Mise en place kitchen. Does this phrase mean anything to you?

Well, all you savvy cooks are probably already familiar with the concept of ‘mise en place’ but for all of you who are not, here is a quick explanation. ‘Mise en place’ is a French culinary phrase that translates to “everything in its place.” Professional cooks from all around the world use it to describe the state of their kitchens.

You see, a mise en place kitchen is entirely designed to maximise efficiency. In the professional environment, that means that all the ingredients necessary for a certain meal are prepared in advance and placed in a specific place. All of this should help the chef prepare a meal without wasting time on chopping meat, looking for spices, and so on.

However, mise en place is not just for professional kitchens; many people follow these principles in their home kitchens as well. So, if you are interested in learning what it takes to create a mise en place kitchen in your home, read on and find out.

Food station approach

First, when preparing a meal, you should create a layout just like a food station. That means all ingredients that you plan to use should be laid out on your countertop. Not only that, but you’ll also need to create a system.

For example, all your spices should be in one corner, chopped vegetables in another one, and so on. If you don’t do this and leave everything mixed together, you will have problems finding specific ingredients. Ask any professional kitchen chef, and they will tell you that order in the kitchen is crucial if you don’t want to end up with burnt meals.

The appliance “garage”

Second, you should pick one corner of your kitchen and store all your appliances there. Having your dishwasher, ice maker, mixer, microwave, fryer, boilers, etc. in one place means that you won’t have to jump from one spot to another while cooking.

However, if you want to be even more efficient, then you should get one of those Electrolux oven/microwave combos. This is a great solution for cooks that don’t have space to waste. But even if you have plenty of room, an oven/microwave combo and other similar appliances can help you take the mise en place system to the next level.

Multipurpose kitchen islands

Next, we have multipurpose kitchen islands. If you didn’t know, kitchen islands are those massive countertops. They are called islands because they are usually placed in the centre of the kitchen so that you can access them from all sides.

While regular kitchen islands have a big working station and a couple of drawers and cabinets in it, the multipurpose ones are far more complex. You can install an oven, sink, fridge, and anything else that you may need for cooking. The goal is to have everything within a hand’s reach so that you don’t have to run across your kitchen. Plus, you will get a large surface area to work on and lay out all the ingredients, just like with food stations.

Bowls, pots, and other containers

Finally, you should buy containers and pots for different types of ingredients. For example, bowls and squeeze bottles can both hold liquids. However, a squeeze bottle is much more efficient at it. They are ideal for holding liquids like oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and other fluids that require precision when pouring.

Another great storage solution is plastic soup containers. Most people usually use bowls to store flour, dry breadcrumbs, and other ingredients prone to over-pouring, but soup containers with lids are a much better solution because they are easier to handle. In addition, they come with lids, so you can easily store them after you are done.

As you can see, mise en place is so much more than just a phrase; some professional chefs even go so far to call it a way of living, a philosophy. Of course, we are not that obsessed with it. However, nobody can deny the effectiveness of this type of kitchen. So, if you want to be a more efficient cook and have more fun prepping meals, make sure to implement these four tips in your kitchen.