KITCHEN ZONES

Is it time to do some re-organizing in the kitchen?  It could make a world of difference!  In the past, I worked in a professional kitchen and would come home wondering why a large commercial kitchen was so much easier to use than my own.  The difference was organization.

Get into the ZONE!  I prefer to design and plan in terms of zones. Think of it as enhancing the traditional 'work triangle' approach.  While the work triangle focuses on the positioning of the range, refrigerator and sink... zone designs consider the many activities other than cooking that occur in the kitchen (like entertaining, homework, bill paying and electronics use.)  Observe the flow of activity in your kitchen and consider  how and whether using a zone approach might help organize it.

Preparation, Cooking and Clean-up are the BiG 3 'primary zones' that are mandatory in every modern kitchen, regardless of overall square footage.  Non-essential 'auxiliary zones' include Beverage/Bar, Kitchen Office, Baking Zone, Communication Centers (for recharging electronics) and Work Islands that become multi-task, work and storage spaces.  While the BiG 3 Zones are essential, the auxiliary zones are optional.  If the 'auxiliary zones' do not fit into your layout or lifestyle, they can be moved to another room or eliminated.

FOOD PREP ZONE

The Food Preparation Zone is where it all begins.  You clean, slice, chop and whir your way toward dinner.  This work area is best situated between the sink and stove.  It should be well lit with a few square feet of counter space for working.   This zone 'ideally' has everything you need for food preparation within reach.    

Knives, tools and utensils
Bowls and Colanders
Cutting boards
Small 'slice & dice' appliances

COOKiNG ZONE

This area is where the magic happens! It includes fixed appliances: Cooktop, oven, microwave and maybe even a toaster/convection oven.  This zone is best situated next to the PREP ZONE and stores all the items needed for cooking and baking.

When organizing the cooking area, begin by group cooking items according to their 'purpose' and dedicate specific storage areas for them.  For example, pots and pans can be stored near the cooking surface in deep drawers, inside a cabinet or hanging near the stove.

Cooking utensils should be grouped and stored within reach while cooking.  Knives are best kept sharp and ready to use in a knife block near the cooktop and food prep area.  Utensils can be hung or placed in a drawer or grouped together in a crock near the stove top.

If there is a baker in the family, consider creating an auxiliary 'Baking Zone'.  A cabinet or group of cabinets designated for the storage of baking tools, pans, measuring cups and spoons, special pans etc. It is a great way to keep the family baker content with all his/her tools congregated together and organized.

CLEANiNG ZONE
This area is considered the 'wet zone' and includes the sink, the cabinet below the sink and the dishwasher.  The cabinet below the sink can quickly become the dumping ground of household cleaners and miscellaneous clutter.  It is perfectly situated and should be reserved for cleaning items used ONLY in the kitchen!

Trash can liners
Dish detergent  and dishwasher tabs
Waste cleaning scrubbing pads and utensils
Paper towels
Microfiber cleaning cloths
Kitchen cleaners
   What's below our sink?
    409 for cleaning countertops, backlplash and appliances
    Bar Keeper's Friend for a sparkling stovetop and sink
    Murphy's Oil Soap spray for wiping and conditioning wood cabinets
    Glass cleaner for windows, glass fronts and table top
    Stainless Steel cleaner for appliances
 

CONSUMABLES ZONE
This zone is for storing chilled and unchilled foodstuffs. The refrigerator, freezer and pantry are a fixed part of the zone.  It is important that you determine storage space required to serve the needs of your family and how to organize foods so that similar foods are grouped together.  Consider adding free standing shelves, brackets, baskets, boxes, lazy susans or dividers (tension curtain rods) to help organize similar foods for easy viewing.  If you cannot see what you have at a glance, you probably won't use it!

Tension curtain rods used as dividers!

Personal example. We have a tall narrow pantry that is home to all of our non-refrigerated consumables (and a bit more).  Each shelf in the pantry is designated to store certain items and yes, the shelf is labeled!  Labeling helps the family find and replace items with ease, maintaining order in the pantry with little effort!  This system of organization can be easily adapted and applied to consumables stored in over-the-counter cabinets as well. 

Top shelf - Tall appliances: Coffee maker, blender, immersible hand blender and an egg cooker. 

Canned Goods shelf: All items in cans or jars, salad toppings in stacked Gladware containers (sliced almonds, sunflower seeds and dried fruit bits), salad dressings, coffee and teas.
Breakfast/Lunch shelf: Multiple containers of dry protein mixes, a Magic Bullet with multiple glasses (for making protein shakes) and lunch boxes.
Snack Shelf: A basket of protein bars, jerky, dried fruit and natural applesauce.  A large self-serve jar of raw, mixed nuts.
Pantry Door shelving unit: Attached to the inside of the pantry door is a shelving unit consisting of six narrow shelves.  It is perfect for holding spices, two bottles deep and within easy reach of the Food Prep area.  Three shelves are designated to herbs and spices.   Coconut, walnut and olive oils are kept on one shelf,  home office supplies occupy another and cooking wines are held on the lowest shelf.  

This is what our pantry holds... yours may look different depending on the contents.  The idea is to group like items on the same shelf.  You can even pattern the shelves after grocery aisles!

NON-CONSUMABLES ZONE

This zone is mainly for all things related to serving and food storage.  It should be located a short distance from the dishwasher and close to the counter space used for serving food.  Items stored in this zone should be those used on a daily/weekly basis. 

Plastic or glass storage containers
Dishes
Glassware
Serving dishes
Serving utensils 
Flatware

For holiday or special occasion serving pieces and linens, consider a remote area for storage like a dining room cabinet or nearby hallway closet.  In our little cottage, we don't have either of those so we've designated one shelf in the basement storage area for kitchen items not used regularly.  Our shelf includes a crock pot, domed cake platter, George Foreman grill and bins for cookie cutters and over-sized serving platters.

In closing:  Your family's lifestyle should determine the functionality of your kitchen!  Organization is a process that changes as the needs of your family evolve.  Keep trying new ideas until you find that which works best for you.  Enjoy the Zoning process and Happy Cooking! 



Editor's note: Photos are shared courtesy of google.com and pinterest.com  Enjoy perusing the creativity of others and glean ideas from them for application in your own home. :)