Do you struggle to keep your kitchen tidy? Are you left with piles of washing up after cooking and baking? I know I am!
Follow these helpful tips on keeping our kitchens neat, tidy, and easy to manage.
This post is taken from the Archives, which I published in a previous publication of mine between 2024 and 2025.
Check out the list of Food Writers and their publications on Substack.
Lynn H.
‘What tips can you give us that will help keep our kitchens neat and tidy, and easy to manage?’
Tips from Maaike Siegel of The Unconventional
Always have lots of (glass) containers, so you can easily pack something away, store it and freeze it.
And check, check and double check again. Did you label everything correctly? Are all the lids closed? Is the kitchen really spotless?
As a chef, you need to love a bit of cleaning too. If you are scrubbing the stove, imagine you’re actually cleaning up and organizing your own heart :)
Tips from Jessica Carbone of French Fries and Martinis
This isn’t particularly novel, but clean as you go. I love the feeling at the end of a night where the only things that still need to be washed are the dinner plates. Also, don’t buy gadgets, especially single-use ones.
Unless you can name at least five things that a gadget can do that a regular knife or pan can’t, it’s probably not worth the space in your kitchen.
(Despite having a lovely stand mixer, I default to my hand mixer almost every time; it’s just so much easier to retrieve and clean.) If I have any trendy cooking tip, it’s doing mise-en-place in silicone cupcake baking cups; they store compactly, can be easily turned inside out to get every last ingredient out, and are a breeze to clean, that I don’t feel bad about using a whole bunch to test recipes.
Tips from Claire Ruston of Auntie Bulgaria’s Kitchen
I have to tidy as I go when cooking, otherwise I feel overwhelmed. This means packing away ingredients as they’re used and washing up while things are simmering. If I’m prepping lots of veg, I keep a bowl next to the chopping board for peelings and scraps (to go in the compost bin), whereas my partner will leave garlic and onion skins strewn all over the chopping board – it drives me insane. (I drive him equally insane with my backseat cooking.)
Also, I rarely peel butternut squash, sweet potatoes or potatoes. It’s fiddly, time consuming and unnecessary. The skins taste great. Just give them a scrub.
Tips from Sarah Copeland of EDIBLE LIVING by Sarah Copeland
I am a big believer in less is more. In my kitchen in the US, I have a lot more space and ample storage space, but also about 10 times more appliances, gadgets, and deep apocalypse-level pantry storage (it’s my husband’s thing–as if a grocery store wasn’t 1.5 miles away!!).
Yes, these tools help me create and answer the call of challenging assignments from editors at the New York Times, Food & Wine, and others. But I also spend too much time shuffling and cleaning Vitamixes, instant pot liners, and various pots and pans. It can be overwhelming.
Here in Hungary, I have two large vintage enamel pots and two small ones, a tiny fridge, just two pantry shelves, and one stunning set of heirloom dishes. It’s very fluid and simple living. It would indeed be more challenging if we lived here year-round, but we did live here for 6 months during the school year back in 2022, and I found that dinner was easier and more peaceful. I shopped for only what I needed for a few days and spent far less time shuffling groceries or appliances around.
This is the opposite of a smart kitchen (no smart appliances, no Alexa, no conveniences), and yet it saves me time and offers me way more peace, so maybe there is something in it.
Tips from Julia Watson of Tabled
Whether you have the space or have to depend on storage boxes, keep your ingredients and spices together by cuisine so accessing them is quick and easy.
Decanting standard ingredients like flour, pasta, dried beans and rice into storage jars makes cooking so much easier than opening folded paper packages. You’ve heard this before, but wash up as you go! A stack of dirty dishes quickly puts you in the weeds.
I got a catering company to build me a very deep steel sink for both my DC and London kitchens. Dirty pans stacked in it don’t get in the way and can’t be seen. I also have long-handled hospital faucets which I turn on and off with my elbows when my hands are sticky with pastry.
Tips from Lolly Martyn of Weeknights in Italy
Ok, here are my top two game changers for limited kitchen space:
Vertical magnetic knife block: This is life-changing for counter space because it has no slots, so it holds far more than just knives! My metal grater, mezzaluna, and parmigiano knife stick to it and I love having them on the counter, just a arm’s length away.
Hidden over-sink drying rack: Nearly every Italian house I’ve lived in has one of these ingenious dish drying racks, strategically positioned right above the sink to drip-dry hand washed dishes,instead of using up valuable counter space. When the door is closed, it looks just like any another cabinet! Perk: can double as dish storage.
Tips from Kate McDermott
I’m a clean and tidy as you go type. There are days when there are lots of projects converging at the same time, deadlines to be met and plates in the air, but when I spend the extra minute hand-washing what doesn’t fit in the dishwasher and wiping counters as I go makes my work seems much easier. Even if I’m tired at night, those few minutes spent tidying up before bed bring and feeling of peace and contentment the next morning.
One tip for bakers is to plan your landing place and never lift or hold anything hot with a wet towel or potholder. A potholder or heat-proof glove is not meant to hold a pipping hot vessel for two, three, or more minutes. No matter what the marketing materials say, heat will transfer to your hands if you hold it too long. So, please take this advice from one who has been there, plan your landing place and never lift or hold with wet towel or potholder. Wet transfers heat very quickly to your hands and you probably will get burned and that is NOT going to feel good.
Tips from Mecca of BIPOC Foodways with Mecca Bos
Wash your dishes as you go. My kitchen is always 90% clean by the time the meal is served. This came from many years cooking in tiny kitchens, or pro kitchens without dedicated dishwashers. This practice is muscle memory for me and I couldn’t turn it off if I wanted to. No cooking project is finished until the kitchen is clean. The end.
Tips from Leslie Brenner
I have a shallow pantry with difficult-to-reach corners, so I’ve organized everything into labeled plastic bins. It’s easier to pull out a whole bin (of, say, spices, or grains, or legumes) and rummage through it than to find something way on the back of a shelf you can’t see well.
Tips from Domenica Marchetti of Buona Domenica
We all know that Nature and humans abhor a vacuum. I would recommend trying not to fill up all your counter space with appliances and gadgets and bottles of oil and vinegar, even though you can plainly see from the photo of my kitchen that I myself am guilty of this.
Invest in a few good pots and pans. I mentioned Dutch ovens. I also have three stainless steel skillets of varying sizes that I use all the time. And three cast iron skillets that were my husband’s grandmother’s. I have a slow cooker but never use it. I never gave in to the Instant Pot or Air Fryer mania, and now I’m glad because I’m pretty sure they would be sitting in my basement gathering dust, even as I realize that for other cooks they are essential pieces of equipment.
Cooking tips: Salt your pasta water GENEROUSLY, and of course, save some of it when you drain the pasta for tossing with the sauce. It almost always makes for a creamier, tastier sauce.
Speaking of sauce, do not over-sauce your pasta. In Italy, sauce is often referred to as a “condimento,” (condiment), meaning that is used judiciously, not slopped on by the ladleful.
Also: Whenever I chop parsley, I always chop a bunch extra. I put it in a shallow bowl and leave it on the counter. It dries pretty quickly, and the next time I need parsley (usually within a day or two) it’s ready and waiting.
Buy the best ingredients you can afford, and let the seasons be your guide in the kitchen.
Tips from Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter
I am not the most organized person, but I do have a few food tips for photo shoots or TV shoots:
Shopping at the secondhand stores in your neighborhood is my number one tip. I get all my see-through glass bowls and tablescape props from my local Goodwill or resell shops. When styling a cookbook, I look for napkins or colorful table decorations and wooden cutting boards in various shapes and grans of wood. The secondhand stores are unique, and you can resell what you don’t need when your project is over.
Have all the food and tools prepped on a baking sheet ahead of the shoot? (I say this but I am always reaching for a spatula, whisk or spoon).
Tips from Will Rankin of Plant-based Planet
Given our tiny kitchen, organisation and tidiness are key.
In a small space, and certainly something I picked up while odd jobbing in kitchens as a student, is to clean up and wash dishes as you go.
Storage jars are fantastic, especially if you buy from bulk stores (or an ancient electric milk float that trundles past your house every now and then), as they allow you to keep an eye on your stock of everything, and look neat and tidy.
Storage boxes — we got six small ones from Amazon — help keep odd-shaped things like packets and bottles organised, again, very useful when you’re tight on space and time. I’ve spent way too long in the past hunting for a packet or box of something.
Categorising stuff into small boxes is so much better for the mind! So we’ve got one with sauces in it (Sriracha, soy, chipotle, etc), one with baking ingredients (baking powder, yeast, almond essence, vanilla essence, etc) and one with cooking ingredients like Thai pastes, noodles, seaweed, etc.
I think getting air in a kitchen is a hot tip — be it from a permanently open window, an extractor fan or even an air purifier. Kitchens can become hot and stinky places, so get some air in, and you’ll thank yourself.
While I like cooking under bright light, the rest of the time, the kitchen basks in ambient lighting, creating a warm and welcoming space. We don’t use the main light, but there’s under cupboard strip lighting, fairy lights, and built—in lights in the extractor fan.
In terms of cooking, I’d love to be one of those people that spend some hours every week chopping and prepping ingredients for the week — or even bulk cooking, but it’s something I’ve only ever managed half a dozen times. Prep is key to making ten minute evening meals, and so worth it, if you can get into the habit!
Tips from Julie McCoy of Something Tasty
Clean as you cook. Don’t put the dishes in the sink because you are too tired to put them in the dishwasher. Even when we didn’t have a dishwasher, I always did the dishes, dried them, and put them away because I didn’t want to deal with a mess in the morning.
This clean as you go approach probably stems from having to deal with bugs (roaches) in our first apartment in Brooklyn. If there was anything I could do even back then to keep the bugs from coming into our apartment I would try it. Unfortunately, the only way we could get rid of the bugs was to eventually move.
I also make sure to throw out spices I don’t use. And since I’ve started canning, I now check the expiration dates on everything.
Tips from devan grimsrud of darn good by devan grimsrud
Ooh, haha, as you just heard, I’m not the best when it comes to organization in the pantry, but one thing I always try to do, especially with fresh food, is FIFO or First In, First Out.
It’s an easy, clear way to prioritize the cooking and using of food that’s been in the fridge or pantry longer; what went in first, should also be used first. It’s really helpful to cut down on food waste, and while I’m personally not really able to organize my pantry this way, I’m pretty strict about this when it comes to the fridge and freezer. I think it’s a great method that more people should know.
Tips from Nicki Sizemore Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD
One of my favorite things about my kitchen is my “appliance garage.” It’s basically a cubby on the counter that holds my Vitamix, food processor, and stand mixer, the three appliances that I use most. Each appliance is plugged in, and I just need to open the door and slide it out. When I’m done, I can slide the appliances back into the “garage” and shut the door, giving the counter a clean, uncluttered feel (you can see it in the video).
Tips from Emma Frisch of TIME FOR DINS
I always suggest people organize their pantry and fridge/freezer first (here’s a quick tutorial on dialing in your pantry). We often have products that are expired or simply never used, from a recipe that required an exotic ingredient we never used again. We actually need far less ingredients than we think we do to make a delicious, nourishing meal.
I encourage people to have on-hand the ingredients they know and love, and feel comfortable cooking with. There’s no need to have 50 spices and herbs - they won’t maintain their flavor in a bottle tucked away in a cupboard. In Italian cooking, I use a handful of spices and herbs, primarily thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, bay leaves, and dried chili peppers.
Another strategy that helps me keep a well-organized fridge is to subscribe to a farm share, or CSA (community supported agriculture), which I explain in this post. After working through a week’s worth of produce, I end up with a fairly empty fridge, and start over when I pick up my new weekly share. This also ensures I’m always cooking with fresh ingredients!
Tips from Perzen Patel of Beyond Butter Chicken
I have three spice related tips.
Firstly, if you cook with more than 3-4 spices, you need a Masala Dabba in your kitchen. An unassuming steel box containing seven steel bowls, a masala dabba is to the indian kitchen what an oven is to the western kitchen: a necessity. I wrote about this in my post Garam Masala - The Key to Flavourful Indian Cooking’
Next, if you’re grinding your own spice blends or using whole spices in your cooking, you must dry roast them first, ideally individually. Dry roasting spices allows them to bloom and release their full flavour. This seemingly unnecessary step is what makes your curries go from meh to mwah (chef’s kiss).
And finally, I used to roll my eyes behind my mother-in-law’s back for buying spice packets in 50gm sizes but I’ve learned that spices, especially spice blends, lose their aroma rapidly. Buying them in smaller quantities means you ended up using the spices when they taste best.
Tips from Kate Hill of The Camont Journals with Kate Hill
I use the same tools over and over, so I would start by eliminating the things you really don’t use. I have too many knives, and it’s a project for this fall to cull them.
Tips from Jessie-Sierra; The Last Bite
Oh boy! I have loads of advice for the home cook and budding home entertainer!
Emphasize quality over quantity; Whether I’m buying a specialty ingredient or a new kitchen tool, I like to keep in mind the quality of the item for the value. If I’m hosting a dinner party, I’ll splurge on a high-quality cut of beef for my guests, but look for more cost-effective starches and vegetables to round out the meal. The same mentality goes for high end spirits too. It’s better to have a little of something amazing, than a lot of inferior tasting product for less cost.
Streamline your menus; I like to create dining experiences for my family and friends, without being tied to the hot stove all night! The point of entertaining is not only to host your guests, but to also enjoy their company! When I menu plan, I will often pick out one or two “star recipes”; recipes that require a bit more work, but will carry the dinner. Usually these are main dish recipes and desserts. I try to make the rest of the menu delicious, but easy. A fresh harvest salad or garlic and feta roasted potatoes, are simple to make and don’t need any babysitting while the “star” whole roasted chicken cooks in the oven.
Similarly, look to cooking techniques that can also streamline the cooking process. A sous vide machine (cooking via heated water bath) is fantastic for cooking large cuts of meats. Simply season and vacuum seal your protein in a plastic bag and then set the sous vide machine to your desired temperature. It’s a “one and done” type of cooking technique and once your protein is at temperature, it maintains it without overcooking.
That means it’s ready and waiting for you when it’s time to serve, instead of the other way around – a planner’s dream!
Cocktails can create magic. As cooks, we put a lot of time and energy into the menu and meal prep. Knowing how to whip up one or two bespoke cocktail recipes is a game changer! It doesn’t have to be super complicated, either. A fresh grapefruit Aperol spritz is a refreshing summertime drink that takes two minutes to make. Just pour pink grapefruit juice, Aperol, prosecco, a little bit of simple syrup, and a dash of soda water over ice and stir. No shaker required! If you wanted to bring your mixology skills up a notch, try your hand at herb or spice infused simple syrups that you can make yourself. Remember, simple syrup is just a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water boiled together. You can add cinnamon sticks for a holiday syrup, or fresh rosemary to perk up your next gin sour.
Tips from Rebecca Blackwell of Let's Get Lost
This is what Rebecca had to say about keeping her 4 x 7 foot RV kitchen neat and tidy.
Clean as you go. We don’t have a dishwasher and I don’t miss it. When you’re working in a small space, you simply don’t have the room to allow dirty dishes to pile up. But honestly, no matter what the size of your kitchen or how many pots and pans and utensils you have, cleaning as you go is a more efficient way of cooking.
Tips from Sophia Real | Real Simple Food.
My biggest tips for keeping the kitchen tidy are (i) always having a rubbish bowl next to you while you cook or bake (to save you from multiple trips to the bin), (ii) tidying up and washing up as you go along and (iii) washing up anything that is left right after a meal or at least putting any pots and pans that need soaking to soak. Also, the luxury of having a weekly cleaner should not be underestimated!
Another organisation trick I find super helpful is that the moment my husband or I finish one of our staples, we immediately put it on our shared running grocery list.
Otherwise I like to keep a few staples in our pantry and freezer that allow us to assemble quick meals even when we are otherwise low on groceries - that includes things like rice, pasta, passata plus a few tinned foods like tuna, sardines, chickpeas etc., some frozen vegetables and frozen gyoza. It is nice to know that even when our fridge is bare we can have a tasty and nutritious meal on the table in under 30 minutes.
Tips from Brianna Plaza of on hand newsletter
I try not to buy too many things I don’t need, hence why I don’t have a lot of kitchen gadgets or extra tools. I also try not to make too many recipes that require buying a ton of new ingredients and instead I prefer to work with what I have. There are exceptions to both rules, sure, but not having too much stuff helps keep my kitchen less cluttered. I have gotten very good at restraining myself when I go to New York’s specialty stores because I simply don’t have the room to store things.
I also try to be a clean as I go person, though admittedly, I sometimes give up at some point during the cooking process and the dishes pile up in the sink. But when I clean as I go, it does make cleaning at the end feel way less annoying.
Tips from Christi Flaherty of Real Food Sanity
Generally, I’m not a super neat and tidy person. My husband comes behind me and straightens out my spice jars so all the labels face the same direction. I’m just not super detailed which is why I’m a cook, not a baker. As I said, I have ADD tendencies and having to pay attention to details escapes me many times.
That said, I do at least have all my spices in matching 4 oz mason jars with cute little labels (photo) and I organized at least one shelf of my pantry with labeled containers. I felt pretty accomplished in the world of organization with these two areas being somewhat neat.
Tips from Martin Sorge of Great Bakes
Tidy up before you start. Before you embark on a recipe, clear away the clutter, put things away, empty the dishwasher, and calm your mind. I think about my time on the Baking Show. We always started with a clean bench (a huge thanks to the folks who cleaned up after us), and our ingredients set out for us. A tidy station helps avoid chaos and stress, which, for me, means fewer mistakes.
After baking, you can use the residual heat in the oven to dry some of your dishes. After you wash your dishes, instead of drying them off, put anything oven-proof, especially baking pans, into a turned-off oven that still has a bit of heat left. If the oven is still warm, they’ll dry out quickly.
Don’t buy a new gadget/pan/etc. unless you think you’ll use it at least three times. If I see a recipe that calls for an odd pan or gadget that I don’t have, like a mini-muffin pan, then I won’t make it right away. I’ll wait until I come across (or think of) two other recipes that use that item, and then I’ll make the purchase. That way you don’t have a kitchen full of single-use items.
Tips from Rachel Ciordas Next Level Gluten Free
What tips can you give a Gluten Free cook that will help keep their kitchen neat and tidy?
Gluten free bakers and cooks often have many specialty ingredients and flours. Invest in some mason jars or similar canisters to be able to easily see what ingredients you have and access them easily.
Also, in kitchens that are shared gluten and gluten free it is important to have separate storage of the gluten free dedicated equipment that you own, whether it is separate cupboards or bins inside the cupboard it is easy to get confused and nobody wants that!
When I bring my dedicated gluten free cooking utensils (rolling pins, nonstick pans etc) to other kitchens for cooking classes I mark them with a certain color of painters tape, which helps me and others know which items are dedicated gluten free easily and really helps prevent mixing things up!
Tips from George of George’s Kitchen.
It’s quite simple. Do your prep well in advance of when you start to cook.
And when you do something - clean up immediately once done and put all your ingredients away.
Salad dressings are a good example. We always make our own.
I get all the ingredients and utensils, make the dressing and then put the ingredients away with the utensils going into the dishwasher. If you don’t do that, you have a super messy kitchen and cleaning up becomes a Herculean and distasteful task.
Tips from Sosanni Valtsioti of Suzy in the Kitchen
What helps me is the space in the mudroom for all the produce, potatoes, and onions. All the fruits and veg used to cause a lot of clutter in any kitchen I had before this one.
The mudroom I have is not large, but it gives me that extra space for storing things. I suppose a pantry type of area or some shelving if one can’t fit a mudroom would get the job done nicely as well!
So nice to have you back here Lynn! It’s been a hard year for you but I know you will be rejuvenated by this wonderful community 💕