Transformation: Kitchen Cupboard 2

This is part 2 of re-organizing Karen’s kitchen to match her needs. Karen has some health issues and at times it is a challenge to reach or bend. Our goal was to reorganize her kitchen so that the items she used most often were within easy reach and to reduce the bending and carrying of items as much as possible.

Karen uses different size and types of pressure cookers and they were stored throughout her cupboards and mixed in with her sauce pans. Her plastic storage containers were stored next to her frig – not near her food prep and clean up area. We decided to flip these cupboards. Our goal was to find ONE place large enough to hold the pans and lids and ONE place to house plastic storage containers where they would be within easy reach.

#1 Game Plan

Karen uses different size and types of pressure cookers and they were stored throughout her cupboards and mixed in with her sauce pans. Her plastic storage containers were stored next to her frig – not near her food prep and clean up area. We decided to switch these cupboards and flip them! Our goal was to find ONE place large enough to hold the pans and lids and ONE place to house plastic storage containers where they would be within easy reach.

#2 Leftovers Anyone?

Having one place for those plastic containers we all collect is a great idea. Keeping it manageable is another. Granted, there are some systems out there that the lids and containers fit neatly into a spinning carousel – but if you’ve been collecting for years, you are probably not going to toss the investment. This was the case for Karen so we needed to work with what we had. We first emptied the storage container cupboard and sorted through the collection of lids versus containers to make sure each had a partner. We decided which ones were old, ineffective or just redundant and placed them in the appropriate box (Yard Sale, Storage, and Toss). The ones we wanted to keep we put on the island counter. This way we could see just how many we had to work with and could estimate the space needed to store them. Then we started to stack them and put them in the cupboard where Karen could easily reach them (in the island cupboard facing the dishwasher). We put all the lids either to one side or neatly within the appropriate container. By putting the lids in one larger container, Karen will know where to find them – and the family will know where to put them away!
Old Storage Cupboard:

New Storage Cupboard:

#3 Cooking Pretty Under Pressure

The next step was taking all the pressure cookers and their lids out from all the cupboards throughout the kitchen. Once we were sure we had them all, we stacked one inside another – same with their lids. We placed the pans in the cupboard with the handles pointing toward the cupboard door. This way Karen could reach in and get whatever she needed without bending and stretching too much. We also did the same for the rest of her pans. For Non-stick Frying Pans – we simply put a paper towel between them and stacked them. Karen and her family know that they must be gentle when pulling the non stick out of the cupboard to make sure they don’t scratch.

Pans Before:

Pan Cupboard After:

Pressure Cooker Cupboard After: