Most people spend a lot of time in their kitchens and it’s one of the most important rooms in a house. However, clutter can easily build up in a kitchen and take over precious space. Holding onto unnecessary items like unused gadgets and spare kitchenware and storing them in your kitchen can take up valuable counter or cabinet space. Decluttering can make your cooking process more efficient and improve the organization of your kitchen. Here are 18 items in your kitchen that probably aren’t worth keeping.
Mismatched Glassware
Mismatched glassware can clutter your cabinets and make you look unsophisticated when hosting a family dinner or entertaining guests. While a few unique pieces can add charm, having too many different styles, shapes, and sizes can look messy and make them difficult to store away. Cut down your glass collection to a cohesive set to save space and make your kitchen look more organized, but make sure you keep enough for everybody!
Extra Pots and Pans
It’s often suggested that you should usually only need three pots and three pans to make any dish, so if you’ve got a stash of extra pans hidden away in your kitchen wasting space, it’s time to declutter! You’ll be surprised at how much space you can free up when you remove big items like pans from your drawers or cabinets. It can also help you organize your kitchen better and make it easier to get the things you actually need.
Bread Maker
Who has the time to make bread? According to The Independent, “a poll of 2,000 people found that modern adults spends an average of 61 minutes making their three meals a day, as well as any snacks they may eat between meals.” This shows that most people don’t spend a lot of time making their food. Therefore if you have a bread maker in your kitchen, it’s most likely rarely been used (if at all), so just get rid of it!
Extra Plates and Bowls
It’s so easy to grow a large collection of plates and bowls over time, as we buy pieces here and there or buy a whole new set to replace one broken plate but never throw out the rest of the old set! If you own more than eight of each, you’ve got too many. We often hold onto a surplus of plates and bowls for the rare occasion we might host a lot of guests, but if that occasion arises, you can just get some disposable ones.
Crock Pot
When was the last time you used that crock pot that’s tucked away in your kitchen or constantly taking up useful counter space? If you barely ever use it, then you don’t need it, and you should get rid of it. Crock pots are big, bulky, and honestly pretty unnecessary, as you can typically just use a large pot instead and get the same result. You’ll be thankful for the newly created space when it’s gone!
Toaster Oven
Traditional ovens and microwaves can often make a toaster oven pretty redundant and unnecessary. Unless you’re regularly using your toaster oven for something that you can’t do with any other appliance, reconsider whether it’s worth the space and electricity that it’s taking up. If you really can’t deal with grilling bread in the oven to make toast, you can get a small toaster that will require much less room.
Wok
It might feel pretty adventurous and fun to use a wok, but after the novelty has worn off, it probably sits unused in your kitchen just gathering dust! You can use a normal, large frying pan to stir-fry foods and make the same meals that you would use a wok for, so is there really any need for one? Free up more valuable space in your kitchen by throwing it out, giving it to someone you know, or donating it.
Dish Towels
Hefty amounts of bacteria can quickly accumulate on dish towels, meaning they need to be washed often to keep them clean and fresh. The Spruce suggests that “for constant food preparation, cleanup, and washing, changing them every few days would be best.” Using your washing machine and dryer that frequently will soon rack up a big bill, so you may want to think about replacing your dish towels with paper towels instead.
Knife Block
Knives are essential tools to have in your kitchen, but is it really necessary to store them on your countertop in a bulky block? Many knife blocks come with an array of knives, most of which you never use in everyday cooking, so it’s likely more practical to just keep a few high-quality knives that you use regularly. Store your knives on a wall-mounted metallic strip or in a drawer to free up useful counter space.
Juicer
A juicer is definitely more of a luxury than a requirement! If you don’t have the most room in your kitchen, these big machines can really limit your space. Juicers also take time and effort to clean each time you use it. Therefore, it’s worth considering whether one fresh cup of juice is worth all the effort it takes to clean it afterward and all the room it takes up in your kitchen, and if it isn’t, then get rid of it!
Rice Maker
Rice makers are good for cooking large batches of rice, but besides that, they’re a bit pointless, so unless you regularly cook massive amounts of rice, they’re a waste of space. Declutter your kitchen, reduce the number of single-use appliances adding to your energy bill, and simply cook rice on your stovetop! Granted rice makers can make it easier to cook rice perfectly, but you can do this without a rice maker too with a bit of practice.
Coffee Machines
If you’re a bit of a coffee enthusiast, you might’ve thought a coffee machine would be a good addition to your kitchen; however, coffee making can quickly get out of hand and take up a lot of room in your kitchen, especially if you use multiple brewing methods like drip, espresso, and pod machines. Cutting down to one, versatile coffee maker or just sticking to instant coffee can be much more convenient and far less space-wasting!
Spare Mugs
It’s not hard for your kitchen to get overrun by mugs, as they’re often given as gifts and are difficult to resist getting yourself if you spot one you like. These little purchases seem harmless at the time, but you end up paying the price when there are mugs tucked away in every corner of your kitchen. Getting rid of mugs that are worn out or ones you don’t use very often can clear out your kitchen more than you would expect!
Grilled Cheese Maker
Forbes reports that “Americans pay an average of $429.33 per month for their utility bills.” Kitchen appliances will be a large part of this, and single-use appliances like a grilled cheese maker might be wasting your money. A grilled cheese maker is pretty unnecessary when you can make a grilled cheese on your stovetop or in your oven, so clear some space in your kitchen and save some money by saying goodbye to your grilled cheese maker.
Fine China
While fine china is beautiful and can often hold sentimental value, it’s barely ever used by most people. Fine china typically goes unused due to how delicate it is and how it requires careful handling and special care. However impractical it may be, you probably don’t want to throw out your fine china, especially if it’s a family heirloom, but why not pass it on to someone else in your family who might appreciate it or store it elsewhere to free up kitchen space?
Baking Tools
As much as we love baked goods, we most likely rarely make them ourselves, whether it’s because we don’t know how, don’t have the time, or simply can’t be bothered! If you typically buy your sweet treats from the grocery store instead of doing a spot of home baking, you really don’t need baking tools cluttering up your kitchen. Find them a new home where they’ll be more loved and used and make the most of the extra space you’ve made in your kitchen.
Egg Scrambler
We all see those ridiculous kitchen tools being advertised on TV or social media, and some of us even fall for buying them, just for the tool to inevitably be left untouched in a drawer. An egg scrambler is the perfect example of this, as you can just as easily scramble eggs with a fork or a whisk! Throwing out this wholly unnecessary tool will allow you to organize your drawers more efficiently and be able to find the things you need much quicker.
Microwave
A microwave might seem like an essential kitchen appliance, but if you have a fully functioning oven, it’s actually pretty unnecessary! For those of you that mainly use a microwave for reheating leftovers or making simple meals, you could simply use an oven or stovetop to do the same job just as well. Also, if your microwave doesn’t see much use at all, there’s little point in it continuing to use up valuable space.
15 Nostalgic Dinners from the Past That Are Rarely Seen Today
The scent of a family meal cooking can bring back memories, especially if it’s a childhood favorite we don’t often have as adults. This article showcases 18 classic dinners that provided convenience and budget-friendliness for parents and are worthy of a revival. These traditional dinners from the past trigger nostalgic memories and are worth rediscovering.
15 Nostalgic Dinners from the Past That Are Rarely Seen Today
18 Foods You Should Throw Out As Soon As They Expire
Getting rid of foods as soon as they expire will ensure your meals remain safe and delicious. Don’t put your health at risk; throw these 18 food items away straight after they expire.
Read More: 18 Foods You Should Throw Out As Soon As They Expire
17 Foods Permanently Removed from American Store Shelves
Safety concerns and health risks are two of the main reasons behind the banning of certain foods and ingredients, as food safety regulators sometimes deem different food products to be too dangerous. Here are 18 intriguing and often surprising foods that you won’t find on supermarket shelves in America.
Read More: 17 Foods Permanently Removed from American Store Shelves
