Dirty secrets: Kitchen

Soft-push, one-touch, state-of-the-art, stainless steel - our dreams are made of these. And then dawns the reality of pigeonhole spaces. So we decided to put together a list of handy tips to help you maximise your kitchen space

There are two kinds of people, those who live to eat and those who eat to live. But rarely, those who love to tidy things up once the last bite is polished off. Not everyone is blessed with Masterchef-syle kitchens, large, open, and with enough storage to feed an army for a year. So we thought, we will do the next best thing. Arm you with a few tips and tricks to help you stay organised.

1.    Get a pegboard as a backsplash, sit back and imagine the possibilities. Hang your ladles, hook a basket, pin your recipes, there’s
       no end to the possibilities.
2.    Place kitchen appliances like the idli grinder,​ mixer grinder and toaster on lower shelves, mainly because of their weight and
       size; Preferably in a cabinet below the countertop that’s away from the sink area. If bending down to pick them is a problem,
       have them placed at a comfortable height.
3.    Make sure ​to​ build the countertop high enough to accommodate the gas cylinder in the storage below it.
4.    How to store those mammoth bags of 10 kgs of rice and atta? Invest in a large rice container with a built-in dispenser to keep
       moisture and pests out.
5.    Have tons of small jars filled with masalas and nowhere to keep them? Time to go the old school way and invest in the
       traditional round, multiple bowl masala dabba. They hold just the right quantity and you can divide them as per cuisine – one for
       Indian food, another with Italian herbs etc.
6.    If old school masala dabbas aren’t your jam, get yourself a spice rack and attach it as close to the stove as possible for allowing
       easy access. Don’t forget to label it neatly and include the expiry date.
7.    While picking jars to store eatables, opt for transparent, clear ones. This way, you won’t have to open multiple boxes before you
       hit jackpot.
8.    If you have a larger storage cabinet, line it with wide baskets. This lets you store more groceries in an organised manner without
       visual clutter.
9.    Clean the stainless steel kitchen sink by sprinkling baking soda and scrubbing it down with an old toothbrush. The same trick
       can be used to clean the OTG.
10.  Lemon + Vinegar = Magic Potion. This solution can help remove grime, foul smell from the fridge as well as clean the
       microwave.
11.  Use the space below the kitchen sink to store cleaning solutions and kitchen rags, away from anything edible.
12.  The kitchen can easily get untidy. The simplest solution is to keep most equipment, masalas and pans behind closed cabinets.
       The lesser there is outside, the neater your kitchen will look.