My Culinary Sanctuary: A Detailed Kitchen Tour for Home Cooks and Food Bloggers
After countless recipes, delicious dishes, and tantalizing food photography shared with all of you, I’ve realized there’s one crucial element of my food blogging journey I haven’t yet unveiled: the very heart of it all – my kitchen! This is the space where all the magic happens, where ingredients transform into delectable creations, and where every recipe featured on this blog comes to life. It only feels right to finally pull back the curtain and invite you in for a proper tour, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my culinary workspace.
Join me as we explore the nooks and crannies, the organization hacks, and the well-loved tools that make this kitchen my ultimate creative haven. Come on in…
Believe it or not, my stove usually maintains this level of pristine cleanliness. While it might look effortless, this is primarily due to my unwavering dedication to keeping it spotless. I sometimes joke that I spend half my life cleaning it – and while that’s a slight exaggeration, you can almost always find me scrubbing this essential cooking appliance every other day. I might tolerate a messy closet for weeks, but unsightly splatter marks and stubborn stains on my cooktop genuinely drive me bonkers. A clean stove isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about maintaining a hygienic cooking environment and ensuring that food photography always looks its best. It’s also a sign of respect for the culinary process itself.
And yes, for those wondering, I go through a lot of Brillo pads. They’re an indispensable part of my cleaning arsenal, keeping my cooking surface sparkling and ready for the next delicious creation.
Just below the right side of the stove, you’ll find a thoughtfully organized cabinet dedicated to housing most of my essential skillets and non-stick pans. This prime location ensures that my most frequently used cookware is always within arm’s reach, streamlining my cooking process. Among these everyday heroes, you’ll also find my cherished 5.5 Quart Staub Dutch oven. This piece of cookware is more than just a pot; it’s a culinary workhorse and a beautiful addition to my kitchen.
I honestly believe Staub Dutch ovens represent the pinnacle of quality and craftsmanship in the market. Their superior heat retention, even cooking, and stunning enamel finish make them a joy to use and quite pretty to admire, even when not in use. They are an investment, but one that truly pays off in terms of performance and durability, allowing me to braise, stew, and slow cook with confidence and flair.
On a slightly unrelated but equally practical note, can we all collectively agree that those cabinets situated directly above refrigerators are, more often than not, completely useless? Especially when, like me, you often find yourself needing to utilize the top of your fridge for additional storage space. This explains the conspicuous absence of pictures of that particular cabinet – it simply serves as an additional, though somewhat awkward, storage perch.
In case any of you are curious about the behemoth gracing the top of my fridge, yes, that is an obscenely large container of coffee from Costco. It’s a classic love/hate relationship scenario. I love it because it means I don’t have to venture out to buy coffee very often, a true convenience for a busy food blogger. However, I hate it because of its sheer, unwieldy size; it’s undeniably huge and quite obnoxious to maneuver. But, the practicality of having a bulk supply of coffee often outweighs its cumbersome nature in my daily routine.
Directly below the coffee maker and toaster, you’ll find another strategically organized area where I keep more of my pots and pans. This positioning is incredibly deliberate; it places these essential cooking vessels in immediate proximity to the stove, making them incredibly easy to grab and transfer for cooking. This thoughtful arrangement significantly enhances my workflow and efficiency, especially during those intense cooking sessions for new recipes or when I’m juggling multiple dishes. Having everything accessible right where I need it minimizes wasted time and movement, allowing me to focus more on the culinary artistry. It’s all about making the cooking process as seamless and enjoyable as possible, even in a compact kitchen space.
The cabinet directly above this section houses all of my spices and bulk storage items. For years, finding the right spice or grain was a frustrating scavenger hunt, pulling out container after container. That all changed recently when I invested in a really cheap, yet incredibly effective, label maker for just $10. It has made an enormous difference in my kitchen organization! Gone are the days of endless searching; now, everything is clearly marked and easily identifiable, saving precious time and reducing kitchen chaos.
I absolutely adore using these quart-sized mason jars to hold grains, nuts, and other bulk bin items. They’re not only practical for maintaining freshness and visibility but also aesthetically pleasing. While some of the more distinct items aren’t explicitly labeled (it’s easy enough to differentiate between rice and quinoa, for example), the jars make it simple to quickly identify what I need. Their versatility also allows for easy swapping for different uses, depending on my current cooking projects. Mason jars truly make the world go ’round in my kitchen – they’re perfect for storage, meal prep, and even serving!
Moving on, the cabinet positioned directly above the sink serves as my primary pantry space. This is where I keep many of my everyday staples, canned goods, and dry ingredients. Given the limitations of a smaller kitchen, I also utilize two shelves in my hallway closet for any overflow items, particularly those I buy in bulk or don’t need immediate access to on a daily basis. Efficient pantry organization is key to managing a busy food blog and a household, ensuring that I always know what I have on hand for recipe development and everyday meals.
Despite my best efforts at organization, you will often find me standing in front of those very pantry doors, staring blankly at the contents, and lamenting about how I can’t find anything appealing to snack on. It’s a true story, a universal kitchen dilemma, I believe! Even with a well-stocked pantry, sometimes the inspiration for a quick, satisfying snack just isn’t there. It’s a humorous testament to the human condition and our endless quest for the perfect bite, even amidst an abundance of options.
I am immensely grateful for the expansive stretch of countertop space you see below; it is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite feature of this kitchen. This generous surface area is indispensable for food preparation, allowing me ample room for chopping, mixing, and plating, which is crucial for both daily cooking and efficient recipe testing for the blog. It’s a true luxury in a rental kitchen, and I maximize every inch of it.
One of the cabinets on this side of the kitchen thoughtfully houses, among other things, my beloved rice cooker. This appliance is incredibly easy to store out of sight, even though I bring it out a lot for various dishes. Its lightweight design and a convenient handle make it simple to retrieve and put away, a small but significant detail for maintaining a tidy and functional kitchen. Also nestled in this cabinet is a huge one-gallon glass jar, which I saved from being thrown out at the restaurant I used to work at and then impressively carried home on the metro! It’s now proudly filled with sushi rice, a staple in my pantry and a testament to clever repurposing.
The adjacent cabinet is entirely dedicated to all things baking. This specialized storage helps keep my baking ingredients fresh and my tools organized, making those spontaneous baking urges a little easier to act upon. The top shelf is meticulously arranged for storing bulk baking essentials like various types of flours (all-purpose, whole wheat, almond), different sugars (granulated, brown, powdered), and, of course, a constant supply of chocolate chips. Having these core ingredients neatly stacked and easily visible is a huge time-saver.
The bottom space of this cabinet is home to my collection of mixing bowls, a variety of baking sheets, and casserole dishes. Additionally, it contains a large, repurposed container specifically for housing those small, often-lost baking accessories. This includes my candy thermometer, which is crucial for precise confections, and the tiny, yet essential, attachments for my ice cream bowl. Keeping these small items together prevents them from getting misplaced and ensures I’m always prepared for any baking endeavor, from delicate pastries to hearty loaves.
That particular set of lightweight, stainless steel mixing bowls is a purchase I made about a year ago, and they have quickly become an indispensable part of my daily kitchen routine. I use these versatile bowls for an incredible array of tasks: as double boilers for melting chocolate, as convenient waste prep bowls to keep my workspace tidy, and for countless mixing and whisking needs. I distinctly remember searching high and low for this specific type of bowl. Most sets on the market were either far too heavy, featured impractical rubber bottoms, or were too tall and skinny for efficient whisking, as opposed to the wide and shallow design I preferred.
My ideal bowls were the cheap, yet highly functional, kind we extensively used in culinary school and during my time working at a restaurant. They prioritized utility and durability. This set from Williams-Sonoma is the closest version to those professional-grade bowls that I’ve been able to find, perfectly balancing lightweight construction with the ideal shape for all my culinary tasks.
Recently, I incorporated a clever storage solution by adding removable-adhesive hooks to the inner sides of the cabinet doors to hang my stand mixer attachments. I have one hook on either door, perfectly positioned for both the paddle and dough hook, while the wire whisk conveniently stores in the mixer bowl itself. This simple yet brilliant hack not only saves valuable drawer space but also makes the attachments incredibly easy to grab when needed and put away cleanly afterward. It’s a small organizational triumph that has significantly streamlined my baking process, and I have Pinterest to thank for the inspiration!
Directly above that baking cabinet, I have several drawers, each serving a specific organizational purpose. One of these drawers is dedicated entirely to small baking essentials. This includes an array of measuring cups and spoons, delicate piping tips for decorating, various whisks, versatile spatulas, and essential biscuit cutters. For ultimate convenience, baking powder and baking soda are also stored here, ensuring easy access during any baking project. This meticulous organization prevents clutter and allows for a smooth, uninterrupted flow during recipe execution.
The other two drawers are solely dedicated to my collection of cutlery and knives. Keeping sharp knives separate and properly stored is not only safer but also preserves their sharpness. While I do utilize a few standard drawer dividers for basic organization, a particularly clever hack I employ is using loaf pans as storage containers in the back of the drawers. They are just the right height to fit perfectly, allowing the drawers to still close smoothly, and are excellent for corralling smaller, less frequently used items. It’s a fantastic way to get an additional, practical use out of them, and they are also easy to grab for their primary baking purpose when needed – a truly versatile storage solution!
My trusty KitchenAid mixer holds a permanent and prominent place on my countertop, tucked neatly into the corner. This culinary powerhouse is an absolute essential in my kitchen; I truly love this thing, but it is far too heavy to move and store anywhere else, making its countertop spot a necessity rather than a choice. Its presence signals a serious baking and cooking zone. Flanking it are the adorable milk bottle measuring cups, a thoughtful birthday gift from my best friend. They are simply too cute not to display, adding a touch of whimsical charm to the workspace. (A little note of caution: while beautiful, I don’t recommend using anything from Anthropologie for precise baking measurements – they are anything but accurate – but they do work wonderfully as small prep bowls or for decorative storage.)
Since we reside in a rental apartment, our options for major kitchen renovations are limited. To inject personality and warmth into the space, I’ve tried to add as many personal touches as possible. Some of my favorite details include the delightful whisk clock, a wonderful gift from my oldest sister last Christmas, which perfectly encapsulates the spirit of a food blogger’s kitchen. Additionally, I cherish these charming food prints by Joe Wirtheim, whose work I originally discovered on Kath’s blog. These prints add a unique, vintage-inspired aesthetic and a subtle pop of color, making the kitchen feel more like home and less like a generic rental space. These decorative elements truly reflect my passion for food and bring joy to my daily cooking environment.
Not too long ago, I embarked on a spontaneous mini-makeover in the kitchen, a project some of you might remember. The biggest change involved carefully removing one set of cabinet doors to create a section of open shelving. This seemingly small alteration has surprisingly opened up the kitchen significantly, making the space feel much larger and more airy. Beyond the aesthetic improvement, it has provided a wonderful opportunity to proudly display a small portion of my cherished cookbook collection. Each book is a source of endless inspiration, filled with techniques, flavors, and stories that continually fuel my passion for cooking and recipe development. The open shelves also allow for a rotating display of a few decorative items, adding to the personalized charm of the kitchen.
I truly hope you enjoyed this detailed peek into our kitchen, the very heart and soul of my food blogging endeavors. It’s a space that, while compact, is incredibly functional and filled with tools and touches that make cooking a joy. Perhaps next time, we can venture even further behind the scenes with a glimpse into a typical blog post photo shoot, revealing the meticulous process of capturing those delicious culinary moments. Until then, happy cooking and happy exploring your own culinary spaces!