The secret to an organized kitchen - this former private chef’s simple tip will instantly make your life easier

An organized kitchen is only one step away, according to a former private chef, whose simple secret will completely transform your entire kitchen experience. 

Nobody knows their way around kitchen storage ideas quite like Jill Donenfeld. After paving her career as a private chef, she co-launched a catering business, The Culinistas- from which her team has cooked in 5,000 kitchens across New York, Chicago, and around the West Coast of America. 

While running a culinary army takes strict organization, this renowned kitchen expert has revealed one simple tip that will completely improve your kitchen and make your life noticeably easier.

(Image credit: Darren Chung)

According to Chef Donenfeld, the secret to an organized kitchen is to clear out everything you don’t use. It really is that easy.

The positives to decluttering are already no secret, but Jill has only reinforced these benefits further. Whether you are holding onto an appliance that you have never used, or you are keeping a certain spice stocked because it looks good on your rack, she suggests it's time to say goodbye. 

(Image credit: Paul Massey)

‘First, figure out what your necessities are—for me, that’s a few cast-iron pans, a really heavy ceramic pot, a small pot that holds two eggs, a couple of knives, a mandoline, a microplane, a can opener, a peeler, and a cutting board,' the former private chef told Domino. 

'I don’t think that there’s a specific set of tools that everyone should have, but only owning the things you actually use to cook keeps everything tidy.’

‘You also don’t need old spices—they’re not functional. I go through my spices about every six months and toss what’s expired. Condiments are another thing to keep an eye on. If you’re hoarding a bunch you don’t use; they’re just going to go bad and clutter your fridge.’

A hassle-free tip that is almost guaranteed to save space, and make your kitchen experience entirely seamless? Though it will be heartbreaking to see the electric spaghetti fork go, we wish we had known about this sooner.