Better Kitchen Storage: The Three Zones Every Kitchen Needs
Some days, a kitchen feels like one big junk drawer. Three reasons I need some storage help: The top shelves of the upper cabinets are basically a specialty dish graveyard. The gravy boat, the fondue set, the pasta maker still in the box. Which probably means I do not really need any of them. That angled corner lower cabinet is a black hole. I am always on my hands and knees trying to find the right pan, and the only way to take inventory is to pull everything out onto the floor. Do not get me started on the situation under the sink.
Thankfully there are people in the design-build world who think about this stuff seriously. There are three zones to consider when organizing a kitchen: the Refrigerator Center, the Sink Center, and the Range Center. Whatever you are doing in the kitchen, it relates to one of these three areas, and the storage around each one should support what you are doing there.
Refrigerator — Nearest to where you are receiving and prepping food.
a. A countertop next to or across from the fridge — helpful for setting groceries down when you come in from the store, retrieving things from the refrigerator or freezer, and food prep.
b. Staples storage (pantry or shelving) — Canned goods, spices, boxed foods, and other basic ingredients are more convenient to get to when you are prepping.
c. Small appliances and utensils — A mixer, food processor, juicer, toaster, and similar appliances can all fit neatly away if you have deep shelving or an appliance garage at the counter level. Utensils like measuring cups, mixer accessories, various sizes of bowls, and graters should also live near the refrigerator or in shelving above where those appliances are stored.
d. Cookbooks — If you have room for a narrow upper cabinet with a couple of shelves, having your prep instructions close at hand is always useful.
Sink — Ideally, between the Refrigerator and the Range.
The sink should be in the center of the kitchen because it gets the most traffic of any area in the space. a. A cleared counter space — Dedicate some space for those dirty dishes. Having trash and recycling containers near the sink makes for faster cleanup too. b. Everyday tableware — Dishes, drinking glasses, cups, mugs, and silverware should have dedicated space closest to the sink for easy dishwasher emptying. c. Clean up — Since the sink is also central to the cleaning stage of cooking, it makes sense to have dishtowels, rags, cleaning supplies, and related items somewhere near the sink. d. A cut above — Dedicated knife storage, along with cutting boards and scrapers, should be close to the sink too, since all that chopping and slicing can make such a mess.
Range — Where the magic happens.
a. Counter space once again is key — particularly any kind that is heat-resistant. Having room to set down a hot pan without damaging the surface matters every time you cook.
b. Drawers for accessories — Potholders, hot pads, trivets, tongs, and other items for handling hot cookware will need their own space close by.
c. Serve it up — Platters and other serving dishes placed near the range make it easier to serve hot food while it is still hot.
d. Pots, pans, and ovenware — Keep like things together in common areas for easy reach. Warming trays, cookie sheets, and broiler pans can go in taller cabinets made for them, while pots and pans can fit in deep pull-out drawers.
e. Another appliance garage? — Waffle irons, electric grills, kettles, and similar items make sense to store near the range as well.
f. Spicy! — Having all the good flavors in your food means having all the spices and seasonings right at hand when you are cooking. There are quite a few options now in cabinetry for spice storage, so ask your designer for ideas on what works best in your space.
g. Drawer organizers for cooking utensils — "Where is the spatula?" is always the cry at our house, so having a dedicated drawer with enough space for larger utensils — the blessed potato masher — would be a treat.
Of course, you may need more than three zones to work with. Maybe you have a child who likes to be your sous chef and needs a little space to work. Or like at our house, the kitchen table has a lot of duties — homework station, work-from-home table, craft table, mail station — and maybe a separate surface for at least some of those activities could help with organization. Whatever way you use your kitchen, these three zones are a place to start in getting your kitchen arranged the way your family uses the space.
For more on the specific storage solutions we recommend most in Ann Arbor kitchen remodels, see our kitchen storage solutions guide. And for a sense of what a full kitchen remodel costs in this area, see our Ann Arbor kitchen remodel cost guide. When you are ready to talk through your kitchen with one of our designers, reach out here.
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