If you’re feeling overwhelmed with trying to set up a minimalist kitchen organization system, take a deep breath. You’ve come to the right place to get help with that!
I personally recommend taking it step by step, area by area, to limit that feeling of overwhelm. But whether you’re pulling everything out at once, a la Marie Kondo, or you’re working on a mini pantry purge, decluttering your kitchen doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Think about what’s important to you when it comes to having a minimalist kitchen.
The kitchen is the heart of your home because it’s where you share meals and make memories with family members. However, if you have too much stuff that is getting in the way when you’re cooking or making a grocery list, it’s time to declutter!
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Why is organization important for minimalists?
Not only does an organized kitchen save your sanity, it will save you time and money, as well! When you know exactly where everything is, you spend less time searching for it. When everything has a designated place, you’ll spend less time putting things away.
Your kitchen will feel a lot simpler when you know what you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry (a key step in minimalist meal planning). Plus you will save money (and time) by preventing last-minute runs to the grocery store for that one ingredient!
Figure out what minimalist organization means to you
Before you start, take some time to think about what end goal you want to achieve with your organization.
Do you want an aesthetically pleasing minimalist pantry with all your food decanted into pretty containers?
Do you want your kitchen to only have the essentials and get rid of anything you aren’t really using?
Do you want to organize your kitchen in a way that is the most functional for everyday use?
For example, I personally love the minimalist aesthetic look for pantry goods, but I love my time more. I don’t want to spend a bunch of time transferring food that comes in containers into other containers just for it to be visually appealing. I personally prioritize the functional aspects of minimalism over the aesthetics most of the time.
I find it easier to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer rather than just keeping enough food for the week on hand. It is less minimalist to have extra food in some ways. But it’s also more minimalist to be able to go longer between grocery shopping trips and not have to run to the store to pick up eggs because you dropped the last one and now can’t finish the recipe you started.
I also like to organize my kitchen into functions rather than just ‘like with like’.
What I mean by that is I keep all the coffee supplies in one cupboard and all the baking supplies together. So for example, you might keep canned pumpkin and cinnamon with the baking supplies rather than with the canned foods and spices because that’s where you use it most often.
There’s no one right way to do minimalism but choosing your focus in advance will help you make decisions based on your values and prevent you from getting so overwhelmed in the process.
Choosing a starting point
To avoid getting overwhelmed, resist the urge to start a huge organization project. Don’t start organizing the hall closet or clearing out your handbag too. One thing at a time. Right now, just focus on the kitchen. Better yet, focus on just one area of the kitchen!
If you’re Type A, you might thrive from planning your entire kitchen organization project in advance. If you’re Type B like me, you might just go with your gut instinct and start with the area that bothers you the most or the area that seems the easiest. Either way, dividing your kitchen into zones and tackling it bit by bit will help you get it done without creating an even bigger mess or getting too overwhelmed.
Like most of us, you probably don’t have a lot of time (or energy) to declutter and organize. That’s such a common thing that holds us back from even starting! Focusing on one area of your kitchen at a time ensures you won’t spend a whole day (or weekend) on the same task. We want some quick wins here!
Declutter First
As with all minimalist organization, you’ll need to start by decluttering first. There is really no point in spending time organizing things you don’t even need or want anymore.
Plus, if you decide to invest in some organization bins, you’ll want to know exactly what you need first.
You can have the most minimalist kitchen, but it will never feel that way if the mess and clutter aren’t kept under control.
Even after you’ve decluttered your kitchen, things will still get overwhelming if you don’t keep up on it. Decluttering will mean fewer things you have to clean and put away, but it won’t prevent messes entirely, especially in such a high traffic area of the home as the kitchen.
Eliminating visual clutter on the counter tops instantly makes your space seem larger and more minimalist. It’s also one of the keys to establishing a minimalist cleaning routine. Without a bunch of stuff to clutter the counter top, you will only have to wipe the flat backsplash and counter top, rather than having to wipe around, under and behind everything that is sitting out!
It is so much easier to put things away when everything has a home! If you don’t have room for it in your kitchen, it needs to go. This means the smaller your kitchen is, the more minimalist you need to be.
Here are some blog posts with decluttering tips that you will find helpful:
7 Minimalist Decluttering Tips to Help you on your Minimalist Journey
4 Signs You Need To Declutter Your Kitchen
Why Is Your Kitchen Cleaning Taking So Long? (clutter is one reason!)
How to Get Motivated to Clean When You’re Overwhelmed by Mess (helpful for decluttering too)
If you’re having trouble deciding which area to tackle first, go ahead and read through the sections below to give you some inspiration! Or if you’ve already chosen the area you want to focus on, go ahead and skip to the relevant section below to guide you through it.
Minimalist Pantry Organization
Remember what I said earlier about minimalist pantries related to aesthetic vs functional minimalism? Which option have you chosen?
Before you head to Amazon to buy a bunch of clear plastic (or glass) containers to hold all of your non-perishable items, make sure you’ve decided what your pantry goal is first.
If you’re mostly looking to optimize the function of your kitchen, look into pantry organization tools that save space or make it easier to access stuff at the back of your pantry, such as baskets, can holders, and small containers to organize individual snack items.
Using wire shelf organizers like these helps create an extra level (or two) and creates more storage space without having to lift one thing to get to what’s underneath.
Pantry organization tips
- Keep similar items together
- Refer to a minimalist pantry staples checklist
- Get rid of unused items
- Keep commonly used items together
- Use clear storage containers
- Use baskets
- Label your spices and storage containers
If you want that minimalist pantry aesthetic, here are some lovely options on Amazon.
Minimalist Fridge Organization
If you’ve ever had to search through a cluttered fridge to find what you’re looking for, you know how important fridge organization can be key to a minimalist kitchen. By taking the time to declutter and organize your fridge, you can ensure that you always have quick and easy access to the foods you need.
Keeping your fridge organized also helps you reduce food waste, as you’ll be able to see at a glance what needs to be used up and what can be saved for later. (no more wondering if the cauliflower is still good or how to store green onions!)
So if you’re looking for a way to simplify your kitchen, start by organizing your fridge.
Fridge organization tips
- Store similar items together
- Rearrange the layout
- Label your leftovers
- Make the labels face outwards
- Label the shelves or sections of your fridge too
- Use the right size container
- Use clear storage containers
- Use stackable refrigerator containers
- Use square or rectangle containers instead of cylindrical
- Create an “eat first” section
- Make use of refrigerator organizers
- Use refrigerator shelf liners to create ‘sections’ for different types of food
For even more tips, check out this comprehensive article on fridge organization ideas.
Fridge organization bins can be a great way to keep your fridge organized, as they help to keep all of your food items separated and easy to find. They also create an organized, minimalist fridge aesthetic if that’s what you’re into!
Minimalist Freezer Organization
A lot of people don’t ever think about freezer organization, but it can be a game-changer when it comes to simplifying your kitchen. Having a well organized freezer will definitely help you save time and money. When you know what you have on hand, you can make quick meals without having to run to the store.
Freezer organizer baskets, bins, and shelves are a great way to keep your freezer organized. They come in all different sizes and can be labeled so you always know where everything is.
Freezer organization may seem like a daunting task, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run and is one step towards having the simplified and organized minimalist kitchen that you’re after!
Freezer organization tips
- Label everything with the name and date
- Freeze things flat
- Store similar items together
- Rearrange the layout to fit different containers
- Freeze by serving size
- Vacuum seal
- Label everything
- Make the labels face outwards
- Freeze loose items individually
- Use the right size container
- Use clear containers
- Use stackable freezer containers
- Use square or rectangle containers instead of cylindrical
- Use freezer dividers
- Get rid of wasteful boxes
- Create an “eat first” section
- Make use of freezer organizers
You can find even more freezer organization ideas here.
Organizing your kitchen utensils
Countertop utensil racks are great for saving space and making it easy to find what you need while cooking. They also come in handy when the drawer isn’t big enough, like with all those pesky spoons that always seem sneak into our kitchens without permission!
The downside is that they tend to create a cluttered feeling in the kitchen when they’re sitting out on the counter top (not the most minimalist).
Like all areas of the kitchen, start by getting rid of what you don’t need or want anymore. You might find this minimalist kitchen list to be a helpful guide if you’re not sure where to start. Or check out some of the ideas below:
- stacking utensils
- cutlery organizers
- minimalist knife racks
- drawer organizers
Spice cabinet organization
If you love to cook, spices are one of those things that you can almost never have enough of, even as a minimalist. How you store them can really make a big difference on how much space they take up and your ability to use them easily.
You’ll have to decide whether you would like them to be organized on type or amount used. Do you prefer all the spice jars to match, or are you flexible to have some bigger and some smaller based on how much you use them?
You can also get really attractive minimalist spice jar labels that help keep things organized as well!
The amount of space that’s available and what type of space is it will also impact your organization options. For instance, you would probably use a basket if your spices will be stored in a cupboard or a shelf in your pantry, but you might choose a spice drawer organizer if you have drawer space available.
Junk drawer organization
The junk drawer is usually a major catch-all that can get out of hand quickly, even for minimalists. You’ll really want to get rid of items that don’t see frequent use and organize the miscellaneous items left behind that are actually useful.
Drawer organizers are the perfect solution to keep each item separate from the others and preventing the whole drawer from becoming a big jumble.
There are lots of different styles and sizes to choose from. To keep from being overwhelmed, first measure the dimensions of the inside of your drawer (length, width, and depth). Then group together the things you want to keep so you can start to visualized the size of organizers you need to fit what you have.
Keeping everything organized
In order to maintain the minimalist kitchen organization that you worked so hard to create, check your kitchen frequently. Is it staying organized? If not, what needs to be worked on?
We all have those problem areas like the messy island or the produce drawer that keep getting out of hand. Keeping an eye on these areas specifically can help you keep your home running smoothly and efficiently without much hassle or stress!
You might think that keeping up with organization is impossible, but just remember – setting up minimalist kitchen organization in a way that works for our family, checking in on it every so often, and make tiny tweaks here and there is the most minimalist way to keep your kitchen organized in the long term.
Continue reading more about minimalist kitchen organization:
Kitchen Organization Tips: 12 Effortless Ideas You Need to Try Before You Give Up
Minimalist Kitchen List: Your Essential Tools Checklist
Minimalist Kitchen: Ideas To Design & Organize Your Dream Kitchen
Essential Minimalist Kitchen Knives: How Many Do You Actually Need?
The Kitchen Essentials List You Need
And more about minimalist kitchens:
Top 7 Minimalist Meal Planning Techniques To Simplify Meal Planning
18 Best Minimalist Aesthetic Water Bottles
Minimalist Aesthetic Lunch Boxes
5 Ways Meal Prepping Helps Keep Your Kitchen Clean & Uncluttered
11 Minimalist Cooking Tips To Simplify Meal Time
How To Eat a Minimalist Diet
