In this blog post, I share with you 30 things to declutter for a minimalist kitchen.
The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in our homes.
We use it to prepare delicious meals and bake yummy desserts for ourselves and our families.
It’s also where we catch up with our loved ones or pursue different hobbies.
Most of us spend a lot of time in it, so when the kitchen gets messy and cluttered, everything becomes chaotic.
It becomes stressful to cook the simplest meal, and our whole home seems to be out of control.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We can eliminate the excess and remove useless inventory from the kitchen to make it a more functional room in which we love spending time.
These 30 ideas of things to declutter for a minimalist kitchen will inspire you to go through your kitchen cupboards and drawers, and only keep what you need, use, and love.
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What is a minimalist kitchen?
A minimalist kitchen is a kitchen that makes cooking easy and enjoyable.
It’s a room in which every cooking and baking tool is easily accessible, and not hidden by excess stuff you don’t need or use.
A minimalist kitchen is filled with only the things you use and need, and it’s incredibly functional.
It means that you don’t waste your precious time and energy digging through your cupboards and drawers to find something.
You know everything you have, and you know exactly where everything is.
The cupboards and drawers are not jam-packed, so you can easily take and put back each tool, without moving other things around.
Benefits of a minimalist kitchen: Why should you declutter your kitchen?
Having a minimalist kitchen has so many benefits!
Ever since I became minimalist in my kitchen, I’ve found that my home looks a lot more inviting and I feel good in it.
Since there is no clutter, doing the daily and weekly chores is a lot less overwhelming, and cleaning and tidying after each meal takes a lot less time and energy.
And above all, cooking is a lot easier when I don’t have to constantly move things around when looking for something specific!
When looking at my minimalist kitchen, I feel calmer and a lot less stressed.
I also love the space I have in my cupboards and drawers despite having little storage space!
Plus, since I know exactly what I own, I don’t end up buying things I already have or things I have not used up yet.
This reduces my consumption, which helps the environment and my wallet!
After decluttering your kitchen, you might even find that you will be much more creative with the recipes you try and the cooking you do!
30 things to declutter for a minimalist kitchen
This list is here to give you ideas of things you might want to declutter in your kitchen.
Take what you want from it, and create the minimalist kitchen you are dreaming of!
1. Unused appliances
Kitchen appliances take up a lot of room in our cupboards and on our counters.
Sell or donate any that you don’t use anymore.
It could be anything from bread makers to toasters, to blenders to instant pots.
Don’t forget about any unused juicers, kitchen aids, waffle makers, or any other small appliances.
2. Cutlery
Most of us have way more cutlery than we may ever need.
Declutter excess spoons, forks, and knives.
Knives that do not cut well anymore are great candidates for decluttering as well.
3. Plates and bowls
Get rid of excess plates and bowls, as well as chipped pieces.
Consider also swapping holiday-themed dishes for ones that can be used all year round.
4. Glasses, mugs, and cups
Mugs and glasses are very easy to accumulate and we somehow end up with too many.
So declutter any chipped cups or mugs, and the ones you never drink from!
5. Reusable water bottles & travel mugs
If you like spending time outdoors, you probably have several reusable water bottles and travel mugs in your kitchen cupboards.
But how many do you and your family realistically use?
My boyfriend and I have four stainless steel water bottles that get used very regularly because we take all of them with us when we’re out for a long time.
However, we don’t own any travel mugs as these would never get used.
6. Bakeware
If you like baking, you probably have a lot of bakeware.
Go through your cupboards and keep only the best baking sheets, muffin tins, cake pans, and pie plates.
It will make baking so much easier and hassle-free!
7. Spices
Are you guilty of buying different spices, using them in a dish, and never opening them again?
I definitely am!
We sometimes try some spices and end up not liking them (or the recipe was too complicated or time-consuming to recreate again).
As a result, we accumulate spices that we never use and they lose their flavor over time.
Try giving them away while they are still good.
8. Dish towels
It’s very practical to have different dish towels in the kitchen.
But they tend to get holes after being used for a long time or they get too many stains.
Declutter those that are in bad condition or any excess ones you don’t plan on using soon.
9. Cookbooks
If you regularly use your cookbooks, by all means, keep them.
But if every time you want to try a new recipe, you look on the internet, consider giving them away.
Cookbooks take up a lot of room!
10. Storage containers & their lids
If you have too many plastic or glass food storage containers, go through them and only keep the ones you use.
Also, check if all of them have their respective lids and if all the lids have their respective containers.
11. Pots, pans, dutch ovens & their lids
Pots and pans are some of the most voluminous things we store in our kitchens.
So if you have some you never use, why keep them?
Make sure to also get rid of any scratched pans or pans with peeling coating: those are incredibly toxic and unhealthy to cook with!
And don’t forget to go through all the lids they come with.
12. Measuring spoons and cups
If you have several of the same measuring spoons or cups, keep your favorites and let go of the rest.
13. Spatulas and other cooking utensils
After living in the same home for a while, we all tend to accumulate all kinds of spatulas, whisks, and other cooking utensils.
Get rid of the excess, as well as any worn-out spatulas.
I particularly recommend that you declutter plastic spatulas that have melted because of the heat!
14. Takeout-related items
If you love ordering takeouts, go through your drawers and get rid of old restaurant menus or condiments you know you won’t use.
Also, if you have any leftover chopsticks or plastic cutlery, use them on your next trip.
Try to avoid them in the future by using a fork you already have or bringing your own cutlery set.
15. Mixing bowls
Mixing bowls can be used for a variety of things in the kitchen.
However, I find that I don’t need more than two so I try to never have more than that.
Declutter any that are extra!
16. Cutting boards
Most of us have several cutting boards that come in different sizes.
But how many cutting boards can we use at once?
Let go of those you never reach for.
17. Fridge and freezer
Peek inside your fridge and freezer and immediately throw away any rotten or expired food.
Freezer burnt food can also go.
18. Pantry
Similarly, if you have any expired, rotten, or stale food in your pantry, let it go.
Then, try to reorganize everything so that you can eat all of it before its expiration date.
Doing so will reduce food waste, and you will save a lot of money!
19. Weighing scales
You can safely declutter your extra weighing scales if you have more than one.
We can only use one at a time, so why keep the others?
20. Cheese graters
Same situation here.
We usually only use one cheese grater at a time, so consider keeping your favorite and letting go of the others.
21. Specialty gadgets
These clutter up our kitchens so much!
If you have specialty gadgets, like a garlic press, an avocado slicer, or a pizza cutter, be honest with yourself about how much you use them.
If you do use them, that’s great!
But if you don’t and prefer using a good old knife, let them go guilt-free.
22. Cleaning products under the sink
The cupboard under the kitchen sink often gets very messy because of all the cleaning supplies we keep in there.
So go through everything under your kitchen sink: use up what you have, consolidate duplicate products, and give away the ones you never use.
Also, consider switching single-purpose products for multipurpose ones.
For instance, you can clean your whole home with simple products like white vinegar, baking soda, or Dr. Bronner’s multipurpose cleaner.
Downsizing your cleaning supplies will make your cleaning routine a lot simpler!
23. Outgrown kids’ items
If you have kids who used different kids’ plates, cups, spoons, bottles, or lunch boxes, you may still have some that they’ve outgrown.
See if you can give them away to another family.
24. Can and bottle openers
These do not take up a lot of space, but they can pile up in our drawers.
Some companies give them as freebies so we often have more than we need.
25. Oven mitts
Over time, oven mitts can get worn out and badly stained.
If you have mitts that are past their prime, consider replacing them, preferably with high-quality mitts that will last you a long time.
26. Glass jars
As I strive to live as sustainably as possible, I always try to reuse what I can.
This is particularly true for glass jars.
If you too have too many glass jars, make sure to recycle them.
There is no point in keeping too many of them.
27. Anything on your fridge
Magnets and knick-knacks we usually put on our fridges can make our kitchens look very cluttered.
Try to be intentional with what you keep on your fridge and only keep what is special to you.
28. Your junk drawer
Who else has a junk drawer in the kitchen?
I think most of us do!
If you have one, go through everything that’s in there, and keep only the things you use regularly.
Your kitchen should be a functional space, so simplify it by not keeping useless stuff in your junk drawer.
29. Decorations
If you love decorating your kitchen, do you truly love all the decor you have?
Or do you have some pieces you’d be happy to part with?
Only display your favorite decorations to make them stand out!
30. Countertop clutter
If you’d like to reduce visual clutter in your home, try to keep your kitchen counters as empty as possible.
For instance, you may only want to keep the appliances you use daily.
The others can either get decluttered or stored away somewhere else.
Bonus: Ice in your freezer & dust behind your fridge
I bet you’ve forgotten about these, haven’t you?
I usually do whenever I declutter my kitchen!
Take advantage of this decluttering session to get rid of them.
Defrost your freezer and fridge, and vacuum the coils behind your fridge: these two simple actions will help you save energy (and money)!
Final thoughts on these 30 things to declutter for a minimalist kitchen
I hope this list of 30 things to declutter for a minimalist kitchen inspired you and that it helped you clear the clutter in your cupboards, drawers, and on your counters.
Having a minimalist kitchen feels so good and you will reap many other benefits after decluttering it!
Remember, you don’t have to declutter all the things that are on this list.
These ideas are here to guide you and make you think about whether you need something or not.
Do what works best for you and your family.
If you’re looking for more inspiration to practice minimalism and declutter other areas of your home, check out the following blog posts:
- 11 things to let go of in the living room
- 9 things to get rid of for a minimalist bedroom
- 15 things to declutter for a minimalist bathroom
What have you decluttered lately to create a more minimalist kitchen?
Tell us about your progress in the comments!
Don’t forget to share this article with your friends to give them helpful ideas for things to declutter so that they can have a minimalist kitchen as well!