SAN ANTONIO — You’ve heard the phrase, too many cooks in the kitchen! That’s what is happening in homes throughout our area as more local families eat in, stock up on groceries and cooking gadgets, and have kitchens that are bustling and bursting at the seams. That is also why local families are scrambling to reorganize the most-used room in the house – in a new trend called the pandemic friendly kitchen.
A new food study reveals how kitchen habits have changed during COVID-19, which means creating a pandemic friendly kitchen is key to creating happiness in the home.
Pandemic Kitchen Habits
- 54% percent are cooking more
- 46% percent are baking more
- 50% are learning more cooking techniques
- 75% have become more confident in the kitchen
- 73% are enjoying cooking more than they did before
Building a Pandemic-Friendly Kitchen:
Suddenly, everyone is packed in the kitchen cooking, including Mom, Dad, the kids and even Grandma and Grandpa. This means new appliances, fuller pantries and overflowing cabinets of oils and spices. So, the company created the ‘Quarantine Friendly Kitchen’ to keep everything organized and to keep the peace. Families realize it’s not just their junk drawers that need organizing, it’s every drawer, cabinet, nook and cranny.
ShelfGenie organizational gurus in San Antonio offer 5 tips for a ‘Quarantine Friendly Kitchen’
- Clear the Counters! It’s easy to fill up every flat surface with extra appliances (there is a gadget for everything!), cookbooks, and condiments. Find and use hidden storage in the corners of your kitchen to store the smoothie blender, stand mixer, and more. Blind cabinet storage and lazy Susan’s make great use of deep, awkward spaces. Less clutter on the counter reduces stress and gives room for creative cooking!
- Spice it Up! More time in the kitchen trying out new recipes also means adding more oils and spices to your inventory, which is fun. But it’s frustrating when those small containers and skinny bottles are constantly toppling over on each other. Designate a cabinet, drawer, or door to be your spice station and add a storage solution. Organize your spices, and you will feel like a master chef with your culinary tools at your fingertips!
- Prioritize the Pantry! Whether it’s panic buying or strategic meal planning, pantries are bursting at the seams. According to Earnest Research, grocery stores report a 79 percent increase in sales, and individual grocery bills are up an average of 55 percent. Whether your pantry is a closet, cabinet, or walk-in space, glide-out shelves and dividers of varying heights can maximize your storage and put everything in easy reach, reducing waste.
- Retrofit Over Renovate! You don’t need a kitchen renovation to make it quarantine friendly and easy to use. All of your existing cabinets, drawers, and closets can be retrofitted with storage solutions that will give you twice the capacity and complete organization -- from trash bins, to bakeware, and all those storage containers you’re using for leftovers.
- Stop, Drop, and Store! Whether it is a garage, mudroom, or a porch, make sure there is an area outside the kitchen to drop all the germy things you bring into the house, i.e., shoes, bags, sporting equipment. Hooks, bins, and baskets in those areas will keep the kitchen as free from outside contaminants as possible and your cooking, prep, and serve stations clean and safe.
There is no better time to put these solutions into practice as people report they will continue to cook more at home, even after the coronavirus pandemic ends. Their reasons? According to the food report, it saves money (58%), helps them eat healthier (52%), inspires them to try new recipes (50%), and helps them relax (50%).
