Introduction
Running a home kitchen efficiently can be a challenge, even for experienced home cooks. However, there are many ingenious tips and tricks used by professional chefs that can make your home cooking easier, faster, and more organized. Implementing just a few ideas borrowed from restaurant and commercial kitchens can greatly improve your meal prep and overall kitchen workflow.
In this article, we will explore 16 practical ideas to make your home kitchen function more like an efficient professional kitchen. From organization hacks to time-saving shortcuts, these tips will help you cook like a pro in your own cooking space.
Choose the Right Tools and Equipment
Having the proper tools for the task makes a big difference in a professional kitchen, so evaluate if you have the key equipment that can aid your cooking process. For example, having sharp knives makes prep work go faster and safer. A good set of mixing bowls in multiple sizes, a cutting board with a non-slip bottom, and a sturdy box grater can also speed up tasks like whisking, chopping, and shredding.
Invest in a few quality appliances like a stand mixer, food processor, and blender if you cook large meals frequently. The right tools reduce the effort needed for many common kitchen jobs.
Set Up Zones and Stations
Commercial kitchens are highly organized, with different work zones like prep, cooking, assembly, and cleaning areas. This divides up tasks efficiently and minimizes cross-contamination.
To implement this at home, set up stations for chopping, rinsing, mixing, cooking, and plating. Have the tools for each zone readily available there. For example, your chopping station could have a spacious cutting board, a knife block, and your most-used spices and herbs nearby.
Plan a Logical Cooking Workflow
Map out your recipe steps so you aren’t backtracking or working haphazardly. Do prep work first, then cooking tasks, and finally plating and serving.
Group together steps that use the same tools or appliances. For example, chop all vegetables at once, or make all oven items in one batch. This streamlined process prevents you from washing the same bowls repeatedly.
Make Good Use of Prep Time
Use downtimes like when food is simmering or baking to get ahead on other recipe steps. Chop items for upcoming meals, make sauces or desserts for later, marinate proteins in advance, or do some cleaning.
Being productive during inactive periods is key for chefs to manage multiple dishes at once. Making a habit of this at home will give you a head start on future meals.
Optimize Your Counterspace
Lack of workspace can hinder progress in a kitchen. Make the most of the countertops you have by keeping surfaces clear of non-essentials. Store small appliances and reusable containers in cabinets or shelves when not in use.
Consider installing hanging pots and pan racks, wall-mounted knife blocks, or under-cabinet hooks to organize essentials off counters. A rolling utility cart can provide extra temporary prep space too.
Adopt Batch Cooking Habits
Cooking in larger quantities allows professional cooks to offer many menu items efficiently. Applying batch cooking at home makes healthy meals more accessible during busy weeks.
Double recipes and freeze half for later. Prepare a big batch of rice, quinoa, oatmeal or soup, then use portions throughout the week. Roasting sheet pans filled with vegetables is fast and yields plenty for snacks and sides.
Include Multitasking in Your Routine
Doing multiple cooking tasks simultaneously is a hallmark of seasoned home cooks and professionals alike. Try sautéing aromatics while waiting for water to boil, or mixing a salad while the oven preheats.
Jot down food prep steps you can combine, like baking two dishes at once. Hands-on tasks can be paired with passive cooking that just requires monitoring, such as simmering or roasting.
Keep the Right Staples Stocked
Having core ingredients on hand means restaurant chefs can whip up dishes faster. Keep your kitchen stocked with versatile basics like eggs, frozen vegetables, onions, rice, herbs, broth, flour, oil, common spices, and nuts.
Shop for perishables weekly and bulk non-perishables monthly to maintain a well-provisioned pantry. You’ll always have components to assemble quick meals or add to leftovers.
Invest in Food Storage Containers
Commercial kitchens rely on an abundance of food containers to hold prepped ingredients or leftover food. An assortment of reusable storage bins, bowls and bags will enable better organization.
Storing pre-cut vegetables, grains, or meat portions speeds up future meals. Use clear glass or plastic to identify contents easily. Airtight lids keep foods fresh longer. Label everything with dates.
Keep a Clean-as-You-Go Mindset
Letting mess accumulate when cooking makes cleanup a drawn-out chore later. Adopt a tidy-as-you-go mentality like chefs who constantly wipe surfaces and wash used tools.
Quickly rinse, dry, and stow gear after each task. Use paper towels to keep counters and stovetops neatly wiped down. Save full scrubbing for after eating. Developing this habit makes your kitchen more functional and sanitary.
Create an Effective Meal Planning System
Planning ahead is how restaurants offer diverse daily menus using existing ingredients. Home cooks can master this too. Make a meal plan each week to map out dishes and grocery needs.
Note recipes that use overlapping items, like tacos and burrito bowls. Repurpose leftovers into new meals later in the week, like rice into fried rice. Planning reduces waste and helps you cook and shop more efficiently.
Learn the Rules of Mise en Place
This French culinary phrase meaning “putting in place” refers to gathering ingredients and tools needed for a recipe before cooking. Applying mise en place in your kitchen will make you more organized.
Read the recipe fully before starting. Measure and prep all ingredients. Also assemble equipment like cutting boards, pans, and utensils. Having everything ready to go avoids scramble mid-cooking.
Implement the First In, First Out System
Commercial kitchens use FIFO (first in, first out) to rotate ingredients and prevent waste. Adopt this by arranging older foods up front in the fridge and pantry.
Place newly purchased items in the back. Always use older ingredients first. FIFO ensures you utilize what you buy before expiry. Less spoiled food means more bang for your grocery buck.
Make Use of Leftovers
Thrifty professional cooks are masters of repurposing extra food creatively. Don’t let leftovers languish in the fridge. Use them for easy meals later in the week.
Shred leftover chicken into salads, tacos or wraps. Transform leftover rice or veggies into fried rice. Puree odds and ends into soups. Revive stale bread as breadcrumbs or croutons. A little creativity helps reduce waste and cooking time.
Invest in a Quality Freezer
Freezers are workhorses in pro kitchens, used to preserve big batches, bulk buys, and sale items. A high-quality home freezer can provide the same benefits.
Upgrade to a larger, cold-retaining freezer if possible. Portion out bulk ingredients or big pots of food into reusable bags and containers before freezing. Use freezer inventory routinely to cut meal costs and reduce waste while cooking in batches.
Conclusion
You don’t need professional training to implement tricks of the trade that make home cooking more efficient. Small tweaks like organizing your workspace, multitasking, planning ahead, and repurposing leftovers can help you save time and effort in the kitchen day to day.
Adopting just a few new habits at a time, like mise en place, maintaining a well-stocked pantry, and cleaning as you go, can make a difference. With some practice, your home kitchen can run much more like the smooth operation of a commercial kitchen.
