Another question that came up the night we had all our neighbors over was whether or not one leaves cupboards and drawers open while working in the kitchen.
It was my husband who asked it because I do it and it drives him bonkers.
(And then he breezes through slamming things shut while I’m working. The audacity.)
But here’s my defense. I hate the wasted energy and time of repeatedly jerking open doors and drawers. Better to leave them hanging wide for easy access.
I even occasionally leave my cold pantry — aka the fridge — open for a minute or two at a time if I’m running back and forth from fridge to stove for milk, bacon fat, eggs, cheese, etc, etc.
Once I’ve got the goods, then I close it.
When my husband asked the question, the response was unanimous: everyone closes up shop as they work. Which I should’ve expected, considering their bed-making and sheet-washing tendencies, but still, I can’t help but think it’s a little silly. It’s hard enough to get yourself into the kitchen to make the food in the first place so why go to the extra trouble of closing up shop while working? Isn’t that like shooting yourself in the foot?
Which brings me to another kitchen contention: trash.
Specifically: what do you do with the balled-up napkins and empty bags and bits of plastic wrap and tin cans — the cooking detritus one amasses whilst cooking?
I do what I think is entirely logical: I toss it in the sink along with all the dirty dishes. Then at the end of my mess-creating, I just harvest the trash and shove it where it belongs — which is in the cupboard beneath the sink where the receptacles for recyclables, and the true and burn trashes, are housed.
Because (again) why waste energy repeatedly bending and opening and closing when you can just do it once at the end?
This habit of mine, my husband doth not abide. Which shouldn’t much matter since I’m the one in the kitchen doing the cooking, but when he reports for dishwashing duty before I get to the clean-up stage, I have to swoop in to pick all the bits of trash out of the sink while he stands there and practices deep breathing.
So here’s your homework. This week, mid cooking marathon, pause for a sec and do a quick scan. Are your cupboards flung wide? Is there trash on the counter? I have a hunch that people might say they run a tight-n-tidy ship but when the shizzle (aka Thanksgiving) hits the fan, the truth comes out.
Enjoy your turkey.
P.S. The one thing we do agree upon: when pouring/measuring messy things, all storage spaces directly beneath must be closed. No one wants a milk flood in the flour drawer.
This same time, years previous: the struggle, the quotidian (11.28.22), how we homeschool: Jen, the quotidian (11.25.19), the quotidian (11.26.18), Chattanooga Thanksgiving of 2017, in my kitchen: 2:35 a.m., a treat.
19 Comments
Thrift at Home
Oooooh, I love efficiency discussions! (Maybe time to re-read Cheaper By the Dozen) I am in the middle on the open cupboard question – I never leave the fridge open, never, never, because of cold loss. I do, however, leave my pantry doors open when I’m cooking because they are not in my work triangle and I won’t bang head/legs on them. I close doors as I go along otherwise I would get so many bumps/bangs. If I’m prepping a bunch of veg/fruit, then I leave the detritus in the sink until I’m done with prep and then swoop it into the compost. I don’t leave trash in the sink because I only want to touch it once and the trash can is right in my work triangle, so it’s simple. The recycling is set aside on the counter until cooking is done and I can walk it outside to the recycling bin.
H
I’m the tidy organized one at home, but I’m the one who leaves the drawers and cabinets open in the kitchen. It also drives my husband crazy…particularly when I’m working on the counter right over an open drawer.
If possible, I do dishes and clean up as I’m working. It’s like a game to see if I can have most everything cleaned up before we eat dinner. I cannot abide unnecessary clutter (trash!) on the counter and sink.
Kathy S.
Key phrase here, as I see it: “…when he reports for dishwashing duty”. Throw in a few exclamation points. I close doors (not enough working space, otherwise) and definitely clean up trash, scraps, mess as I go, as it makes the task so much easier overall.
Norma
It’s always interesting to get insight how different people navigate the mundane parts of our lives – thank you! Where I live, we recycle or compost almost everything, with very little going to the actual garbage. Anything organic goes out to my own compost bin, tissues, napkins, paper towels, etc to the City compost bin, and almost all the rest is washed (if needed) and sorted into recycling bins. I find it much easier to do that as I go along – that way, I’m not having to separate stuff that’s stuck together that belongs in separate areas after the fact.
Carla
I’m with you for the cupboard part I leave drawers and doors open while working. I do, however, try to clean up the trash fairly quickly to keep the counters available for work space.
Stick to your guns, girl. You’re making fabulous stuff, here. Don’t mess with genius!
Miriam
I close cupboard doors after pulling out everything that’s needed. If I don’t, I’m sure to bang head or shins on an open door. I will leave the spice cabinet open while seasoning a dish, but I’m usually working at the counter space directly below this cabinet, so I’m not as likely to move about risking head injury. Trash is under the kitchen sink, door always kept closed to keep dog out. Egg shells or can lids may collect in the sink while cracking eggs or opening cans, but I’ll transfer the trash to the garbage can before moving on with the next step. No trash lingers long in the sink.
Kevin P
Hi Jennifer
My wife is exactly the same.
We have a walk in pantry with nine cubby’s but everything gets tossed in the middle cubby at eye level. Doesn’t matter what it is. Anything heavier than a bag of chips gets put on the floor. WHY!!!
I am however very anal and everything needs to be put in its place.
I suppose it’s the consequence of having worked in a commercial kitchen most of my adult life.
Drives me bonkers
Zoe Rohrer
this is bonkers. I do not leave anything open! But, I also can’t pass between island and sink if anything is left open so maybe that’s why? but I think it’s more because the confusion to my eyeballs would drive me nuts. And no trash in the sink. a few dirty dishes don’t bother me but when it’s time to clean up I don’t want to retouch that meat plastic or lift out soggy flour bags. Maybe if I left all the doors and drawers open though, the husband wouldn’t always be standing in front of the cupboard I need to get into…
Marcella K
Oh my gosh! I would have to side with your husband as well, it would make me crazy and I would most likely kill myself on an unclosed drawer!
Marcella
Natalie
“I have to swoop in to pick all the bits of trash out of the sink while he stands there and practices deep breathing.” I can visualize this.
I don’t have many cabinets but the do stay closed when I’m working. I keep my trash on hand to be able to toss in the trash as I go. I am not a tidy cook, I’m actually a little clumsy so keeping cabinets closed keeps me from extra work.
Jenny in MN
My husband informed me that I leave the doors open when I’m just grabbing a cup from the cabinet. I vehemently denied it at first, but he is right. I’m not sure why I can’t close a kitchen door! I should probably have open cabinetry. I throw my trash in the sink too. It’s right by my workspace and totally convenient. I do clean everything up when I am finished though, so at least I do that!
Zagorka
I do understand the logic behind the open cupboards, but in my kitchen I would not be able to make a step without crashing in the cupboard doors or open drawers. So, I have to close them. And I always lived with small kitchens where this was the case, so…
But the sink must, must, must be free, always. No dirty dishes, no trash. Sorry.
RUBY FREED
I’m with you on leaving things open- even the “Cold pantry!” unless himself is watching!
cat
I will close my cabinets and drawers as i go or try to pull out everything i need at once and make a pile on the side counter to grab from. I have terrible depth perception and do not need to smack myself in the face or add any more bruises form running into things than i already do. I do however take a bowl and make it my garbage on the counter as i work and then dump into my garbage can (which also sits right at the end of my work station so i can easily throw things in as i go.)
Ramona
I’m with your husband on this one. I don’t leave doors or drawers open while cooking. My trash can has never been in a cupboard, always out where I can toss the garbage in. Reason for that, when trash gets tossed in not everyone in the household is careful. I never wanted to clean the inside cupboard walls. I also don’t do the massive amount of cooking you do. I’ve always been in awe of your creations.
Elva
Sorry, but I totally agree with your husband, especially about garbage in the sink!!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Becky R.
I don’t have to wait until the big cook to tell you this. I know my habits. I usually leave the cabinets open, but I have so often hit my head on a cabinet door that I am trying to break this habit. But when I look around any time I am cooking, the cabinets are all open, as well as the drawers I know I am going back into. I tend to leave trash on the counter in a heap while cooking, and I throw it all away at the end unless I run out of counter space. I have tried to sit a big bowl out for trash, but I usually forget until I am in the middle of something. It’s a life-long habit.
Becky Johnson
I am like your husband and my fiancé is like you. It drives me nuts how he dirties far more dishes than is necessary and makes a huge mess when he cooks. I try to use as few dishes as possible (I haven’t always had a dishwasher so old habits die hard) and I clean as I go. Seeing trash in the sink makes my chest tight. LOL
Donna
Im with your Husband on this one 🙂