Kitchen Coping: Clutter-free Kitchens

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FOR ANY FOODIE with a condo, fridge space is non-negotiable, kitchen ranges are king, and counter tops are at a premium. Some lucky condo dwellers score eat-in kitchens, but the rest of us tread lightly as we prepare holiday feasts, hoping we won't set ourselves — or Aunt Muriel — aflame. Never fear, epicureans! We bring you top tips sure to keep your meals sizzling this holiday season.

Picture this: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire (you're one of the lucky ones with gas burners), Jack Frost nipping at your nose (well, Jack Daniel's, but who's keeping track?). Your friends have gathered in your kitchen to help you out with the big meal — but the guy in charge of the stuffing suddenly catches fire.

This nightmare scenario really happened to Nick Koutsias, 35, whose Bethesda condo features an 11-by-7-foot kitchen. At a get-together, his friend "leaned back against what he thought was counter space but was really the stove," Koutsias says. "There were four or five of us hanging outside the kitchen and he walked out and said, 'I'm on fire. ... Don't just stand there, do something!'" Koutsias stamped out the fire, and his friend was fine.

Fortunately, Koutsias, a research specialist at Marketresearch.com, and his wife, Katherine, 32, a supply specialist for home appliance parts supplier Totalline, usually deal with more mundane kitchen issues, like space constraints.

When cooking on a large scale, "the biggest problem is both my wife and I getting involved," Koutsias says. "We have basically one section of counter space and one corner spot. We have a shelving unit … and sometimes use the bottom [of it] for preparation." Problems occur when they try to use the sink or oven at the same time, he says.

But the husband-and-wife team have developed routines for coping with their kitchen's limitations. "For the most part, we try to do the prep stuff first, so that, say, I'll start prepping things for the sauce — I'll chop the vegetables — and I'll start cooking it. Then my wife will start preparing side dishes — cutting tomatoes for the salad or cleaning the rice," he says.

Koutsias' counter top deficit is actually the prime condo kitchen problem, says Jan Schneider, 43, an interior decorator who owns the Arlington-based business NoVa Design (j.a.schneider@live.com). Although kitchens come in a variety of shapes and sizes, Schneider says the L-shaped kitchen with a breakfast bar is one of the most common. This blueprint is often built into a corner of the condo and consists of two perpendicular counter tops.

"The problem is that the stove and the sink take up some of this space, too," Schneider says. "What you're left with is small chunks of counter space that don't give you a lot to work with." If you're in the market for a new stove, you might be able to score a few more square feet of prep space by purchasing an electric induction cooktop, which doesn't have burners and can double as a counter top before you start cooking.

Other options for those who want yet more space, says Schneider, include purchasing a kitchen work table, island, cart or butcher block — freestanding surfaces on legs or wheels that provide extra storage and surfaces. Though they can cost any where from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, these babies will come with you when you sell (unlike many other pricey condo upgrades).

And don't waste your precious counter top space by displaying unnecessary accoutrements. "Toaster, toaster oven, fine," Schneider says. "But unless you're making a smoothie every morning, put away the blender. Wine racks are another giant space consumer, and people put them on their kitchen counters."

Instead, put your wine rack on top of your fridge, if you can, or consider using floor space for stackable wine racks or a freestanding wine-and-stemware rack — you can put bottles of liquor on the top, hang wine glasses from the rack and store bottles on the inside. Schneider also suggests making empty wall space work for you with wall-mounted bottle or stemware racks.

But if new appliances, kitchen furniture or DIY fixtures aren't in the cards, Schneider suggests thinking creatively about alternative work spaces. "If you have a breakfast bar, use it! A desk? A coffee table? Maybe you don't want to chop steak in the middle of your living room, but you could slice cheese for your cheese plate."

Chef-turned-real-estate-agent Dave Marchienne, 52, of Alexandria suggests that condo cooks undertaking a large holiday meal make time management a priority. "Remember your mom waking up at 4 a.m. to start her holiday cooking?" Marchienne asks. "Don't do it. Rome was not built in a day and your holiday meal shouldn't be either."

Marchienne suggests figuring out which dishes need to be cooked the day of the event and which can be prepared in advance. "Turkey will taste best when freshly cooked, but vegetables, stuffing and apple pie can be made a few days in advance," he says.

But if you really want to do all your cooking on the big day, Marchienne recommends doing prep work far ahead of time. "Once you stick the turkey in the oven or throw the brussels sprouts into the pot, all you really have to do is check on them occasionally. The real work is the chopping and the julienning."

Consider slicing veggies early and storing them in plastic containers, Marchienne says. And don't do prep work for individual recipes. If you're using onions in three different dishes, chop a bunch of them at once, rather than tearing up multiple times. If you accidentally prepare more then you need, don't worry — you can use them the next time you cook.

Kathy Stanton, 32, of Rockville — an organization specialist, entrepreneur and founder of a small company called Spic-n-Span (Spic.n.span.md@gmail.com) — recommends that condo cooks think very carefully about their cooking implements. This is especially important, she says, with huge undertakings like holiday meals.

"If you aren't going to make a turkey or a roast more than once or twice a year, don't invest in a roasting pan," Stanton says, adding that storing the piece usually takes up too much precious space in condos. "Just pick up a disposable foil one while doing the groceries," says Stanton.

If you need to buy a new piece of cookware, look for something that will multitask, Stanton recommends.

"What can the contents of your kitchen do for you? Do you really need a 12-inch sauté pan and a 10-inch omelet pan? Or an 8-quart pot and a Dutch oven?" she asks. Consider how your pots and pans can do double duty. "If you buy a 12-inch sauté pan, nothing's stopping you from making an omelet in it."

Think about how often you cook and what you cook. "If you're not making a huge vat of soup once a week, you probably don't need one of those stockpots so big you can't fit it in a cabinet," she says. Stanton says essential pieces include a large skillet, a smaller skillet, a large pot, a smaller pot and a good chef's knife. "More than anything, you'll appreciate having a good knife. The chopping and mincing will be that much easier," she says.

For servingware, too, Stanton says less is more. "You don't need a casserole pan and an asparagus platter and a veggie bowl," she says. "You can always go rustic and serve a dish in the pot you made it in."

Purchasing a large bowl and several flat platters will make your life easier. "A large bowl is great. Get one in glass and you can use it for anything: a colorful salad, a trifle, a bread basket."

Have rarely used martini or margarita glasses in the back of your glassware cabinet? Dust them off and serve individual portions of dessert in them, says Stanton. A tiered platter or cake plate are also good finds. "They allow you to take advantage of vertical space when you might not have room to lay out 10 different dishes and a turkey," she adds.

In terms of cabinet space, stackable is also the way to go. Look for stackable mixing bowls, serving bowls and measuring cups, Stanton says. "Your cabinets will thank you."

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by the idea of cooking a holiday meal in your condo kitchen, just take a deep breath and start planning ahead. You might realize that you can't realistically make everything you planned. If you know in advance, you can enlist friends and family members to bring something along.

And if you get really desperate, Whole Foods, Giant, Safeway and Balducci's can always assemble an entire meal for you, turkey and all. But that's just between us.

SERVE YOURSELF
Decluttering counters and keeping things organized are keys to survival in a cramped kitchen. These pieces are eye-catching and space-saving, so you'll have more room to celebrate this winter.

» Made with oak from wine barrels that have run dry, the Lazy Daisy Lazy Susan ($100, uncommongoods.com) can put dishes and drinks within reach on a crowded table.
» Puddle-shaped trays in the Silver Streak Service Set ($175, uncommongoods.com) fit together for easy storage.
» Holiday-hued TAG Prep and Mixing Bowls ($6-$50, Hill's Kitchen, 713 D St. SE, 202-543-1997) sit inside each other, resulting in happier cabinets.
» Free up counter space by hanging wine bottles from the wall. Pottery Barn's Holman Entertaining Shelves ($75-$150) let you dangle glasses, too.
» Food looks more tasty when it's served atop art. The Bimboveloce Cake Stand by Alessi ($189, RCKNDY, 1515 U St. NW, 202-332-5639) helps free up table space, too.

Written by Express Contributor Roopika Risam
Photos by Lawrence Luk for Express