Kitchen Pantry
Think of your ingredients in 3 levels of use frequency: Level 1 are the ingredients you use most; level 2 are those you use frequently but not daily; and level 3 are those you use now and then. If you have a level 4, put these ingredients in the garbage. (Just kidding, but not really.) Arrange level 1 at eye level and chest height so you can reach for them effortlessly. Put level 2 on your lower shelves, and level 3 on your upper shelves (if you need a ladder for something, it should be an ingredient you don’t need often).
Each Shelf, Apply A Similar Level-To-Use System. On my baking shelf, for instance, I have my all-purpose flour and sugar positioned together on the left, so when I’m baking, I can easily grab both in one fell swoop—no digging around or rearranging required. In my spice drawers, I keep all baking extracts, baking powder, and baking soda together because you often need two or three of these for a recipe, and I can efficiently gather them. This may sound minor, but it really speeds up your cooking.
Q