I buy kitchen tools I don’t need, and being a gadget-obsessed guy and culinary daredevil, my urban kitchen is getting crowded. I can’t seem to put myself on a diet, but I’m going to slim down my kitchen.
The plan: I’m emptying all of my cooking tools into a bucket. Once a tool has been used, it goes into a designated drawer. When a tool from the drawer gets used, it goes into the canister on my counter.
Rules:
1. When cooking, draw first from the canister, then the drawer, and finally the bucket, if no suitable tools are in the drawer.
2. After a month, I can pick ten things in the bucket to stay and the rest go to Salvation Army. Tools in the drawer go back into the bucket, canister tools stay put and the cycle starts again.
3. If the drawer becomes full before the month ends, it triggers the purge that would happen at the end of the month.
4. Knives and appliances are exempt. No way in hell am I getting rid of of my Shuns, Cuisinart, slow cooker or immersion blender.
A month seems pretty aggressive for this sort of thing – but this is probably one of the most cooking intensive months of the year.
Does Salvation Army = your little sister’s kitchen?? Please?
Love the purge system. I have a small apartment too and have been struggling with the utensil drawer lately. Thanks for the great idea!
Can I get in on some of the extras?
I hope the tongs I made you are not going to end up at the Salvation Army.
with amanda on this one… 😉 where are you sending them off to?
Just the thought of going through this process makes me break out in a cold sweat. You are a brave guy to do this type of purge and part with the “sacred gadgets”! I hope you keep track of what goes and stays!
I am SO copying this.
It’s kind of like what I did in my closets with putting the hangers on the rod backwards.