I like to think I'm a serious cook. I can make just about anything provided I've tried the dish before (I call it reverse food engineering) and once I've got the basics, I can adapt recipes very easily. In Paris one has to learn how to cook in their kitchen because space is more often than not the issue.
My first apartment in Paris for example had a nice stove and a dishwasher but there was only one small sink, one small section of counter space that was at a practical level, an island counter that could only be used by giants, and almost no place to put the refrigerator.
My second apartment in Paris had more counter space and lots of cupboard space, but was narrow enough that two people couldn't stand back to back. It was more of an alley than a kitchen and opening the cupboards or the oven was a problem. There were two stove burners in the counter, which was a nice space saver, but two burners means your timing for different parts of the meal had to be planned perfectly.
The kitchen is a bit weird in my third flat as well. The sink area is recessed in the back of the kitchen with a smaller four burner stove with oven and a counter for working that is about three feet long. There isn't ample cupboard space though, and this is where the problem begins. When I bought the dishes and pots and pans I had plenty of cupboard space.
The celings aren't high enough, even at my underwhelming height of 5'5 (165 cm) for a hanging pot rack and there isn't a lot of extra space. In New York I didn't have a problem with the ceiling height being too low, in fact it was the opposite. I couldn't find a pot rack with long enough chains so I would actually be able to reach my pots and pans without sucking down human growth hormone shakes or needing a ladder.
What I decided to do was make the most of the limited wall space. I bought some grid wall, normally used in stores and boutiques (see an example here: Gridwall ) and then sorted out all my pots and pans from what could be hung up and what couldn't. You can buy "s hooks" just about anywhere and they're cheap. Buy a few extras if you think you'll buy more pans during your time in your apartment or house. Then simply attach the gridwall securely to the wall (use anchors) and use the entire grid to hang up your things.
My first apartment in Paris for example had a nice stove and a dishwasher but there was only one small sink, one small section of counter space that was at a practical level, an island counter that could only be used by giants, and almost no place to put the refrigerator.
My second apartment in Paris had more counter space and lots of cupboard space, but was narrow enough that two people couldn't stand back to back. It was more of an alley than a kitchen and opening the cupboards or the oven was a problem. There were two stove burners in the counter, which was a nice space saver, but two burners means your timing for different parts of the meal had to be planned perfectly.
The kitchen is a bit weird in my third flat as well. The sink area is recessed in the back of the kitchen with a smaller four burner stove with oven and a counter for working that is about three feet long. There isn't ample cupboard space though, and this is where the problem begins. When I bought the dishes and pots and pans I had plenty of cupboard space.
The celings aren't high enough, even at my underwhelming height of 5'5 (165 cm) for a hanging pot rack and there isn't a lot of extra space. In New York I didn't have a problem with the ceiling height being too low, in fact it was the opposite. I couldn't find a pot rack with long enough chains so I would actually be able to reach my pots and pans without sucking down human growth hormone shakes or needing a ladder.
What I decided to do was make the most of the limited wall space. I bought some grid wall, normally used in stores and boutiques (see an example here: Gridwall ) and then sorted out all my pots and pans from what could be hung up and what couldn't. You can buy "s hooks" just about anywhere and they're cheap. Buy a few extras if you think you'll buy more pans during your time in your apartment or house. Then simply attach the gridwall securely to the wall (use anchors) and use the entire grid to hang up your things.
That's one problem solved. If you're in France you could probably find the gridwall at any Bricorama or Castorama, but if you're in Paris (or other parts of Europe) you can make use of a wonderful place called Retif that sells equipment for stores and boutiques. There is a hitch, which is you're supposed to be a "professionel", but it's easy to get around by saying you'll FAX them your VAT (tax identification number for businesses) at a later date. I have a VAT number and an account there, but I've brought friends to buy stuff and it worked out fine. I did a search for "grille", since grid wall doesn't translate exactly (grille mur would be the closest translation) and came up with all these inexpensive results: Grille Mur.
Now one other problem remains. The spice rack.
Getting a pot or pan from an elusive cupboard or rack is much less of a pain in the derriere than having to sort through all your spices when time may be of the essence. At the moment I have a small shelf above the stove where I keep all my spices. It's quite an ecclectic collection of repurposed Bonne Maman, mustard, and other condiment jars and coffee cans and basically anything that can hold spices. In other words, the aesthetics of my spice jars means very little to me. What I want is enough space to keep all the spices I use in my everyday cooking, which varies from spices for French, Korean, Japanese, Indian, American, Creole, and Mexican.
A Google image search leads me to believe that many people don't have my same problem. Every photo I get when I search for "creative spice racks" looks more elegant than my collection of haphazard jars and bottles deserve. Where is the form that meets the function?
If you have a creative spice rack idea you've been dying to share, I am dying to know. Otherwise I can already envision the chaos that will take over my soon-to-be kitchen. As of now, I'm thinking a wire basket placed on top of the fridge is going to be the temporary solution.
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