course, and I keep my most used spatula secured on the stove with one so it's always easy to grab.
I think that's about it. I love the creativity small kitchens inspire. I also love the time I spend maintaining and reconfiguring it to meet my needs.
posted by 10ch at 7:12 AM on July 4, 2022 [28 favorites]


What am I missing from my spice rack?

Smoked paprika and onion powder.
posted by box at 7:20 AM on July 4, 2022 [5 favorites]


For oil splattering everywhere - they make oil splatter covers, but personally, I find it is less frustrating to just expect a little splatter and have a plan for cleaning up. I use a wet dish sponge with a tiny bit of detergent to cut the grease, then a wet dish rag to wipe up any soap.

For spices - this depends so much on what you like to cook. One thing that I enjoy is having spice mixes that go well with roasted vegetables, because that's my favorite way to prepare things like zucchini, okra, brussels sprouts, etc. Each spice brand will have its own choice of mixes, but for example, I like garam masala, red curry, and a tandoori inspired mix. Spice mixes are good to have on hand for quick roasted meals, soups, etc.

(The ones I buy are often poor imitations of what's used in the dishes they're named for; I'd never actually make a curry with the red curry spice mix, for example. But they're excellent for other things!)

For cooking utensils - despite the aesthetic downgrade, good silicone spatulas and turners are so much better than anything wooden. They deform to fit the pan so they just do a better job, and if you're using non-stick you don't have to worry about scratching. You can get them in cute colors, though!

Another thing that's important to me is having some easy recipes that I like, so that cooking doesn't always feel like a big undertaking AND YET the result is something I want to eat. Don't burn yourself out on cooking something elaborate every day you want to do a home-cooked meal. As you're looking at recipes, take note of the ones that have a good effort/value payoff. It feels good to be able to throw something delicious together in 20-30mins including prep.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 7:28 AM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]


Silicone utensils can go in the dishwasher (if you have one), wooden ones generally die a slow death if put in the dw.

It's a very, very slow death. I have wooden spoons I've been putting in the dishwasher for literally years, and I can't remember the last time one actually died. I put pretty much everything in the dishwasher - for me the convenience is worth the small loss in longevity. I was literally not using things because I didn't want to hand wash them.

The exception is cutting boards. I found out the hard way those break into pieces.
posted by FencingGal at 7:29 AM on July 4, 2022 [10 favorites]


I have a big kitchen footprint but very little counter space and storage. I try to keep only essentials on the counter -- utensil container, small toaster, and coffee maker. I also have a little sugar bowl that I keep stevia or Splenda in next to my coffee maker.

When I think of a happy kitchen, I think clean, orderly, and user-friendly. Everything is grouped together in categories -- baking items, spices, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and containers, etc. I like when everything has a function. Your functional pieces can be the decoration (fruit bowl, dishtowels, utensil canister, etc.)

I like the advice of thinking what you cook the most and keeping the spices available that are your favorites. There is no need to go out and buy extra spices unless a recipe calls for it and then you'll have it. I have too many spices I don't use. They expire and I end up throwing them out. My most used flavorings are: Olive oil, garlic, onions, lemon, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, red-pepper flakes, paprika, and fresh herbs.

I'm an underbuyer because I generally don't like storing items that aren't being used. I'm thinking of everything in the kitchen, including food. Too many cups, too many cleaning supplies, too much Tupperware, too many cans of beans that aren't being consumed. Cull and donate some of that stuff if you have too much that you're storing instead of using is my advice if clutter gets you down.

For daily grease and grime I like dishsoap. I use Dawn Power Wash and it's handy, yet a sinkfull of hot water and a squirt of dish-soap is great for wiping down counters, cabinets, and walls. Add a capful of bleach if you want to disinfect. I also like the ever-popular dash of Tide powder and bleach in hot water as a cleaning solution for just about everything.

I don't fry that much but if I'm making hamburgers on the stove or something similar I will put an old towel that is damp with water and all-purpose cleaner and stand on it in front of the stove to catch the splatters. After I'm done frying, I use the towel to clean the floor and surrounding cabinets and counters.

If lemon-scented all-purpose cleaner makes you happy, use it. It's good for floors and grime and general cleaning. You can practically clean your entire house with it. I'm thinking of Mr. Clean or something similar.

If you have a window in your kitchen, clean it inside and out. Wash your curtains and your dishtowels and fabric potholders if you have them. I use silicone potholders.

If your kitchen towels are looking shabby, replenish and use the old ones to clean toilets and floors and window sills. I have a lot of white cotton washcloths to clean everything. If they get too dirty I just throw them out. I also use them as napkins.

Seconding having wooden spoons and rubber spatulas because they do different things. I also like a nylon spatula.

I also like an empty sink. I'd rather have a stack of dishes next to the sink rather than inside the sink. If you can leave the kitchen at night with an empty clean sink, washed dishes, and clean counters I think that's one of the most nurturing things you can do for a happy kitchen.
posted by loveandhappiness at 7:44 AM on July 4, 2022 [5 favorites]


I think decanting only works if you have a large storage space - the containers never fit a whole package of stuff so you end up with half a bag shoved somewhere.

Declutter your mugs, dishes, and utensils! For one person you probably don’t need more than 6 of each thing. Having a small amount of things you really like is better than a huge array of random stuff.

In a small space consider not having too many specialty kitchen things that are only good for one use. You may not actually need a pizza cutter, you can use shears or a knife. You may not need a lemon press and a lime press- just put limes in the lemon press. Etc.

If you have a very sensitive nose / sense of taste, note that silicone holds scents. I can always taste the dish soap, curry, garlic, etc from the spatula in my scrambled eggs. So I prefer black plastic / nylon utensils (what we used before silicone). It’s less fun to cook with and not as pretty but I don’t taste the soap as much.

Get hand soap and dish soap that smell great, in bottles you actually like the look of.

Buy a few pretty dish cloths to hang visibly and only dry clean dishes / hands on those ones… and then have a few more random stained ones in a drawer for spills and cooking.

Have a little mat on the floor near the sink/oven. Make sure it’s a busy dark pattern to hide spills, and easy to toss in the washing machine. Cotton rag rugs are good for this.

Think about the lighting- you can install a little strip of LEDs under the cabinets or even put a small cute table lamp in there somewhere.

It’s nice to have a plant in the kitchen. And hang a little piece of art in there, maybe over the sink!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 7:48 AM on July 4, 2022 [4 favorites]


Wow, 10ch, that is a seriously gorgeous kitchen!! Like a scene out of a painting. I would love to hear more about the actual planning and design of it.
posted by nanook at 8:10 AM on July 4, 2022 [10 favorites]


I love this question and the answers here so far.

For me, a clean and organized kitchen is a happy kitchen. It doesn't take Insta-ready uniform spice jars or high-end tools that were recommended by some Youtuber. Rather, a happy kitchen is a place that feels familiar and meets my needs. To me, that means:

- Every item has a place. It goes back in the same place every time, so I don't have to go searching for it.

- I have what I need and nothing I don't need. I know my needs. I've slowly curated a set of items that meet my needs, and I don't hesitate to refuse or get rid of things that are not useful to me. No aspirational items - only tools for tasks I'm already performing.

- I take good care of things: knives, wooden spoons, cutting boards, delicate glasses, and plastic items get washed by hand. Towel between stacked cast iron pans.

- Wipe down counters and scrub the sink regularly. I keep a mixture of equal parts water, distilled white vinegar, and dish soap in a spray bottle for general purpose cleaning. I do not keep bleach in the house - no need, and I hate accidenal bleach stains.

- Instead of a bunch of random storage containers in awkward stacks, I have a set of stacking Pyrex containers in 4 sizes. Keeps things organized, and they serve multiple uses (baking, Instant Pot pot-in-pan cooking, taking lunch to work, storage) - great for a compact kitchen.

- Speaking of which, containers borrowed from friends have a separate spot in a cubby by the front door, so I remember to return them next time I go to visit them, and so they don't clutter up my kitchen.

- No cluttered, overfilled cabinets. Everything should be very easy and convenient to reach. If I can't reach for something without a stack of stuff falling over, it's time to declutter.

- I buy secondhand whenever possible and that makes me really happy.

- I like having a few go-to containers for pot lucks and to give to friends. E.g., casserole dish with lid for the former; those black take-out containers for the latter.

- If you have a gas stove, keep the over-the-hood vent on and open the window while cooking.

I feel that a kitchen is like a workshop. When it's organized, uncluttered, and familiar, and it has ample free counter space, you feel like working there. That's what makes a happy kitchen to me.
posted by aquamvidam at 8:18 AM on July 4, 2022 [10 favorites]


My life improved when I realized that I use small plates and bowls every day, multiple times, and I use individual food items less frequently than that. So, it makes sense to keep the plates _outside_ the cabinets where I can grab them and put them away extra quickly. This leaves more room in the cabinets for food items, so they don't have to be stored on the counter.

This is great for more than just saving time: the plates look neater and are less visually distracting, making it easier to find things and making the kitchen feel more orderly. I'm less likely to break things, since they are stored at a good height; having heavyish items above eye level (I'm short) always seems precarious. The food items tend to be lighter and more irregular in shape, so they tend to fall over when they're not in an enclosed space like a cabinet.


Another storage solution I love is magnetic knife bars mounted on the wall and refrigerator. It makes it easy to not only store, but to find and retrieve knives, metal measuring cups (not all will stick, but some do), whisks, metal spoons and ladles, my metal peeler, etc.
posted by amtho at 8:29 AM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]


If you have space in your dinning room for a cabinet you could shift some of your storage there- I have an old bead board cabinet in my eat in kitchen where I keep appliances I don't use daily and bulk food.
I cook a lot of Indian food and buy a lot of spices from Diaspora. They have relationships with farmers in India, and everything they sell is top notch. I also try and buy whole spices and grind them myself to make things like Japanese curry powder or Garam Masala.
My main decanting storage are ball jars or using glass jars from products I buy- so I have a bunch of Rao's jars and jam jars with gingham lids that I use for spices and other bulk foods. I keep masking tape and a sharpie in a drawer to label them.
posted by momochan at 8:34 AM on July 4, 2022


I recommend these German dish towels.
posted by pinochiette at 8:35 AM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]


I have very little kitchen storage and I decant bagged goods into labeled, stackable pantry containers because otherwise I would have rice falling on my head every time I open the door.

The trick is to buy containers that are big enough to hold the quantity of [whatever] that I usually buy so I don't have partially emptied bags. I have several that are the right size for 1lb bags of rice, beans, etc. Some tall ones for noodles, etc.

Another thing is - if you have kitchenwares that you don't use often but still want to keep (for me, that's things like cake pans because I don't bake much), you don't have to store them in the kitchen if you have more space elsewhere. You can totally keep them in a tub under your bed, for example. If you don't use them often it's not a big deal to have to fish them out of the tub every once in a while.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 8:39 AM on July 4, 2022 [1 favorite]


I love these magnetic clips. They stick to the refrigerator, and I use them all the time to clip bags in the pantry and freezer and to keep notes on the refrigerator. I love the colors, but I realize that's not everyone's aesthetic.

I also really like storing food in glass instead of plastic. These Anchor-Hocking storage containers are wonderful. I have them in one-cup and two-cup sizes. I use them for storage and as bowls (the one-cup size is great for things like granola where I want to keep serving sizes small). The lids fit really well.
posted by FencingGal at 8:42 AM on July 4, 2022


Another vote for under-cupboard lighting. We have LED strips above the entire worktop and I wouldn't want to do without it. Whenever I do anything on the worktop (preparing, cooking, washing) it's like it gives me better eyesight.
posted by snarfois at 8:55 AM on July 4, 2022 [1 favorite]


I am going to disagree with nouvelle-personne about decanting - because honestly, that's one thing that HELPS me in my kitchen. I've had 3 apartments in the past 20 years; the first had practically ZERO space (two cabinets, a fridge, an oven, and no counter space AT ALL), then the second was a more proper-sized kitchen and I lived with that for 15-odd years and got used to it - but then had to downsize back to a smaller kitchen with only about 4 working cabinets, half the counter space, and a bar size sink instead of a proper sink.

Decanting things into containers is something I started doing to consolidate space more than anything else. If you have a big-sized container of something that's only like a quarter full, that's a lot of wasted space and packaging which may be hiding things behind it - but if you decant that stuff into a smaller container, not only is it no longer hiding other things, you also have opened up room for more stuff. So I have an assortment of different sized containers and I regularly decant things down into smaller containers as I use up the contents.

And you don't even necessarily need to spend a lot on this - most of those containers are regular old mason jars, some in quart size, some in pint size and some in half-pint. They sell mason jars by the dozen for like 15-20 bucks depending on size. I also got regular plastic screw-top lids for them so I wasn't fussing with that weird double-part lid you use when you're canning something. And for an even MORE budget option - save glass jars or bottles from things like spaghetti sauce or vinegar or jam, wash them off and use those. (JUST YESTERDAY I decanted some Israeli couscous out of the old jam jar that was a little too big for it, down into the old spice jar that was the right size.) And for dry goods - with glass jars, you can simply cut the label off the packaging and tuck that into the jar, pressed up against the glass, so you can see what the thing is.

As for the coffee maker - you don't need to buy the descaling stuff; you can just use a bottle of plain white vinegar. Fill your coffee maker with vinegar (just vinegar, don't dilute it), and let that sit a half hour; then turn your coffee maker on and let it run through a brewing cycle. It'll amp up the vinegar smell to an unpleasant level, so be warned. When it's run through, dump that out and then "flush" it out by doing two or three more brewing cycles with just plain water (and no coffee in the basket, of course).

Other advice - seriously consider looking into some of the "cooking for one" cookbooks out there. There's recently been a bit of an explosion in this genre, and all of them have great advice about food shopping, food storage, and meal planning in a world where everything seems to be packaged "family size". This can be a pain in the ass for home cooks, because if you have a recipe for something where the "serves four" size calls for two avocados, and you're only cooking for yourself, you only need half the avocado - and now you have this other half an avocado in your fridge and what the hell do you do with it before it goes bad, aaack!...Or you're trying to divide something that can't be divided - like scaling down "one egg". So the cooking-for-one cookbooks often have a chart that tells you "what recipes use only half an avocado" or whatever, so after you've made recipe A, you can then look up options for using that avocado up.

Also - the serves-one cookbooks can get REALLY, REALLY creative. My latest favorite is one published by America's Test Kitchen, and at least three of the recipes in there have joined my "regular rotation" - that book is the reason why I have the Israeli couscous, in fact; they've got this one-dish meal with some Israei couscous, some chick peas, a carrot, a handful of raisins, and one of those pre-cooked sausage links all chopped up. It is DELICIOUS. Another old standby is by Judith Jones, who was Julia Child's editor; she has a lot of recipes in there that are meant to sort of "go together", where you make recipe A one night, and then you take the leftovers and use them in recipe B the next night. Like, you make lamb chops one night - but since the smallest package of lamb chops at the supermarket had three chops in it, go ahead and cook all three, and then you eat one or two of the chops the first night. Or even two-and-a-half. Then the second night, you make a pot of lentils, and while that's cooking you cut up however much of the lamb chops were left over and throw them into the lentils. My favorite such group from there involves THREE recipes: you start with a pork tenderloin, and when you bring it home you cut about three slices off the fat end, then cut about a third off the other end; the slices get sauteed quickly for dinner the first night, the bit from the other end you cut up and use in a stir-fry the second night; and the third night you slather in a paste of garlic and ginger and roast that with some root veg. Three very different meals from one purchase.

Actually, reading good food writers is another way to kind of fall in love with cooking. A couple of food writers I've discovered and loved are M.F.K. Fisher and Tamar Adler; Fisher was active during the mid-20th Century, and she wrote a book in the 40s to help people adjust to wartime economy called How To Cook A Wolf that is filled with practical advice about cooking, alongside with recipes. And her voice is delightful - she's like one of those urbane sophisticates you find in comedies from the 1930s, kind of like if the couple from The Thin Man were chefs instead of detectives. Adler wrote a more recent book with a similar approach called An Everlasting Meal, but she's more modern/contemporary and her voice is more "earth-mother hippie" than "urbane sophisticate". Both are books you can sit and read like books, though, and both are equally inspiring.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:03 AM on July 4, 2022 [8 favorites]


I have a weird kitchen which is big in size but has almost no counter space and not a lot of storage. Here is what works for me.

- I am a big decanter mainly because I have a big shelf which is jars on top of jars. I used to eat a LOT of peanut butter so I have a lot of peanut butter jars with the labels removed which are good for storage, especially of dried goods, cereal, tiny snacks. Also: labelmaker.
- Plants! If you have the light and the space some plants in a window can make a kitchen feel more alive.
- Kitchen shears. I use these for so much from opening containers to cutting up veggies or flowers or whatever.
- I buy most of my spices in bulk because it's cheaper and I can regulate how much I get that way. I go through a lot of cumin and curry and chili powder and paprika in addition to all the baking spices. I add mace to a lot more things than I would have thought. I have premade cinnamon sugar and curry sugar that I put on toast or popcorn.
- Get some fun powerful magnets for the fridge and put stuff up there.
- Get a bunch of clips that can keep opened bags closed. Good for freezer stuff as well as pantry stuff.
- Keep the fridge tidy, which is to say go through it every so often and think "I never ate that leftover and now it's grotty and it's going OUT" instead of having a weird shamehole drawer in the fridge that you can't deal with.
- I have both cotton tea towels but also those terrycloth ones for drying dishes though mostly I just leave my dishes in the dish drainer overnight.
- Keep your sink clean. Mine is white ceramic and really looks a lot nicer if I scrub and bleach it regular, mainly because it gets coffee and other food stains and then I also clean out the drain so it's not stinky.
- Love my magnetic knife bar, so much easier to deal with knives.
posted by jessamyn at 9:42 AM on July 4, 2022 [3 favorites]


music. we set up a stereo in my kitchen (which is not small) so maybe a boombox? having music playing during prep/clean up etc., makes it all so pleasant. I found it to be a game changer.
posted by supermedusa at 9:48 AM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]


Grow some herbs and use them for cooking. Make yogurt if you use it.

What am I missing from my spice rack?

Penzeys Greek Seasoning! I put it on everything that is not sweet (I may try again with watermelon, using a lot less), and it makes great salad dressing. They have the dressing recipe on their site.

I also really like Penzeys Sandwich Sprinkle. I never put it on sandwiches. I roast things with it, using it as an alternative to the Greek Seasoning.

I have artwork, plants, and nice colors in my kitchen.
posted by jgirl at 10:38 AM on July 4, 2022


That sounds like a delightful little kitchen already! It sounds like it works and that’s such a pleasure.

Little details; I like waffle weave towels for a good combination of nonlinty/absorbent. The cellulose ones like really thin sponges work too, but I’m not used to them.

I have wooden spoons and spatulas that I’ve been putting in dishwashers for twenty years (I can date them from moving in with my sweetie). I lose them by setting them on fire more often than dishwasher cracking. Wood with glue seams is more delicate, though.

My visible kitchen stuff is sorted first by purpose, and then by size - so I have a row of mismatched pots and another of water bottles and thermoses and another of artsy mugs, but each row is always in size order. Visually calming to me and when putting things away I know where the space that’s exactly the right width is.

I mostly don’t look at "kitchen inspo" when trying to fit something else in - it just makes me feel bad. Tiny restaurant kitchens have brilliant ideas, especially the ones wedged into repurposed houses. So do other shop spaces.

Two more teeny books on teeny kitchens and convenient cooking - M. Pomiane’s Cooking in Ten Minutes, French, sociable, quick; and Whitehorn’s Cooking in a Bedsitter, which will make your kitchen feel large. These are mostly philosophical but I have cooked good things from each.
posted by clew at 10:44 AM on July 4, 2022 [3 favorites]


Despite -- or maybe because -- I'm a naturally disorganized person, I really enjoy watching cleaning videos online. Aurikatariina is a Finnish woman who cleans really dirty homes for free (she's sponsored, of course) and has such a positive attitude. I've learned some handy techniques and feel quite inspired while watching. Also, reading the comments always makes me feel good because there's a great sense of community and acceptance there.
posted by smorgasbord at 11:33 AM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]


It really seems like you are already doing well and making good choices.

It depends on what you like to eat, but I find the Herbes de Provence mix really useful. I use it in most Mediterranean stews, if I'm not using a very specific recipe. Or on vegetables that I am going to roast in the oven: I put the vegs, some olive oil and the Herbes in a bowl with some salt, and mix them well before putting them on the sheet and into the oven.

Sharp knives are really important. You don't need a lot of knives, I have noticed Jaques Pepin always uses his paring knife for everything, but you need them/it to be sharp. Buy a cheap IKEA sharpener. The knife police are not coming after you.

I have a little ceramic relief for art, and it's good because one can easily clean it. Otherwise, perhaps think of laminating fotos or posters.

Think about what you don't need. One of my high school classmates had a dad who was locally famous for having the most minimalist kitchen while cooking excellent food. When I asked him, he said: I live in a city. The whole point is that if I need a stick of butter, I can go down and get it right away. I can whip cream with a fork, I don't need a machine, and I can cook my chicken in a pot, I don't need an oven. I think he was a bit of a fanatic, but I learnt from him. Maybe you don't have to be able to do everything, as if you were a restaurant cook. Most of us don't do everything, we have a few favorites, or maybe a dozen, and rotate them during the year. Yesterday I made a Moroccan dish that I used to make very often, but because of corona, I haven't for two years. And to be honest, I might as well not have used my Ras El Hanout because it is four years old and tasteless. It's better to just have the herbs and spices you actually use than a big assortment.
posted by mumimor at 12:15 PM on July 4, 2022 [2 favorites]


I hate my tiny kitchen, and most especially my too-small fridge and freezer. Over the past year I have purchase a dorm-sized refrigerator, a similar-sized freezer, and a countertop ice maker, all of which I keep in the dining area around the corner of the kitchen. We never "dine" there and never have company, so this works well for us. It has been SO NICE to have the extra room to put stuff and I am so happy to not be fucking around with ice trays all the time.

I use "everything bagel seasoning" on a lot of stuff. I put it on tuna salad, cottage cheese, eggs... anywhere that can use a little garlicky oniony boost.

Seasoned salt is my next most used seasoning. I put it on every meat I cook: hamburgers, pork chops, chicken, salmon. My husband got me hooked on sprinkling it on my spaghetti as well.

A little tip about paprika... store it in the fridge, as it is prone to getting wormy if you leave it in the cabinet. I found a whole-ass civilization living in mine. Buy a small jar and keep it in the fridge.

An air fryer is nice if you have the space. I cook most meats that way now. I actually have two... a little mini one I purchased to try it out, and a larger one that will cook enough meat for a family. I thought I'd get rid of the little one when I got the big one but having two has been nice, I can do meat in one and veggies or potatoes in the other.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 12:57 PM on July 4, 2022 [1 favorite]


Silicone spatulas, definitely, though only the fully encapsulated ones--the ones with wooden or plastic handles get gross crud built up where the two materials meet.

The reason why you shouldn't put wood or bamboo cutting boards in the dishwasher is they they are usually laminated, little strips or squares glued together, and the heat of the dishwasher softens the glue.

For kitchen towels I like to have pretty, flat-woven "tea" towels for drying clean hands and dishes only and a set of cheap terry bar mops for spills and other cleanup.

The best thing I ever did for my cooking, though, was to really prioritize keeping my counters as clear as possible. Is it annoying to have to get my toaster out of a cabinet? Yes. Is it more annoying to have to constantly clean food splatter off the toaster and move it around to clean the counter (or not move it and then discover later that a mouse had been chilling behind it)? Absolutely. I much more often skip cooking because my kitchen is messy than because I need to get a stored tool.
posted by radiogreentea at 2:47 PM on July 4, 2022 [3 favorites]


how do I maintain my bamboo cutting board? I scrub mine with the kitchen brush every time I use it, and then leave it out to dry.

Should I decant everything I buy from the grocery, even the ones I keep in the fridge?
Probably just some things. In the fridge, things get put into smaller containers as we go. So, a 16 ounce tub of olives would get moved into an 8 ounce container at the right time.

For dry goods, I usually decant things by shoving their open bags into ziplock bags and round to-go containers. All the sizes have interchangeable lids and I always know that if we get takeout soup we can just add the container to the collection no matter where it's from. The bag provides Best By information, brand etc so I can be informed about re-acquiring.

The things I decant are generally what insects might hatch from or any critter might decide to investigate. So that's mostly grains and grain based things like pasta and cereals, also chocolate chips, and anything that I want the protection of an airtight seal - like spices (I use small but fairly thick zipper bags for this, again keeping the original package because I buy from Kalustyan's in small bags). I have never yet found anything living in my sugars but those can get weird with humidity, especially brown sugar.

Is a wooden spoon better than silicon cooking utensils? It depends. Get one of each and see how you like it. You'll probably find you gravitate toward one or the other for everything or some things.

Are homemade lemon disinfectants really good? Vinegar is a great disinfectant. We use bar soap for hand washing at all the sinks in the apartment. We get to feel better about not paying to have water shipped all over the place

What am I missing from my spice rack? It's possible you have more in the spice rack already than you need. This reminds me that I have been meaning to ask some questions about what things folks throw some specific spices into.

Should I really buy the expensive descaling solution to clean my coffee machine?
I don't know, I clean my electric kettle with vinegar and water. We don't have a coffee maker only because neither of us drinks coffee.

What do I do to keep oil from getting everywhere when I fry something? Are you deep or shallow frying?

What's a nice artwork to put on the wall?
I use the cut flowers for this. It's absolutely extravagant to sped $10 or $15 a week on, but it's seasonal and a thing I've gotten better at with time. This means I have a few vases of varying heights, and I trim the ends off the bunch each day, replacing the water at the same time with fresh water plus a packet of flower food or home made flower food (sugar and citric acid powder, checked with pH strips). When I first started, I made a lot of what my partner lovingly called "angry salads," so I stuck with pre-made bouquets for a while. Now I am confident in my eye for proportion (not just what looks good on top, but how long to trim things so the heights look ok together). I'm by No means a pro, but I enjoy it and it's given me a sense of mastery. Today I grabbed a bunch of pink centered yellow gerbera daisies, some pink spray roses, and some kind of "grass" for a filler.

What material should I get for the kitchen towel that will dry the dishes and won't leave any fuzz?
Linen.
posted by bilabial at 8:00 PM on July 4, 2022 [1 favorite]


Make sure your prep space and cooking space are cleaned and cleared after each meal. It's a drag to go into the kitchen to cook and have to put away a lot of stuff before getting to the fun task.

I like the music suggestion. Some prefer TV (my wife does, esp. news ) when cooking. For music one way to do it without much of a space requirement is to put your music as MP3 (or format you prefer) files on an SD card, put that in an old cell phone you've retired, and make sure you have a music player app installed on that phone. If you prefer to stream (Pandora, Spotify, or just internet radio) you can do that too: WiFi on a phone still works, even if the phone is no longer connected to an account for cell service.
posted by TimHare at 8:36 PM on July 4, 2022 [1 favorite]


A cup or mug for the garlic to live in! (Beautiful… or childhood-art-project!)
3M everywhere! Hooks for small-to-medium nylon cutting boards, if you end up using them (I often need two medium ones for a big cook, or one for savories and one for fruit in the same day, so having multiples that I can throw in the dishwasher and not worry about bacteria feels great), aprons, reusable shopping bags, potholders, whisk brush - broom-holders for brooms, mops, Swiffers, etc.
Gigantic magnetic clips on the fridge to hold grocery lists!
Retractable sharpies in your favorite colors! (They can hold on to the magnetic clips)
A wire cage attached with suction cups to the backsplash to give your sponges a chance to air out!
A chandelier drop hung on a suction cup to sprinkle the place with rainbows!
Proper industrial spray bottles (rather than cute ones in fun colors)!
A kitchen-specific laundry basket! (Mine also takes bathroom towels - it’s just a 13” cube storage drawer, but it’s right at the exit for the kitchen, and it makes switching to new, fresh flour-sack towels easy and satisfying)
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:29 PM on July 5, 2022 [1 favorite]


My Bluetooth headphones and an ipad also make light work of cleaning. My partner and I each wipe down the counters and sink every night, and the stovetop/microwave once a week - that routine becomes very satisfying, and it feels so nice to have a clean, shiny kitchen every morning.
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:31 PM on July 5, 2022


The best upgrade to my kitchen in years is a cheap Chef's Choice knife sharpener. I do not care for fancy knives, the ones I work with are decades old. Always used a hand sharpener, but the electric one makes such a difference. Knives are like new and it such a comforting thought that I now can use any knife in my drawer to slice tomatoes.
posted by ouke at 2:33 AM on July 6, 2022 [1 favorite]


Remember your microwave can be a good assist on cleaning - I give wooden/bamboo/cloth items 60 seconds on full once a week after I have washed them, just to get in to all the cracks and textures that may not have been scoured.

A decent set of measuring cups, a good set of scales and a meat thermometer make the whole recipe and cook process less of a guess and more of a science - so right up my alley.
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 10:29 PM on July 7, 2022


ctrl-F "scissors": Not found!?

Kitchen scissors. They don't have to be fancy kitchen shears or anything. Almost any utility scissors will do. It's much nicer and safer to cut open bags and boxes and stuff with scissors than trying to tear open packages with your hands or teeth or, worse, stab them with a knife.

Bags of cereal, chips, or crackers? Cut them open with scissors and it makes it much easier to roll them up and close them with a clip because the bag won't run and tear. Makes pouring and dispensing neater, too.

Cutting open any kind of packaged meat whether it's wrapped in a tray or a vacuum sealed pouch? Put down the knife before you stab yourself in the hand. Use the scissors.

Want to chop a bunch of fresh herbs? Scissors in a bowl or mug, or right on a cutting board.

Cutting the stems on flowers from the garden? Scissors.

You can also use decent kitchen scissors for more effective cooking prep like deboning a chicken or shelling shrimp or other meat related tasks.

They're also great for deveining whole kale leaves, chopping up greens right into a salad bowl and all kinds of things you might normally use a knife and cutting board for.

The main problem with kitchen scissors is how often they tend to walk off from where they are supposed to live in their drawer.

I think I may have solved this problem by reminding my housemates that I'm a weirdo who is not morally or ethically opposed to eating people.
posted by loquacious at 12:40 PM on July 8, 2022 [2 favorites]


ctrl-F "scissors": Not found!?

I call them shears ;)

Also so I'm not just being a wiseass, I use a plate hanger to hang up an ipad which I use for recipes so I can read them without printing out more pieces of paper or bringing a laptop into the kitchen in danger of getting spilled on.
posted by jessamyn at 2:49 PM on July 8, 2022 [4 favorites]


I keep my kitchen scissors on a magnetic knife bar on the side of the fridge, along with the bread knife, solving multiple problems at once.

Aside from that, I have an over-cluttered kitchen so should not be followed for advice on this topic, and am tackling my over-full pantry to clear out old food this afternoon.
posted by gingerbeer at 12:58 PM on July 16, 2022


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