10 Items Your Kitchen Can Do Without
10 Items Your Kitchen Can Do Without
Kitchens collect a lot of stuff! It’s so easy to add things to your kitchen cabinets or countertop until they don’t function as they should, which can cause you unnecessary stress. Deleting what you don’t need will free up space to breathe.
Here are 10 items your kitchen can do without:
Small gadgets that don’t work the way you hoped.
We have all bought one of those single-use items that we thought would solve a problem—maybe it was a pineapple corer or an emersion blender. It didn’t quite do the job you hoped, but you didn’t have the heart to toss or donate it. If it didn’t solve your problem, then it won’t solve the same problem later. Ask yourself, “Can I do this task with a different tool I already have in my kitchen?” IF SO, LET IT GO!
Silverware that stays in the drawer.
Maybe you have extra sets of silverware (just in case you invite another 12 people over) or maybe it’s those cute cheese spreaders for the charcuterie board you’ve been meaning to make again. Decide how much silverware you need on a daily basis, then add a few more pieces and you’ll probably be good to go.
Specialty bakeware that has been forgotten.
Have you ever bought a special pan to bake an unusual-shaped cake? But didn’t have a reason to use it again. Or maybe you used to bake cupcakes all the time of the kids, but they are grown now and you don’t need a dozen of those tempting sweet treats around. Ask yourself if you use each baking item often enough to take up space in your kitchen. Also look at items you have multiples of, like cookie sheets or pizza pans. I tell clients “Only keep the number of baking items that can fit in your oven at the same time”. You probably don’t need more than that.
Souvenir and unused coffee mugs.
Have you ever picked up a mug from one of your travels, but when you get home you didn’t use it? You probably placed it on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet, because that’s where there was space. It’s not easy to get to, so you don’t use the mug. Do you remember the trip when you made the purchase? Often people think they need to keep a souvenir to retain those memories, but you don’t. You are remembering the vacation right now without the mug in your presence. So many unused mugs! To determine how many you need, use the Pareto Principle by gathering all your mugs somewhere outside the cabinet. Then use the mugs you like for the next two weeks. When you use a mug, it can go back into the cabinet. At the end of the 14 days, you’ll know which mugs you prefer. Use them and donate the rest.
Appliance accessories you’ve never used.
It may be a piece from your KitchenAid mixer or a bin that came with your refrigerator that you have no use for. I understand that when you first buy an appliance you may want to use these extra accessories, but if you’ve owned the appliance for some time (maybe 6 months or a year) and haven’t used it, consider letting them go. Storing an unused accessory in a closet or the back of a kitchen cabinet isn’t going to make you use it.
The collection of extra cooking utensils.
There’s been a great debate lately on whether black plastic cooking utensils are dangerous to your health (but then I saw an article saying otherwise). You’ll have to decide for yourself. I’m no expert. But I bet you have utensils that you like and use all the time. But hiding in a drawer somewhere are the other spatulas, slotted spoons, etc that you never use. Is it because they are made of a material you don’t like or are too big or too small for your needs? Maybe you like the look of wooden utensils but never reach for them when cooking. It is time to evaluate whether they need to take up space in your kitchen.
Serving Platters that never make it to the table.
I have to confess, I have too many platters. If you are like me, you desire to entertain more often than you do. Like me, do you store serving platters (and bowls) that have never (or seldom) made it to the table. They probably aren’t “quite right” for you and you have something else that services the same purpose that you use more often. If you haven’t used a serving dish in the last year, ask yourself if you really need it.
Food storage containers that aren’t working for you.
Whether you’ve lost the lid or the plastic has cracked, I bet you could find a few items in this category that you could declutter. People often unconsciously collect food containers. Have you seen the Pretty Good Box video? The same goes for your collection of take-out food containers. One of my container tips is to have only containers of the same size, so you can stack them inside each other when storing, to take up less space. On another note, I think the container lids should be stored separately from the containers. What do you think?
Anything chipped has got to go.
Now this is subjective. Maybe you have small children and chipped plates are the way you roll. That’s fine. I wouldn’t want you to spend money on new dishware unless your family can handle it. But if you have too many dishes or bowls an easy way to declutter them is to eliminate the chipped items. Now, if we are talking glassware – if it’s chipped it got go!
Items you have collected on the counter.
After reading about 9 categories of things to declutter from your kitchen cabinets and drawers I wanted the tenth item it be anything not needed on your kitchen counters. Your counter should be clear of clutter so the space can function correctly. But, I know that’s hard to do consistently. The kitchen counter is where everything lands – every day, all day. See if you can make it a practice to do a 5-minute sweep of your countertop right before you make dinner or at the end of the day. This routine will at least help keep the clutter at bay.
As you can see, I didn’t tell you to get rid of an entire category of anything. I would never do this. Instead, evaluate each category separately to determine what you don’t use and can do without. Making a little space in each area will make a big difference in the overall functionality of your kitchen.
What is one item you could do without in your kitchen? Let me know in the comments.
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Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
Janet Schiesl
Janet has been organizing since 2005. She is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Basic Organization.
She loves using her background as a space planner to challenge her clients to look at their space differently. She leads the team in large projects and works one-on-one with clients to help the process move quickly and comfortably. Call her crazy, but she loves to work with paper, to purge what is not needed and to create filing systems that work for each individual client.
Janet is a Past Board Member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals and a Past President of the Washington DC Chapter of NAPO were she has been named Organizer of the Year and Volunteer of the Year.
There’s a two-tier glass dish in the kitchen cupboard that we never use. I would get rid of it but my husband *thinks* it came from his parents (as if that ws a good reason to keep something like that)!
I agree with you. Maybe a good compromise is to pack the glass dish away for “safe keeping”.
Can you the glass dish outside the kitchen? I use a three-tier glass dish/tray from my husband’s grandmother for some of my jewelry.
Oh yes Lisa. I love repurposing items where they are expected. I’ve been using vases and some other nice containers for tissue holders around my house. I think they are much prettier than the cardboard box the tissues come in and I’m also using items I love that would normally sit in the cabinet somewhere.
I thought of several things I can remove from my kitchen. I have a lovely cake house that is too small. The area under the dome is not large enough to allow for a dinner plate – which is what I use to put a 9″ cake on. This lovely cake house is taking up valuable real estate in a kitchen cupboard. Plus, I know I have attachments to small appliances that I have never and will never use. Thank you for the permission to get rid of these things!
You are welcome! Sounds like you made good decisions to let go of stuff that isn’t serving you.
I agree about the unused coffee mugs! I cleared out mugs last year, and within one day, my husband added other mugs to the area that he had placed elsewhere when we it filled up. Boy, was I annoyed! I had to redeclutter the new mugs. Now, finally, we have only a handful of mugs left. Yay!
LOL! The extra work!
I just saw a survey that asked people how many coffee mugs they have. I was astounded at the numbers. There are 3 people living in my house and we have 10 mugs and I think that’s too many.
I’m pretty good about not keeping items that I don’t use but over the years a lot of my everyday China has become chipped. It may be time to buy a new set of dishes and let go of the chipped ones.
I have finally decided to use my good china for everyday. Neither of my sons wants it and I love it, so why not!
Here’s a funny story. One time I was baking with an old bundt pan I had gotten at a tag sale. A friend was over, and when I pulled out my pan, she instantly commented that this pas was “beyond its useful life.” I guess there was some peeling of the nonstick finish. She bought me another one. I had sort of stopped noticing.
Great point about all the extra serving pieces. Be honest about what you actually use. At a minimum, consider moving these seldom-used items out of the high-demand kitchen drawers and maybe into a piece in the dining room.
Oh wow! I have a similar story about a bundt pan – recently replaced. As I go through the downsizing process I try to keep thinking a multiple uses for one item and getting rid of the rest.
What is it about coffee mugs? I don’t purchase souvenir ones, but I do seem to collect interesting handmade ones. It’s the one area of the kitchen that I have to ‘review’ every so often. And especially when my husband asks, “Why do we have so many mugs?” Then I know it’s time to take another look and see what can be released.
Linda, you must not have a Sister-in-law who gifts every family member with a mug each Christmas. LOL! That’s my situation. We have so many mugs from her, some we use and some we just donate right after the holiday. I’d be interested/scared to see her mug cabinet.
That specialty bakeware can often be donated to the library. So many libraries now have tool libraries and bakeware/cookware collections; you can donate the thing you never use content in the knowledge that you can borrow it back if you ever actually need it!
I have to laugh about the coffee mugs. I don’t even drink coffee, but I have two shelves of mugs and I am ALWAYS running out. It’s probably because I prefer to drink out of mugs (because they have handles) than my much smaller collection of glasses (six, matching) or teacups (4, matching). My (perhaps two dozen) coffee mugs fill the entire rack of my dishwasher by the time I run it mayyyyyybe twice a week, and even then, the bottom rack is usually half-empty. I toss a coffee mug immediately if it’s chipped or if the decoration on it has worn off over the decades. I still have only-slightly faded coffee mugs from college, and at least once a week, I am disappointed to find that all of my mugs are in the dishwasher. (Faced with having to hand-wash something, I’ll reluctantly drink from a glass.) Perhaps your sister-in-law would like to start sending me mugs instead of giving them to you? 😉
This is a great list, and I see it reflecting my clients’ lives. I don’t really cook, so nobody buys me kitchen items. But about two years ago I bought myself a small Dash air fryer, thinking it would be useful, but either I’m just bad at using it, or it’s not great, because nothing turns out right. I’m on the cusp of letting go of it and getting back that counter space; otherwise, my kitchen runs lean.
HAHA! I’ll send my SiL your way.
Sorry you don’t like your air fryer. I love mine.
I wish my library lent out items like this. I’m envious of communities that have this kind of program. I’ve seen things like craft machines, tools, cooking equipment at these libraries. I’m jealous.
Ahh such a great list of things that should go! I always get rid of our chipped items as I read somewhere years ago that the chipped part holds bacteria that can’t wash out! Makes it easy for me to say goodbye!
Good point and a good reason to get rid of chipped items.
What a great list! The one category I know my clients have a har time with is the appliance accessories. It’s true some of the accessories don’t get used. I think it’s the way we are wired. It just feels unnatural to get rid of a piece that would make a set incomplete. You’re right though, keeping it in a cabinet wont make anyone use it more.
I agree with you. Sometimes I think it’s easier to get rid of those appliance accessories once the appliance is old and beyond donating. But I hate to think of hanging on to unused parts for that long.