“I keep my spices in little plastic baskets in cabinets above my stove sorted by type – one basket for baking, one for herbs, one for ethnic spice blends, etc. This way when I’m cooking, I can just reach up and bring down the basket and I have everything I need without having to hunt through a spice rack.” -Julie

Special thanks to all our readers who submitted their favorite kitchen tips. Check out all the meals in the original Got a clever kitchen tip? post.

Solutions is all about problem-solvers, and while we don’t offer kitchen items like dinnerware sets, we do offer clever fixes for common problems that, once you’ve tried them, you’ll wonder how you got along without them! Check out five common kitchen dilemmas, and how they can be solved by our top sellers:
Continue Reading Top 5 Kitchen Problems Solved!

Help us celebrate Kitchen Month at Solutions by sharing your favorite kitchen shortcut with our readers! The writer of our favorite tip will receive a handsome, neoprene Market Tote packed with our popular Gourmet Getaway Bag, nonstick Silver Dollar Waffle Griddle, neoprene Fishnet Wine Tote, an Egg Pet Plant and an e-gift card for $100 at Solutions.com. Altogether, this wonderful gift has a total value of over $235 – you can even share it with someone else!
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From Kathy M, Solutions’ resident expert on home & garden tips & how-to’s:
Here at Solutions, we test the products ourselves before selling them to you, and when my boss started handing out Drawer Dividers I jumped at the chance to try them out. Continue Reading Drawer Dividers Review by Kathy M…

Keep Food Staples Fresher!

The pantry is a busy cook’s favorite “room” – but keeping it tidy can be a challenge! With these simple tips, your pantry can be a kitchen cure-all instead of a catch-all.

First, think about what you keep in your pantry. Many people use a kitchen pantry to hold nonperishable foods, but it can also be used to store cleaning tools, kitchen tools, utility items (such as emergency candles and batteries) and even table linens. Think about what you want to store so you can figure out how best to store it
Continue Reading Organizing Your Pantry

Keep tabs on what's in the back of that cabinet!

If you find yourself having to clear a space on the counter to prepare a meal, chances are you’re all-too familiar with how fast clutter can pile up in the kitchen! Short of a costly and major renovation, what can you do to conquer the chaos and reclaim your kitchen? Here are ten great tips that will get you on the road to turning your kitchen into an inviting place for family and friends.

1. Take stock of what you have.
Empty cabinets, pantry and drawers. Have you been holding onto empty margarine containers, mismatched dishes and logo mugs that never see the light of day? Disposing of them will free up valuable kitchen real estate!

2. Sort remaining items by category.
Keep items of similar size, shape and type together. Stacking plates, keeping canned goods together and nesting spoons makes them easier to locate quickly.

3. Aim high when putting away seldom-used items.
Reserve the higher shelves in your cabinets for antique china, crystal, serving pieces and other items you don’t use much. Keep mixing bowls, casserole dishes, glasses and other everyday items within easy reach. This will also reduce the risk of mishaps.

4. Look above for extra storage space.
A ceiling- or wall-mounted pot rack not only frees up cupboards—it looks stylish, too! Racks also make finding the right pan quick and easy. Hang a wire basket from the ceiling for produce stored at room temperature.

5. Hook up!
Hooks installed inside a cabinet door are great for hanging measuring spoons, cups and other small items you want to keep out of sight. Look for spots on the wall near the stove, alongside the sink or behind a door to hang brooms, mops and dust pans. Hang a paper towel dispenser or dish towel on the wall over the sink, while the spot above the stove can be reserved for potholders, tiles and long-handled utensils like spatulas.

6. Go portable.
A freestanding caddy can hold silverware, while a crock can hold wooden spoons and ladles. Just set them on a counter or kitchen table, or tuck them out of the way in a cabinet as the need arises. This can be a great way to keep utensils in reach…and avoid overstuffing your drawers!

7. Maximize drawer- and cabinet-space.
Install pull-out racks on runners in your bottom cabinets! These make it easy to reach items stored in the back. Dividers or partitioned cutlery trays in drawers keep different items separate and organized.

8. Prop up cookbooks.
Rather than waste counter space by laying a cookbook or cooking magazine flat on the counter, arrange them in magazine holders.

9. Store for a view.
Loose packets of tea bags, salad dressings and powdered drinks can be kept neat and easy-to-find in transparent containers stacked on the pantry shelf.

10. Stack smart.
Pile plastic food storage containers by size, from large to small, inside one another. Store matching lids in a separate pile, also by size. When choosing containers keep in mind that square ones take up less room than round, while collapsible containers can save even more space.

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