The Organizer

Dear Devorah 

I always feel so overwhelmed in the kitchen. Just the thought of cooking exhausts me. Do you have any tips to make it feel easier?

-Scrambled & Stirred

Dear Scrambled, 

You’re not the only one – so many people feel this way. And honestly? It’s usually not you. It’s your kitchen.

If you find yourself zigzagging around the kitchen, opening five cabinets just to make eggs, it’s no wonder cooking feels exhausting. The good news? A few small shifts can make a huge difference.

That’s where kitchen zones come in.

Not parking zones (although let’s be honest, some mornings it feels like someone should be handing out tickets for half-eaten cereal bowls left abandoned on the table). We’re talking kitchen zones: clear, purposeful areas where the things you use together actually live together.

By grouping items based on how and when you use them, your kitchen starts working with you instead of against you.

Let’s start with one of the most important-and most commonly overlooked-zones:

The Cook and Prep Zone

This might sound like a no-brainer—but in most kitchens I organize, it’s the first thing that’s out of sync.

The cooking tools are in one place, the spices are across the kitchen, and the cutting boards are wedged behind the baking pans. And then people wonder why making dinner feels like a full workout.

The goal of the cook and prep zone is simple: keep everything you use to cook and prep a meal in one spot.

Here’s what belongs in this zone:

● Pots, pans, and lids 

● Cooking utensils (spatulas, tongs, wooden spoons)

● Oils, sprays and spices

● Oven mitts

● Cutting boards

In larger kitchens with two ovens or separate stovetops, I recommend setting up two distinct cook zones—one around the meat oven, one around the dairy.

In smaller kitchens with just one oven, I usually suggest making meat your primary zone. Keep meat cookware and spices closest to the oven, and store dairy tools nearby based on how you cook.

The goal is to be able to stand in one spot and reach almost everything you need. You shouldn’t have to move ten feet to grab a spoon or climb a chair to find your paprika. Everything should feel like it’s just… there.

The Bake Zone

Let me tell you one of the best-kept kitchen secrets: keep all your baking things in one place.

It sounds obvious. It is obvious. But most people don’t do it.

Instead, the sprinkles are in the back of a spice drawer, the flour’s in a giant bag on the floor, and the cookie cutters are mixed in with barbecue skewers and birthday candles. And then when you go to bake, it feels like an overwhelming, 20-step project before you’ve even preheated the oven.

Let’s make it easier.

Your bake zone can be a cabinet, a pantry shelf, or even just a big bin. It doesn’t have to look pretty-it just has to be complete. That means:

● Mixing bowls

● Measuring cups and spoons

● Rolling pins, cupcake liners, cookie cutters

● Food coloring, frosting tips, sprinkles

● Flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, vanilla

● Your mixer, if there’s room

● And maybe a cookbook or two (especially the ones with flour stuck between the pages)

You know how kids magically rediscover their toys the second you organize the toy closet? Same goes for grown-ups and baking. Line up the sprinkles and measuring cups just right, and suddenly baking actually feels possible -and maybe even fun.

You’re not committing to becoming a full-time baker. You’re just making it easier to say yes to brownies on a rainy afternoon.

The Food Zone

You’d think this one would be straightforward. It’s food, after all. But in so many kitchens, snacks are in one cabinet, pasta’s in another, cereal ends up wherever it fits, and somehow there are three open boxes of crackers because no one realized one was already open.

The fix? One simple food zone.

This is your designated area – whether it’s a walk-in pantry or a few cabinets grouped together – where all your dry food lives:

● Cereal, pasta, rice, crackers

● Cans, snacks, lunchbox items

● Peanut butter, spreads, staples

When your food is grouped logically, you’re more likely to:

● See what you already have

● Use things up before buying more

● Avoid duplicates

● Skip the five-minute search for granola bars before carpool

You don’t need grocery store-level organization – but putting grains with grains and snacks with snacks really does help. You open the cabinet and instantly see what’s there. No mystery zones. No digging behind the blender.

It’s not about making it pretty. It’s about making it work.

The Backstock Zone

Let’s talk about the extras.

The case of tuna you bought on sale. The 12-pack of paper towels. The backup snacks you’re hiding from your kids so they don’t disappear in a day.

That’s backstock. And while it’s great to have extras, they don’t need to live front and center in your kitchen.

Just because something fits in your daily cabinet doesn’t mean it belongs there. When overflow sneaks into everyday spaces, things get buried. Cooking gets harder.

So here’s the fix: create a designated backstock zone.

It doesn’t need to be fancy. Just consistent. It could be:

● A high-up shelf you can’t reach without a stepstool

● A bin labeled “extras” in your pantry

● A closet, Garage shelf, or even a corner of your laundry room

Keep the everyday stuff where it’s easy to grab—and let your extras live somewhere else. If your backstock zone is a little out of the way, it’s totally fine to keep one or two backups in the kitchen. Just don’t let the overflow take over.

A quick check once a week is all it takes to stay on top of things. You’ll stop overbuying, cut down the clutter, and finally stop wondering how you ended up with four bottles of soy sauce.

So… Does Your Kitchen Make Sense Now?

You don’t need to reorganize your whole kitchen in one afternoon. You don’t need matching bins or custom pull-outs or a label maker that prints in cursive.

What you do need is a little logic.

Start with one zone. Pick the one that’s driving you the most crazy-maybe it’s the pots and pans. Maybe it’s the cereal situation. Maybe it’s the fact that you can never, ever find the cinnamon.

Shift a few things around, group what goes together, and see how it feels.

When your kitchen is zoned properly, everything just feels easier. You know where things go. You can actually find them. And suddenly, making dinner doesn’t feel like such a chore.

You’re not running laps before you’ve even started sautéing the onions. You’re just cooking—calmly, comfortably, and maybe even with a little more joy.

And if dinner’s ready before they fill up on snacks? That’s called winning.

Happy Organizing,

Devorah