Buy This, Not That: The Kitchen Edition
There’s no shortage of kitchen organizing products out there claiming to maximize your space, make your life easier, clean your kitchen for you, etc. etc. I wrote about some useless closet organizing products you should avoid purchasing, and now I’m weighing in on some kitchen products you should avoid buying, too.
To make your life as easy breezy in the kitchen as possible, here’s what not to buy and what to buy instead:
While this tea stand seems like a nice idea, it can be a bit tedious to routinely fill it with tea bags. Plus, it takes up a surprising amount of cabinet shelf space. Don’t overcomplicate your tea situation. Instead, invest in a nice-looking shelf riser and stock it with your favorite teas (no unboxing necessary!).
You could just as well stack all your items on top of one another without this rack and have the same result. Plus, this thing takes up valuable shelf space which is essentially gold in any tiny city kitchen. My solution: get an over the door adhesive organizer, stock it with your kitchen wrap and call it a day (I keep mine on the inside of my kitchen sink cabinet door).
The sight of exposed knives suspended mid-air makes me uneasy. In Feng Shui, it’s also discouraged to keep knives exposed in your home, as it elicits discomfort in guests and can lead to unpleasant thoughts. Instead, I recommend keeping knives in an in-drawer knife organizer.
On the one hand, over the sink dish racks are great space-saving tools that take advantage of vertical space, but they can make your sink area feel cramped and claustrophobic. When you’re cleaning your dishes by the sink, the last thing you want to look up and see is more dishes. If you’re low on countertop space, consider using a large foldable dish rack instead.
Cooking underneath heavy pots and pans suspended mid-air can make you feel uneasy (whether you’re conscious of it or not)! If you like the idea of easy access and retrieval, consider placing your pots and pans in a cabinet lined with a cookware rack.
I can’t understand how dangling mugs became a thing or has any practical value. Aside from taking up valuable countertop space, this also just looks and feels completely random. If you’re a big coffee or tea drinker, simply place your favorite mugs on a shelf riser in your cabinet or on your countertop, if you must.