Kitchen Optimizations

Summary

Kitchen optimizations 22 Dec, 2025 There's a lot written about how to be more time-efficient in the kitchen, but most of that concerns just a few aspects of food preparation. (Can I make this meal ahead? Is there a less time-intensive version of this meal? How often should I go grocery shopping? How often should I order in?) Many other categories of optimization are available, and for most of us they present opportunities for large time savings. They're hard to talk about, for a few reasons: The specifics are less generally transferrable than the specifics of, e.g., a particular time-optimized recipe. When things depend on (e.g.) the layout of your kitchen and the specific appliances you're using, it's harder to guarantee that an unknown reader will benefit from a specific tip. The time savings happen frequently, in small increments. Although the aggregate payoffs are large, many people are underwhelmed by the prospect of saving 20 seconds here and 90 seconds there. Many people feel silly trying to optimize these things. (Or, at least, I find that if you discuss these things, people will often find it strange.) Many people are so attached to their kitchen habits that they are offended at the thought of changing them, especially in light of a stranger's suggestions. If you are time-constrained and do a lot of kitchen work, though, it's worth paying attention to these optimizations. Most of us could gain a lot of time "for free," in the sense that we would be able to do all the same things we're already doing. By contrast, trying to make up the same amount of time by cooking differently involves a tradeoff (it's not the food you would otherwise be cooking). Here are a few first places to look. Some situations factor into irreducible and avoidable work components. I, for example, sometimes have to get all the dishes done, where that involves: Getting stray items from the table; Emptying a dishwasher; Emptying a drying rack; Getting all the dirty dishes washed; Getting ...