6 Ways To Prepare Your Kitchen For The Holiday Season

December is a very busy month. There are two holidays to prepare for, and there are only seven days in between them.

However, most homeowners still do their holiday kitchen preparations at the last minute, just like how they do their last-minute Christmas shopping.

If you’re planning to prepare just two to three days before the holiday itself, sure, a little thrill is fun, but chances are you’ll miss out on the small yet important details.

Having that said, here are tips that  you can use to jumpstart your kitchen preparation as early as today:

Check your kitchen appliances

No one wants their cooking interrupted by a broken-down appliance, especially during the holidays wherein it’s almost all about the food.

So, make sure to check your appliances ahead of time to determine whether they need to be repaired or not.  At least, if ever some of them need to be fixed, you still have enough time to have it repaired and all set before the holidays.

Don’t forget your kitchenware

After doing an appliance check-up, you can now proceed to check your kitchenware. First off, sharpen your knives.

If you’ve ever used a dull knife, you probably know that it will give you a hard time chopping and slicing and that it’s going to affect your productivity.

You can sharpen it all by yourself at home by using a sharpening steel. Just lay the blade on top of the steel and raise the bottom of the knife by twenty degrees.

Afterward, draw the knife edge across the steel in a sweeping, curved motion and remember to give both sides of the knife an equal number of strokes. However, if you prefer having it sharpened by a professional, don’t hesitate to do so.

Now, let’s move on to your cookware. Checking cookware is simple and easy. Just check if the handles are still sturdy and if the screws of the cover are still tight.

Next, if you use chinaware or any dinnerware for special occasions, bring them out of your kitchen cabinets and give them a good wash. Chances are they’re a bit dusty since you only use them twice or thrice a year.

Do a pantry inventory

So, your kitchen tools and equipment are all set, but how about the ingredients? If you’re planning to do three or more dishes for the holidays, might as well make a list of it so that it’ll be easy for you to conduct a pantry inventory.

Afterward, sort through your kitchen cabinets and fridge to check whether you have all the ingredients or not.

Although you’re probably thinking that it’s obvious that you lack some of the ingredients, doing a pantry inventory will help you save money by avoiding buying ingredients that you already have at home but forgot that you do while grocery shopping.

You also need to check your other kitchen supplies like your dishwashing soap, toothpicks, paper towels, and paper napkins and most importantly, your plastic bags, aluminum foil, and containers for the holiday leftovers.

Shop and restock

You might be thinking that shopping is a no-brainer for you but still, bring the list that you made earlier while doing a pantry inventory so that you won’t go home and find out that you still have three cans of fruit cocktail hiding at the back of your other ingredients and you bought another three.

Moving on to restocking, if you need extra storage space for your newly bought goods, you can free up some space by repacking ingredients that are half empty into smaller containers.

Aside from helping you gain additional space for your pantry supplies, using air-tight glass containers will also help you keep your ingredients fresh.

Reface your kitchen cabinets

Do you want to change the ambiance of your kitchen without interrupting your daily kitchen activities? If you do, then refacing your kitchen cabinets is your best option.

Through kitchen cabinet refacing, you will be able to give your kitchen a quick makeover, and you won’t even need to empty out and restock your kitchen cupboards.

Refacing services only take two to four days to finish and is totally hassle-free. Just call up your local kitchen remodeling contractor, tell them your preferences and they have it all covered.  After refacing your kitchen cabinets, your kitchen will once again have the ‘wow factor’ that it had before.

Put up some décor

Last but not least, add more life to your kitchen by putting up some décor. You can put up garlands on top of your kitchen cabinets or place a Christmas wreath on your range hood.

You can also use Christmas-inspired tablecloth and linen for your dining area, to give your kitchen a  cozy Christmas feel.

Get your kitchen ready for the most wonderful time of the year with us today! Contact us at (714) 961-1900.