Do you ever feel like your kitchen is overcrowded and messy? Read more to learn How To Organize a Kitchen and to get some super helpful tips!
This is just a small portion of my kitchen tools, decorating supplies, and fun food making stuff.
To say I have a lot is really an understatement.
So, when Toni from Make, Bake, Celebrate and Betsy from Java Cupcake asked me to join in on The Great Baking Closet Clean Out Giveaway, I couldn't say "no."Seven fun food bloggers have cleaned out their closets, will show how they organized all their kitchen gadgets and decorating supplies, and are giving away some excess supplies on their blogs.
As a group we are hosting a Grand Prize Giveaway and one lucky winner gets $250 in gift cards.
I'm giving away a Mystery Box Filled with Kitchen Stuff too.
I don't have before and after pictures to show you as I have always kept my supplies really well organized. For those of you who don't know my story, I've owned two retail confectionery stores. My first was quite successful and I was able to sell it when I decided to relocate from Kentucky to Ohio. I opened my second store, Candy Garen, in my hometown of Centerville and was happily running my business when I got sick.
After six painful months, through three major holidays, struggling to get through the day, I decided it was too much, and promoted one of my employees to manage the store so I could take some time off. The first weekend I left her alone, she didn't even show up and I never saw her again.
In that moment I made the tough decision to close the shop, but didn't want to give up my business so I moved it home. At the time we lived in a small house and working from our tiny kitchen was tough.
When my health returned, we moved into a new house and I transformed the morning room, right off the main kitchen, into my Candy Garden Room. I love my space.
I work at three stainless steel tables when making my chocolate. I have space for two chocolate tempering machines that each hold 50 pounds of melted chocolate, as well as, ingredients and supplies.
There's even enough space for a full-size refrigerator and my rack of baking pans.
At the holidays all of those pans can be filled with chocolate bark or popcorn in one day.
I store most of my ingredients in Rubbermaid and Tupperware containers. I need tight fitting containers to keep everything fresh and I love that these stack so nicely.
My stainless steel tables have one shelf so I used a few pieces of shelving from a garden greenhouse that I was no longer using to create another shelf to make my ingredients more accessible.
These tables are pretty deep. Behind the tubs pictured above are 50-pound cases of dark, milk and white chocolate.A few years ago, when I was selling a lot of chocolates to companies to use as holiday gifts, I would have as much as 700 pounds of chocolate in my house at one time. Crazy, I know!
When I started blogging, I began using a lot more tools like small cutters, clay extruders, alphabet stamps and more and found shallow drawers were great for storing the small pieces.
Fortunately, my kitchen is huge. It was the main priority when we built this house.
I have so many drawers and cupboards and they are packed full.I love seeing my clean kitchen. Believe me, it hardly ever never looks like this.
You may be laughing at all those measuring cups and spoons, but I hate to clean dishes while I'm working. My dishwasher is my best friend. So while I'm on a crazy baking spree, this drawer can be half empty.
I use kitchen drawer organizers to keep everything in its place.
Have you ever seen so many scoops? I love having a variety of sizes and use them all.
This drawer is organized with those plastic shoe boxes. They are an inexpensive storage solution.
My kitchen gadget drawer has lots of plastic organizing trays.
I know exactly where everything is in this drawer including some of my favorite kitchen tools.
When people come into my kitchen for the first time, they are amazed by the number of spatulas I own.
See them all on top of shelf? I counted 17 metal spatulas and 22 rubber spatulas. There are days when every single one is coated in chocolate and in my sink.
This cupboard used to be nicely organized, with plenty of wiggle room. Since I began blogging, I have purchased lots of baking pans and silicone molds.
What you can't see is that all of this stuff is two deep, so double the number of molds and pans you are seeing. Thankfully most things stack nicely.
This isn't even all of my pans. I have two drawers and a lazy Susan cupboard full of them too.
In addition to storage in my main kitchen and candy kitchen, I have two large cabinets in my laundry room filled with more Rubbermaid containers and boxes.
Everything has its place. If it didn't I'd spend my days looking for supplies instead of getting any work done.
I have a storage room in my basement too. The room is the same size as my candy kitchen. It houses my 1000 + candy molds which are stored in file draws. It's a great way to organize them.
You'd think that was all the stuff I have but this room is also filled with shipping boxes, tins, baskets, and all sorts of packaging materials.Whew, that is a lot, isn't it?
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Cindy Larkins says
Seriously impressive. I like to bake cookies, cakes, cupcakes, breads, pastries for Christmas, get togethers with friends and general gift giving.
Cindy Larkins says
Seriously impressive. I like to make cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pastries, breads for Christmas, get togethers with friends and general gift giving.
Chriss says
I'd also love to peek in all your containers! Lol. I have a small strorsge area for my cake decorating supplies, but nowhere near the amount of storage you have! I bake a lot of cakes for all special occasions for all my family members, plus it like to do lots of easy cookies during the holidays. I have yet to find easy solutions for carrying mini cupcakes anywhere so I don't make those too often. I have a littl boy who is turning 3 this fall that I also need to start planning a cake for. 🙂
alisa says
I like to bake whatever I can for any occasion or no occasion at all. Lots of love themed cakes lately....
You kitchen and supplies is my dream come true.
Sheree says
With little ones in gymnastics and T-ball, there is always a request for cookies or other sweets for bake sales or parties.
Catie says
I probably make cupcakes more than anything, but I really love baking cookies, brownies and other single serve treats! I like bringing treats to just about every holiday we spend with the family.
On the non sweet side, we bake bread every two to three days in our house! I love how the smell fills the house!
Lindabks says
I make all of the things you listed, massive amounts of Christmas candies and chocolates, cookies for gifts and school events, cupcakes for birthdays and graduations, cakes for weddings, birthdays and special family celebrations. I would kill for the space and storage you have ( along with your organization). Thank you for sharing.
Lindsay Lee says
Oh my gosh I love to bake everything!!! If I could I would bake 24/7. All 3 of my kids love to bake as well. Every day after school we bake something today. It could be cookies, to bagels to eclairs. We love spending the time together and love eating them together! It doesn't get much better than that!!! =)
linzaleetus at gmail dot com
Anonymous says
I love to bake cookies and cakes and pies. I celebrate any holiday and l like to share my baking with neighbors and family.
Thanks, Betty
blumerb@sbcglobal.net
Mocha Princess Aurora says
I am semi good baker lol. I LOVE to make things for my Orlando City Soccer Club Supporter Group. I have been looking high and low for soccer themed muffin tins and molds and even candy molds but haven't found much! I have SUCH kitchen envy of you! I live in a one bed room place with an ok kitchen but woah..... you win 😛
Georgianna Mann says
I love making muffins especially, but cookies are a close second! I'm in grad school so I like to celebrate research milestones (nerd alert) like my baseline data completion!!
freebiequeen15 says
I love to bake cupcakes the most because they're my favorite to eat. I bake for my coworkers, family gatherings and birthdays of friends!
Anonymous says
I like to bake anything,my daughters favorite holiday is halloween
leutheb(at)msn(dot)com
Sanni says
I like making vegan treats or things without sugar husband diabetic. I like to get creative. Thanks
Shellee says
Would LOVE any supplies! With over 150 nurses, techs, and Physicians our Emergency Dept is always
celebrating and fundraising (AHA Heart Walk, Alzheimer's Walk, Cure for Cancer, EMS Week, Bridal and
Baby showers, etc.). Perfect excuse to make and decorate cupcakes and cookies! shellster@dc.rr.com
Teri says
It's so hard to decide, but I think I like making decorated sugar cookies the most and I love doing it for the holidays! Great giveaway!
Melanie says
I bake cookies at least once a month, cupcakes for special occasions( birthdays, bake sales, etc) and chocolates for my favorite holiday, Halloween!
My Mom has been decorating cakes since the 70's, and is always looking for supplies.
So, anything you're willing to part with (if I win) I'll happily take!
julie ball says
I love making cakes and cupcakes, mostly because I loooove frosting. 🙂 Lately I have been experimenting with adding things like molded candy and/or chocolate-covered Oreo pops to the cake decorations. My younger son's birthday is July 5, and so far he has always asked for a red-white-and-blue-themed cake. Also, both my boys joined Cub Scouts this year, so I had the opportunity to make a cake for their Blue and Gold banquet. I used the fleur-de-lis candy molds to make blue and gold Scout symbols!
Sunshine says
Wow you have some stuff!! Super jealous of your kitchen and gadgets. I like to bake cookies, cupcakes, cake pops, and candies just because. I have made several of your
your edible items and have gotten rave reviews from them. I'm always looking for fun summer desserts.
Please enter my name in your contest. Thanks!
KarenB says
OMG, Beth you have the most amazing collection of baking supplies!! I would love to come over and peek in all your containers!!! I am so jealous of all the storage space you have, and a basement!!! I would KILL for a basement!! We do not have basements in Texas, I don't understand why. (I'm originally from Michigan and I had a basement there with lots of built in storage.) We sure do have a lot of Tornados in Texas and I could seriously use a basement!
Can you share where you purchase your supplies? I am always looking for new places that sell baking supplies. I like to bake cookies, cupcakes, cake pops & cakes. I also like making candy, Butter Crunch, Fudge, Butter Creams, chocolate bark, etc. I never tempered chocolate before. Your 2 machines are very impressive!!! If you ever need an "assistant" or dishwasher, I'm available!
beth says
Too bad Texas is so far away, I would gladly accept the offer of a dishwasher or assistant and it sounds like you have quite a bit of candy making experience.
Not having a basement in a tornado is scary. Our last house didn't have one either, and I spent many hours huddled in our laundry room during storms.
As far as my supplies, I'm really lucky that I buy most everything wholesale. When I need something I don't have and I'm not ready to place a large order, I either order from Amazon or go to the local craft store or cake/candy supply shop. I love shopping at JoAnn Fabrics using their 40% or 50% coupons. I get lots of great deals there.