15 Smart Kitchen Organization Ideas That Will Reduce Your Stress

Discover in this post the best kitchen organization ideas.

Are you struggling to organize your messy kitchen? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! And it’s an easy problem to fix.

Over time, we accumulate items, and we usually end up with a disorganized space without really knowing how it happened.

But with these clear and actionable tips, you’ll finally be able to declutter your kitchen! No more losing time trying to find utensils or working with messy cabinets.

With these 15 clever kitchen organization ideas, you’ll save time, reduce stress, and improve your cooking efficiency.

So let’s create the practical, space-saving, and stylish kitchen of your dreams, shall we?

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Kitchen Organization Ideas

Get inspired by these 15 genius kitchen organization ideas to improve your cooking efficiency!

1 – Declutter Your Kitchen

Source: Dupe, ©CoraPursley

You need to declutter your kitchen regularly in order to keep it organized. In a small kitchen, it’s especially vital!

Remove everything from cabinets, drawers, and countertops. Ask yourself for each of your items: do I really need this? How frequently do I use this item?

We all have things that we keep just in case we would need them. But the truth is, we never end up needing them. If you have items that you use once a year or that you never use but keep just in case, it’s time to dispose of them.

You have several options. Instead of just throwing your items, you can recycle, donate or sell them.

If you recycle them, you give them a second life.
If you donate them, they will finally be used by people who need them.
If you sell them, you will be able to get a bit of money.

These options are better for you and the environment. Consider them.

2 – Maximize Cabinet Space By Optimizing Your Drawers

A) Kitchen Organizers For Shelves And Cabinets

A woman taking something in a kitchen cabinet.

Source: Dupe, ©HattiWebster

The main problem with a kitchen cabinet or shelf is that people tend to put all their utensils in there without organizing them, leading to messy cabinets.

A simple solution is to invest in organizers. For spices, there are many different racks to properly store them. You can do this for tea bags, cans, etc.

These organizers will instantly transform your cabinets and shelves. You’ll feel so much more relaxed seeing your kitchen utensils organized!

B) Pull-Out Drawers

A kitchen cabinet with pull-out drawers.

Source: Shelf Genie, ©ShelfGenie

Pull-out drawers are an amazing storage solution. They are super intuitive and easy to use!

Invest in them, especially for your bottom drawers, so you can easily grab the utensils at the back of these drawers.

PULL-OUT DRAWERS: SHOP HERE

C) Adjustable Drawer Dividers

Adjustable drawer dividers are the storage solution you didn’t know you needed! If you have different kitchen utensils that won’t fit in any drawer organizers, purchase a drawer divider instead!

It’s adjustable function will allow you to properly store all your kitchen utensils in your drawers. No more headaches over finding a kitchen utensil in your messy drawers.

DRAWER DIVIDERS: SHOP HERE

D) Drawer Organizers

A drawer organizer is perfect for small kitchen utensils such as spoons, forks, knives, etc. It’s a must-have for any kitchen.

DRAWER ORGANIZERS: SHOP HERE

E) Toe-Kick Drawers

Don’t forget the toe-kick drawer! This drawer is amazing to maximize space. Use it to store baking sheets or trays under your kitchen cabinet.

3 – Leverage Vertical Space

If you have a small kitchen, leveraging vertical space is vital. When you cannot expand your space, you need to go up. Meaning you must use vertical space to store your items.

A) Add Hooks

A gold wall-mounted kitchen rack with kitchen utensils.

Source: Dupe, ©AlexandraVandooren

Hooks are perfect to hold kitchen utensils such as pans, whisks, spatulas, etc. Place them under your kitchen cabinets or on the side of your kitchen island.

KITCHEN UTENSIL HOOKS: SHOP HERE

B) Wall-Mounted Racks

A white wall-mounted kitchen rack with kitchen utensils.

Source: Dupe, ©StephanieGirouard

Wall-mounted racks are another way to leverage vertical space. Tiered wall-mounted racks are perfect for spices.

While wall-mounted racks with hooks are perfect for mugs and cooking utensils.

C) Magnetic Knife Holder

A magnetic knife holder can help you declutter your drawers if they are full. Invest in a wooden knife holder for a chic and stylish touch.

MAGNETIC KNIFE HOLDER: SHOP HERE

D) Over-The-Door Organizers

A pantry with an over-the-door organizer.

Source: Instagram, ©beeorganizedsfbay

Over-the-door organizers are a must-have for people with lots of kitchen items. Use them to store cans, jars, condiments, jams, spices, etc.

OVER-THE-DOOR RACK: SHOP HERE

4 – Create A Smart Organization

Source: Instagram, ©little_label_co

A) Group Items By Category

The first step is to declutter your pantry. Then, place items that are similar together and create groups. Here is an example of food groups:

Rice and pasta.
Flour and sugar.
Canned goods.
Oil and vinegar.
Nut and seed.
etc.

B) Select Food Storage Containers

I recommend choosing glass jars and woven baskets. Firstly, they are more sustainable than plastic containers. Secondly, they will bring an elegant and refined touch to your kitchen.

However, if you have children, plastic is safer than glass.

Woven baskets are great to store canned goods, snacks, and some vegetables such as potatoes or onions.

Glass jars are great to store dry goods such as sugar, flour, rice, pasta, etc. By putting them in glass jars, you will know when to restock them. And you will never lose again another opened bag of sugar that you forgot in the back of your pantry.

C) Label Your Containers

The last step is to label your containers:

Use water and oil resistant sticker labels for your glass jars.
Use basket label clips for your woven baskets.

Now, you know how to efficiently store all your food in your small pantry cabinet!

D) Maintain Your Organization

To maintain your kitchen organization, make sure that you wipe your kitchen countertops and put items back in place every day.

You should check your pantry for expired food and reassess your storage solutions every month.

To do this, ask yourself: “Are my current storage solutions practical? Or are there better ways to properly store my kitchen items?”

5 – Keep Your Kitchen Countertop Clear

A messy kitchen countertop will make your kitchen become your worst nightmare. Only keep essentials on your countertop.

And to store these vital kitchen utensils, use organizers. I think a lazy Susan turntable organizer and a kitchen utensil holder are enough for your kitchen countertop.

FAQs

How Do I Organize My Small Kitchen?

Maximize vertical space with over-the-door organizers, wall-mounted racks, and hooks.

How Do I Keep My Kitchen Organized Long-Term?

Adopt a “put it back where it belongs” habit and do a quick check-up every month.

Are Open Shelves Practical For Kitchen Storage?

Yes, they are! Place your frequently used items on open shelves and properly store them thanks to organizers. I would keep your little-used items in a kitchen cabinet.

How Often Should I Reorganize My Kitchen?

Do a quick check-up every month and a full organization every 6 to 12 months.

Conclusion

With these 15 genius kitchen organization ideas, you will finally be able to create the organized kitchen of your dreams! The key is to create a good organization system.

Then, invest in racks and organizers to properly store your items. Don’t forget to reassess your organization every month.

More Kitchen Organization Ideas!