***How Kitchen Organizers can cut Meal Prep Time in Half

For generations, mothers have been telling their daughters that the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It other words, they had to learn how to cook in order to land a husband. The familiar saying lost a bit of steam during the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s, and a funny thing happened in the interim—men learned how to cook.

How do we know this? We need only examine the kitchen. Since 1970, the size of the average American kitchen has doubled. In spite of the fact that the average family is shrinking, this one room continues to expand. One simple explanation is that both men and women now prepare meals for their families. What was once seen as a purely feminine activity is now embraced by millions of American men.

But we didn’t really answer the question, did we? Why has the size of the average kitchen grown? Because there are more cooks. And every cook needs three things to ply her (or his) trade—ingredients, cooking utensils, and kitchen appliances. All of these items take up space, which is why the average American kitchen is larger than it has ever been.

In spite of all this extra space, most home cooks still have a hard time making room for the things they need. Cabinets and drawers are often overstuffed with cookware and ingredients, and countertops are crowded with various cooking implements. It is for this reason that kitchen organizers have become bestsellers at department stores and home improvement centers across the land. In this article we will take a look at a few of the most popular organizers for the most cluttered room in the home.

Spice Racks

Whether male or female, the modern home cook is more sophisticated than he or she has ever been. The immense popularity of home cooking shows has exposed amateur culinarians everywhere to exotic new dishes they wouldn’t have dreamed of preparing in the past. Recipes from China, Mexico and India all have one obvious thing in common—they require special spices and herbs.

Few modern dishes can be completed with just salt and pepper. They often call for once exotic spices like paprika, tarragon, cumin and coriander. Though they are sold in sturdy little bottles in every supermarket in the land, spices and herbs can be a chore to store.

Many amateur home cooks make the mistake of stowing them in a cabinet or a drawer. They figure that this will save them counter space. But when they start cooking, they quickly realize why man invented the spice rack. When spices and herbs are stored out of sight, cooks often forget to shop for them. Because most Americans cook dinner in a hurry, they rarely notice they are out of something until it is too late.

The standard spice rack is mounted on the wall over the range and can hold at least a dozen bottles of spices and herbs. It keeps every vital ingredient in plain sight and does not take up any counter or cabinet space. There is also a spice stack for people who do not have room to mount a rack over their stoves. The stack holds just as many bottles as the rack, and it can be placed by the stove or stored in a commodious cabinet when not in use.

Wine Rack

Every home cook who enjoys his avocation has at least a few bottles of cooking wine in his cupboard. Wine is a crucial ingredient in several of the world’s top cuisines, including French and Italian. Bottles of red and white are used to cook meats, pastas and stews. The only problem is that they are difficult to store and can be quite messy. As every home cook knows, wine can stain almost any surface. Red wine, in particular, can damage wood, tile, granite and marble. Not to mention the fact that wine bottles are also very large.

The standard wine rack holds half a dozen bottles of wine and can be stored on either the countertop or in a large cabinet. But if you do decide to store a rack in a cabinet, make sure you put down a plastic sheet or a mat to protect the interior surface from drips and spills.

Pot and Pan Racks

No other kitchen organizer saves more space than the standard pot and pan rack. Cookware often takes up two or three large cabinets in the average kitchen. Not to mention the fact that lids, like socks, often go missing after a wash. A pot and pan rack is a simple solution. Hung from the ceiling or mounted on the wall above the stove, this popular organizer puts everything in the same place. Pans with hole in their handles are hung from hooks and pots and their lids are placed on top of the rack.

Kitchen organizers can help any home cook save space and time in the most active room in the home. Find the tools to streamline your kitchen now.