Conquer The Kitchen

Moving is one of life’s great stressors. It’s right up there with death. I mean, why is it so stressful? The upheaval of all of your possessions, life, and home is what does it. Moving means you feel unsettled and the sooner you are able to get your home set up, the sooner you’ll feel settled. A great place to start is the heart of the home, the kitchen.

Our new home doesn’t have a huge kitchen. However, it’s the biggest I’ve ever had. The cabinets were set up by the previous owners and while it might not be the way I would have set them up, I’m a professional and I can make it work for me.

Why

Having an organized kitchen isn’t about appearance or being a gourmet cook. It’s about making your space easy to use, every single day, even when life gets really busy. Your organizational systems don’t have to look a certain way, or be photo perfect, they just have to work for you. I want to share with you some tools I’ve found extremely helpful in organizing my kitchen. A little time, effort, and investment now will make every single day easier when prepping food for my family.

The Tools

I did a lot of research on what inserts to add into my cabinets. Here’s why I fell in love with these options:

Knape &Vogt’s options were EASY to install. Each required just four screws. Yes, you read that correctly. Installation is fast and furious in all the best ways so you’re not losing use of your kitchen for any period of time.

I could do one cabinet at a time. Picking out one organizer at a time and installing it allowed me to see how it worked for me and what further additions I needed to make. Each cabinet takes a little bit of time so you can do it when you have a free day or even just a free afternoon.

You can invest a little at a time. Instead of renovating your entire kitchen, Knape &Vogt’s cabinet inserts make your kitchen function like a high end one without the high end investment. It’s the perfect way to customize every cabinet so it functions perfectly for your needs.

Cabinet One

The first organizer I selected is the Double-Tier Multi-Use Basket by Knape and Vogt. The organizer installs to the interior of your cabinet and affords you two surfaces that pull out, making it easy to grab items, use them and then return them with ease. The organizer is about 11″ and the height is adjustable. Each one of the baskets moves independently and are on ball bearings so easy gliding, even while loaded. The heights are adjustable. It’s easy to install with just four screws too. It’s a nickel finish and looks great with the stainless steel in my kitchen.

This cabinet holds some of my bulkier items that don’t fit into the upper cabinets. Bulky meant heavy in the case of the Food Saver in particular. Now, I don’t have to bend over and lug it out when I’m ready to use it. Being able to pull out a tray and see everything in the cabinet also means that nothing goes unseen, and therefore unused. It’s a great way to keep the clutter down in my kitchen. I know what I have and I use it.

Cabinet Two

I had a second cabinet that needed some attention. I was using it for my juicer, blender and other heavy items that I use almost daily. I was getting tired of the lifting and debating storing more on the counter tops. I don’t like keeping things on the counter tops as it eats up valuable preparation space and looks cluttered.

I installed the Pot and Pan Caddy and added all of the appliances to it. Not only to do the platforms pull out, they have these railings so all of the parts and pieces stay on the rack. Of course, this organizer works for your pans and pots of all sizes. The sides have specially designed compartments for lids. I used these to hold the pieces of my appliances. I never have to dig for anything, or look for something that fell to the back of the cabinet anymore. It’s a great way to ensure I can use my appliances quickly and easily. Since I use my juice or blender first thing in the morning, this makes the start to my morning smooth and easy, and who doesn’t want that?

Other Options

Knape and Vogt has some other pretty cool options too. If you have a cabinet where part of the space is tucked behind a sink or other appliance (called a blind cabinet) and you don’t like the traditional lazy Susan option, this organizer is a great way to utilize every inch of space.

If you have a heavy appliance, like a mixer, getting it in and out of the cabinet can be a struggle. I’ve had a lot of clients tell me they don’t use things when they are hard to grab and use. Why not make life easy on yourself and make ALL cooking, even baking a breeze? I am in love with the Appliance Lift. Install it in your cabinet and all you have to do is effortlessly lift the platform up to counter height and use the appliance. Then, wipe everything off, and put it back with the same ease. I’m warning you, it’s almost too easy to bake with this kitchen helper!