How To Save Time In the Kitchen?
With such a busy lifestyle, you must crack the timesaving code in the kitchen. So, that time could be utilized for much more important tasks like taking care of yourself and your kids, studying, work commitments, meeting up with friends and family and the list goes on.
Now here, we are not saying that by saving time in the kitchen; you are going to compromise on healthy food. Healthy snacks and meals must be the top priority, no matter what may come.
So let’s check out some of the great, practical ways to save time in the kitchen while preparing healthy food for yourself and the family.
An Ultimate Guide To How To Save Time In The Kitchen!! (At Any Age)
1. Being Well-Stocked Is The Key
Stock up your kitchen cabinets and pantry quite well.
Make a list of items needed each month and go grocery shopping. Checkmark the items, you got in the trolley on the go. So, you know what you have got.
Placing an empty piece of paper with the headline “Kitchen stuff to buy” on the fridge and ask everybody to fill it whenever something gets finished will do the trick.
In this way, you will get a ready-to-use kitchen shopping list saving your time in the kitchen to make one.
2. Wear Your ‘Getting Organized’ Gear
Nowadays, there are many organizational units, boxes, and containers available easily.
Place your food items, spices, condiments, sauces, etc. in it neatly.
This will save up your time and energy while cooking.
3. Get Decluttered
This will take you a long way. By decluttering, you are not only getting rid of unnecessary mess but also helping you to relax your mind. This not only boosts your mental health but also enhances your mood.
With such an amount of inner peace, you will end up cooking food fastly. We ensure you that the food is really tasty too. Which is an added bonus.
Get rid of those mix-and-match dinner sets whose one or two items you are left with but never happen to use.
Throw off all the expired cans, spices, and food items as they are not just taking up space in your kitchen and fridge, but they also cost your health in the long run.
Expired Canned food results in botulism or food poisoning.
 Also read: Fridge cleaning 101
4. Label Each And Everything
Sometimes it happens that we stare blankly at some box of unlabeled spice or frozen veggies and take a good 5 minutes until it dawns on us what actually it is!
Obviously, this ‘Guess Who?’ game takes a chunk of our valuable time.
It is high time to label each and everything in the pantry, kitchen cabinets, and freezer.
This will greatly save you time.
5. Plan For Your Weekly Or Monthly Meals
Planners are really helpful and time-efficient. Designate an off day every week or month to fill up a meal planner by keeping in mind your and your family’s food preferences.
With the help of this weekly/monthly meal planner, you can plan up your grocery.
6. Clean Up Your Mess Right Away
Do not keep piling dirty plates, pots, pans, cutting boards, knives, and spoons into the sink.
Never let the spice boxes, condiments, and stuff spread out on the kitchen counters as if a hurricane has just hit it.
Rather, keep cleaning, washing, and placing the stuff at their designated places on the go.
This will save up your time in the kitchen by half.
Many times when we leave dirty dishes piled up overnight, they need more time to be wiped and cleaned.
7. Chop It Off While Doing Something You Love
If you have to make soups, salads, or stew that needs chopped fruits or vegetables.
Then you can do so out of the kitchen while watching the television, listening to music, and having conversations with family or friends.
This will save you time in the kitchen.
Otherwise, you can also go for kitchen gadgets for chopping or even get pre-chopped frozen fruits and vegetables.
8. Plan Your Mornings
Do you dread ‘ Getting up at the wrong side of the bed’? as much as we do?
This is a nightmare when it comes to your busy morning rush. When the kids have to go to school and you and your spouse go to the workplace.
Before going to bed, put all the necessary breakfast items together.
- Place coffee beans in the coffeemaker, tea bags, or loose tea in the teapot.
- Breakfast cereal on the dining table.
- Make scrambled eggs or omelet mixture a night before, whisk it up, and place it in an airtight bowl in the fridge.
- Put overnight oats (the way you like to eat) in a mason jar in the fridge.
- If you like to take a freshly squeezed juice or smoothie, put everything in a blender and place it in the fridge so that it can be just whizzed in the morning and is ready in a few seconds.
Got the overall idea?
In this way, you will glide away from the morning rush without any major mood swings.
9. Make The Most Of Kitchen Gadgets
Gone are those days, when you had to manually do all the chopping, cutting, blending. There are a number of cool kitchen appliances that can be used with great ease and will save a huge amount of your time. Invest in them and thank me later.
10. Cook It Slow
Undoubtedly, slow cookers or instant pots are really effective when it comes to your busy schedule at work, returning home to a non-complaining, cool-headed cook.
Just toss everything you need in your meal into the slow cooker and let the magic happen. It will slow cook in about 8 hours for you.
By the time, you are back. You will be in for a surprise!!
An easy tip is that you prep your pot in the evening or the night before and place it in the fridge to ensure its safety.
In the morning, take out the pot from the fridge. Let it get to room temperature. Only then place it on the stove to evade any mishap.
11. Make Enough Meals To Be Used Later
Always make meals in bulk. So, you can use it the following morning or at lunch.
This will save you time worth cooking a meal.
12. Sort Out The Biodegradable On The Go
Kitchen waste or biodegradable that can be used later for composting shall be segregated right away in a kitchen bowl specially designated for it. This will save you time sorting it out later on.
13. Keeping Your Favorites Cooking Tools And Stuff Together At Arm’s Length
Everybody has a favorite knife, spatula, cooking utensils, and pot. So would you!!
Always keep your favorites together at arm’s length. This way when you are cooking you will get stuff quite smoothly.
14. Get Garlic Peels Off In A Jiffy
Without a doubt, garlic has a number of health benefits. We love to put it in pasta, sandwich mixes, stews, gravies, bread, and whatnot.
That divine aroma makes one salivate. But getting rid of the garlic peels is such an arduous and time-taking task.
How To Remove Garlic Peels Easily?
We are here with an easy tip to remove garlic peels.
Easy Peasy Tip#1
You can place the whole garlic in the freezer.
The peels will automatically remove from the frozen garlic.
But if you forget this. Then there is another way.
Easy Peasy Tip#2
Take an air-tight container. Place garlic whole in it and bang it around for a good 1-2 minutes.
Get rid of the peels and place the garlic cloves in a separate lidded container.
Come out of the kitchen while doing so.
Remember, we are looking for answers to the question: How to save time in the kitchen?
Do it when you are watching tv. It can be a kind of arm workout as well!:D
15. Wash And Dry Vegetables And Fruits Beforehand
As soon as you bring fruits and vegetables from the store or your kitchen garden to your home. Wash and air dry it right away and then place it in the refrigerator.
They can also serve as a quick snack.
Surely, it is a timesaving tip.
How to wash fruits and vegetables
- Take a water-filled tub.
- Pour a cup of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, half a lemon juice, and a tablespoon of baking soda. As the mixture whizzes off, soak the produce in it for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Take them out and spread them on a kitchen towel. Let them air dry.
Takeaway
Lastly, we would like to say that by trying one, two, or all of the abovementioned kitchen timesaving hacks, you are good to go!!
The Food that is cooked at home is far healthier than packaged one.
Happy Timesaver Cooking!!:)