Making room to cook
A clear patch of worktop and a little organisation can change the feel of dinner.
Clear one working area
You do not need to reorganise the whole kitchen. Choose a patch near your chopping board and keep it free of items you rarely use. Leave enough room to put down a pan safely without reaching over knives or glasses.
Group by task
Keep everyday preparation tools close together. A small container for peelings, a clean tea towel and a spoon rest can make cooking calmer. Store knives securely and keep hazardous items out of the reach of children.
Let storage follow use
Put frequently used ingredients where you can see their labels and dates. Avoid decanting unless you can retain allergen, storage and best-before information. Clear containers are useful, but not at the expense of that information.
Finish with the next meal in mind
Wipe down, dry tools and return them to their places. A few minutes at the end makes it easier to start again. The aim is a kitchen that works for ordinary evenings, not a permanently perfect photograph.
