The key to mastering kitchen organization ideas is finding a system that makes every movement easier – from prepping a simple weeknight dinner to putting together a holiday spread. Looking for tips on how to organize your kitchen? Follow along as we walk through how to divide your kitchen into zones and how to organize each area.

Define & Conquer

Before jumping into our kitchen organization ideas, it's important to break up your kitchen into different zones for optimal kitchen storage. If you visually and mentally separate the various appliances and surface areas, it will be easier to find a place to put everything. We recommend the following areas (and outline them in more detail below):

• Area 1: Everyday items
• Area 2: Cooking and baking items
• Area 3: Coffee and bar items
• Area 4: Pantry and storage items
• Area 5: Specialty items
• Area 6: Under-the-sink items

Area 1: Everyday Items

Your everyday items are the things you use for meals multiple times a day. This includes plates, bowls, cups, serveware, and flatware. Whether in kitchen cabinets or open shelving, store these pieces close to where you will use them. Water glasses can be kept near the refrigerator. Plates and bowls should be stored at eye level to make setting the table easy for kids. Keep flatware organized in a caddy near your dining area. If you have a breakfast nook in addition to the dining room, keep a caddy on both tables for last-minute snacks.

Area 2: Cooking & Baking Items

Cooking and baking essentials should be stored near the stove and oven. Think of these items as your everyday pots, pans, measuring cups, mixing bowls, cutting boards, etc. We love using a utensil crock to hold our favorite spatulas and wooden spoons for easy access while cooking. For the most durable crock, choose one made from stoneware – they are chip-resistant and dishwasher-safe. Cutting boards can be stored in vertical cabinets or propped against the backsplash on the counter. Baking utensils, such as rubber spatulas or measuring cups, should be kept in a separate drawer than flatware. Baking sheets and muffin tins can fit vertically in the skinny cabinet near your oven. Extra pans can be stacked and placed in the oven drawer.

Area 3: Coffee & Bar Items

Coffee and bar items are your essentials for pouring morning coffees and evening glasses of wine. This area might include your coffee mugs, coffee maker and pods, wine glasses, and bar accessories. Keep these items separate from the rest of your everyday glassware and appliances by creating a special kitchen cabinet or place in your pantry. One of our favorite organization ideas is installing hooks underneath to hang mugs or use a wall-mounted wine glass rack to save counter space. Hanging wine glass racks are great for keeping glasses from being stained or streaked with water spots. If you have a large pantry or free space in your kitchen, consider adding a rolling bar cart to create a defined coffee and bar area that can be pulled out for easy entertaining. Choose a bar cart with locking wheels so it doesn't roll away.

Area 4: Pantry & Storage Items

Pantry and storage items aren't used as frequently as everyday items, but figuring out an organizational system for them is just as important. The storage supplies are any post-meal necessities used for saving leftovers. They might include stackable Tupperware, zip-close bags, tin foil, and plastic wrap. Pantries are great for storing dry goods and spices as well as larger kitchen gadgets that don't need to take up counter space full-time. We like using ceramic jars to store dry items, such as grains, nuts, flour, and pasta. They can even be used to hold vitamins and protein powder. Use rattan baskets or file holders for onions, potatoes, lemons, and loose produce. Any large appliances that are used infrequently like a waffle maker or ice cream machine can be stored on planters with wheels and rolled underneath shelves.

Area 5: Specialty Items

Specialty items are the pieces used on special occasions like a pottery vase or heirloom serveware. A china cabinet is the perfect space to safely store these pieces. Consider keeping the cabinet in the dining room so that you have more space in your kitchen. If you have a foot of space or more above the kitchen cabinets, you can also store specialty items there.

Area 6: Under-the-Sink Items

Ever feel like the space under your sink becomes a catchall for cleaning supplies, hand soaps, and garbage bags? You aren't alone. Kitchen cabinet organization ideas can be tricky. To keep the under-sink area neat, consider a couple of kitchen storage options. We like to put a cabinet door organizer on each door: one for storing extra soaps and gloves and one for corralling loose paper and plastic bags. Cabinet door organizers are easy to install without any tools. Consider a tiered shelf to create twice as much surface area for all your cleaning supplies and extra sponges. Storage bins keep cleaning supplies well-organized by type and easily accessible without cluttered cabinet space.

Now that you've got your kitchen broken up into zones and put a few of our kitchen organization ideas to work, it's important to remember that you can always go back and edit. Organizing the kitchen is an evolving process that changes seasonally. You might spend more time baking around the holidays, or you may host a big Easter brunch, or you’ll want to store the crockpot during the summer. Always be ready to edit.

Ready to put these kitchen organization ideas into practice?