How to Reduce Kitchen Clutter
Is your kitchen so chock-full of appliances, gadgets and knick-knacks that you have no room to prepare meals or even hold a conversation with your spouse or children? If so, then now is the time to take action before you are swimming in gadgets and appliances for a moment longer than you have to. Reducing kitchen clutter can help you to get ahead.
Living Without a Rice Cooker
If you cannot imagine life without rice, then a rice cooker will see plenty of use. Unfortunately, a rice cooker can also take up room in your kitchen. This is not really a big issue, unless you have a tiny kitchen and are short on space. After I sold my rice cooker several years ago in a yard sale, I initially regretted my decision, but have since found other ways to still enjoy rice without a rice cooker.
Use a sturdy pan to cook rice on the stove top, the good old-fashioned way. Or if you do not have the time to sit and keep an eye on the rice so that it does not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan, use a microwave-safe bowl, cover it loosely with a lid and allow it to cook until all the water has been absorbed.
Multi-Purpose Items
As much as the adverts would have us believe our life would not be complete without an egg slicer, a garlic press, or the latest set of knives, life can go on without the biggest and best mod cons.
Learn to use items for multi-purpose cooking needs. For example, I use a microwave steamer for leftover food storage when it is not in regular use. I also use it to serve food from when I am getting low on bowls. The same is true of woks, which can also be used to make stews, not just sir-fries. Remember that you do not always need a particular sized pot or pan for a certain dish. Many home cooks fall into the trap of buying several different sized pots and pans, when all they use is just one or two from the set.
Host a Yard Sale
When your kitchen is crammed full of gadgets and appliances that are gathering dust, rather than being put to good use, now is the time to consider downsizing and de-cluttering. A yard sale can help you shift kitchen gadgets and appliances that are taking up too much room.
Do you have more than one measuring jug? Or do you have an electric whisk as well as a hand-held whisk? Why do you need two? Keep the items that you will get the most use out of and sell the spares.
No one likes to drown in kitchen clutter. It is important to take stock of what you have and to downsize before the clutters overwhelms you. Look for ways to live without items that are large, bulky or unnecessary and turn other gadgets and appliances into multi-purpose items. A yard sale is another good way to reduce kitchen clutter and to free up much-needed space in the kitchen.
