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I love your course! The self paced learning and work is so perfect for me, I'm so busy with kids, work, pets, family and adhd but you make it easy and way less stressful for me to get rid of all of my extra emotional clutter. Thank you! I recommend your course to all of my friends who tell me they have trouble decluttering.
#12 I did not buy them, I just got them as a gift for birthdays. Since I rarely used them I kept only my favorites and brought the others to the library.
I bake, and I need duplicates of measuring cups and spoons, spatulas, etc. I can't be stopping what I'm doing to hand wash every measuring spoon as I'm working. Yes it only takes a short time, but multiply that by quite a few that are used over the course of the day, and it's a lot of time. With baking, timing needs to be precise. I'd much rather store all those duplicates, then wash them all at the end, ready for next time. Everything else, totally agree.
I'm pretty sure she means duplicates of things you don't use or need. She used examples that work for her. I think she is encouraging you to think about duplicates that aren't right for you or your lifestyle.
From your comment I deduce you are measuring as you go, but have you considered preparing all the ingredients in advance? It streamlines the cooking experience so much and there are no delays. Furthermore, the mere sight of everything 'en place' can get you in the best cooking mood. I followed this approach ever since I went to a baking course and it made such a huge difference for me that I couldn't help suggesting it.
I was yelling at my tv when you were talking about the Chemex lol First tip…..fill the pot with hot tap water while you’re preparing the coffee. Let it heat up the glass for a few minutes. Second tip….your coffee is way too finely ground. If you’re grinding yourself…medium-course grind. If you’re getting store bought…look for something that is ground for French press. That will help the coffee flow through more quickly. It definitely shouldn’t be taking so long that it cools down. Good luck. :)
Also, you can place Chemex carafes on a glass stovetop (not sure what kind of surface your stove has). Mine has a warmer burner in the back, which keeps my Chemex at the perfect temp all morning.
We use a filter brew clip, it helps alleviate sealing between the carafe and filter for a more consistent brew. And we have a Chemex Collar to keep coffee warm, it’s a jacket for your Chemex. Both costs about $20 total.
I have a flat (electric) cooktop. I used to put my chemex on it all the time (on low setting) to keep the coffee warm. I got rid of both my vintage Chemex coffee makers a few years ago. It wasn't my favorite way to brew coffee (now we just use a metal Kalita flat bottom pour over dripper). There was a post on AT once about how sometimes people use unwanted Chemex carafes as flower vases!
I keep my toaster in the cabinet and it drops crumbs so I wanted something to set it in. I used a cake pan that I only use once or twice a year. No more crumbs in the cabinet and the cake pan is earning it's keep the other 362 days. BTW your wooden spatula if for breaking up ground beef and other things so you can scrape the bottom of the pan, not for turning eggs.
Wooden spatulas are also better for stir fry dishes and last longer than plastic, plus won't ruin your nice pans. It just depends on what you cook most as to what is 'useful' I guess
I love that you like having enough dishes for every member for multiple meals in a day because I never saw how needing to wash dishes after every single meal was more minimal than rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher.
Totally agree. Dawn the minimal mum always says one each and wash... but they are all home, plus she hates dishes, doesn't use the dish washer etc.. I have a set of 12... we clean in night and empty dishwasher mornings.. then can fill all day.
1. fantasy-self kitchen items (eg. Sour dough tools for the Instagram girlies) 2. duplicate kitchen items ( plastic and same set in metal or wood) 3.matching sets where you don't use one item (eg Spatulas) 4. unmatched containers or lids 5. execss water bottles or travel mugs 6. excess coffee/tea mugs 7. products that have disappointed you 8.unused coffee/tea 9. oversized or undersized tools (depending on household-size) 10. empty jars and condiment containers 11.damaged products 12. unused cookbooks 13. unused appliances 14. organising bins and containers 15. leftovers condiments and packets (eg small ketchup packets 16. novelty or souvenir products (eg free gifts from companies) 17. countertop clutter 18. knife holder 19. serving plates and platters (additional sets or festive sets) 20. too many plates and utensils
4:24 that wood spatula is the only one that shows signs of having been used/useful out of that whole wooden set - and it's the one getting thrown out? Sounds like office politics.
Since I’ve heard a lot about how our fantasy selves can keep us from decluttering, I’m trying something where I turn it around and am actively trying to use my fantasy self to help me declutter. Maybe my fantasy self will eventually reflect who I am. But my fantasy self wants simplicity, and to be able to work on my hobbies on a calm Sunday afternoon. To have people over with no notice. To have fewer decisions to make throughout my day.
Having or getting rid of duplicate utensils will depend a lot on how you cook. I keep duplicate measuring spoons because when baking you can be measuring wet and dry ingredients with the spoons andni dont want to stop to wash and dry spoons in the middle of the process.
When it comes to cookbooks I will print out the one or two recipes that I liked, then place them in the designated recipe binder that I have. Instead of buying the cookbooks now, I check them out of the library and copy off the recipes that I want to try. It reduces how much I waste on buying cookbooks, but I still get the happy buzz of looking for new recipes.
We use cookbooks to find new dishes, but our family has a shared google doc with our favorite and personalized recipes. As that expands, I expect our physical cookbook shelf to become just a couple books.
Yeah. We have a kid with celiac and have one set in black, one in red. Also, I cook a lot and have 2 slotted and 2 regular spoons in each color. Always in use it seems.
I agree too, but for a different reason. I actually use my duplicate items when one is dirty and Some items just make sense to have duplicates eg. Cooking Pots, spoons , plates , glasses.
I love the fact you factor in visitors when assessing how much crockery you need. Minimalism at its extreme is very self-centred, but your liveable minimalism recognises friends are the one resource we should allow to multiply.
You cracked me up when you tossed the wooden spoon in the Target set. That is my absolute go-to favorite. I don't flip eggs with it, specifically because it's not a spatula.... But I make custard with that one. I break up my ground beef with that one. I sautee vegetables with it. It is the first one I grab and the other two...toss.😂
Marissaaaa!!! I wanted to tell you this cute story. I work in property management so I give tours a lot and I had the sweetest couple come in, and they were talking about how they needed to declutter before their move, and i was like YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT A TO ZEN!! and i sent them your link. it was just cute. anyway, i always love watching your videos even if i’m not decluttering. they help me to get up and be productive idk why but thank you!🙏🏼
My favorite "platter" is an old microwave turntable. Its a thick tempered glass that hold a 9" cake or i use it for the holidays because its not too oversized.
I did buy a set of Correlle white dishes with a simple waved edge. They look great and are sturdy with out being thick so space saving to store. They work for any holiday by simply changing the table decorations.
I’m moving for the third time in a couple of years. Minimalism sure has simplified that process but I just adore your tips, thoughtful strategies, and tricks that help me refine my process. Thank you!
I will definitively use your list this weekend, to declutter my kitchen. And it's like you say: we all have to find the way to execute it in our own lives, with our own preferences. For instance my husband and I are really happy with our wooden wall plank with all the identical storing jars for non-perishables (rice, pastas, couscous, sugar, flour, bread crumbs etc.). It's decorative and practical, which I love. It's mostly the unused, unloved stuff you have to get rid of. Anything that doesn't actively makes you happy.
I have one of those coffee makers. My coffee is hot when it’s done and I make 3 whole cups. It could be the filter you’re using or the coffee is too fine. Once it’s done, I put the coffee in a thermos.
I also pour boiled water into my mug, and then pour it out (usually right back into my electric kettle, or to use as dishwater if it is the second cup) right before adding my coffee. I don’t have a chemex, but I often blend butter or milk and collagen into my coffee in a taller canister first, which makes it less hot. Using a mug with a small liquid surface area also helps the coffee stay hot longer. Hope these two tips (trivet/pre-heating the mug) help!
We love our Chemex. First fill the pot with hot water while you grind the beans, then use a reusable metal filter which is much quicker. And the trick to keeping coffee warm is to set a thick hot pad (I use a lovely felted wool pad) under the Chemex as you’re brewing. Hope this helps!
Haha, PITA to clean. Your subtle humor is great. I totally agree. I had an electric food processor that I wanted soo bad, got as a gift. It was such a PITA to clean, I gave it as a gift to someone who didn't mind cleaning it. Also, it was all the rage to have an insta pot. I COULD have made use of it, but no bandwidth to learn to use all the settings. Gave that as a gift too. I love my huge frying pan, my huge crockpot, my 3 big sheet pans, and my Dutch oven. My guilty pleasure I use all the time that I thought I wouldn't is the rice cooker. Lol. Saves me from forgetting about and burning the rice. I do have 2 big stand mixers, but I actually use them both almost every day, as well as my blender. I cook/bake almost everything from scratch. As for storage containers, I have slowly switched to mostly everything square or rectangular shaped. I have a good friend who was/is a Tupperware consultant, and she has helped me collect all my containers for freezer and storage. I let go of most of my older circular Tupperware that just didn't fit as well.
emptying countertops in our kitchen and bathroom was one of the best things I have done in years. It makes such a big difference. It's so easy now to wipe the surfaces every day. And second best thing was getting rid of almost all the kitchen equipment that is not dishwasher safe. Both me and my husband hate washing dishes so having no piles of dishes next to the sink definitely lowered our stress levels. There's still lot of work towards minimalism in our home but I can already see and feel the positive impact 😊
I can't have clear countertops because of brain issues but the next best thing for me was to put counter items in trays. You can easily pick them up and wipe around them Totally agree about getting rid of stuff that can't be washed in the dishwasher. That was one of my biggest things too. I don't buy anything that can't be machine washed
Thanks, this video really helped me. I was able to let go of some things that I felt guilty about not using, to bless another family. By not having to shove so much into the available space, I now have a good place for the items I still use. So much more peaceful in my everyday.
With the pour over coffee pot I believe your coffee ground is too fine. That's why it's taking so long. You may have to grind your own coffee. There are videos by people more into coffee than me that show the technique. I just bought a pour over and had the same problem, although the coffee tasted really good and I live in a hot climate, so I thought I could make iced coffee with it. I haven't quite figured it out yet. Edit: Reading the other comments it could be the filter too. I didn't want to use the plastic filter that came with my brand, so I bought paper filters. I might try mine out with the supplied filter and see if it works better.
Empty nester here! My kids dont want our stuff, and donation centers here are OVERFLOWING. Im not a seller. I hate tossing them, but they have to go. Great video as always🎉
If you have a neighborhood fb group or something similar you could post a curb alert. You put everything outside on a nice sunny weekend, post a picture, and tell people to just come and grab stuff. Also add a "free" sign for those who are just driving by
Omg! Donation centers are overflowing? That's so sad given how many people are in need around the world! There should be a system to spread donations to places were they are needed! Not calling you out, btw! I'm aware this is not your job, it's nice that you reached out to them in the first place, I'm just disappointed on the donation centers
oh my girls cleaned me out when they left home, and I was happy to offload stuff. I still don't understand how my plastic storage drawer keeps filling up, I'm not buying anything new, and just today I did another declutter and had 3 orphan bottoms and 7 lids!!
You need to responsibly rehome your items. Tossing things is simply unacceptable for items that are not actually trash. You accumulated it, you're responsible for it.
I love the glass cashew jars from Costco. The label peals off nicely and they fit in my pantry perfectly. I use them for rice mostly when I don’t cook the whole bag or beans. My husband has one of those sous vide cookers, he’s literally used it twice and it’s now been in the back of the cabinet and I paused this to mention it to him and he laughed and said he wasn’t getting rid off it. I’m all for declutterring and getting rid of unused stuff but I can’t throw away his stuff since he bought it and not me, and before we were married.
I have a bunch of the plastic cashew jars (before they switched to plastic bags, boo!), and I use them for flours and starches (I do GF mixes sometimes) and brown sugar.
I have an ugly confession to make: I have gotten so frustrated at being unable to find a particular measuring cup, or measuring spoon, or other type of utensil, that I will just avoid the anxiety over trying to find the needed thing and instead simply buy another one. Needless to say, doing this just adds to the pile in the drawer, thus making finding even the replacement item at a later time difficult lololol. SO, I have been slowly weeding through everything and eliminating those duplicates (or quadruplicates) and assigning dedicated spaces to keep things in a system that is more orderly and also more accessible. I have a very low threshold for frustration and, as I’m painfully aware of this, it’s important that I set up a system to keep as much kitchen frustration at bay as possible. Lol. I’m 72, you’d think I’d have figured this out by now lolol
My spouse does the same. In his words "why would I spend time searching for something when I can have one in every drawer?" Me "or you can leave it in the same spot and every time you need it you go to that spot"
@@pinkroses135we do that with old mismatched sets. But also there are some things that we have to measure the same amount of repeatedly, like dog food or dishwasher detergent, so I got golden cups/scoops in the correct sizes lol. They make me laugh. 24k gold measuring cup lol. They sell sets and individual ones. They even have 3/4 cups (that's what we need for rice and for dog food).
Other than the things above 😅 I have done the same things! I used to have multiple sets of everything because i never knew what would be clean when i cooked. But now that I've gotten rid of so much stuff, it's easier to do dishes and keep the kitchen clean, so everything already is clean all the time. I have 2 sets of matching measuring cups and a couple different liquid measuring cups that cover different measurement ranges. I have a few mismatched measuring spoons (for measuring things through the day) and a set of magnetic double ended ones (for actual from-scratch cooking). The magnetic ones get washed together no matter what so i always have every size clean. And now that it's easy to wash dishes i do a load every day so nothing is ever dirty for long
I really like that you ate balanced! Thank you for understanding we all host differently. I have 4 children, 9 grands, 6 great grands and I host birthdays and holidays. Why? Because I love ❤to!!! Some travel thousands of miles and I’m not serving them on paper and plastic!
Instead of buying cookbooks i borrow from the library and any recipes i like i will copy/scan it and keep it in a folder. I limit myself to one folder of recipes. Your husband is right about water.
I would purchase a round coffee, mug, warmer, and keep it in the on the kitchen counter and put your coffee carafe on that. I personally have a French press coffee carafe that has a stainless steel cover around it. It keeps mine warm..
I have two sets of dry measuring cups, 2 of each 1 cup and 4 cup liquid measure cups, and several sets of measuring spoons. It makes my life so much easier because sometimes I do huge baking or cooking sessions and washing between uses interrupts my work flow. Especially when making batches of hard candy.
I adore your videos. I have to tell you I have several sentimental and old items, too. I have my mom's very first singer sewing machine she purchased with her first paycheck from the phone company in 1946. Plus my husband and I have been together as a couple for 39 years. ❤
I think I’m doing pretty good in my kitchen! Some of the things I do have going on (like duplicates… it helps to have things in multiple places) but I have let go of a lot of gadgets and randomness. If I don’t use it, I rehomed it. I did keep a couple of occasional use Le Creuset pots but they make me happy and they are useful af for holidays. I have to tell people I don’t want a deep fryer, instant pot, or whatever. I’m really glad that this video has made me feel better about my decluttering! I think I’m going to go through my cookbooks today though
The wooden spatula. I sanded down the edge. It now is thin enough to get under my eggs and I get to enjoy the beautiful wood grain of my spatula. Keep it oiled after washing so it lasts longer. Love your content.
I think another problem with organizing bins is that when they are nearly gone or empty, they still take up the same amount of valuable real estate. We don’t have a pantry but we have a laundry room next to our kitchen. We put a bakers rack in there for food, paper products and other necessary items. I use the flat boxes from Costco to “corral” items. Works out great. Maybe not beautiful but as things go out, the space is open for something different. I use bins that I have purchased for all kinds of things. I don’t have a lot but what I do have, comes in handy. I love your videos, Marissa❤!
Nice solutions! Can I borrow them? Lol. I don't get this aesthetics hype of buying tons of plastic bins to put away plastic stuff. It's not for the sake of simply organizing anymore. Thanks for sharing ❤
Amazing video as always, Marissa! 🤗❤️ I always appreciate how you put equal thought and consideration into the things you choose to bring into your home and the things you choose to declutter. And before buying, you always look at the things you already have to see if you can use them in a new way (example: entryway bowl now being used as a fruit bowl 👍👍). After getting into minimalism and finding your channel at least two years ago, you are one of only three minimalist creators I still enjoy watching every video upload. I have unsubscribed to several channels in the past because they were always talking about the multiple new things they have purchased and the multiple things they are decluttering. A never ending cycle of thoughtless and/or unnecessary consumerism and subsequent waste. It’s like they were getting a “high” from shopping AND decluttering….and were justifying one addiction with the other…😕 As a side note, if you ever wanted to try sous vide again, you can actually use Stasher brand reusable silicone ziplock bags for it. I don’t eat meat so I’ve never tried it, but I remember this being one of the multipurpose uses of that brand of silicone bags! Other brands might be safe to use in this way too; this is just the one that I know of personally because I use them for food storage and steaming veggies in the microwave. 😊
Based on my current family situation, having duplicates is a temporary thing. We have the "main family usage" kitchen items (typically those we call as mom/dad's items) and the duplicates belong to different family members (those who will eventually take it with them when they move out on their own). There are duplicates of large salad mixing bowls (or pots/pans) which are necessary when my family is hosting for a get-together (we don't often order take-outs), and we want to make large batches of a single dish to feed 20-30 people. Not all duplicates are like that though. There are definitely "hoarding items" involved (from those who have experienced the times of hardships), and I know full well of what items are being utilized, and what haven't been touched for years.
regarding the coffee device. If you have a hot plate, there's an option. Otherwise, I think it would make a handsome vase, even better if it holds a hyacinth bulb. Otherwise, yes, rehome, sell, or recycle (the glass content). The little 'glass cups' (we call them ramekins in the UK), are super useful. I used to have maybe 12 of them, but now I only have four. Very useful for things like jello, home made hummus, storing left over sauce. I also use them for holding (dry and laundered) dish cloths. Come to think of it, maybe I only lost a few, as I clearly have more than four. Lids from 'pringles' chips (the Aldi version fits better) transform them into a sealed container.
Too funny you mentioned the vase thing…husband said that as well! 🤣 The worry I have buying more stuff is The Diderot Effect, where you have to buy more and more to compliment a single purchase! We have to consider our options for sure - thanks for chiming in!!
Thankyou … the spatula thingy was like a light suddenly going off for me … every time I opened that draw I was unhappy but could not put my finger on what exactly made me unhappy or where to start … but your point that you only end up using ur fav was spot on … that made it so much easier to sort through and declutter that draw … thanks
I love to cook and cook A LOT. I make a lot of sauces aw well as buy, that I that need refrigeration. I bought those clear refrigerator bins, mostly for the aesthetics, but hoped it may make it a little easier to find what I'm looking for. Honestly, it works even better than I hoped. It may not work for others, but for me, I can just slide the the containers out like drawers, grab what I want and slide it back in, instead of shuffling everything around making a mess.
Since we are now empty nesters we still use our large crock pot and pots to cook with. We still cook larger portions but we freeze some for meals at other times and frankly we eat leftovers. This way we aren't cooking as often!!
I loooove my chemex!! We grind very finely and then use a reusable coffee filter we got on Amazon. It takes hardly any time at all - way faster than the paper filters. I think it’s called a coffee sock? It just gets rinsed out with water every day. Any minor inconveniences it has are outweighed by not having heated plastic bits!
Oh wow ! Thank you for number 14. Every time I see or watch a video about containers and how organized it looks I feel bad and wonder if I should be doing that even though my kitchen cabinets are organized. ( I do have some containers but not a lot) so thank you for saying that I don’t need to feel that way 🙏🏼🩷🩷🩷 You are awesome! 🩷🩷🩷🌷
You can warm the coffee (gently) in your Chemex on your stovetop. That said, we use an insulated French press most of the time. We only have use the Chemex when we host and need to make coffee for a group
As someone who lives in a small NYC apartment, my best advice is to be very intentional with every product you buy. If I don't have room for it, I don't buy it. I have 2 kitchen drawers and together they are about the size of the drawer you showed. I have one 10 inch skillet, because 12 inches won't fit on my stove. I have two glass pots. A two slice toaster oven is the only appliance I have room for, although I do have a small blender in a closet for smoothies. No air fryer, instant pot, rice maker, standing mixer, etc. I only cook meals that can be done in one pot and/or pan. I do have a few multiples though...in line with the comments about measuring spoons, cutting boards, locking tongs...all for convenience and food safety.
My mom and I are both addicted to cookbooks, but we have gotten away from buying them new unless we get it from the library and flipped through it first, or if we can, we will buy it second hand. I've had a cookbook sitting in my amazon cart for a while now, and I got the itch to buy it, but instead of buying it, I got it from the library, and I am so glad I did, because this is not a book I will use to cook for my husband and I, so it would have been a waste of money. On the other hand, my mom and I will buy cookbooks we end up loving, and we will trade books back and forth with each other now.
Chemex tips! Firstly use very coarsely ground coffee. This will make sure the water drips through faster thus leaving you with a hotter cup of coffee! You could also try putting hot water into your Chemex before (!) putting the filter with the coffee in at the top. By swirling the hot water around in the Chemex you will heat up the glass and this will make sure that the coffee doesn't get cooled down when it hits the glass! Hope this helps :)
It also looks like they are putting all the water in at one time. There is a technique to pour over coffee, and that makes the water flow through faster.
4:00 The wooden spatula might be useful for wok cooking. I used to have one similar to this and it got lost or something. The replacement is a robust wooden spoon, but I don't like it nearly as well for stir-frying.
I live single that Chemex is very useful for family gatherings or events, can be use for 65gr/1L servings, you need to flush the filter and warm the glass to get better taste, pour 200/400 /400 ml every 45s after the water drowning... grind the coffee coarsely
Tip for the chemex coffee maker: put the paper filter in place and pour hot water to pre-wet the filter. Then you dump out the excess water and brew your coffee normally. The water should flow much faster this way and not let your coffee get cold as quickly
I recently got an ice cream maker to make homemade rather that going for frogurt. I used it a few times but it just meant I ate more. Luckily I'd found it at thrift so it didn't cost much and I didn't feel bad about donating it back.
We use the garlic sauce from Papa Johns to add a restaurant touch to our burger buns at home for our burgers and bbq sandwiches or garlic toast to go with spaghetti. I am working on decluttering some items this weekend. Love your videos.
I have knife holder from LIDL and it helped so much. I have small kitchenette with only one small drawer, so knifes was always in the way or in weird places like tea shelf ;) I know that those are general advice and everybody should check how they work with their lives... I am surprised seeing so many comments about leaving duplicates
I agree with you concerning cookbooks, I have already got rid of a lot a few months ago but after listening to you I can see where I can get rid of a lot more. Infact, I realize I don't need any books at all as I can get most recipes of You Tube. I am really needing the space. There is a lot more I can get rid of thanks to you,
I do the same thing with the jars. Just today I was cleaning out my cabinets and pulled out all the jars i had collected over this past winter, I have yet to get rid of some 😉.
I love my minimalist kitchen! It's so easy to clean 🎉 Great video, I like how you explained your reasons for what you decided to keep and why it works for you 🩷
It's interesting for me to hear how other people use some of their kitchen stuff. Like that big flat wooden spatula like spoon; I've never even thought to use it as a spatula because as she mentioned in the video, it's a terrible spatula.lot's a just have for me though because of how wonderful it is at storing caramels or other things where I don't want the bottom to burn.
We love our chemex! We never have problem with cold coffee and we use a paper filter like what you use. The thing with coffee is it’s really supposed to be brewed at 205F so we use an electric kettle with a temperature preset. If your water isn’t as warm that could be why it’s cold when you are ready to enjoy. Hope this helps!
I use a 1/4 sheet pan to hold stuff I am using while cooking..BUT I flash Freeze blueberries,etc so perfect to spread fruit and put in freezer till ready to be put in containers
I'm with you on the tea organizers. But I am still hanging onto the mostly unused serving platters, which look like they might have value, handed down from my Mom.
I have a similar coffee maker but with a different setting for the filter. It has a tea filter included. And so I use it for tea mostly. I was thinking, if you are a tea drinker as I believe you are, to repurpose it adapting a big tea filter - if you have one
The wooden spatula is not good as a spatula but the best at stirring food because it makes the best contact with the pans and pots. I have 3 and I always reach for them.
With your coffee pot, can I suggest you fill it with boiling water first to warm it up, then empty it before starting your coffee making. I have to do this with my glass tea pot. XX
I used to love mine. Then, one fell off and stabbed me in the foot. Never trusted it again. Wasn't a bad injury. Didn't even hurt. But it did go in about 1/4 an inch and it left a scar. Could have been a lot worse.
Brilliant as usual! Excellent tips. I have waaaay too many mugs and waaay too many duplicates.oh, and a giant Kitchen Aid mixer that has been used once!!!
The coffee maker? I use a similar maker to drain and dispose of coffee grounds from a French press. Rather than putting down the sink, I dispose of the full filter into the compost bin.
Thanks for the video! I already threw away unused spatulas etc. but after watching, I finally got rid of a stray plastic lid (I have no idea to which box it once belonged) and also put all the other lids into a different cupboard (a corner difficult to use where I store rarely used stuff). I still own and use their bowls but hardly need the lids. I want to keep them but they don't need to take up precious space in my bowl drawer! I actually have a knife holder like that and we love it! Yes, it takes some space on the counter but we don't have unused drawers to put the knives into 😄but of course, you can only work with the space you have and German kitchens can be super small. For dishes and cutlery, it's a balancing act to have barely enough but not too much 😆 we are two people in the household and quite often run out of knives or spoons before the dishwasher is full. But I got my cutlery 20 years ago and can't buy more of the same, but also I don't want to mix with a different set.
I just got rid of our knife block last month! Haven’t missed it AT ALL. It not only took up space, but it also stayed greasy and dirty from cooking, since it sat next to the stove. One less item for me to keep clean!
For the chemex, if the coffee grind is too fine, it won't brew right. I have a chemex and would shake my grinds in a blade grinder to approximate the medium coarse grind until my husband bought me an oxo burr grinder last Christmas
That coffee maker is a work of art. I had one too. I loved how it looked on my coffee bar. But like you, i found that it worked poorly. I hated to let it go but eventually i had to let it go. Now i have a single cup auto coffee maker and while it is not as pleasing to look at, it is wonderful at its job.
I don't have any advice for your current coffee thing, but I use a metal/insulated french press and its my favorite! Keeps things way warm. Just pour some sorta coarse grounds and set a timer for 2 minutes. Its nice to have a virtually indestructible "coffee maker" that will never ever break and I definitely take comfort knowing I have no plans to ever spend $100 on a a Mr. Coffee ever again :)
For your pour over coffee maker see if you can find the metal filter. Mine came with a reusable metal one and it doesn't take as long to brew... you do want a more espresso ground on your coffee, but it does make excellent coffee and will still be hot
Big fan of keeping quality boxes for organizing drawers vs buying new products. Especially anything that came from Apple- they have the best shallow boxes 😊
I’m 30lbs lighter than last summer. So I gathered up my better clothing to donate to a group that helps refugees in our area. Your video reminded me to declutter my plates and glasses cupboard, and my “junk drawer” of utensils. I’ll ask if they can use those items.
A thick wooden spatula works really well to mash up ground beef in the pan - much better than the spoons! I love mine :) Sanding it to make it a flipper is a great idea too!
We have one that we use a lot for crumbling meat when cooking. It chops more easily and finely than a spoon, and it also functions well for stirring and scooping up---just like a spoon lol. I've never tried to use it as an actual spatula, but if I wanted to do that, sanding it down thinner is a brilliant idea! I bought one of those black plastic meat choppers and it's so noisy to use (all that banging), plus it's tricky to stir with it, so you wind up needing to use a spoon in addition to the chopper, which means more stuff to wash and more stuff to store. Then the plastic started melting and peeling off in little bits. Got rid of it. I'm sticking with my wooden and metal cooking/serving utensils.....including my wooden "spatula"/chopper. 😉
Not sure if you've already gotten rid of your Chemex but... My late wife preferred making her coffee in a pour over pot (not Chemex brand though) and we bought a reusable coffee filter, stainless steel mesh. I would often brew her coffee in the mornings and never experienced the issue you've been having with slow drip. You also have to make sure that you wet the coffee grounds before doing the full pour over - I would typically pour in a circle over the grounds, making three quick circles, wait for that water to drip through, then pour enough water to fill the filter to the top. Then keep an eye on the water level in the filter and coffee level in the pot and add more water as it went until I'd added enough water to fill the pot.
The issue I see with your coffee pot is, if you manage to keep the coffee hot, won't it be too hot to handle when you go to pour it? I use a teapot with a ceramic filter holder and I sit it on a warmer, it works great. The other tip I finally figured out was, when you're pouring the water over the grounds, always pour in the very same spot, not disturbing the grounds. The coffee tastes a lot better and the water drains quickly. One more tip is to get and maintain the water temperature between 195 and 205. Hope this helps. Thanks for your tips..
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I love your course! The self paced learning and work is so perfect for me, I'm so busy with kids, work, pets, family and adhd but you make it easy and way less stressful for me to get rid of all of my extra emotional clutter. Thank you! I recommend your course to all of my friends who tell me they have trouble decluttering.
Get a reusable wire mesh coffee filter. It filters sooo much faster
#12 I did not buy them, I just got them as a gift for birthdays. Since I rarely used them I kept only my favorites and brought the others to the library.
I bake, and I need duplicates of measuring cups and spoons, spatulas, etc. I can't be stopping what I'm doing to hand wash every measuring spoon as I'm working. Yes it only takes a short time, but multiply that by quite a few that are used over the course of the day, and it's a lot of time. With baking, timing needs to be precise. I'd much rather store all those duplicates, then wash them all at the end, ready for next time. Everything else, totally agree.
I concur. I usually prefer steel pans, but my family likes non stick. We have different preferences, so duplicates actually get a ton of use for us
You still wash the same amount!
Three cups once or one cup three times!
Years ago my mother and I ran a small tearoom.
I did all the baking and never had duplicates.
Didn't have a dishwasher either!
I'm pretty sure she means duplicates of things you don't use or need. She used examples that work for her. I think she is encouraging you to think about duplicates that aren't right for you or your lifestyle.
From your comment I deduce you are measuring as you go, but have you considered preparing all the ingredients in advance? It streamlines the cooking experience so much and there are no delays. Furthermore, the mere sight of everything 'en place' can get you in the best cooking mood. I followed this approach ever since I went to a baking course and it made such a huge difference for me that I couldn't help suggesting it.
I was yelling at my tv when you were talking about the Chemex lol
First tip…..fill the pot with hot tap water while you’re preparing the coffee. Let it heat up the glass for a few minutes.
Second tip….your coffee is way too finely ground. If you’re grinding yourself…medium-course grind. If you’re getting store bought…look for something that is ground for French press. That will help the coffee flow through more quickly. It definitely shouldn’t be taking so long that it cools down. Good luck. :)
Thank you for the advice! Husband is the one who makes it, so I will pass on the info 👍
Also, you can place Chemex carafes on a glass stovetop (not sure what kind of surface your stove has). Mine has a warmer burner in the back, which keeps my Chemex at the perfect temp all morning.
We use a filter brew clip, it helps alleviate sealing between the carafe and filter for a more consistent brew. And we have a Chemex Collar to keep coffee warm, it’s a jacket for your Chemex. Both costs about $20 total.
I have a flat (electric) cooktop. I used to put my chemex on it all the time (on low setting) to keep the coffee warm. I got rid of both my vintage Chemex coffee makers a few years ago. It wasn't my favorite way to brew coffee (now we just use a metal Kalita flat bottom pour over dripper). There was a post on AT once about how sometimes people use unwanted Chemex carafes as flower vases!
I use a clever dripper. It doesn't look like yuppie glassware lol but it's easy to use and my coffee is always perfect. Easy to clean as well
I keep my toaster in the cabinet and it drops crumbs so I wanted something to set it in. I used a cake pan that I only use once or twice a year. No more crumbs in the cabinet and the cake pan is earning it's keep the other 362 days. BTW your wooden spatula if for breaking up ground beef and other things so you can scrape the bottom of the pan, not for turning eggs.
Exactly
Wooden spatulas are also better for stir fry dishes and last longer than plastic, plus won't ruin your nice pans. It just depends on what you cook most as to what is 'useful' I guess
love the concept of "earning its keep"!
wooden utensils are so much better than plastic! funny how her husband is ok with boiling food in a plastic bag but didn't want plastic utensils.
I love that you like having enough dishes for every member for multiple meals in a day because I never saw how needing to wash dishes after every single meal was more minimal than rinsing them and putting them in the dishwasher.
Yeah, I can’t stand handwashing dishes lol. To each their own!
Me either. I still don't get it. I don't mind hand washing a few things but not every single dish 3x a day 😂
Totally agree. Dawn the minimal mum always says one each and wash... but they are all home, plus she hates dishes, doesn't use the dish washer etc.. I have a set of 12... we clean in night and empty dishwasher mornings.. then can fill all day.
It's not that hard.
I like to wash dishes!
1. fantasy-self kitchen items (eg. Sour dough tools for the Instagram girlies)
2. duplicate kitchen items ( plastic and same set in metal or wood)
3.matching sets where you don't use one item (eg Spatulas)
4. unmatched containers or lids
5. execss water bottles or travel mugs
6. excess coffee/tea mugs
7. products that have disappointed you
8.unused coffee/tea
9. oversized or undersized tools (depending on household-size)
10. empty jars and condiment containers
11.damaged products
12. unused cookbooks
13. unused appliances
14. organising bins and containers
15. leftovers condiments and packets (eg small ketchup packets
16. novelty or souvenir products (eg free gifts from companies)
17. countertop clutter
18. knife holder
19. serving plates and platters (additional sets or festive sets)
20. too many plates and utensils
I’ve been looking for this comment ❤🤩
Yes thank you so much
Thank you for this.
I always wish that there were lists on videos like this.
4:24 that wood spatula is the only one that shows signs of having been used/useful out of that whole wooden set - and it's the one getting thrown out? Sounds like office politics.
Since I’ve heard a lot about how our fantasy selves can keep us from decluttering, I’m trying something where I turn it around and am actively trying to use my fantasy self to help me declutter. Maybe my fantasy self will eventually reflect who I am. But my fantasy self wants simplicity, and to be able to work on my hobbies on a calm Sunday afternoon. To have people over with no notice. To have fewer decisions to make throughout my day.
What a wonderful goal.
This is such a great perspective.
Having or getting rid of duplicate utensils will depend a lot on how you cook. I keep duplicate measuring spoons because when baking you can be measuring wet and dry ingredients with the spoons andni dont want to stop to wash and dry spoons in the middle of the process.
When it comes to cookbooks I will print out the one or two recipes that I liked, then place them in the designated recipe binder that I have. Instead of buying the cookbooks now, I check them out of the library and copy off the recipes that I want to try. It reduces how much I waste on buying cookbooks, but I still get the happy buzz of looking for new recipes.
I also do this!
All my favourite recipes in one binder.
With the internet I can find so many!
We use cookbooks to find new dishes, but our family has a shared google doc with our favorite and personalized recipes. As that expands, I expect our physical cookbook shelf to become just a couple books.
Haha I’m guilty with the knife holder
I don't mind having duplicates of utensils. Some are usually in the dishwasher.
That is one of the reasons I don't like dishwashers!
Yeah. We have a kid with celiac and have one set in black, one in red. Also, I cook a lot and have 2 slotted and 2 regular spoons in each color. Always in use it seems.
Exactly! I have duplicates on purpose. They are working in turns, while some awaiting being washed.
Yeah. I'm single, it takes me a little time to fill the dishwasher, and my time is valuable. Some of the other ideas are spot on, though
I agree, except for duplicates. Many times something has broken at the worst time and I’m always glad to have a backup.
I agree too, but for a different reason. I actually use my duplicate items when one is dirty and Some items just make sense to have duplicates eg. Cooking Pots, spoons , plates , glasses.
I love the fact you factor in visitors when assessing how much crockery you need. Minimalism at its extreme is very self-centred, but your liveable minimalism recognises friends are the one resource we should allow to multiply.
it's only selfish IF you WANT guests. if you don't it ain't.
The reason I'm decluttering is so i have time for my fantasy self.
A decluttered person is probably my fantasy self 😀
You cracked me up when you tossed the wooden spoon in the Target set. That is my absolute go-to favorite. I don't flip eggs with it, specifically because it's not a spatula.... But I make custard with that one. I break up my ground beef with that one. I sautee vegetables with it. It is the first one I grab and the other two...toss.😂
Same
Me too. The edge on those spoons are too thick in my opinion.
Marissaaaa!!! I wanted to tell you this cute story. I work in property management so I give tours a lot and I had the sweetest couple come in, and they were talking about how they needed to declutter before their move, and i was like YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT A TO ZEN!! and i sent them your link. it was just cute. anyway, i always love watching your videos even if i’m not decluttering. they help me to get up and be productive idk why but thank you!🙏🏼
That is SO SWEET! Thanks so much for thinking of me and sharing that story. 🤗
My favorite "platter" is an old microwave turntable. Its a thick tempered glass that hold a 9" cake or i use it for the holidays because its not too oversized.
Oh my goodness I love that! We actually have an extra one that the owners of our new home left behind - I might just use this idea 😁
I think I've seen those for sale at secondhand stores, too!
i love decluttering but you can pry the novelty mugs from my cold dead hands, i love a good theme mug
I did buy a set of Correlle white dishes with a simple waved edge. They look great and are sturdy with out being thick so space saving to store. They work for any holiday by simply changing the table decorations.
I’m moving for the third time in a couple of years. Minimalism sure has simplified that process but I just adore your tips, thoughtful strategies, and tricks that help me refine my process. Thank you!
I will definitively use your list this weekend, to declutter my kitchen. And it's like you say: we all have to find the way to execute it in our own lives, with our own preferences. For instance my husband and I are really happy with our wooden wall plank with all the identical storing jars for non-perishables (rice, pastas, couscous, sugar, flour, bread crumbs etc.). It's decorative and practical, which I love. It's mostly the unused, unloved stuff you have to get rid of. Anything that doesn't actively makes you happy.
I have one of those coffee makers. My coffee is hot when it’s done and I make 3 whole cups. It could be the filter you’re using or the coffee is too fine. Once it’s done, I put the coffee in a thermos.
Cold coffee- put a trivet under the coffee maker. Granite or stone will conduct the heat away from objects etc. Good luck!
I also pour boiled water into my mug, and then pour it out (usually right back into my electric kettle, or to use as dishwater if it is the second cup) right before adding my coffee. I don’t have a chemex, but I often blend butter or milk and collagen into my coffee in a taller canister first, which makes it less hot. Using a mug with a small liquid surface area also helps the coffee stay hot longer.
Hope these two tips (trivet/pre-heating the mug) help!
I'll add here, I wrap a towel around mine! (Etsy does have cozies tho)
Also check your ground size if it's running slow, try a coarser grind.
We love our Chemex. First fill the pot with hot water while you grind the beans, then use a reusable metal filter which is much quicker. And the trick to keeping coffee warm is to set a thick hot pad (I use a lovely felted wool pad) under the Chemex as you’re brewing. Hope this helps!
Haha, PITA to clean. Your subtle humor is great. I totally agree. I had an electric food processor that I wanted soo bad, got as a gift. It was such a PITA to clean, I gave it as a gift to someone who didn't mind cleaning it. Also, it was all the rage to have an insta pot. I COULD have made use of it, but no bandwidth to learn to use all the settings. Gave that as a gift too. I love my huge frying pan, my huge crockpot, my 3 big sheet pans, and my Dutch oven. My guilty pleasure I use all the time that I thought I wouldn't is the rice cooker. Lol. Saves me from forgetting about and burning the rice. I do have 2 big stand mixers, but I actually use them both almost every day, as well as my blender. I cook/bake almost everything from scratch. As for storage containers, I have slowly switched to mostly everything square or rectangular shaped. I have a good friend who was/is a Tupperware consultant, and she has helped me collect all my containers for freezer and storage. I let go of most of my older circular Tupperware that just didn't fit as well.
Thanks for the square storage tip!
@@laurablake8330 you are very welcome:)
Marissa, I’ve met you today and I love you already: you’re so sober and realistic and that is so true and functional ❤
emptying countertops in our kitchen and bathroom was one of the best things I have done in years. It makes such a big difference. It's so easy now to wipe the surfaces every day.
And second best thing was getting rid of almost all the kitchen equipment that is not dishwasher safe. Both me and my husband hate washing dishes so having no piles of dishes next to the sink definitely lowered our stress levels.
There's still lot of work towards minimalism in our home but I can already see and feel the positive impact 😊
I can't have clear countertops because of brain issues but the next best thing for me was to put counter items in trays. You can easily pick them up and wipe around them
Totally agree about getting rid of stuff that can't be washed in the dishwasher. That was one of my biggest things too. I don't buy anything that can't be machine washed
Thanks, this video really helped me. I was able to let go of some things that I felt guilty about not using, to bless another family. By not having to shove so much into the available space, I now have a good place for the items I still use. So much more peaceful in my everyday.
With the pour over coffee pot I believe your coffee ground is too fine. That's why it's taking so long.
You may have to grind your own coffee.
There are videos by people more into coffee than me that show the technique.
I just bought a pour over and had the same problem, although the coffee tasted really good and I live in a hot climate, so I thought I could make iced coffee with it.
I haven't quite figured it out yet.
Edit: Reading the other comments it could be the filter too.
I didn't want to use the plastic filter that came with my brand, so I bought paper filters.
I might try mine out with the supplied filter and see if it works better.
That third wooden spatula is great for scraping stuck-on food on pan bottoms.
Empty nester here! My kids dont want our stuff, and donation centers here are OVERFLOWING. Im not a seller. I hate tossing them, but they have to go. Great video as always🎉
If you have a neighborhood fb group or something similar you could post a curb alert. You put everything outside on a nice sunny weekend, post a picture, and tell people to just come and grab stuff. Also add a "free" sign for those who are just driving by
Omg! Donation centers are overflowing? That's so sad given how many people are in need around the world! There should be a system to spread donations to places were they are needed!
Not calling you out, btw! I'm aware this is not your job, it's nice that you reached out to them in the first place, I'm just disappointed on the donation centers
@@LenaFerrari we need a much better way to get the things to people in need. It's a terrible situation.
oh my girls cleaned me out when they left home, and I was happy to offload stuff. I still don't understand how my plastic storage drawer keeps filling up, I'm not buying anything new, and just today I did another declutter and had 3 orphan bottoms and 7 lids!!
You need to responsibly rehome your items. Tossing things is simply unacceptable for items that are not actually trash. You accumulated it, you're responsible for it.
I love the glass cashew jars from Costco. The label peals off nicely and they fit in my pantry perfectly. I use them for rice mostly when I don’t cook the whole bag or beans. My husband has one of those sous vide cookers, he’s literally used it twice and it’s now been in the back of the cabinet and I paused this to mention it to him and he laughed and said he wasn’t getting rid off it. I’m all for declutterring and getting rid of unused stuff but I can’t throw away his stuff since he bought it and not me, and before we were married.
I have a bunch of the plastic cashew jars (before they switched to plastic bags, boo!), and I use them for flours and starches (I do GF mixes sometimes) and brown sugar.
I felt validated for keeping the tea in original packaging and not getting more organizers, thank you for great ideas!
I have an ugly confession to make: I have gotten so frustrated at being unable to find a particular measuring cup, or measuring spoon, or other type of utensil, that I will just avoid the anxiety over trying to find the needed thing and instead simply buy another one. Needless to say, doing this just adds to the pile in the drawer, thus making finding even the replacement item at a later time difficult lololol. SO, I have been slowly weeding through everything and eliminating those duplicates (or quadruplicates) and assigning dedicated spaces to keep things in a system that is more orderly and also more accessible. I have a very low threshold for frustration and, as I’m painfully aware of this, it’s important that I set up a system to keep as much kitchen frustration at bay as possible. Lol. I’m 72, you’d think I’d have figured this out by now lolol
This is a good thing to know about yourself!
My spouse does the same. In his words "why would I spend time searching for something when I can have one in every drawer?" Me "or you can leave it in the same spot and every time you need it you go to that spot"
One solution that could work for people is putting the extras in the flour etc that you use it in
@@pinkroses135we do that with old mismatched sets. But also there are some things that we have to measure the same amount of repeatedly, like dog food or dishwasher detergent, so I got golden cups/scoops in the correct sizes lol. They make me laugh. 24k gold measuring cup lol. They sell sets and individual ones. They even have 3/4 cups (that's what we need for rice and for dog food).
Other than the things above 😅 I have done the same things! I used to have multiple sets of everything because i never knew what would be clean when i cooked. But now that I've gotten rid of so much stuff, it's easier to do dishes and keep the kitchen clean, so everything already is clean all the time. I have 2 sets of matching measuring cups and a couple different liquid measuring cups that cover different measurement ranges. I have a few mismatched measuring spoons (for measuring things through the day) and a set of magnetic double ended ones (for actual from-scratch cooking). The magnetic ones get washed together no matter what so i always have every size clean. And now that it's easy to wash dishes i do a load every day so nothing is ever dirty for long
I really like that you ate balanced! Thank you for understanding we all host differently. I have 4 children, 9 grands, 6 great grands and I host birthdays and holidays. Why? Because I love ❤to!!! Some travel thousands of miles and I’m not serving them on paper and plastic!
Great example of aligning what you own + your values 👏👏👏
Instead of buying cookbooks i borrow from the library and any recipes i like i will copy/scan it and keep it in a folder.
I limit myself to one folder of recipes.
Your husband is right about water.
I would purchase a round coffee, mug, warmer, and keep it in the on the kitchen counter and put your coffee carafe on that. I personally have a French press coffee carafe that has a stainless steel cover around it. It keeps mine warm..
Thank you. This video speaks to me. Unlike so many other minimalist videos. Now I just need to figure out how to get started.
I have two sets of dry measuring cups, 2 of each 1 cup and 4 cup liquid measure cups, and several sets of measuring spoons. It makes my life so much easier because sometimes I do huge baking or cooking sessions and washing between uses interrupts my work flow. Especially when making batches of hard candy.
I adore your videos. I have to tell you I have several sentimental and old items, too. I have my mom's very first singer sewing machine she purchased with her first paycheck from the phone company in 1946. Plus my husband and I have been together as a couple for 39 years. ❤
I think I’m doing pretty good in my kitchen! Some of the things I do have going on (like duplicates… it helps to have things in multiple places) but I have let go of a lot of gadgets and randomness. If I don’t use it, I rehomed it. I did keep a couple of occasional use Le Creuset pots but they make me happy and they are useful af for holidays. I have to tell people I don’t want a deep fryer, instant pot, or whatever. I’m really glad that this video has made me feel better about my decluttering! I think I’m going to go through my cookbooks today though
Thank you so much for sharing, I was actually thinking of purchasing a Le Creuset - which ones do you have/love? (I was looking at the braiser.)
Your husband has a point about drinking water at room temperature. Cold water hinders digestion, whereas room temperature assist in better digestion.
The wooden spatula. I sanded down the edge. It now is thin enough to get under my eggs and I get to enjoy the beautiful wood grain of my spatula. Keep it oiled after washing so it lasts longer. Love your content.
I think another problem with organizing bins is that when they are nearly gone or empty, they still take up the same amount of valuable real estate. We don’t have a pantry but we have a laundry room next to our kitchen. We put a bakers rack in there for food, paper products and other necessary items. I use the flat boxes from Costco to “corral” items. Works out great. Maybe not beautiful but as things go out, the space is open for something different. I use bins that I have purchased for all kinds of things. I don’t have a lot but what I do have, comes in handy. I love your videos, Marissa❤!
Nice solutions! Can I borrow them? Lol. I don't get this aesthetics hype of buying tons of plastic bins to put away plastic stuff. It's not for the sake of simply organizing anymore. Thanks for sharing ❤
Amazing video as always, Marissa! 🤗❤️ I always appreciate how you put equal thought and consideration into the things you choose to bring into your home and the things you choose to declutter. And before buying, you always look at the things you already have to see if you can use them in a new way (example: entryway bowl now being used as a fruit bowl 👍👍).
After getting into minimalism and finding your channel at least two years ago, you are one of only three minimalist creators I still enjoy watching every video upload. I have unsubscribed to several channels in the past because they were always talking about the multiple new things they have purchased and the multiple things they are decluttering. A never ending cycle of thoughtless and/or unnecessary consumerism and subsequent waste. It’s like they were getting a “high” from shopping AND decluttering….and were justifying one addiction with the other…😕
As a side note, if you ever wanted to try sous vide again, you can actually use Stasher brand reusable silicone ziplock bags for it. I don’t eat meat so I’ve never tried it, but I remember this being one of the multipurpose uses of that brand of silicone bags! Other brands might be safe to use in this way too; this is just the one that I know of personally because I use them for food storage and steaming veggies in the microwave. 😊
Based on my current family situation, having duplicates is a temporary thing. We have the "main family usage" kitchen items (typically those we call as mom/dad's items) and the duplicates belong to different family members (those who will eventually take it with them when they move out on their own). There are duplicates of large salad mixing bowls (or pots/pans) which are necessary when my family is hosting for a get-together (we don't often order take-outs), and we want to make large batches of a single dish to feed 20-30 people.
Not all duplicates are like that though. There are definitely "hoarding items" involved (from those who have experienced the times of hardships), and I know full well of what items are being utilized, and what haven't been touched for years.
regarding the coffee device. If you have a hot plate, there's an option. Otherwise, I think it would make a handsome vase, even better if it holds a hyacinth bulb. Otherwise, yes, rehome, sell, or recycle (the glass content).
The little 'glass cups' (we call them ramekins in the UK), are super useful. I used to have maybe 12 of them, but now I only have four.
Very useful for things like jello, home made hummus, storing left over sauce.
I also use them for holding (dry and laundered) dish cloths.
Come to think of it, maybe I only lost a few, as I clearly have more than four. Lids from 'pringles' chips (the Aldi version fits better) transform them into a sealed container.
Too funny you mentioned the vase thing…husband said that as well! 🤣 The worry I have buying more stuff is The Diderot Effect, where you have to buy more and more to compliment a single purchase! We have to consider our options for sure - thanks for chiming in!!
Thankyou … the spatula thingy was like a light suddenly going off for me … every time I opened that draw I was unhappy but could not put my finger on what exactly made me unhappy or where to start … but your point that you only end up using ur fav was spot on … that made it so much easier to sort through and declutter that draw … thanks
I love to cook and cook A LOT. I make a lot of sauces aw well as buy, that I that need refrigeration. I bought those clear refrigerator bins, mostly for the aesthetics, but hoped it may make it a little easier to find what I'm looking for. Honestly, it works even better than I hoped. It may not work for others, but for me, I can just slide the the containers out like drawers, grab what I want and slide it back in, instead of shuffling everything around making a mess.
Since we are now empty nesters we still use our large crock pot and pots to cook with. We still cook larger portions but we freeze some for meals at other times and frankly we eat leftovers. This way we aren't cooking as often!!
If you use them, that’s fantastic!
I'm no longer able to cook due o disablility but I read them!!
I loooove my chemex!! We grind very finely and then use a reusable coffee filter we got on Amazon. It takes hardly any time at all - way faster than the paper filters. I think it’s called a coffee sock? It just gets rinsed out with water every day. Any minor inconveniences it has are outweighed by not having heated plastic bits!
Oh wow ! Thank you for number 14. Every time I see or watch a video about containers and how organized it looks I feel bad and wonder if I should be doing that even though my kitchen cabinets are organized. ( I do have some containers but not a lot) so thank you for saying that I don’t need to feel that way 🙏🏼🩷🩷🩷
You are awesome! 🩷🩷🩷🌷
You can warm the coffee (gently) in your Chemex on your stovetop. That said, we use an insulated French press most of the time. We only have use the Chemex when we host and need to make coffee for a group
Cover the glass coffee pot w foil that's what I do. Also get a metal reusable filter and it drops faster than the paper
Good idea about borrowing cookbooks from the library. I have decluttered a ton of my old ones.
The coffee thing would make a nice flower vase or a water jug for the dinner table 😊
As someone who lives in a small NYC apartment, my best advice is to be very intentional with every product you buy. If I don't have room for it, I don't buy it. I have 2 kitchen drawers and together they are about the size of the drawer you showed. I have one 10 inch skillet, because 12 inches won't fit on my stove. I have two glass pots. A two slice toaster oven is the only appliance I have room for, although I do have a small blender in a closet for smoothies. No air fryer, instant pot, rice maker, standing mixer, etc. I only cook meals that can be done in one pot and/or pan. I do have a few multiples though...in line with the comments about measuring spoons, cutting boards, locking tongs...all for convenience and food safety.
I'm really bad about reusing glass and plastic jars . I use About half of them. Thank you for your ideas they are so relatable
My mom and I are both addicted to cookbooks, but we have gotten away from buying them new unless we get it from the library and flipped through it first, or if we can, we will buy it second hand. I've had a cookbook sitting in my amazon cart for a while now, and I got the itch to buy it, but instead of buying it, I got it from the library, and I am so glad I did, because this is not a book I will use to cook for my husband and I, so it would have been a waste of money. On the other hand, my mom and I will buy cookbooks we end up loving, and we will trade books back and forth with each other now.
Chemex tips! Firstly use very coarsely ground coffee. This will make sure the water drips through faster thus leaving you with a hotter cup of coffee! You could also try putting hot water into your Chemex before (!) putting the filter with the coffee in at the top. By swirling the hot water around in the Chemex you will heat up the glass and this will make sure that the coffee doesn't get cooled down when it hits the glass! Hope this helps :)
It also looks like they are putting all the water in at one time. There is a technique to pour over coffee, and that makes the water flow through faster.
@@Marybarfield64 Yeah, it's called pour in a circle.
Yes for the Chemex you need your coffee ground courser so the water filteres through faster it shouldn’t take more than 3 or so minutes generally
4:00 The wooden spatula might be useful for wok cooking. I used to have one similar to this and it got lost or something. The replacement is a robust wooden spoon, but I don't like it nearly as well for stir-frying.
I live single that Chemex is very useful for family gatherings or events, can be use for 65gr/1L servings, you need to flush the filter and warm the glass to get better taste, pour 200/400 /400 ml every 45s after the water drowning... grind the coffee coarsely
Tip for the chemex coffee maker: put the paper filter in place and pour hot water to pre-wet the filter. Then you dump out the excess water and brew your coffee normally. The water should flow much faster this way and not let your coffee get cold as quickly
you coffee is probabily ground too finely.try grinding you coffree coarser
I recently got an ice cream maker to make homemade rather that going for frogurt. I used it a few times but it just meant I ate more. Luckily I'd found it at thrift so it didn't cost much and I didn't feel bad about donating it back.
We use the garlic sauce from Papa Johns to add a restaurant touch to our burger buns at home for our burgers and bbq sandwiches or garlic toast to go with spaghetti. I am working on decluttering some items this weekend. Love your videos.
That actually sounds great, maybe I will try “garlic toast” next time - thanks so much and take care ❤️
I have knife holder from LIDL and it helped so much. I have small kitchenette with only one small drawer, so knifes was always in the way or in weird places like tea shelf ;) I know that those are general advice and everybody should check how they work with their lives... I am surprised seeing so many comments about leaving duplicates
I agree with you concerning cookbooks, I have already got rid of a lot a few months ago but after listening to you I can see where I can get rid of a lot more. Infact, I realize I don't need any books at all as I can get most recipes of You Tube. I am really needing the space. There is a lot more I can get rid of thanks to you,
I do the same thing with the jars. Just today I was cleaning out my cabinets and pulled out all the jars i had collected over this past winter, I have yet to get rid of some 😉.
I love my minimalist kitchen! It's so easy to clean 🎉 Great video, I like how you explained your reasons for what you decided to keep and why it works for you 🩷
It's interesting for me to hear how other people use some of their kitchen stuff. Like that big flat wooden spatula like spoon; I've never even thought to use it as a spatula because as she mentioned in the video, it's a terrible spatula.lot's a just have for me though because of how wonderful it is at storing caramels or other things where I don't want the bottom to burn.
I have the chemex we use the metal filter but either way you may be using to small of a grind for it to filter.
We love our chemex! We never have problem with cold coffee and we use a paper filter like what you use. The thing with coffee is it’s really supposed to be brewed at 205F so we use an electric kettle with a temperature preset. If your water isn’t as warm that could be why it’s cold when you are ready to enjoy. Hope this helps!
I use a 1/4 sheet pan to hold stuff I am using while cooking..BUT I flash Freeze blueberries,etc so perfect to spread fruit and put in freezer till ready to be put in containers
I'm with you on the tea organizers. But I am still hanging onto the mostly unused serving platters, which look like they might have value, handed down from my Mom.
I have a similar coffee maker but with a different setting for the filter. It has a tea filter included. And so I use it for tea mostly. I was thinking, if you are a tea drinker as I believe you are, to repurpose it adapting a big tea filter - if you have one
The wooden spatula is not good as a spatula but the best at stirring food because it makes the best contact with the pans and pots. I have 3 and I always reach for them.
I love my Chemex and use it every morning. I wet the filter paper before filling the water in. This helps!
With your coffee pot, can I suggest you fill it with boiling water first to warm it up, then empty it before starting your coffee making. I have to do this with my glass tea pot. XX
I love, love, love my magnetic knife holder.
I used to love mine. Then, one fell off and stabbed me in the foot. Never trusted it again.
Wasn't a bad injury. Didn't even hurt. But it did go in about 1/4 an inch and it left a scar. Could have been a lot worse.
Brilliant as usual! Excellent tips. I have waaaay too many mugs and waaay too many duplicates.oh, and a giant Kitchen Aid mixer that has been used once!!!
The coffee maker? I use a similar maker to drain and dispose of coffee grounds from a French press. Rather than putting down the sink, I dispose of the full filter into the compost bin.
and keep the glass jars for keeping dried pantry items like pasta / potato flakes. keeps bugs and mice out - if you get the occasional mice.
Thanks for the video! I already threw away unused spatulas etc. but after watching, I finally got rid of a stray plastic lid (I have no idea to which box it once belonged) and also put all the other lids into a different cupboard (a corner difficult to use where I store rarely used stuff). I still own and use their bowls but hardly need the lids. I want to keep them but they don't need to take up precious space in my bowl drawer!
I actually have a knife holder like that and we love it! Yes, it takes some space on the counter but we don't have unused drawers to put the knives into 😄but of course, you can only work with the space you have and German kitchens can be super small.
For dishes and cutlery, it's a balancing act to have barely enough but not too much 😆 we are two people in the household and quite often run out of knives or spoons before the dishwasher is full. But I got my cutlery 20 years ago and can't buy more of the same, but also I don't want to mix with a different set.
I just got rid of our knife block last month! Haven’t missed it AT ALL. It not only took up space, but it also stayed greasy and dirty from cooking, since it sat next to the stove. One less item for me to keep clean!
Love these tips. Thank you for being amazing. ❤
Thank YOU for watching!
For the chemex, if the coffee grind is too fine, it won't brew right. I have a chemex and would shake my grinds in a blade grinder to approximate the medium coarse grind until my husband bought me an oxo burr grinder last Christmas
I loved the rhyme about what to keep: “this one must go” ❤
❤ thanks so much I love and appreciate you happy Mother's day sweetheart❤
Thanks so much, Linda! 😍
That coffee maker is a work of art. I had one too. I loved how it looked on my coffee bar. But like you, i found that it worked poorly. I hated to let it go but eventually i had to let it go. Now i have a single cup auto coffee maker and while it is not as pleasing to look at, it is wonderful at its job.
I relate so much to the whole video!!!!!thanks❤
I don't have any advice for your current coffee thing, but I use a metal/insulated french press and its my favorite! Keeps things way warm. Just pour some sorta coarse grounds and set a timer for 2 minutes.
Its nice to have a virtually indestructible "coffee maker" that will never ever break and I definitely take comfort knowing I have no plans to ever spend $100 on a a Mr. Coffee ever again :)
I have made a DIY tea organiser from the boxes in which the teas come for organising teas
Thanks for another great video! About the coffee i had similar experience too, I think because the coffee ground is too fine
Wet the coffee filter before you put the grounds in the filter. It helps the coffee filter faster and your coffee stays hot. ❤ We love ours!
For your pour over coffee maker see if you can find the metal filter. Mine came with a reusable metal one and it doesn't take as long to brew... you do want a more espresso ground on your coffee, but it does make excellent coffee and will still be hot
Big fan of keeping quality boxes for organizing drawers vs buying new products. Especially anything that came from Apple- they have the best shallow boxes 😊
I’m 30lbs lighter than last summer. So I gathered up my better clothing to donate to a group that helps refugees in our area. Your video reminded me to declutter my plates and glasses cupboard, and my “junk drawer” of utensils. I’ll ask if they can use those items.
wooden spatulas: we just sand them down to the right size . boom solved
A thick wooden spatula works really well to mash up ground beef in the pan - much better than the spoons! I love mine :) Sanding it to make it a flipper is a great idea too!
We have one that we use a lot for crumbling meat when cooking. It chops more easily and finely than a spoon, and it also functions well for stirring and scooping up---just like a spoon lol.
I've never tried to use it as an actual spatula, but if I wanted to do that, sanding it down thinner is a brilliant idea!
I bought one of those black plastic meat choppers and it's so noisy to use (all that banging), plus it's tricky to stir with it, so you wind up needing to use a spoon in addition to the chopper, which means more stuff to wash and more stuff to store.
Then the plastic started melting and peeling off in little bits. Got rid of it. I'm sticking with my wooden and metal cooking/serving utensils.....including my wooden "spatula"/chopper. 😉
why the f have I never thought of this
Not sure if you've already gotten rid of your Chemex but... My late wife preferred making her coffee in a pour over pot (not Chemex brand though) and we bought a reusable coffee filter, stainless steel mesh. I would often brew her coffee in the mornings and never experienced the issue you've been having with slow drip. You also have to make sure that you wet the coffee grounds before doing the full pour over - I would typically pour in a circle over the grounds, making three quick circles, wait for that water to drip through, then pour enough water to fill the filter to the top. Then keep an eye on the water level in the filter and coffee level in the pot and add more water as it went until I'd added enough water to fill the pot.
The issue I see with your coffee pot is, if you manage to keep the coffee hot, won't it be too hot to handle when you go to pour it? I use a teapot with a ceramic filter holder and I sit it on a warmer, it works great. The other tip I finally figured out was, when you're pouring the water over the grounds, always pour in the very same spot, not disturbing the grounds. The coffee tastes a lot better and the water drains quickly. One more tip is to get and maintain the water temperature between 195 and 205. Hope this helps. Thanks for your tips..