Kitchen hacks: 5 Tips for setting up a prep station that will make your cooking less stressful

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Cooking can be a joyous and relaxing activity, however not knowing where all your tools are and the dreaded mess that it involves can be quite overwhelming.

From peeling your potatoes straight onto a cutting board instead of a scrap container, to not having your paper towel lined on a baking sheet to drain your deep fried chicken as soon as it comes out of the piping hot oil, we’ve all been there.

In professional kitchens, there are designated sections for everything that needs to be prepared; you have a cold, hot, grill and pastry section. This organisation system eliminates cross contamination and ensures that everyone has a space to prepare their dishes.

While we’re not saying divide your kitchen into this system, it can make cooking less stressful to have a preparation station set up to make your life in the kitchen far more enjoyable and easier.

For a more pleasant cooking experience, apply these handy tips especially during the busy festive season with all the cooking it requires.

1. Read your recipe

This will ensure that you know exactly what ingredients, tools and items you require beforehand.

2. Have a bowl for all your waste

Such as peels, egg shells, off-cuts etc. Instead of peeling your veggies on your cutting board, place all waste in a container ready for disposal. This will give you space to cut your items and a clean working environment.

3. Container for prepared items

Once you’ve diced your carrots you don’t want to leave them on the chopping board as they will just take up more space especially if they’re not going into the pot straight away. Keep containers at bay for all chopped, peeled and prepared items.

Handy tip: Use a muffin tray to easily separate ingredients and avoid dirtying multiple dishes.

4. Tools

Always sharpen your knife before using and ensure all the tools you need are at hand. E.g. if the recipe calls for whisking make sure you have a whisk available before you begin to make the dish.

5. Clean as you go

Wipe up after you make a spillage and transfer your dishes to the sink once you’re done using them. If the recipe calls for oven time, use the time your meal takes to cook to clean up any dirty dishes. No one feels like cleaning after a delicious meal thus do yourself a favour and get rid of the larger mess beforehand.

Are you a messy cook? Or do you clean as you go? Let us know in the comments.

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