How to Stock Your Kitchen Like a Chef (Without Breaking the Bank)

Tell me if you can relate to this: Your Pinterest Feed Filled with beautiful images of organized pantries and kitchens that feel a bit… Very Exactly. I’m not the only one who sometimes looks at their social feeds and wonders if other people don’t cook in their kitchens. Seriously: after a productive work day Meal Prep Sessions And after a few days of making the most basic of meals, sometimes I feel as though my kitchen is going through this too.

After some research, testing, and learning about the layout and organization of my kitchen cabinets and drawers, I realized that what was causing me stress was poor planning and a lack of systems to make my space function at its best.

When it comes to the kitchen, no one’s space looks the same. We approach food differently, so of course, your kitchen setup should suit you! Luckily, we tapped to get some insider tips that we can all benefit from Ellen Bennettfounder of Hedley & Bennett and the host of Kitchen Glow Up, will give us the inside scoop on how we can design our kitchens in the most effective and intentional way possible.

Storage is an important element of the kitchen. What is your view?

When my kitchen is ready to function at its best potential, I can start thinking about how to make it look good. In a professional kitchen, the areas include prep, cook, serve, store, and clean up. I like to have the same setup in my home kitchen. My prep station is always ready on my counter with my huge cutting board and my Hedley & Bennett knife set.

Functionality is the first priority in my kitchen.

For my storage area, everything should be easy to find and have easy to read labeling so it’s easy to grab while cooking. I like two sinks, especially an extra large sink that can fit all sizes of dishes. You may have specific passions that will accommodate your stations differently. These areas and stations are easy to customize and prioritize while still maintaining structure in the kitchen.

What items do you always keep with you?

I always have protein in the freezer: ground beef, ground turkey or bone-in chicken. Eggs and cans of tuna are other proteins I like to always have on hand. My Zojirushi also has rice, so there’s always fresh rice. Avocado is always at the ready and there’s some kind of salad or green leafy vegetable and pickles in the fridge.

With these ingredients I can make a rice bowl and customize it based on what I have on hand. I also always have cooked beans in the fridge. I like to keep vegetables that are easy to steam. For fresh vegetables, I have Persian cucumbers that I can easily put in a bowl or eat on my way out of the house. I also have onions, shallots, and some type of citrus fruit that add flavor to whatever dish I am making. Other main ingredients are olive oil, Take a flight from Jing’s Chili CrispAnd good butter. Between all of that, I can cook all sorts of things with ease.

What are your storage tips?

I have transparent basket containers in the bottom right of my fridge that are just for vegetables. I take all the produce out of their packaging and place them on a cloth. This helps to avoid moisture and makes them last longer. Transparent containers are a must to help me see what I have in my fridge.

If you can see it, you will eat it.

What spices are essential for you?

Be sure to use black pepper, Maldon salt, and kosher salt. Migrant There are high-quality, ethically sourced spices. I recommend buying whole spice seeds whenever possible. Powders can be quite old by the time you get them, causing them to lack flavor. If you have whole seeds, you can crush them, grind them, or toast them and it’s very tasty. Botanica There is a spice called Magic Spice that is wonderful to have on hand. Garlic powder, sumac, and za’atar are also great.

What are your best tips for organizing a pantry?

Use the same containers! Don’t keep everything in the same container you bought it in. You can buy a set of containers for pretty cheap on Amazon. It’s easy to see and prevents losing things. If you haven’t used it in the last six months to a year, throw it away. I often bring a lot of random things, so try and be honest with yourself about the spices you’re going to use and throw the rest away.

It’s okay not to have every spice you’ll need for every recipe.

I would use the same label for all the spices. The more variety you add, the harder it will be to see them. Labeling them is important. You can also buy a bit of museum putty to hold them in place so they don’t move when the drawer is opened.

What things do you consider essential in the kitchen?

I would consider the following to be indispensable in my kitchen:

• Fish Spatula/Spatula
• Slow
• tongs
• Larger than normal spoon that can be used for tasting, serving and plating
• Microplane/Zester
• set of knives- Chef, Utility, and Bread (make sure they’re sharp!)
• A good cutting board and a good stack of kitchen towels. (Place the towels under the cutting board to keep them in place.)

What specialty kitchen appliances do you think are worth the splurge?

In general, I’m not a fan of one-use tools. A good tool should be used more than once. For example, I might use a zester instead of a garlic press. Some things can be used for a special occasion, like a cherry pitter if you’re making a pie, but I generally like to keep these things multi-use.

What have you learned from helping others renovate and reorganize their kitchens?

The power of a dedicated pantry is real because you are able to see all the food you have, as opposed to not knowing what is in each cabinet. Getting rid of expired food from your kitchen is a big deal. People don’t realize how much expired food is in their lives until they throw it out.

Kitchens are a place to store things that you don’t need. Give everything a place to park and this will help you remove things from your kitchen that shouldn’t be there and move those things to a parking space elsewhere in your home. This will give you a lot more space in your kitchen and it will also impact your daily cooking life and beyond.