Kitchen purge!? join? help?

[Melaine]

My sister is getting married in a couple months. I figured it would be a good time to do purge some of our kitchen stuff and offer her some of our pots and pans, etc. I don't have a ton of kitchen space and what I have is badly organized at this point.

How do you decide what you really need and what is ridiculous? for instance, I think I have like 5 or more glass lasagna/brownie pans. How many do I really need? Is it worth it to keep random cake pans that I "may" use for a novelty cake? fondue pots are fun but worth keeping? etc? etc. Any advice?

[WatchingThemGrow]

I'm in need of doing this. What's going away here is anything that's a set of 4, since we always have 5 - like soup bowls, old dishware set, etc.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Thank goodness for a basement. I put all of those "maybe I'll want this specialty pan some day" down there.

[KrisM]

I kept 2 glass pans. I've used both once or twice, but never needed more than 2. I keep specialty cake pans that my kids might like, but sell the rest. And, those go in the basement. I got rid of fondue pots, plastic cups from restaurants, etc. I kept 1-3 of utensils, like spatulas, pancake turners, large spoons, etc. I made sure all my containers have lids. I don't have a lot of specialty appliances, as they just take up too much space. I got rid of many of them and don't miss them.

You could always stash the things you think you're purging and if you don't miss them after a month or two, you know you can ditch them.

[DietCokeLover]

I am probably in the category of kitchen gadget hoarder. I just can't part with those kinds of things. It's a problem.

[nupe]

I am probably in the category of kitchen gadget hoarder. I just can't part with those kinds of things. It's a problem.

We don't eat out much, and cook more than most, so I find that I use most of my gadgets! And my guests (inlaws, parents) etc have their things that they use here for their "extended" stays.

Probably me too. However I did go through the house and kitchen with a Professional Organizer and she had some suggestions, even though I thought my kitchen was in pretty good shape. Baking, I realized I had backed off in a big way due to DC2's food allergies (milk, egg, etc), and I had baking stuff stashed all around, in non-main areas. She suggested I pull all that was not essential out of the kitchen and move to a guest room closet. I thought I would have a ton, but it all stacked nicely into a rectangular laundry basket. If I find I don't go into at all, I can start to let things go.
http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10034927&N=&Ntt=laundry+basket

And now my kitchen cabinets aren't so packed!

ETA: a lot of my gadgets just are hard to find now (? due to the economy the way it is), I hate when I have to search and search to replace something when it used to be you could walk into the mall and buy 3 kinds...

[hellokitty]

I'm kind of doing this. I purged some items in the past two yrs when I did my summer garage sales. However, DH is in the middle of refinishing our cabinets right now, and as he is doing each cabinet/drawer, I'm kind of going through each of them as well, to weed things out. My biggest problem is that I have a pyrex addiction. I love pyrex, BUT it is bulky and heavy to store, and I don't have a walk in pantry or an island, so cabinet space is limited. I keep things, like my kitchen aid in the basement, b/c there is no place, other than the counter top, that could fit it.

[nupe]

Seriously, I hate my pyrex storage containers. I can't get the lids to work! Do you have the lid problem? I use my pyrex for baking, no problem and those pieces stack in with corningware that I also bake in. For storage however I am starting to try the glass type of snapware (plastic lid, glass container).

[hellokitty]

Seriously, I hate my pyrex storage containers. I can't get the lids to work! Do you have the lid problem? I use my pyrex for baking, no problem and those pieces stack in with corningware that I also bake in. For storage however I am starting to try the glass type of snapware (plastic lid, glass container).

No, I don't have trouble with pyrex and the lids. I have had trouble with anchor hocking lids though. They aren't as snug on the bigger containers and for the smaller ones, they keep popping off.

[egoldber]

When we moved I purged do much kitchen stuff it was embarrassing!!!

I also don't have any trouble with Pyrex and lids. Which type do you have?

[123LuckyMom]

I have the Pyrex with the plastic kids. I've only had one lid stop fitting. It got too small and wouldn't fit on any more. Despite lots of coaching, DH is bad about not putting plastic stuff in the microwave or dishwasher. He thinks because they're BOA free it's not a problem. I disagree. I suspect that lid may have been overheated by DH, but I'm not sure. Otherwise my lids all function well. Storing that Pyrex is a problem, though. I have it all piled on top of each other with lids on in a laundry basket under my stove. I could best it with lids off, but then I'd lose the lids!

I'm a kitchen hoarder. I keep all that bakeware and the bread machine I haven't used in a decade, for instance. I have a lot of storage in my kitchen, so I'm spoiled. I'll need to do a purge when I redo the kitchen, though. I think I'm going to get rid of my old, old dishes (so I'll only have two sets-- how do you make the bag over the head thingy?-- the by ft pan I never use will go, and my espresso machine from the 80's, which I have used solely to steam milk twice. I think I may keep everything else, though, even though I've never even used my waffle iron or blender... I need that bag icon!

[nupe]

When we moved I purged do much kitchen stuff it was embarrassing!!!

I also don't have any trouble with Pyrex and lids. Which type do you have?

This kind, and amazon politely reminds me that I bout it in 2005!
http://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-Storage-10-Piece-Clear-Blue/dp/B00005B8K5/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1384792261&sr=8-3&keywords=pyrex

I can barely get some of the lids on. I do dishwash them. I do not microwave the lids however.

[Melaine]

Well we went through just a few cabinets and purged several boxes of stuff. I took stock of the different sizes of pots and given the limited eyes on the stove, how many do I really need. I had several odd dishes with no matches. And then I was rewarded by finding a set of 12 corelle dishes at goodwill, which I had been wanting to replace some old plates. There were some random things that i talked myself out of keeping like the novelty cake pans and a couple I didn't even recognize. Egg poacher set for a pot? Does anyone use this? I think I will give it a try before letting go of it.

[egoldber]

Nupe, that is soooo weird, I have those exact same pieces. I microwave the lids and put them in the dishwasher (top rack)! I've done it for years.