12 Things to Never Keep in the Kitchen
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The kitchen is usually the busy social focus of our dwellings – the place where tastes fuse, scents waltz and friendships are cultivated. That’s the place where we cook dishes our families love, experiment with something new, and can even splash some oil!
For those reasons or any other, understanding what not to bring into the kitchen will go a long way in the creation of a more welcoming and efficient space.
Cookbooks and Magazines You’ll Never Use
We all have a stack of cookbooks and food magazines that seem to multiply like rabbits. While it’s great to have aspirations of culinary greatness, if those cookbooks are gathering dust, it might be time for a reality check. Let go of those you haven’t opened in ages. Donating them can not only free up space in your kitchen but also inspire someone else to embark on their cooking journey. Frenzhub has some excellent tips on organizing your kitchen space effectively.
Plastic Containers That Aren’t BPA-Free
Stylish and bright plastic containers look great in your kitchen, however, if they are not BPA-free, they may be leaching dangerous chemicals into your meals. Besides, replacing the glass or stainless steel containers not only makes your meals safer but also brings a new look to your kitchen.
Old Kitchen Appliances
If there is a blender or toaster standing on the counter unused, then it is high time to think. Unutilized appliances make your kitchen a labyrinth and the older versions of appliances are less efficient and use more power. If you don’t remember the last time you used that waffle maker, it is probably best to rehome it. Your kitchen will be more spacious and you will probably start enjoying cooking again!
Cleaning Supplies
Your kitchen is for culinary creations, not for storing cleaning agents. Keeping harsh chemicals nearby can create safety risks, especially for little ones. Designate a separate space for your cleaning supplies, ideally away from food prep areas. Making your kitchen a safe haven for cooking is a simple change that pays off big time.
Unused Bakeware
That set of bakeware that has been stored somewhere for ages now? It’s time to let it go. Pots and pans that are not in use can take a lot of space on the kitchen and thereby cause cluttering. Simplify your bakeware to only the basics. This way, when the urge to bake is up, you will not dig through a stack of pans trying to find the particular one you need. For insights on effective kitchen organization, check out this article from Frenzhub.
Expired Spices
Flavors are always wonderful to add to your dishes but what about expired spices? I guess they are about as useful as a screen door on a submarine. Not only does it make them lose their flavor, but stale spices are also capable of spoiling the taste of your foods and thus a bad experience to the users. Try to change your spices every 6 months to avoid using spoiled spices and to give your cabinet a new look. If you want to learn more about how to store spices, there is a great article about it here on The Spruce Eats.
Worn-Out Knives
The worst thing for a cook is a blunt blade – imagine cutting bread with a spoon! Blunt knives are a nuisance in the kitchen as they make work hard and may even be dangerous. Having a good set of sharp knives will make your kitchen work easier and much more fun. Screw those old blades and get yourself a new one that will wake up the chef inside of you.
Non-Food Items
The place where you keep all those little things that you do not know where to put them? It’s time for a cleanup. All those forgotten batteries, random pens, loose paper clips, and other items that end up in the kitchen should not be there. Spare a few minutes and declutter that part of the kitchen so that it is only used for containing kitchen items. If you don’t want to be searching for your spatula in the junk pile tomorrow, start organizing today.
Fruit and Veggies on the Counter
A fruit bowl can look lovely, but leaving certain fruits and vegetables out can lead to spoilage. For example, tomatoes and bananas produce ethylene gas, which can speed up ripening in nearby produce. To keep your fruits and veggies fresh for longer, store them properly.
Pet Supplies
Unless your kitchen doubles as a pet hangout, it’s best to keep pet supplies out of this space. Bowls, toys and pet food also contain bacteria that may cause contamination of foods in your kitchen. To avoid cross contamination think about where you would like your pets to sit and make sure that it is not near your cooking zone.
Over-the-Counter Medications
It is rather unsafe to store OTC drugs in the kitchen, not to mention on the shelves close to food items. They can be least effective during hot or humid days. However, you need to store such things in some other cool and dry place within your home but not in the cooking zone and they should be easily accessible.
Old Food and Expired Groceries
Perhaps it’s stating the obvious, but the one thing that you should never have in your kitchen is food that is past its expiration date. Storing old groceries can cause bad smell and it could be a health risk to humans. One of the best habits to adopt is where you have to go through the pantry and the refrigerator and get rid of any food that has gone bad or which has been in the fridge or pantry for quite some time. Who wouldn’t be happy preparing meals in a kitchen that is sparkling clean? A fresh, clean kitchen is a joyful kitchen!
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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