'Everyday dishes should be kept on a lower, more easily accessible shelf,' Amanda says, 'make your day-to-day life as easy as you can. ' If you've got a kitchen that has upper cabinets already, or you're not adverse to the maintenance that comes with open shelving, this is the best way to store dishes.
The best way to store dishes long term is to purchase boxes designed specifically to hold plates. These have double corrugated cardboard sides, which protect your plates from being crushed by other items. They also hold together longer, making them a great option for long-term storage.
Plates, glasses and other dinnerware are most often stored near the dishwasher. Spices should be stored near a prep area, but not too close to the stove or oven as heat can destroy their flavor.
You will want to put the everyday dishes and utensils to the right of the dishwasher or above the dishwasher. If you don't have a dishwasher, use the sink instead. The reason you do this is because it makes unloading the dishwasher or sink easy and practical.
Dish Storage on Open Shelves
Open storage ensures an easy reach for often-used dishware. Reserve lower shelves for items used daily, such as plates and bowls, and upper shelves for larger serving pieces used only on special occasions.
With this in mind, you should store most types of glasses with their rims down, if they're sturdy enough, says Clare Langan, a culinary producer and home cooking expert. Definitely store glasses and mugs upside-down if they fall into the back-of-the-cabinet category.
1. Wash your hands well and often. Washing your hands well and often is the golden rule of food safety. Your hands are full of bacteria, and you pick up new bacteria every time you touch something.
Extra Dinnerware
If you have an abundance of cabinet space, you can always keep this back-up set stored alongside your everyday wares. However, if staring at an extra stack of dishes in the pantry overwhelms you, you can place them on a lower, out-of-sight shelf with the help of an under-cabinet stacker.
PLATE STORAGE
In a drawers, those fit between the larger plates, whereas in a cabinet you can't do that! It also made it easier to access these smaller plates and bowls more easily, because you just pull out the drawer and voilà! Plates in drawers make it easier to access!
Cleaned and sanitized utensils and equipment shall be stored at least six inches above the floor in a clean, dry location protected from contamination.
Keeping foods intended for long-term storage in a cool, dry, dark place, inaccessible to pests will help prolong shelf-life and better maintain quality. 7. Check packaging before eating. Look for signs of pests, moisture, mold, and damaged containers.
Stacking plates and cups when you're finished eating
“Stacking plates when done sends a signal to other diners that the waitstaff is not tending to the table properly and the act of doing so exposes the stackers as inexperienced diners,” she explains.
Most experts recommend having eight to 12 five-piece place settings to ensure you have enough dinnerware for general use and entertaining. If you're buying two sets – one for every day and another for formal use – you might choose four to six casual place settings and up to 12 formal place settings.
Stack groups by size, starting with the largest on the bottom. If you've got the height space, flip the lids upside down to create a smooth surface for stacking the next pot. In cabinets, use internal pan racks and risers, and line drawers with a pegboard to keep items neatly organized. Store lids separately.
Generally speaking, a glass's rim is its most fragile area and where cracks or chips are most likely to originate. These faults can be difficult to detect, so it's wise to stay on the safe side and store delicate glasses right side up.
There are good arguments to be made for both methods of storing glasses, but the technically correct way, which has nothing to do with a clean versus dirty proposition, is that glasses should be placed rim-side up. Here's why: The rim is the most fragile part of a glass, where chips or cracks are likely to originate.
I find that stacks of plates look great piled up side by side and a few cookbooks underneath a canister adds height and interest. Oversized pitchers or a soup tureen placed opposite each other on a diagonal create balance. While it's great to have your glass cabinets look beautiful, they must also be functional.