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5 Easy Steps To Organize a Kitchen Food Preparation Zone

You have wisely invested in a solid wood Amish kitchen table and chairs. Its beauty and functionality has inspired you to spend more time in the kitchen, more time creating and more time enjoying the simplicity of food and friends. Now it is time to begin creating a kitchen as well thought out as your artisan Amish kitchen table. By using a few simple steps you can create a functional preparation area, in fact, a preparation zone.

1. REFRIGERATOR - If you are purchasing a refrigerator consider the space that you have for it. Measure the space from top to bottom as well as side to side, especially if it is sliding under a cabinet. Now consider how many times a week you actually eat in and opt for the size that fits your space and lifestyle. It is best to buy a fridge that allows for different temperature and humidity zones. A well designed refrigerator will use every square inch of space wisely and also consider energy conservation. All shelving should be adjusted from door to interior.

2. PANTRY - Whether you have a full walk in closet or a simple cabinet dedicated to food stuff that does not require refrigeration, you must have an easily accessible space in close proximity of the fridge. Everything in a pantry should be very visible and easily accessed. If you can place like items inside wire baskets that can be pulled out for easy entry and restocking it will make inventorying and using your stock easier. If a closet, a cabinet or even an open shelf is not possible then try a large drawer, preferably with some depth.

3. SURFACES - If you don’t have the luxury of having built-in food preparation counter tops then invest in several chopping boards for various duties. Store these near the counter or island closest to your refrigerator. For instance, wooden boards are best for chopping and marble slabs ideal for pastry. Remember hygiene is not optional when cleaning your prep surface. Cross contamination is a very serious issue. Learn the optimal sanitization method for each individual surface.

4. HANGING STORAGE - To insure clutter free workspaces and allow for easy reach of tools and equipment, consider hanging from hooks and rods. The less cluttered and more functional your work area is the more likely you will be to use it. It also helps to keep the workspace more sanitary.

5. TOOLS - Invest in some basic but high quality kitchen tools. While some tools can be less expensive and disposable, one item not to skimp on is your knives. A good set of super sharp cutting utensils is a pampered chef’s dream. Learn the techniques to keep these knives in perfect condition and they will reward you for a lifetime or more. Place them in a dedicated drawer, a wooden block or on a magnetic strip in the well-designed preparation zone.

Dedicate a cupboard or shelf to your other tools. Keep these to the necessities to avoid useless space wasting. Remember that electronics have made a cook’s world easier and more fun but don’t fall for gimmicky gadgets that are used once and require their own zip code for storage. Also, be sure to have enough wall sockets for multiple devices.

By carefully selecting the electronics, refrigerator, tools and food items and then creating an accessible prep area for efficient food preparation time you will enjoy your kitchen and your Amish built kitchen table to its full investment value.

Tags: amish kitchen tables, food preparation, food storage, kitchen preparation, organizing kitchen, preparation zone

This entry was posted on Friday, December 5th, 2008 at 1:13 am and is filed under Dining Room Furniture, Kitchens, Organization and Storage, The Art of Dining at Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.