New Year’s Resolution - Sort Out the Kitchen!

New Year’s resolutions – we’ve all had them, and to be honest, we’ve probably all broken them. The turn of the year is a good time for good intentions, though not all last through to the festive season that follows…

We’d like to make the case that some resolutions are worth acting on. Your kitchen has probably seen some serious seasonal use, and you may have found that things are not quite as they were before Christmas. Now might be the perfect time to get it set up the way you want it.

Get organised

Kitchens attract clutter like moths to a flame. They’re generally well used, heavily trafficked and by their very nature are used to make a mess. Putting a little time aside to put things back in order can make your every cooking adventure less stressful. There’s nothing worse than reaching into a drawer for something and finding it’s not where you expected it!

Do your pans need a refresh?

Your cookware has probably seen more use than usual, and any pans that were previously flagging are likely to be on their last legs now. The Christmas dinner might see seldom-used tools brought into service, including some that might not get used much at other times (turkey baster – looking at you). Only you can decide what you really need and what you don’t.

It’s also important to check for signs of wear for more crucial reasons. Non-stick and teflon pans can shed metals as they age or when they get scratched, meaning that you might accidentally ingest some pretty nasty chemicals – not nice! Check these items carefully for marks, and don’t hesitate to replace them if they look like their coating is flaking off. This also counts for plastic cookware such as spatulas or spoons – any melting from heat is liable to add a chemical seasoning to your food, so if you’ve been careless with leaving them too near heat sources, we advise throwing them away and replacing them.

Finally, any wooden or bamboo items such as wooden spoons can pick up stains, food smells and even bacteria over time, so replacing them periodically might be wise, especially if you’re fond of turmeric-spiced curries or bright red pasta sauces!

Don’t throw without thinking!

While we advise changing things when they get too old or broken, a little kitchen boo-boo needn’t result in throwing something away. Stubborn burn marks or baked on food can be dealt with using modern cleaning products, or even with old-fashioned methods such as lemon juice or bicarbonate of soda. If you want or need to replace something then please do; just don’t feel like it’s the only option.

Speaking of throwing things away – with the best intentions in the world, our loved ones can’t necessarily be relied upon to find the right gifts for us. With adulthood comes a lot of practical gifts, for example the latest “must have” kitchen gadget, destined to stay in its box in a forgotten corner of the cupboard. Unless you think you’re going to use it, we’d advise you to find it a happy home elsewhere. A good rule of thumb: if you’ve had it since last Christmas and not used it since, it might have failed the test!

Your Kitchen, Your Rules

If you’re fortunate, you’ve had guests over for the season. Even if you have the patience of a saint, at these times it can sometimes feel like your house becomes public property. To be fair, it’s the likely source of all Christmas food, so we can see why your guests might be a little…enthusiastic. However, December is over and it’s now the new year, so be prepared to reassert yourself. After all, this is YOUR kitchen and you can have it (mostly) the way you want it.

On that subject, the cold, wet and icy conditions outside would make anyone yearn for a warm place to be. A kitchen of your own is a wonderful thing, and can make your whole environment a nicer place to be. This is especially true in winter, when the colder and darker conditions make going outside harder. Having a well-organised kitchen with everything the way you want it (at least temporarily) can make your home a little happier, and make your kitchen somewhere you want to spend more time in.