How to Control Kitchen Clutter

Are your kitchen countertops overflowing with single-function appliances? Tired of improvising around a kitchen sink that merely holds water?

Then it’s time to get organized.

Check out 10 helpful tips for controlling kitchen chaos‚ plus our suggestions for products and accessories to help make your cooking‚ prep and cleanup easier and more efficient.

• Get design solutions that keep your kitchen organized.
• Learn how to sort and store your kitchen clutter.

Longing for a tidy, organized kitchen where everything is right where you need it? Read on for ten great tips on how to organize your kitchen.

Sort and toss. Do you pick through fondue forks and pastry bag nozzles when looking for a spatula each morning? Chances are, much of your clutter is composed of stuff that isn’t really essential to the day-to-day functioning of your kitchen. Start the cleaning process by purging your cabinets and drawers of gadgets you hardly ever use. Take a hard look at your kitchen gizmos. Hang on to the tools that do many things well, like your blender, and consider ditching the cumbersome one-trick ponies (like that regrettable hard-boiled egg cooker). Donate the things you don't need, and place rarely used items in storage.

Get closer. Once you've pared your inventory down to the essentials, put them in places that make the most sense. Keep glassware and cups near the refrigerator or sink; utensils, spices and plates near the cooking area; mugs near the coffeemaker. You’ll not only save space, you’ll save steps, and that saves time.

Practice counter intelligence. Consider freeing up precious counter space by installing an under-cabinet coffeemaker, or one that installs directly into your cabinetry. Other candidates for lift-off are microwaves, toaster ovens and can openers, all of which can be discreetly fitted underneath your kitchen cabinets.

Divide and conquer. Adding vertical dividers in cabinetry makes it easy to stack cookie sheets and cake pans. For lower cabinets, a simple spin of a lazy susan puts everything within reach. Small, inexpensive shelves can double your storage, allowing you to neatly organize the pantry. An under-the-sink caddy stores all your cleaning sprays and wipes.

Use “hidden” space. Free up valuable cabinet and drawer space by installing hooks for coffee mugs and utensils under cabinets. Hang pots from an attractive rack on the ceiling. Make use of blank wall space or a backsplash by adding a utensil rack. Nest and stack pots, bowls and pans to maximize your storage space.

Abolish the junk drawer. There's no need for a "miscellaneous" catch-all space if every item has a designated place. Use small dividers to stop pencils, coupons and gadgets from jumbling together. Keep plastic grocery bags tidy by stuffing them into a dispenser.

Paper trail. If you can’t seem to eliminate the piles of takeout menus, recipes torn out of magazines and other such paper clutter from your kitchen, at least contain them. Sort them into categories, put them into colorful file folders and stow them in magazine binders near your cookbooks.

Play favorites. Group items by how frequently you use them. Put your favorite cookware, dishes and glassware in the front of cabinets for easy access. Store specialty cookware and less-frequently used appliances and utensils like blenders, quesadilla makers and food processors tucked away but easy to find when you need them.
 
Smart appliances. If you're considering larger changes to your kitchen, such as buying new appliances or remodeling, a little foresight could save countless hours of clutter-busting down the line. Look for refrigerators that maximize interior space through strategically placed compartments; they'll make it easy to organize leftovers, large soda bottles and produce.

Incorporate accessories. A few key sink accessories can help reduce the need for extra "stuff " in the kitchen by incorporating functionality into the sink itself. Here are some items to consider:

1. A faucet with a water filtration system eliminates the need for a filter attachment or a filtration pitcher in the fridge.
2. Soap/lotion dispensers provide convenience while reducing the number of bottles littering your countertops and under-sink storage.
3. An instant hot water dispenser eliminates the need for boiling, making your teakettle one more pot you can do without.
4. Rinse baskets are great for drying just a few pieces of glassware or small dishes below eye level. To cover sink contents, use custom-size cutting boards that look attractive and stay put.
5. Sinks with a lower middle divider let you keep soaking pots and pans inside and off the counter.
6. A sink with a recessed wet surface and a secondary sink can create whole new food-prep stations for the kitchen and help keep you organized.
7. Select faucets keep the back of the sink clutter-free and often include handy pullout or pull-down sprays.
8. A remote-control sink strainer, with its control dial mounted on the sink deck, keeps your hand dry, and there’s no stopper littering the sink area.

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Professional Style Kitchens that Really Cook

Celebrity gourmet chefs are no longer the only ones enjoying the conveniences of a professional grade kitchen. Whether you’re a cooking star, a wonder mom or the occasional entertainer, today’s amenity-packed kitchen designs can make cooking at home simpler and more efficient. Your kitchen will also be the conversation point with guests when you entertain.

According to Jeff Pratt, Vice President of Sales for Danze, Inc., a leading manufacturer of designer faucets, bath accessories and showerheads, it’s now easier than ever to create a beautiful, professional-grade kitchen in your own home.

“We all want a kitchen that is stylish but takes the pressure out of cooking. Today’s kitchen designs have evolved to meet that need,” Pratt says. “Manufacturers are creating new kitchen products with a busy lifestyle in mind, and are offering home cooks conveniences that were previously only available to professional restaurateurs.”

Pratt points to the Danze Parma Kitchen faucet as just one example of a professional-grade convenience for the home. The contemporary-style faucet is turned on automatically by placing your hands in front of a sensor at the spout base - perfect for those times when your hands are full or when you’re working with raw meat. Homeowners predetermine and preset the water temperature and the time of the water flow. The faucet also has a single handle manual control for those times when you want to adjust the flow or temperature.

“Everyone could use an extra hand in the kitchen,” Pratt says. “Now, technology is allowing our kitchens to do more of the work for us.” Whether you’re building a new kitchen or simply remodeling, try these simple tips to help make your kitchen hum with professional-grade efficiency.

• Identify your needs. The best kitchens are personalized to suit your cooking habits. Before installing anything, make a practical list of must-have items for your lifestyle. For instance, if your family’s schedule makes it tough to sit down to dinner together, a warming oven may be just the thing to give everyone a hot meal. Determine those must-haves, then design the rest of the room.
• Location, location, location. Meal preparation requires multitasking to ensure everything has a place and is ready at the same time. To simplify the process, consider adding access to water near your key cooking surfaces. Wall-mounted or deck-mounted pot-filler faucets bring water right to your stovetop without heavy lifting, and they come in a range of styles and finishes to suit your personal taste.
• Find a finish that lasts. - Stainless steel is a professional grade finish for sinks, countertops, appliances and faucets because the surface is easy to maintain and stands up to abuse over time. Be sure to select a finish that not only captures your style but can take whatever you dish out.
• Choose your faucet wisely. - Make sure your Danze kitchen faucets match your cooking needs. Articulated spouts move out of the way as you put larger pots into the sink. If you’re the type who frequently washes fresh fruits and vegetables, try a pull-down or pull-out faucet that sprays exactly where you direct the water flow.
• Design with clean up in mind. A good kitchen design not only helps with meal preparation but makes clean up easy too. Baked-on food won’t stand up to a blast from professional-grade faucets like the Danze Pre-Rinse kitchen faucet. This spring-mounted faucet has a high arc to accommodate big pots and pans. For those jobs you don’t want to waste time pre-rinsing, look for a professional-grade dishwasher that offers extra-large, expandable racks that are big enough to fit the dishes and pots and pans piled up from a night of entertaining.

Even if you don’t cook like a professional, you can still enjoy the conveniences. Whether your style is contemporary or traditional, today’s variety of professional-grade kitchen amenities ensure your design possibilities and culinary creations are endless.

Danze is the leading provider of jewelery for the home. They provide luxury at an affordable price based on the fact that they are one of the largest vertically integrated manufacturers.  Many faucet brands are just brands manufacturered and assembeled by other. Danze is owned by Globe Union so they are an OEM manufacturer which can control quality and maintain pricing. eFaucets is a top authorized retailer of Danze Faucets and products online and carriers the entire DANZE line shipping direct from the Danze factory.

Something New for the Kitchen from Riobel

Riobel’s kitchen faucet line has a major new addition: the Edge. Equipped with a dual pull-down spray, the Edge’s minimalist, sleek and very modern look make it unique. Its distinguished lines and graceful finish blend in perfectly with kitchens having either contemporary or eclectic decors.


With a high-quality ceramic cartridge and a flow rate of 8.3 liters per minute (2.2 gpm - at 60 PSI), this faucet’s unique design, impeccable lines, and flawless technical features set it apart from all others.

The Edge’s quiet pull-down spray, with a hose made of 50% polypropylene and 50% polyester-aluminum, is another of its special characteristics. The hose is also equipped with a swivel joint, making the spray easy and pleasant to use.

Another of the Edge’s advantages is that this single-handle faucet is available not only in the regular model version, but as a prep sink faucet as well. This smaller version also has a dual pull-down spray. For consumers seeking a coordinated look in their kitchen, this detail is a definite plus. The Edge is presently available in the regular (ED101) and prep sink faucet (ED601) models, in chrome or brushed nickel finishes.

eFaucets.com is the leading U.S. retailer of Riobel and is the online leader of kitchen faucets. Check out eFaucets Reviews here. Free Shipping on most products and excellent customer service. Please call at 800-891-0896. We offer the best prices and will not be undersold!

High Style Porcher Farm Sinks Bring Practical Smarts to Gourmet Kitchens

Offered in trend-setting stainless steel, as well as the more familiar fine fire clay, the new Porcher London Farm Sinks Collection brings handsome good looks, time-tested practicality, and flexible installation options to today’s kitchen.
More than ever, the kitchen is becoming a multifunctional place for cooking, living, and entertaining that needs to be both highly practical and pleasingly stylish. The London Farm Sinks Collection was created with this dual role firmly in mind.

The new Porcher® fire clay London™ Farm Sink, (Shown Right) with its generous 10-inch deep bowl and full apron on four sides, offers flexible installation options and handsome good looks for today’s multifunction kitchen.

There is an appropriate sink model for any style of kitchen. The classic fine fire clay sinks are a great choice for traditional and transitional settings, while the new stainless steel models, picking up on the continuing popularity of stainless for culinary fixtures and appliances, integrate beautifully into up-to-the-minute environments.

All the farm sinks feature a generous 10-inch deep single bowl, with a full apron on all four sides. Each model is available in 24-, 30-, or 36-inch widths. A decorative bottom rack is an option with the stainless steel models.

The London Farm Sinks feature superior Porcher materials and finishes. Fully glazed on all four sides, the Italian-made fine fire clay sinks are available in white or biscuit. The metal sinks are made of heavy-duty 16-gauge stainless steel with a stylish brushed finish.

Because they are finished on all sides, the sinks offer unusually flexible installation options. Exposed apron choices include under-counter, above-counter, and flush mount. Completely under-counter installation is another option, which works well in contemporary settings.

The trend-setting stainless steel Porcher® London™ Farm Sink (Shown Right) is a beautiful complement to contemporary kitchen settings featuring stainless culinary fixtures and appliances.

For more information about Porcher London Farm Sinks and other Porcher luxury kitchen products, please visit American Standard Sinks at eFaucets®, the online leader of American Standard and Porcher Sinks. eFaucets® is the Faucet Expert™ and the online leader of Kitchen Faucets and Kitchen Sinks.

Troubleshoot Leaking Delta Single Handle Faucet

My Bath Sink Single-Handle faucet leaks. This example is for a Delta Faucet Single Handle Bathroom Faucet.

Identify the area that is leaking. Then, find the solutions to that area below.

Note: The diagram below is a general representation of this faucet type showing common replacement parts. If you do not find the answer you need here, please use the Technical Document search to find maintenance instructions for your specific model.

Solutions

A.  Leaks from under the handle:

• Replace Ball Assembly (#1 in diagram — Repair part RP70 as shown for lever handles or RP212 for knob handles)
• Replace Cam & Packing (#2 in diagram — Repair Kit RP61). For faucets purchased prior to 2007, please order RP1050 cap and RP61 cam and packing.

B.  Leaks from aerator:

• Replace seats and springs (#3 in diagram — Repair part RP4993)

If leak persists:

• Replace Ball Assembly (#1 in diagram — Repair part RP70 as shown for lever handles or RP212 for knob handles)

eFaucets is the largest online retailer of Delta Bathroom Faucets and stocks all Delta Faucets and Delta Faucet Replacement parts.

How To Remove Tub Drain Delta Faucet

How do I remove my Delta tub drain stopper for cleaning?

There are two types of tub drain stoppers - lift & turn and toe tap.
Lift and Turn

The lift & turn stopper for the bathtub unscrews counterclockwise while in the full up position.

Toe Tap
The toe tap stopper also unscrews counterclockwise while in the full up position. However, the cap may unscrew from the plunger assembly before the entire stopper comes out. In that case, there is a nut that will be exposed and can be used to unscrew the plunger assembly from the drain.
If either of these is "spinning" without unscrewing, the threads are stripped and you would need to exert upward pressure while unscrewing in hopes of uncoupling this from the bath waste. If that doesn't work you would have to unscrew the bath waste flange from the drain pipe.
This will require access under the tub.

This article was sponsored by our partner Delta Faucet.  eFaucets is the leading online faucet retailer of Delta Faucets and is an authorized Delta Faucet internet retailer. 

CNN Money Features eFaucets For Online Remodeling

IN THE NEWS

Remodeling your home? Get online

By Josh Garskof  August 27, 2010: 11:50 AM ET

(Money Magazine) -- Home improvement is one of the fastest-growing segments of e-commerce. But the consequences of a bad decision when it comes to finding a contractor or remodeling products online are far worse than buying the wrong paperback.

What if those rave reviews you read about a contractor are ringers posted by his daughter -- or if your supposedly in-stock sink order doesn't ship for two weeks, throwing off your entire work schedule?

Follow these tips to avoid glitches and get the most for your money.


To find a contractor: Sites that are driven by consumer ratings are your best bet. That's because you get to see what as many as hundreds of prior customers say about all the pros in your area.

Renovation wizard: Will your project pay off?

Just watch for sites with anonymous postings and ads that appear in search results that look like positive ratings. In the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles metro areas, or a few counties in New York, Connecticut, and Florida, check out Franklin-Report.com, which compiles user comments into Zagat-like ratings.

Beyond those regions, a good alternative is Angieslist.com, which charges $5 a month, and uses the credit card info to prevent anyone from creating more than one login in order to post multiple revews.

To vet a contractor: The next step is to talk to former clients and visit current and completed job sites. Sadly, there are no e-ternatives to doing this in person.

But there is one key step you can do online: a background check. Get a report about a contractor's licensing, bonding, insurance, bankruptcy, civil judgments, criminal background, liens, and credit rating for $13 at contractorcheck.com, run by the credit bureau Experian.

To order supplies

Sites run by home-improvement chains (such as HomeDepot.com and Lowes.com), boutique manufacturers (BeadBoard.com, Horizon-Shutters.com), and specialty e-tailers (eFaucets.com, TileShop.com) offer bigger selections than local retailers do. But the main attraction is price: Discounts of 10% to 50% aren't uncommon.

Just keep in mind that if something goes wrong, those savings could turn into cost overruns. As with any online purchase, you run the risk of shipping damage or late deliveries, which can derail a project with multiple tradesmen working around one another's schedules.

So order online only if your contractor okays it and provides technical specs; you're far enough ahead of the installation date to make other arrangements if there's a problem; the site is an authorized dealer for the brands you're buying; and if possible, you've seen the product firsthand.

Otherwise, buy locally. It'll be easier to get matching items quickly if needed, and you'll avoid having to deal with a faraway call center if a problem arises.

To Read the original article click here: eFaucets Featured on CNNMoney.com