***Surprise a Budding Home Chef with some Kitchen Organizers

Home organizers can be found in almost any department store or home improvement center in the land. Organizers are often designed for specific rooms and areas of the home. There are bathroom organizers, laundry room organizers, closet organizers, garage organizers and attic organizers. But the most popular organizers by far are designed for the kitchen. Why do our kitchens require special attention? To begin with, they’re bigger than they have ever been. The size of the average American kitchen has doubled in last forty years. There are many reasons for this. One obvious explanation is that the kitchen had to make room for new and bigger appliances. The size of the average microwave, dishwasher, oven and refrigerator has grown in recent years. We need also consider the influence of home cooking shows. While it is true that the average family is eating at home less frequently than they did in the past, when they do eat in, the recipes are generally more complex. Instead of hamburger helper or meatloaf, a modern home chef might prepare veal scaloppini, Coq au Vin, or beef Burgundy. Organizers make the job easier by keeping everything in the same tidy space. In this article, we will review a few of the most popular kitchen organizers. Spice Stacks and Racks Spices and herbs are important ingredients in most dishes. Some home cooks store them in a drawer, cabinet or a lazy susan, but this often leads to problems. When spice bottles and jars are out of sight, it is difficult to keep track of them. Perhaps the paprika bottle is almost empty or the tarragon needs to be replaced. Storing spices and herbs on a rack that hangs over the stove or a stack that sits next to it is the easiest way to ensure that you never run out of these vital ingredients again. Which is better? Well, it really depends what you need. The average spice stack can safely store more bottles than the spice rack. But it does take up valuable counter space, and cooks with small children sometimes worry that they might knock them off the counter. What a mess that would make. The spice rack, on the other hand, is clearly out of reach. It is mounted to the wall above the stove. The only drawback is that it may prevent you from installing a wall-mounted pot and pan rack, which is why we prefer the spice stack. Utensil Organizers Cooking utensils are used to prepare most meals. No matter what you make, wooden spoons, spatulas, knives and kitchen forks are almost always involved. Yet in spite of how often they are used, few home chefs know how to properly organize them. Most folks simply stick them in a large ceramic jar they keep by the stove. Then they have to play a sort of guessing game. They have to find the right utensil based on the handle that is jutting out of the jar. Oftentimes they are wrong. Why waste time? Storing kitchen utensils on a pantry rack or stand is a simple and attractive way to keep the tools you need within reach. As with the spice rack, the pantry rack is mounted directly to the wall above the stove. Any kitchen utensil with a hole in its handle can be hung from the hooks of the rack. The pantry stand serves the same function and can be kept beside the stove. Once again, neither organizer is clearly superior. Space really is the only issue. If the wall above your stove is unoccupied and you value your counter space, it is probably best to go with the pantry rack. But if the space is already spoken for, the pantry stand is a suitable substitute. Wine Rack You don’t have to be a professional chef to cook with wine. Hundreds of simple, everyday dishes include wine as an ingredient. Though cooking wine can be purchased at any supermarket, most amateur cooks prefer the real thing. The only problem is finding a place for it. Storing wine in cabinets can be risky, since wine stains are a danger to any surface, especially wood. Not to mention the fact that wine bottles take up a lot of room. Wine racks offer plenty of storage space for both table and cooking wines. One of the most convenient racks for the home cook is the countertop wine rack. It keeps five to eight bottles of wine within easy reach at all times. And if counter space is limited, it can be placed on a shelf or even in a cabinet. Just be sure to place a rubber mat under it to protect against wine stains. Pot and Pan Racks With the exception of the food and appliances, nothing takes up more kitchen space than the pots and the pans. Most disorganized home cooks have three or four cabinets absolutely overflowing with them. As you might imagine, this can make finding the right pot or pan a chore. Oh, and don’t forget the lid. Pot and pan racks put an end to the search by organizing all of your cookware in one place. These invaluable storage devices can be mounted on the wall or hung from the ceiling over the stove. Pots and pans can then be hung from a series of hooks on the rack. Cookware that does not have holes can be placed on top of the rack along with the lids. While both organizers free up space, we prefer the wall-mounted unit because it can support more weight. Kitchen organizers are a simple and affordable way to keep what you need within arm’s reach.