Demarcating your kitchen into different zones is a life savior. Trust us when we say that your kitchen can be orderly and manageable. Doing so not only allows you to cook more efficiently but also makes the cooking process all the more enjoyable.
In this blog, we will understand how you can divide your kitchen based on five key tasks–regular storage, prepping, cooking, cleaning, and food storage. Let’s understand how you can elevate your kitchen into a Masterchef-cum-Monica-level-organized haven.
Zone 1: Regular Storage: The Essential Unit of Any Kitchen
Regular storage is the bedrock of any kitchen. After all, if there’s any space in the home that houses plenty of handy items and equipment, it’s your kitchen. From cooking utensils and equipment to appliances and dishes/crockery, there’s so much to store. So, depending on the volume of stuff you have, you need to create a dedicated space for everyday kitchen items of use (think: pots, pans, cutlery, knives, vessels, etc.). Make sure to label each section for the items and segregate further for ease of use. Some examples of various sections you can add include:
- Pots, pans, and other utensils as well as tools
- Fancy kitchen appliances
- Dishes and cutlery
- Pantry items
- Kitchen linens
To save on space, you can hang your pots, ladles, etc. as shown in the image above. It makes the kitchen look functional and gorgeous, all at the same time.
Zone 2: The Prepping Area: The Foundation of Clean Cooking
The real game-changer of any kitchen is the prepping area zone. This area is often the most overlooked. If your prepping area is sorted, you’ll be cooking more quickly and joyously. There’ll be a better flow to your cooking. It’ll obviously be less messy and you’ll end up wrapping up your cooking sesh faster than you normally would. The prepping zone should ideally be right next to the cooking zone as you’ll be doing all the cutting and prepping here.
Zone 3: Cooking Space: The Section Where the ‘Magic’ Happens
The most important zone of your kitchen is….you guessed it..your cooking space. It generally includes a stove, oven, and chimney. This area can also double up as an important storage unit. You could have under-counter cabinets to store more kitchen appliances for everyday needs. For instance, the image above demonstrates how you can use under-counter cabinets to store kitchen cutlery. This area should ideally be bang at the centre of the kitchen.
Zone 4: Cleaning Section: For All-Round Hygiene
The cleaning section is another essential area of any kitchen. It should ideally be at the far end of the kitchen and preferably out of the line of sight. You need to ensure that your cleaning supplies are well stored and easy to find (to make an already difficult job easier!).
You can use organisation bins to store everything and label the same. You need to have a dish-washing zone for all the dirty utensils. You also need to have a space for drying your utensils as you clean them. Plus, you can hang a cloth to dry your hands and add tissue paper as shown in the image above.
Zone 5: The Food Storage Arena: For All the Extra Food Storing
If you’re someone who loves storing extra food–be it freshly cooked pasta and sauces or spices and condiments from your faraway travels, you needed extra shelves and racks. Remember that your food storage section should be as transparent (literally) as possible. Take a look at the image above for inspiration.
The spices are stacked in such a way that they are easily visible and accessible. You should be able to see the food you have so that you can use it prior to the expiration date. You can use hand-written labels to add that personal touch and give your kitchen an organized makeover.
There you go. What’s important to note is that every kitchen is reflective of the owner’s personal style for food, cooking, and general hygiene. It really is–and should be–a full circle of function and beauty. Depending on your household needs, you can demarcate your kitchen for a seamless flow of activity and an equally enjoyable cooking process. By creating separate zones, you’ll know exactly where to place the items and work in sync.
For more interesting kitchen organization hacks, head over to our rich repository of blogs at HomeLane – from insane kitchen makeovers to acing kitchen floor tiling, there’s a wide variety of topics to choose from. Get yourself a nice cuppa of coffee and you’re sorted!
