Buzz
Preparing meals at home is one of the most cost-effective and nutritious ways to eat, but it all starts with a tidy and efficient kitchen. A well-organized fridge and pantry help you quickly see what ingredients you have on hand, allowing you to create better meals while reducing food waste and saving money. Here are some of our top tips for prepping your kitchen for the new year.
Tidy Up the Refrigerator
Begin by removing everything from your fridge. Yes, everything. Every single item. Once everything is out, sort your items into three categories: ‘still good,’ ‘questionable,’ and ‘definitely expired.’
You’ll know exactly what to do with items that fall into the ‘still good’ and ‘definitely expired’ piles, but for those in the ‘questionable’ pile—like cheese with mold or condiments that may have overstayed their welcome—we’ve got some rules to help guide you:
Cheese: You’ve probably heard the saying, “cheese is moldy milk anyway,” so it’s okay to eat moldy cheese. While this is kind of accurate, it really depends on the type of cheese. Soft cheeses like cream cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, and brie should be thrown out if mold appears, as mold can spread throughout the dairy. This mold could also carry dangerous bacteria such as listeria, brucella, salmonella, and E. coli, all of which could make you sick. The same applies to any cheese that’s been crumbled or shredded, so toss any blue cheese or feta that’s gone fuzzy. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Parm are a different case, however. Mold has a tougher time getting through semi-soft and hard cheeses, so you can simply cut off the moldy parts—the Mayo Clinic recommends cutting at least one inch around and below the mold—and still enjoy the cheese.
Condiments: Ketchup might feel like it lasts forever, but no food item is immortal, and even condiments have a shelf life. Luckily, expiration dates are often printed on the packaging, but if they’ve faded (or you can’t find them), you can refer to this condiment expiration guide.
Fruits and Vegetables: Different types of produce stay “good” for varying lengths of time. If you can’t tell whether a carrot or onion is still fresh by just looking at it, check out Eat By Date, an extensive database that gives you the real expiration dates (as printed dates often refer to quality rather than safety) for nearly every food you can think of.
Since your fridge is empty, now’s a great time to give it a deep clean. The video above will show you exactly how to do it, but here’s a quick guide to get you started:
Remove all the shelves and drawers, then wash them with hot, soapy water (or, if your fridge is really stinky, a bleach and water mixture will do the trick).
Mix a cup of baking soda with a gallon of water and use this solution to scrub every surface inside your fridge and freezer.
If necessary—such as if you’re dealing with a seriously bad smell—unplug your fridge and leave it to dry out overnight. But if everything smells fine, you can go ahead and return your food to its rightful place.
You could just put everything back in now, but you may want to take this chance to optimize your fridge’s performance. Here are some helpful steps you can follow:
Find the Cold Zones and Prevent Freezing Your Food: Place glasses of water in different spots of your fridge—such as the upper back, upper front, cheese drawer, and the middle part of the second shelf—and place a thermometer in each one. After 24 hours, check the temperatures to determine where the coldest spots are.
Clean the Condenser Coils: The coils at the back of your fridge can collect dust, which reduces the fridge’s efficiency and causes odors. To clean them, unplug your fridge, open the panel to access the coils (unplug any wires as you go), and spray them with warm, soapy water. (Place a paper towel underneath to catch any drips.) Wipe them down with a microfiber cloth and let everything air dry before putting it all back together.
Store Condiments in Containers to Avoid Messes: This step is almost too simple: just put your condiments in a plastic bin. When they get sticky from spills, toss the bin into the dishwasher to keep everything neat.
Now you're prepared to restock, but instead of tossing everything back in randomly, it's important to organize your fridge. Certain foods thrive in specific areas of the refrigerator. This article delves into the details, but here are some general guidelines:
Dairy Items: Milk, cheese, and yogurt should be placed on the top shelf where the temperature remains the most stable.
Eggs: Store eggs on a shelf instead of in the door, as the door is the warmest part of the fridge.
Vegetables: Unless they're better suited for a 'cool dry place'—like potatoes, onions, or winter squash—vegetables should go in the crisper drawer, away from ethylene-producing fruits such as apples, pears, and kiwis.
Fruit: Keep melons, citrus fruits, bananas, and tomatoes on the countertop and out of the fridge, while other fruits can be stored in the second produce drawer (the one that doesn’t hold veggies).
To maximize the efficiency of your produce drawer, ensure the humidity settings are correct. Different types of produce last longer in varying environments, and the rule of 'rot-low, wilt-high' is an easy way to remember how to adjust each drawer. Essentially, anything prone to wilting, like leafy greens, should be in a drawer with high humidity, while produce that decays quickly does better in a lower humidity environment.
In the future, you'll want to establish a system to keep everything fresh. Using a whiteboard can be helpful for tracking perishables, but the most effective way to manage your fridge is by conducting a nightly check, where you discard questionable food and any potential sources of unpleasant odors. This is also a great opportunity to clean up any spills or sticky spots. Finally, placing a bowl of activated charcoal or a vanilla-soaked cotton ball can absorb or mask any lingering odors.
Organize the Pantry
Now that your refrigerator is organized, it's time to tackle the pantry. Start by removing everything so you can fully inspect both the pantry's contents and its condition. If your dry goods are stored in a cabinet, clean it out by dusting and wiping away any spills or sticky residue. You might also want to place ant and roach bait if necessary. Then, focus on the food items themselves.
Next, ensure that everything in your pantry belongs there and isn’t taking up space in the fridge. If you’re uncertain about where to store something, there’s a whole series of graphics that can guide you on where and how long to keep your most common kitchen essentials.
It’s also important to check that your pantry truly meets the conditions of a “cool and dry space.” The ideal temperature is around 70℉ with humidity below 60%. (You can easily find a humidity gauge online for less than ten bucks.) If your pantry is a bit humid, consider using silica gel packs (for smaller spaces) or even a dehumidifier (for larger, walk-in pantries).
Once the environment is set, enhance accessibility by adding some lazy susans, grouping similar items together, or arranging your goods so the larger items are in the back, making everything visible. I also suggest moving your spices from the cupboard to a spice rack. Being able to easily find your spices will make them much easier to use. For a DIY project, check out options like this minimalist design, this cupboard door version, or this magnetic one.
Show Your Appliances a Little Love
Once you’ve organized your food storage, it’s time to give some attention to your trusty kitchen gadgets. If you do nothing else, make sure to sharpen your knives. A sharp knife is, in my opinion, one of the most essential tools for any home cook. It makes cooking smoother, more enjoyable, and—most importantly—much safer. The video above will show you how to expertly sharpen your blades with a whetstone, but if you're not confident, there’s no shame in bringing them to a professional to ensure they’re actually sharpened properly.
Speaking of knives, if you own a Cuisinart food processor, be sure to check your model number to confirm it’s not one of the many affected by a recall due to cracked blades. If your model starts with FP-, ends with Y, or is model DLC-6, you're safe. However, contact Cuisinart if your model number begins with any of the following:
CFP-9, CFP-11, DFP-7, DFP-11, DFP-14, DLC-5, DLC-7, DLC-8, DLC-10, DLC-XP, DLC-2007, DLC-2009, DLC-2011, DLC-2014, DLC-3011, DLC-3014, EV-7, EV-10, EV-11, EV-14, KFP-7, or MP-14.
Of course, there’s more to a kitchen than just knives and blades. Don’t forget to give some love to the other appliances you rely on every day but often overlook when it comes to maintenance and care.
Toaster: Turn the toaster upside down over a trash can and shake out any leftover crumbs. If the toaster is plastic, wipe the exterior with a multi-surface cleaner; if it’s metal, use a mixture of a tablespoon of cream of tartar and a few drops of water to degrease it, or opt for a commercial cleaner like Bar Keepers Friend.
Microwave: The video above shows how to clean your microwave oven without any commercial cleaners, but the easy solution is to squeeze the juice of a whole lemon into a bowl, add half a cup of water, and microwave it for three minutes. Leave the door closed for another five minutes to allow the steam to loosen grime, then simply wipe down the walls, ceiling, and floor.
Oven: To remove stubborn grease from your oven, preheat it to 150℉ and turn it off. Place a pot of boiling water on the bottom rack and a cup of ammonia in a heat-safe dish on the top rack, then shut the oven door overnight. The next morning, open the door and allow it to air out for fifteen minutes. Mix the ammonia with a quart of water and a few teaspoons of dish soap, then scrub away the greasy buildup with a heavy-duty nylon pad dipped in the solution. (Skip the self-cleaning feature; it’s more damaging than helpful.)
Stove: Ammonia is also your best bet for cleaning stove burners. Place each burner in a plastic bag with a quarter cup of ammonia overnight, then wipe away the greasy residue the next day.
With your fridge sparkling clean, pantry neatly arranged, and appliances in pristine condition, you’re all set to cook and enjoy the delicious new year ahead.
Art by Sam Woolley. Photo by Robert Howie.
