Solving Kitchen Chaos

No matter what your kitchen's size is, chances are the busy room could use a little organizing. Kris Connell, editor at Real Simple magazine, visits The Saturday Early Show with some ideas.

Organizing a kitchen is not hard and doesn't have to take long, says Connell. Start by clearing the countertop. Appliances that are rarely used should be off the counter and stored away. However, she says, it's fine to have some items out on your counter. A paper towel holder, a cookbook holder and a cutting board are items often in use, so it would be convenient to have them on the counter.

Connell suggests a sturdy wooden cutting board that's at least one inch thick - this prevents it from warping. Although plastic boards may be more hygienic, they dull the edge on your knives. Wash your board with hot soapy water, never soak it or run it through the dishwasher, and try to store it flat.

As for the kitchen drawers, a good rule of thumb is to store items close to where you use them. For instance, if you only have one drawer by your stove, reserve it for utensils, not napkins or coupons. Relocate or get rid of tools you only use once a year (such as a turkey baster). Take items you use frequently and put them in a wide-mouthed jug by the stove. If you are right-handed, try to set these on the right side of the stove.

Also, think about buying an expandable drawer organizer. These fit any drawer and won't leave inches of unused space at the top or side of the drawer. Connell suggests keeping knives in this drawer. When storing knives in drawers, plastic guards can protect blades and fingers.

Unless you are truly a gourmet chef, you may only need three knives — a 4-inch paring knife, a 6-inch all-purpose knife and an 8-inch serrated knife. Connell says when buying knives, avoid those that supposedly never need sharpening. Look for ones made of stainless steel and with high carbon content.

Finally, organize the kitchen cabinets. Connell suggests keeping like items together, and keeping heavy items in the lower cabinets. She also says an easy way to give yourself more space is to get your pots and pans out from the cabinets and hang them above the stove. This also makes it easy to find the pot you need while adding character to your kitchen. What about the lids? Kris suggests a maple lid rack that sits on a shelf. Even if you do keep your pots in a cabinet, keep the lids separate.

Connell has three pots she calls the kitchen's true workhorses. They are:

• Two-quart saucepan: Perfect for heating up soup, making a sauce, or cooking for a couple.
• Saute pan: Works for omelettes, chicken cutlets or stir-fry.
• Eight-quart stock pot: Good for pasta and dinner parties.

Finally, Kris says the important thing to remember when getting organized is to set up a system that works for you.