How do you clean and store cooking tools and equipment?

Having a clean and well-organized kitchen in your home can be an amazing and powerful feeling.

Image Credit: Alexandra Iakovleva/iStock/GettyImages

Having a clean and well-organized kitchen in your home can be an amazing and powerful feeling. Simply having everything in an easy-to-find place, where it's clean and ready for use, makes cooking more of an adventure and less of a chore. But if you can never find what you need in your own kitchen, you can follow some simple steps to clean, sanitize and store kitchen tools and equipment.

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Basic Cleaning Tips for Kitchen Equipment

Cleaning involves removing the visible debris on kitchen equipment, dishes and utensils. If you can see or feel something on your equipment, it's not clean. Fortunately, a general grease-fighting liquid dish soap, plus a clean and scrubby dishcloth, can get the job done in no time. If you have a dishwasher, you have another mighty tool in your arsenal.

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Start by scraping any large chunks of food into the trash can. Dirty dishes can soak in warm, soapy water to loosen the debris, as long as they are made of a material that's appropriate for soaking. For example, you should never immerse electrical kitchen equipment, and wooden utensils or cutting boards can warp if they are left to soak for too long.

Next, you can put dishwasher-safe dishes into the dishwasher or hand wash them with a soapy dishcloth and rinse with clean water. Spray a solution of water and dish soap onto tough stains or stuck-on food on countertop appliances and let it sit for a few minutes. Scrub the stain or food away with your soapy dishcloth, then clean it with a wet dishcloth. Finally, wipe it dry.

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How to Sanitize Your Kitchen

After cleaning your kitchen equipment, it's time to sanitize it. Sanitizing kills bacteria that remain on your dishes after the visible debris has been removed. To kill this bacteria, you need to expose it to temperatures of at least 170 degrees Fahrenheit or apply a chemical solution, usually bleach-based. If your dishwasher has a sanitize option, run the cycle to both clean and sanitize your dishes.

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Otherwise, combine 1 tablespoon chlorine bleach per 1 gallon of cool water and let your dishes soak in it for one minute. Then, allow them to air dry. For counter top appliances or electrical equipment, spray them with the diluted chlorine solution and allow it to air dry. You could also use commercial sanitizing wipes.

General Kitchen Equipment Storage Tips

Proper storage and stacking of kitchen tools, utensils and equipment can make it infinitely easier to find what you need and to retrieve it easily. If you feel like you're re-enacting a bad infomercial every time you open a cupboard because lids fall out onto you, then getting organized can make your time in the kitchen far less stressful.

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Follow just a few simple steps in storing kitchen tools and equipment. To start, make sure you only store clean and sanitized equipment. Next, try to have dedicated cupboards and drawers. For example, keep all of your Tupperware stacked together in a single drawer or cupboard. Keep lids organized in another area within easy reach, instead of mixing the two together.

Don't be afraid to subdivide your cupboards and drawers with baskets or organizers. Take advantage of over-the-door lid racks to organize your pot lids, keeping them out of the way but within reach. Also, think about what you frequently use and make sure it's easy to grab, such as your favorite spices.

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Proper Storing and Stacking of Kitchen Utensils

When it comes to kitchen utensils, you can choose to hang them from hooks near your stove so that you can quickly grab what you need. Try to keep them out of range of stove splatter, though, so that they remain clean. Knife blocks or magnets should be stored near where you do your chopping.

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Another option for frequently used kitchen utensils is to set them in an open-mouthed jar on the counter. Or, to keep them completely tucked away, organize them within a drawer. Subdivide the drawer, and don't be afraid to have more than one utensil drawer for maximum organization.

Like most workplaces, kitchens tend to have an optimised rhythm and flow of how things work. This comes from where the equipment, food and utensils are stored at and how they are used, which influences the output efficiency of the kitchen. While maintaining cleanliness and a high standard of hygiene is the top priority, it is important to ensure that kitchen items are stored in an orderly manner, making it easy for new staff to grasp where they are at, and also easy to reach out to in a busy kitchen to promote efficiency. That being said, it is important for it to be stored in a safe manner as well that does not obstruct or cause a hazard for kitchen staff. 

It is good when initially starting off your food business, be it from home or at a commercial setting, to take the time to plan out an optimal kitchen storage layout. It is good to try a few arrangements out and tweaking it in order to determine the best one for your food business. This is also important when you have decided to re-design your kitchen space after some time in business. The movie Founder (which can be found on Netflix) emphasises the importance of this on the efficiency of the food business, as it shows viewers how the speedy system gave rise to the most successful fast-food chain, McDonalds. 

With improved technology, there are now more creative ways of cleverly storing kitchen utensils and equipment. There are now aerial storage solutions such as hooks for ladles to vertical storage solutions and in-built refrigerator which can store more items in a given kitchen space. There is now also the rise of smart kitchens, which allow users to store equipment in compartments in the kitchen walls, allowing for precious ingredients to be stored safely.  

Let’s explore at the best ways on how to store kitchen utensils and equipment in today’s dynamic culinary world!

Cleanliness and Sanitisation

Prior to sorting and storing kitchen utensils and equipment properly, it is of highest priority to ensure that these equipment are cleaned and sanitised. This prevents recontamination from prior use. It is important to clean the equipment and utensils immediately after use, as this prevents a build-up of dirt and allows for operational efficiency of the kitchen. While there are so many ways to disinfect and clean kitchen utensils and equipment, the most common methods include putting them in a dishwasher with a sanitisation steam option or soaking the utensils in detergent or chlorine bleach. 

As for equipment and kitchen surfaces, it is important apply surface sprays and wipe them down thoroughly to remove grime, dirt, stains, sauces or dust. Throughout this process, it is crucial to prevent cross-contamination. As such, ensure a clean pair of gloves are worn and a new apron is worn, if needed. With the regular exposure to harsh chemicals, it is both harmful to the planet as well as to the kitchen staff. Consider going green and buying utensils and equipment cleaning reagents that are less toxic. This can make the cleaning experience for staff more tolerable, thereby encouraging them to do a better job. 

Organisation and Sorting

A method used to maximise space in the kitchen is stacking of kitchen utensils. While this saves up a lot of space, there are a few things to bear in mind: It should preferably be an open area/or an area accessible to air which will prevent moisture build up from recently washed utensils, utensils should be dried as much as possible and it should be stacked safely (no over stack that may lead to occupational hazards).

Other strategies used by kitchens these days to improve the process of organisation and sorting include colour-coding, clear labelling and vertical storage. Take the opportunity to examine the space of your kitchen and if there are any underused space, install a shallow drawer that can store key items such as spices or cooking utensils. 

Storage

Storing kitchen equipment properly allows for it to last longer in the business. Using the creative tools available, one can store kitchen utensils and equipment through resizable dividers and open storage vessels. It has never been easier! However, like the storage of utensils and equipment, it is primarily important to ensure the cleanliness of storage equipment too. Ideally, you should clean storage compartments daily with a surface spray and a clean cloth.

To maximise organisation, try allocating certain functions to small areas and revolve the organisation and storage around them. For example, you would want to store ladles and stirring utensils near the stove in order to maximise efficiency. This can be stored on overhanging hooks or in open-mouthed jars. You would ideally then store the plates nearby as well, but have a drawer with customer utensils such as cutlery near the garnishing side. Another example include using trays and creating layers to store your food preparation equipment such as various types of kitchen knives and bowls. This will allow for a maximised use of the space. It is also recommended to use the space below the sink to keep the most frequently items such as detergent, dishwasher and scrubbers as it allows for quick access. 

Storing commercial equipment used daily such as fryers, pots and pans out in the air is recommended as it allows for it be air-dried, thereby preventing moisture build-up, which contributes to bacteria growth. It is recommended that kitchen countertops to be clean and empty, as it allows for grounds of cooking, food preparation and garnishing. As such, kitchen cooktops should ideally have small appliances or small food storage containers on them.

As you can see, there are many ways you can employ when strategising the storage of kitchen utensils and equipment in your kitchen. It is best to conduct some research aligned to the requirements of your food business when it comes to designing and selecting storage options for your kitchen. You can take a look at efficient kitchens which already exist and adopt a few ideas from there!

Here at LJ Stuart, we believe that keeping in mind safety, cleanliness and functionality are the three pillars which can guide your decision-making on what the best storage option should be for your kitchen utensils and equipment.

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