17 Essential Kitchen Storage Hacks

Not every household is blessed with a spacious kitchen, with size restrictions and inconvenient floor plans causing untidiness and congestion. However, there is no need to move house or undertake an extensive renovation. Sometimes it is just a matter of decluttering your kitchen cupboards and benchtops, and to be more creative and rethink how you can make the most of every nook and unused space. 

Changing a negative mindset about the lack of storage in the kitchen and learning to use spaces smarter will bring surprising results. We have some intelligent storage options and simple kitchen storage hacks essential to help confined kitchens maximise their space.

Here are some genius ideas and sneaky tricks to get the most out of your kitchen space.

How’s it hanging

Hanging bulky items like cutting boards, pots, and pans remove them from benchtops and cupboards when not in use, whilst hanging coffee mugs can free up vital space and make them more accessible. In contrast, hanging delicates like stemware keeps them protected from accidental damages, and a hanging fruit basket has a charm about it, plus the excellent air ventilation keeps the fruit ripe longer.

Magic magnets

Magnets are highly underrated in the kitchen and are surprisingly rarely used. Magnetic knife bars remove bulky knife blocks off your countertops whilst utilising magnets to store your spice jars make them more available and arranged. On the side of a fridge, magnet shelves are a great way to bring in extra storage without a permanent installation, perfect for house renters.

Look up and live

There are many unused spaces above windows, fridges and doors. Installing shelving, cupboards, and hanging rods up high provides crucial storage and is perfect for items that aren’t used everyday.

Contain the goodness

We can not underestimate the benefits of containers. It may seem a mundane task, but having order in kitchen cupboards and pantries means less clutter, opening up a lot more space and keeping the area tidy.

De-cant be good

Buying in bulk is a great economical choice; however, it brings large bulky items into the kitchen, taking up vital space. Decanting the liquids like oils and vinegar into bottles and staples such as rice and pasta into jars makes for neat housekeeping, exchanging cumbersome items for fashionable kitchen accessories.

Hitting baskets and bins

If you can’t keep particular objects unseen, keep them together and tidy. Baskets are an excellent way to keep fruit and vegetable together, whilst bins are handy to hold spices and condiments neatly.

Rise above

Using a riser on benchtops and in cupboards allows more vertical space. It turns one shelf into two, for example, bringing a diner set stored across multiple cabinets to be kept entirely in one cupboard.

That sinking feeling

Sinks take up significant real estate in a kitchen, usually sitting in the middle of benchtops and occupying important space. Using a chopping board over the sink to prepare food is a great way to make the most of the benchtop when the sink is not being used.

Cutlery to the chase

Cutlery and utensils look messy at the best of times. Using cutlery trays to separate cutlery makes it more pleasant on the eye, more functional to use and keeps your kitchen in order. Using a utensils organiser brings the same effect.

Clean up your act

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, filling our kitchens with unusable items. Undertaking a kitchen stocktake will free up space immediately. Throw away any expired food, while any incomplete or broken items need to go immediately. A deep kitchen clean will help bring tidiness to your kitchen. Remember to dispose of household hazardous waste correctly and recycle everything you can.

Open your eyes

Sometimes we just need to look. Dead and forgotten spaces, such as the end of cabinets and the inside of cabinet doors, are ideal places to store items. They may not be conventional places, but they will soon become valuable and advantageous to your kitchen operation if used correctly.

Island life

If you have floor space but not wall space, a kitchen island is a massive asset to a kitchen. You can use the multipurpose feature to prepare food, domestic home appliances, dish out meals, and a hang place with friends and family. Hollow islands or islands with drawers bring in the added benefit of extra storage space.

Curtain call

Let’s face it, the primary purpose of a kitchen is to be a functional working space. It can’t always be neat and tidy, so using a colourful or stylish curtain to block out open storage spaces can be a helpful asset.

Keep clear

The main goal when planning a kitchen should be to keep benchtops clear. They are a functioning surface to prepare food and beverages and to cook delicious meals. Cluttering benchtops is detrimental to our kitchen so do your best to keep it clear and not get sucked into using it for storage.

On the side

Storing large items like cutting boards, pans, trays and lids on their sides frees up loads of room in the cupboard. Storage racks can help with this and give items their own space rather than stacked upon each other. It also eliminates the noise when retrieving the loud items.

Drawer attention

Drawers can often be a weakness when it comes to organisation. They tend to be stuffed with useless items or chaotically mixed with no order. Drawer dividers and inserts are a great way to keep your drawers functioning, making them a joy to open rather than a regretful act.

Read the label

For many, labelling is such a tedious job that we cannot see ourselves doing. However, good housekeeping means less clutter; it’s pretty simple. Knowing what is stored inside containers and jars and where you should store items brings great kitchen function, bringing order and a far more enjoyable experience.

Bring these essential kitchen hacks into your home

With an organised kitchen, we can produce healthier food, enjoy making delicious beverages and enjoy being in a space that is one of the household’s most important rooms and where we spend a lot of our precious time. Less clutter in our lives, especially our kitchen, relieves tension and stress, so when our body hits the mattress at the end of the day, we can sleep better. 

Bring these essential kitchen storage hacks into your home and see the benefits of a clean, organised and functioning kitchen today.

 

AUTHOR BIO: Luke Carlino is a freelance writer & social media manager from Melbourne, Australia. He works with many clients across many sectors creation a range of content to suit varying needs. He is also a musician in the band We Move Like Giants, which you can check out here.