All of us have used the statement, there’s just not enough time in the day, at least once in our lives. And while some may be master organizers, most of us are not. The kitchen is the heart of the home and tends to be one of the most used spaces. It can also be one of the most time consuming to keep up. Therefore I’ve compiled a list of 5 ways to save time in the kitchen.
5 Ways to Save Time in the Kitchen
- One of the easiest ways to save time is by pre-planning your meals for the week. If you prepare meals often for your family, you probably have a good list of favorites to select from. However those recipes can get old after a while so for fresh ideas, turn to the internet for suggestions. There’s several sites dedicated to recipe ideas, including several blogs that offer weekly meal plans with recipes included.
- Organize your shopping list before heading to the store. Not only will this save you time while at the store, but also money by keeping you focused on your list of items you need versus want.
- A quick dinner tip is preparing your ingredients in advance. Keep your weekly meal plan on the refrigerator door for easy access. The morning of, prep your ingredients and store them on a baking sheet covered with paper towels or plastic wrap. Package items with a stronger odor like veggies or cheese in plastic bags or sealed containers. Once home, grab the items out of the fridge and quickly cook your meal.
- Clean as you go. While cooking your meal, discard items as you go. Once the meal is cooking, quickly wipe down the counter surface and move the dishes to the sink. If you’re like myself, you’re not a fan of cleaning dishes by hand. Most of my dishes are dishwasher safe so they get a quick rinse and are placed in the dishwasher. If you’re in the market for a dishwasher, check out these dishwasher reviews. It can help guide you to the best dishwasher for your home.
- Lastly, cook big batches of food. By making big batches of meat, sauces, and other foods you can freeze leftovers and use them towards a different recipe on another night. Saving you even more valuable time.
That’s it! Follow these simple steps for time-saving, and stress-free ways to streamline a kitchen routine.
Sandy says
CAn you tell me we’re the rug is from?
Robin Wilson says
These are all great tips and I am pretty good at all of them except for pre-planning my meals. I can say we are going to have such and such this week, but never manage to plan meals for every day.
Jenn says
Cleaning as you go definitely makes a huge difference!!
Jennifer H says
Definitely!
Jiahui says
Thanks for sharing! Great reminders!!
darleneysaguirre says
My problem is organizing a shopping list it always takes me forever when i go shopping and i spend more than anticipated i need to start making lists! These are helpful tips.
Jennifer H says
Good luck Darlene!
strangedazeindeed says
Great tips! Cleaning as you go helps so much!
Jennifer H says
absolutely! 🙂
Virginia Higgins (@thatbaldchick) says
I just got a menu service, so hopefully the pre-planning meals part will get easier. 🙂
Jennifer H says
ooh awesome!
Helga says
Clean as you go is really effective for me, no pile ups!
Katie says
Sigh. I KNOW all of this but rarely do I stick to it. Great tips.
Kathy says
Great ideas… now if I could just find time to pre plan those meals 🙂
Nathan says
I like the idea of pre planning meals. If I go to the grocery store without a plan I buy way too much 🙂