I just know with all the meticuous cakes out there that some of you have also put together an awesome and efficient kitchen layout. Me, I'm not too good at organizing. Some of you may even have a graphic of your kitchen's layout (especially if you cook commercially).

I need to know everyhting from stove placement, to how to put my flour and spices within reach in my new commercial kitchen. Do you have a system for organizing and finding colors, extracts, spices, baking powder, etc. Right now, I am just digging through cabinets till I find whatb I need. In my new kitchen, I can design whatever I want, so please share! I know a lot of it depends on space, but please share what has worked for you:

How do you keep things at hand and save steps in the kitchen?

Arranged??? What does that mean.......Lol.......I kidd.

I'm currently trying to set my new kitchen up so I would love to know what everyone's answers are as well. Great question!!!

The best thing I can tell you is a lot of open shelving. Don't be tempted to store things in cabinets and drawers. You'll spend more time digging around looking for stuff. Fill as much space as you can with open shelving (metro racks, etc) and then organize from there (clearly labeled clear plastic bins for organizing colors, small bottles, cookie cutters, tools, etc). I also like to hang a lot of my tools (spatulas, whisks, etc) somewhere in several spots around the kitchen where I might need them so I'm not wasting steps back and forth.

Editing to add: Things like chocolate should OBVIOUSLY not be stored in clear bins, as they are sensitive to light, so clearly labeled opaque containers for those (or their original boxes, if possible).

I am very lucky to have a husband who enjoys cleaning up after me - washing all the equipment, keeping things clean and sparkly - but - I prefer to check the cleanliness of all my tools and supplies before I put them away - same places, everytime, no scrambling to find something where someone else may have put it!! Open shelving, clear bins and having hooks to hang stuff is #1!!

I began rearranging and organizing Friday and finished up yesterday morning.

My stuff has been in the same area...just I couldn't find anything because of my own disorganization.
I am home-based. My business items are kept separately from home items...pans, ingredients, tools...but technically, in the same room.
Space is limited.
In the final "clean" view, you'll see the island. My pans are stacked inside one another in the island's cabinets.

I put all my flour and sugar and chips and things like that in the big plastic bins, all tucked under my stainless steal tables. That way i just need to reach under and open the lid and scoop out what I need. I have all my mixer on one table, that is dedicated to the mixers, so I don' thave to be moving things around. The shelf under them has all my bowls, and mixing tools and a shelf on the wall has all my colors, extracts, etc. I have another table that you sit out just for doing detail work, and hanging on the wall is all my stenciles and airbrush is mounted, and I have one of those big garage tool organizers with all my gum paste cutters and such in them. My tips are hanging on the wall in those plastic garage type things, and I made a little hanger that hangs from the wall out of heavy wire, that holds my rolls of plastic pastry bags. I have a closet that has shelves full of my pans and a wired shelf next to my sink to wash pans and let them drip dry. (I have a huge double sink with a sprayer) My oven is around the corner, so I don't have to work in a hot area on baking days. That is also where the fridge and freezers are.

I agree, though, don't try to put things in bins or you will spend a lot of time digging looking for things. Put things out as much as you on shelving or in clear containers, clearly marked.

I forgot the picture....

WOw wow wowwwww! Have learned so much already! Keep it coming! Would love to see pics if any one has them!

I still have no clue how to organize all of the tools I have. Just moved, so now there's more sace, but I haven't even had the time to start yet. Good luck with the new kitchen jjandhope!!! Have fun

I have to agree with the open shelves with assotred clear bins... I had the open shelves and without the bins it was a huge pile of mess. I recently bought a bunch of bins and small crates and now there is a place for everything. I also have some of those 3 drawer carts under my table to store larger or specific use items... the drawers are labled so that everyone knows what goes in there.

I too am home based and this small change has been a life saver for me.

I keep my most often-used recipes in a 3 ring binder, each page in a plastic page protector. All of these recipes are written out on a table with the list of ingredients down the left side and across the top, the heading of each column is the scale of the measurements (1x, 2x, 3x, etc up to 5 or 6, depending on the recipe, with any necessary adjustments). Then all I have to do to scale out my ingredients is refer to the chart, and go down the column that indicates ho much of that recipe I want to make without having to pull out a calculator every time

That is a really good idea...will take time at first, but will save so much time when we really have to get the work done. Do you have the recipes in a recipe program also? Do you just type them out in Word or Excel or...?
Thanx

I just made the tables in a regular word perfect document... nothing fancy

Not much to add except agree with about everyone here. Open wire shelving, large clear or clearly labeled food storage containers, hooks to hand measuring cups, rolling pin, sifters, favorite spoons, etc. (those hooks to put on the sides of the metal shelves are AWESOME!!!). When I was at home, hubby made me a shelf right above my mixer for frequently used small things (vanilla, other flavorings, etc) and I put some large nails on the side-edge of the shelf where I hung measuring spoons and cups.

Some elevated racks on your work counter is helpful. I use those Pampered Chef stackable cooling racks and you can get some wire stack-racks at walmart. This is a great space to put your small items on while working .... it leaves you "counter space" under the rack. You'll be surprised how this adds to yoru work space and everything you need is right there (because you've gotten everything out before you started).

To help with the organizing while working, I also lay sheets of wax paper or parchment paper on my counters where I lay used mixing spoons, spatulas, mixer paddles, etc. Then the clean up is just throwing the paper away .. no messy counter. Again, you'll be amazed how more organized you'll feel with this little step.

I dont really know what racks you are talking about from Pampered Chef. They hold your spices and things?

So do you all think you should store the spices, salt, soda, etc in a certain place and BRING it to the table, or should there be a convenient "GRAB IT" shelf of caddy or some such thing ON or AT the table? (in that case, I guess you wouldnt gather supplies ahead...you wold just reach for them as you ned them)...

Here's a pic of the pampered chef stackable cooling rack: http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=2093&categoryCode=BK

It's just a handy place to keep small things, up out of your way, off of your workspace. I use them in the shop, too.

indydebi, thanks for taking the time to post the link. I thought I was watching this topic, and apparently wasnt. So in the meantime I went looking for such a rack at Wal Mart. What I found is a wire rack that is stairstepped. It fit into my cabinet nicely for now, and I can see everything becasue it is higher in the back. What you posted will be great in my new kitchen. From what I could tell, you could adjust the rack to be different heights?

How is my kitchen arranged? Like a damn tornado hit it.