How to Organize Your Cookbooks
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Having an organized cookbook collection can be both a decorative focal point in your kitchen and it can make it so much easier for you to find the precise cookbook you are looking for when it’s time to menu plan.
Before organizing your cookbook collection, be sure to spend some time going through each cookbook and decide if it's one you want to keep. Ask yourself if it's a cookbook that you purchased or one that was a gift. Is it one that you use frequently or one where you've only found one or two recipes that you enjoy. Once you've edited your cookbooks (and donated the ones you no longer want), then you're ready to consider the various ways to organize cookbooks. When deciding what system is best for you, consider how many cookbooks you have, if there are specific chefs that you like to cook from more frequently or if there is a type of cuisine that you go to more often.
One option is to group your cookbooks by cuisine (middle eastern, Italian, Mexican and so on). Within this type of categorization, you might also want to consider having a section for specific topics, such as sauces, grilling, and seafood.
If you have a small collection of cookbooks, I would recommend putting them in alphabetical order by the authors last name, or if you are visual and the collection is truly small, you can put them in an attractive color order based on the spine color of the cookbook.
Within your cookbooks, if you have favorite recipes, be sure to highlight them in the index or even add a sticky tab to the actual page so it is easy to find.
If you have a collection of printed recipes, it's time to create a recipe binder with tabs. You might want to create sections such as salads, chicken, beef, pasta and vegetables. Let your collection help you determine the best labeling system. And if you want to really protect each recipe, put them in individual sheet protectors. If you are truly motivated, when you find a recipe you want to make again from your cookbook, make a copy of it and add it to the appropriate section in your binder. I’ve done this and also created a searchable spreadsheet to go along with the binder. It has made menu planning so much quicker and easier!
As for where to store your cookbooks? Be creative! Use a decorative bin on your counter, a shelf in a cabinet, or add a decorative picture frame ledge on a wall. The options are endless! You might choose to keep your most frequently used cookbooks in the kitchen and the rest of your cookbook collection on a bookshelf in your family room or in your pantry.
More Organizing Ideas
Need even more ideas on how to organize your home? Living. Simplified. is ready to help. Take a look at these blog posts or send us an email at lauren@livingsimplified.net and we can work together to reach your organizing and decluttering goals.
