The Japanese Kitchen

[_john]

I use small tea containers from the 100yen shop to organize all of my spices and powders that I have a small to medium sized amount of. These all went in one drawer with labels on top. Now I can easily find what I'm looking for and they are protected in airtight/light tight containers. I bought stackable shelves for my under sink space that I use to organize all my dry goods. My massive cutting board that covers my sink when I'm working is stored between the refrigerator and the sink unit. I am a big fan of minimalism, if I don't use a tool every month then it gets put away in storage so it doesn't clutter my space. I usually only shop for one day, but I'm a single guy living alone so this might be much easier for me, it really cuts down on clutter in the fridge. I have 4 sets of everything and that is all, not many extras or odd items to clutter the cabinets. I have a wok, a stock pot, a frying pan, a fish grill, a takoyaki pan, a katsubushikezuriki, and a pasta machine in my equipment/pan cabinet. I use these pans for everything and really try to fight the urge to buy something shiny when I go to the cooking district. Other then that I just try to stay organized and everything seems to work great.

[helenjp]

stackable shelves for my under sink space that I use to organize all my dry goods

I'm curious - do you have open (that is, not hermetically sealed) packets on your shelves? We live in an old (bug-prone) house, and despite fumigating once or twice a year, that's my biggest...er...bugbear.

Rope storage - good idea.

I don't have much cooking equipment that I don't use, apart from a few seasonal items, but my husband and I are both sentimental about old china - he brought his mother's china, and I brought my grandmother's china...

[_john]

stackable shelves for my under sink space that I use to organize all my dry goods

I'm curious - do you have open (that is, not hermetically sealed) packets on your shelves? We live in an old (bug-prone) house, and despite fumigating once or twice a year, that's my biggest...er...bugbear.

Rope storage - good idea.

I don't have much cooking equipment that I don't use, apart from a few seasonal items, but my husband and I are both sentimental about old china - he brought his mother's china, and I brought my grandmother's china...

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my apartment is surprisingly bug free. A few times cockroaches have come up through the shower drain but now I keep it covered. I keep packages of flour, panko, etc. simply sealed with a laundry clip under my sink.

[prasantrin]

Seriously, while recipe files and gadgets are big space eaters, the real puzzle is how to keep storage neat but accessible. My dry goods are in deep vacuum-seal (=roach-free) boxes, and  how I hate to drag out a heavy box, rummage through it for one type of flour, and then put everything back again...

Have you considered investing in a Tilia FoodSaver? Vacuum-seal bags would be easier to carry than vacuum-seal boxes, and easier to store, I would think. I sometimes vacuum-seal flour with my Tilia. I keep the flour in its original bag to avoid getting flour in the machine.

[Hiroyuki]

...and most of all ROOM TO MOVE!!!

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I looked at the photos of your kitchen again, which you posted in your latest foodblog, and I wondered if you could move the microwave (and the toaster oven on top of it) somewhere else to get more preparation space.

Just to console you , your kitchen is bigger than the one in my resort condo.

(Not a good shot, taken not by me but by my son, probably on the day we moved to our new house)

And, these are just a few of the improvements that I made to the kitchen.

I guess you know the TV program called Daikaizo!! Gekiteki Before After. I liked to watch it. I was usually amazed at how small, cramped houses turned into cozy little ones with some clever ideas. But I'm sure that even if you don't rely on a "house reform" company, you can turn your kitchen into a comfortable and efficient one. I'm also sure that your problem will be solved much easier if you can get your husband (and sons) involved.

[helenjp]

That sketch shows about 2/3 of the length of my kitchen - portion to the right is taken up with dining table and chairs, a small filing cabinet (!) and a small shelf-unit with things that are often used at the table. No functioning electric points at that end of the room.

Room is about 2.6m wide (70cm where gas range is, plus 187cm sink unit (an addition has been cobbled on to it at some time).

Underfloor unit is so prone to mold and so fragile that it's used only for cleaning supplies.

Look familiar to most Japan-residents?

P.S. Isn't that home renovations program the one where "Takumi" people come tearing in, totally ignore what the owner said they wanted, insist it's really better this way anyway, and leave while the residents stand there looking like electrocuted fish?

Edited September 3, 2006 by helenjp (log)

[helenjp]

My renovation plan is not to spend more than 10,000 yen on any one item (replacing the ventilation fan should be the most expensive thing), and basically not to spend any money that doesn't absolutely have to be spent. I have one kid at private school, and another doing entrance exams this year - every yen that comes into this house has somebody's name written on it!

I want to make my storage and work areas more easily accessible - I get up at 5.20 every morning to make lunches, and of course I have work to do after that (translation at home, plus university during semester), and rarely get to bed before midnight. Kids get home late and starved not long after I get home late and tired, so efficiency is THE goal.

Built-in-cupboard doors - will paint one day and finish replacing handles. Floors - I stain them occasionally, the veneer is peeling and they are sagging, but too bad!

We've pretty much decided to move out of Japan when our kids finish school, so there's no justification for spending money on the kitchen - as you know, a house that's over 20 or 25 years old in Japan is very hard to sell.

Takumi - I haven't watched any current series - I had the impression that the clients didn't have much say in things, but that's cynicism for you!

[prasantrin]

My renovation plan is not to spend more than 10,000 yen on any one item (replacing the  ventilation fan should be the most expensive thing), and basically not to spend any money that doesn't absolutely have to be spent. I have one kid at private school, and another doing entrance exams this year - every yen that comes into this house has somebody's name written on it!

I want to make my storage and work areas more easily accessible - I get up at 5.20 every morning to make lunches, and of course I have work to do after that (translation at home, plus university during semester), and rarely get to bed before midnight. Kids get home late and starved not long after I get home late and tired, so efficiency is THE goal.

It sounds to me like this is the perfect opportunity for you to visit Ikea!!! I'm sure they'll have tons of ideas for storage for small areas, and it's reasonably priced usually, don't know about Japanese prices, yet).

Take pictures!

[helenjp]

millions of yen per tsubo,

More like tens of yens per tsubo - when the news went out that land prices had stopped dropping, in Chiba nobody was listening!

IKEA - yes, I definitely need to go there! However, I'm afraid they may not have the Japan-specific stuff like places to store your chopping board!. I like the rack hanging under high cupboard idea.

This rope storage idea has me thinking though - I could get off-season bento/drink bottle stuff out of the way. I already have shelves above head height in the corridors.

One more problem - what do other somewhat tall people do about backache from using sinks designed for much shorter people? It's a major drawback in an older house.

And another one - anybody figured out the ultimate solution to kitchen garbage when your kitchen is also your dining room and lounge? I've gone away from purpose-built containers that can't be cleaned thoroughly to a simple lidded bucket that I can bleach and dry in the sun.

this Japanese site shows where people commonly store certain items. Your plastic wrap belongs on top of the fridge, apparently!

[torakris]

A couple days ago I found an Ikea catalogue in my mailbox, apparently they are trying to get us excited about the opening.... The prices look great and they did have some nice space saving pieces.

Space saving tips

There are always things you can get rid off, always I own very few gadgets and the ones that I do are used constantly and can do more than one thing. A good knife eliminates the need for most useless gadgets. I only have the bare minimum of dishes that our family of 5 needs, all of the dishes (including serving bowls) are in the small cupboard over my sink. Whenever I do purchase something new I get rid of an equal amount of older things.

Start with taking another look around and see what you can live with out.

Only keep what you absolutely need in the kitchen. I store most of my kitchen goods/extra food in the oshire in my dining room (actually a tatami room with a wood carpet) I have a large plastic storage thing in which I keep things we don't use all the time like donabe and gas conro, waffle maker, pasta maker, etc. Also since I shop at Costco a lot I store bags of flour/sugar/sesame seeds as well as huge bottles of dish soap in there as well.

Keep it organized. I use small plastic boxes from the 100yen store to store my spices. I seperated them into ways that worked for me. I have one box for Indian spices, one for South east Asian, one for European and one for baking. The most commonly used ones and some that didn't fit into any category are on a slide out shelf in one of my cupboards. So when I am cooking something all I need to pull out is the box and everything is there.

Make the most of all the space you have. I put shelves inside the cupboards so I can stack things all the way up to the top. I store less frequently used things in the back andstuff used daily in the front. I avoid pans/dishes that are oddly shaped or can't stack well.

[torakris]

The short kitchen counters are a killer on my back too, mine is a little higher than the one in my SIL's place but being 170cm it is way too short. My solution have the kids wash the dishes!! I only wash the dishes about 2 days a week, my kids and sometimes my husband, do it the rest of the time. Even 5 year old Hide, he actually loves to do them...

[Hiroyuki]

One more problem - what do other somewhat tall people do about backache from using sinks designed for much shorter people? It's a major drawback in an older house.

And another one - anybody figured out the ultimate solution to kitchen garbage when your kitchen is also your dining room and lounge? I've gone away from purpose-built  containers that can't be cleaned thoroughly to a simple lidded bucket that I can bleach and dry in the sun.

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1. Have it replaced with a new one with a counter space height of 85 to 90 cm depending on your height. Obviously the costliest solution.

2. Go and buy a new one at one of those "home centers" and have your husband and sons replace the old.

3. Just raise the height of the countertop by appropriate means.

I can't think of any other solution!

As for the garbage, what do you use now?? A simple solution seems to me that you put garbage in a small plastic bag and transfer it to an outdoor trash box, if you have enought outdoor space, that is.

[helenjp]

Kristin, that only works till your kids get taller than you ! My husband is #1 dishwasher, and I truly appreciate that effort. It is dishwashing which is the killer - a thick chopping board pretty much eliminates the problem during food prep. The counters in this house (25 years) are noticeably lower than in the apartment we rented, built 10 years later.

I have mentally marked a number of gadgets (something my husband loves to buy) for the ax - recipe files are next, both on the principle that things that take time to access are useless.

I wonder what the top space-eaters are in Japanese kitchens? Seasonal stuff at least can be stored well away from work areas. Nabe? Bentos? Modern rice-cookers are huge too.

Personal "challenges" preserves take up heaps of room, and I'm bad at accumulating stuff like 2-3 types of vinegar.

Personal wants: Wouldn't I love a pantry cupboard! My Japanese friends store almost nothing except rice, sugar, soy sauce etc, and stockpiling seems to be an expat foible (especially for foreign foods).

Photos next week when I get a break from current work projects - now I'm at the planning stage!

Edited September 4, 2006 by helenjp (log)

[Kuma]

recipe files are next, both on the principle that things that take time to access are useless.

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Helen, you should get recipe management software for your computer - I use HomeCook - it does all I need to do, and it's reasonably priced - you just pay and download it online.

I currently have a database of 182,470 recipes in it.

-Rob.

[helenjp]

Thanks, Rob, I've often wondered if there were any benefits to using dedicated software rather than a word processor.

Last question, then I promise to return to work and mull things over until action time-

Kitchen window-shelf:

Many Japanese kitchens, including mine, have quite a deep shelf behind the sink. Mine is about 30cm (1ft) deep and about 150cm wide, forming an alcove 70cm high under the wall cabinets that hang over the sink.

As in most Japanese kitchens, the storage needs are constantly battling the desire for natural light and a view out the window. How do you use this space in your kitchens?

Like most people, I use mine for *dish-drying racks, *pots, bowls, *salt, sugar, cooking oil etc.

The sight of this messy array of stuff, backlit by the light from the window, makes an incredibly horrible start to the day!

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks, Rob, I've often wondered if there were any benefits to using dedicated software rather than a word processor.

Last question, then I promise to return to work and mull things over until action time-

Kitchen window-shelf:

Many Japanese kitchens, including mine, have quite a deep shelf behind the sink. Mine is about 30cm (1ft) deep and about 150cm wide, forming an alcove 70cm high under the wall cabinets that hang over the sink.

As in most Japanese kitchens, the storage needs are constantly battling the desire for natural light and a view out the window. How do you use this space in your kitchens?

Like most people, I use mine for *dish-drying racks, *pots, bowls, *salt, sugar, cooking oil etc.

The sight of this messy array of stuff, backlit by the light from the window, makes an incredibly horrible start to the day!

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There is no easy solution to your problem, but I think that if you change your mind and apply some "miseru shuunou" (見せる収納) techniques, your kitchen will look more attractive and efficient. Just browse through books and magazines like this, and you will get a lot of ideas, .... no??

[Hiroyuki]

Soon after we decided to give a housewarming party for twelve people (four of us and eight guests), our 15 plus-year-old fridge became faulty  .  Naturally, we decided to buy a new one; we went to an electric appliance shop on July 14, and the fridge came to our house the next day - one day before the day we gave the party.

We liked the fridge mainly because the vegetable compartment at the bottom was bigger than conventional ones because of the placement of the compressor in the upper part of the fridge instead of the lower part, but the fridge has another interesting feature - hikari (optical?) partial.  This compartment is provided with a UV-LED and keeps the food at -2C, not the conventional temperature of -3C, thereby keeping the food fresh for one week and increasing the amount of amino acids (because a protein-degrading enzyme is active at -2C).  I have yet to find whether the manufacturer's claim is true.

Manufacturer's page on this fridge:

http://national.jp/product/cooking/refrige...r_f500t/p2.html

(Japanese only)

Anyway, we like our new fridge.

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I noticed that I had made a silly mistake. The bottom compartment is a freezer, not a vegetable compartment.

[Fat Guy]

Theoretically, I wonder how one would get one of those refrigerators in the United States.

[torakris]

My 12 year old refrigerator died in August and we had to rush to the store to buy a new one. I wanted a mid range one with the largest freezer they had. I didn't realize it until now but I bought exactly the same refrigerator as Hiroyuki, even the color is the same.

I love this thing! The chilling compartment is wonderful I keep my bacon, sausages, hard cheeses, katsuo block, etc in there. I also use it to keep fish fresher for a little longer if needed.

Steven,

I am not sure this refrigerator would do well in the US with out some changes. The shelves are really small and I have problems figuring out where to put my American sized items. I'll be back with pictures.

[Hiroyuki]

What a coincidence! It's my wife that selected that color (or should I say the stainless steel surface?)

I do love the optical partial compartment. Now I don't have to worry so much about the shouhi kigen (use-by dates) of perishable foods like meat and fish!

[torakris]

As promised here are some pictures of the inside.

First a blurry shot of the outside

The main refrigerator (top), notice the very short shelves though most of them are removable/adjustable

the ice part and chill box(this can be a refrigerator or freezer as well with just a switch of the button)

the vegetable drawer (I love this part) it is in a very easy to use part of the refrigerator and is huge with a top tray that runs the length and width of the drawer.

This refrigerator had the largest freezer of all the refrigerators in the store, it is quite deep with a tray that like the vegetable drawer runs the length and width of the drawer.

[helenjp]

What a sight! Mine is a similar layout, and I like the central vege drawer - easy to organize, easy to access. I have two separate freezer drawers rather than an internal drawer - and that's about as big as freezer compartments come in Japan!

The adjustable door shelves are a godsend in a small fridge.

Egg storage - I noticed that too. Mine has an egg tray, which handily takes about 1.5 packs of eggs, but I noticed big blurbs a few years back saying "no more useless egg compartments", so I think it must have been a trend of the times. I'll check next time I'm in a store, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that egg trays have quietly made a resurgence .