How to Run Your Home Kitchen

Posted on January 2, 2026

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By Sadie | Professional Chef (20+ Years Experience)

Over the past twenty years, I’ve stood in kitchens so hot that the stainless steel felt like a radiator and the air tasted like fire and butter. I’ve worked dinner services where we plated 200–300 covers back-to-back without a pause. And people always ask me the same thing:

“How do chefs stay calm when everything around them is chaos?”

Here’s the truth…

It isn’t natural talent.
It isn’t superhuman speed.
It isn’t adrenaline.

It’s something far more disciplined:

How to Run Your Home Kitchen : Mise en Place

(pronounced: meez-on-plahss)

Yes—it’s French. Yes—it sounds fancy. But in the culinary world, Mise en Place is more than a phrase. Chefs call it our religion, and we mean that quite seriously.

It literally translates to:

“Everything in its place.”

But to a professional chef?

It means control, predictability, and confidence.

If you’ve ever:
• burned garlic while still peeling onions
• realized you’re missing eggs halfway through cake batter
• opened the fridge during cooking and completely lost rhythm
• ended with a sink full of dishes that ruin your mood

Then you need Mise en Place in your life.

And trust me… once you learn it, you’ll never cook the old way again.

1️⃣How to Run Your Home Kitchen ; The Psychology of the “Clean Board”

Before we talk knives, bowls, or timers… we need to talk about something more important:

your brain.

Because cooking isn’t just physical—it’s mental. A cluttered counter creates a cluttered mind. When you’re already juggling timing, temperature, seasoning, and safety… visual chaos makes everything worse.

Chef Sadie’s Golden Rule

Your cutting board is your “office.”
Only the current ingredient belongs there. Nothing else.

You’ll instantly feel calmer.

How to Run Your Home Kitchen : cooking preparation checklist printable

Printable Cooking Checklist

✔️ Cooking Preparation Checklist

Before You Start

Read the recipe fully
Wash hands
Clear and clean workspace
Gather equipment

Ingredients

Gather all ingredients
Measure everything
Prep vegetables
Prep protein
Preheat oven/stove

During Cooking

Follow timing
Taste as you go
Adjust seasoning

Finishing

Plate nicely
Garnish
Serve hot

Print and reuse anytime! Happy cooking!

✔️ The “Waste Bowl” System

Here is a trick that will change your life in the kitchen.

Instead of walking back and forth to the trash can with peels and scraps…

Place a large bowl at the top corner of your cutting board (I keep mine to the right).

Anything you trim:
• onion skins
• carrot tops
• garlic peels
• herb stems

Goes straight into that bowl. Then one single trip to the bin at the end. Cleaner workspace. Less fatigue. You’ll save at least 10–15 minutes per meal.

I’ve worked in Michelin kitchens where skipping this step is considered a sin.

✔️ The Damp Cloth Trick

Every professional kitchen does this—and hardly any home cooks do.

Slip a damp kitchen towel or paper towel under your cutting board.

It prevents slipping.
It protects your fingers.
It stabilizes your workspace.

It’s a safety rule we enforce in restaurants—and it makes you feel instantly more professional.

2️⃣ The Four Stages of Professional Prep

(The Exact System Chefs Live By)

Most home cooking stress comes from one thing:

Starting too soon.

Professional chefs never just “start chopping and hope for the best.” There’s a sequence we follow religiously, because it prevents panic later.

Stage A — The Mental Audit

Before I touch a knife, I read the entire recipe. Then I read it again—from bottom to top.

Yes, from bottom to top.

Because that’s where the important surprises hide, like:
• “let rest 20 minutes”
• “must marinate for 2 hours”
• “serve immediately”
• “preheat oven to 200°C”

You don’t want to discover those instructions halfway through.

Then ask yourself:
• Does something need time to marinate?
• Does something need to be softened?
• Does water need to boil?
• Does the oven need preheating?

Start those things first.

This is why line cooks always look weirdly calm—they knew what was coming before it arrived.

Stage B — The Gathering

Now we assemble everything.

Every. Single. Thing.

All ingredients.
All tools.
All pots and pans.
Cutting boards.
Spoons.
Spices.
Measuring cups.

Put them on the counter. If I have to open a drawer once the stove is on? I consider that a mise en place failure.

Chef Secret:
Open jars, peel back seals, crack lids now.

There is nothing more stressful than trying to fight a stubborn soy sauce bottle while something is burning in the pan.

Stage C — The Processing (a.k.a. “The Chop”)

Now we prep.

All knife work happens at once. Not while cooking.

This is where efficiency kicks in.

Group ingredients by when they go in:
• onions + garlic + carrots (same time → same bowl)
• herbs separate (added last)
• proteins prepared and seasoned ahead

This doesn’t just save dishes.
It prevents emotional chaos.

When the pan is hot, you simply grab and drop.

Cooking becomes smooth instead of frantic.

Stage D — The Clean Down

In restaurants, we say:

“If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.”

Once everything is chopped:
• wash the board
• empty the waste bowl
• wipe the counter
• reset your work area

By the time you start cooking, your kitchen should already look like you’ve finished.

I promise—your entire cooking experience will feel calmer, cleaner, and more joyful.

Kitchen Setup Guide

✔️ Smart Kitchen Setup Guide

Cooking Zone

Pots & pans within reach
Spatulas, ladles, tongs nearby
Heat-safe tools close to stove

Prep Zone

Cutting boards
Sharp knives
Mixing bowls
Measuring cups & spoons

Pantry Essentials

Salt, pepper, spices
Oil & vinegar
Rice, pasta, beans
Flour & sugar

Cleaning Station

Dish soap
Sponges
Trash bin
Towels

Print and place inside your kitchen cabinet door!

3️⃣ The Tools of the Trade

(You Don’t Need Fancy Gadgets—Just Smart Ones)

People think chefs have thousands of tools. Truthfully?

We use the same few items every day.

✔️ Deli Containers

Restaurants live on these. They’re cheap, stackable, transparent, and last forever.

Perfect for:
• chopped onions
• sauces
• leftovers
• marinating

Once you use them, you’ll understand why every pro kitchen swears by them.

✔️ Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls

Glass looks pretty. Steel works better.

They:
• don’t retain smells
• are light but tough
• can go over boiling water if needed

They’re the unsung heroes of prep.

✔️ Bench Scraper

This little tool is magic.

Use it to:
• scoop chopped vegetables
• transfer ingredients
• keep your board clean

And please… don’t scrape your knife blade across the board. That destroys sharpness. Your knife will thank you.

4️⃣ “But My Kitchen Is Too Small!”

Here’s the Reality…

Most home kitchens are tiny compared to restaurants. That’s okay.

Use the Vertical Mise method:

Place all prepped bowls and ingredients onto a baking sheet.
Now your entire recipe is mobile.

You can slide it near the stove… then slide it away.

Clean. Organized. Efficient.

LEARN MORE

Chef Sadie’s Quick Comparison Guide

Habit	The Amateur Way	The Professional Way
Preparation	Chop while cooking	Finish chopping before heat is on
Trash	Walk back and forth	One “Waste Bowl”
Cleaning	Pile of dishes at end	Clean continuously
Ingredients	Panic search mid-cook	Everything measured + staged
Mindset	Stress + rushing	Calm, confident control

Mise en Place System

✔️ Mise en Place System

Level	What To Do	Goal
Beginner	• Read recipe • Gather ingredients • Measure ingredients • Basic chopping	Stay organized & reduce stress
Intermediate	• Label ingredients • Group by steps • Preheat equipment • Prepare garnishes	Cook smoother & faster
Advanced	• Time management planning • Multi-dish coordination • Efficiency workflow • Restaurant-style readiness	Cook like a professional

Print and keep near your cooking area to stay efficient and confident.

Final Thoughts From Me to You

I’ve been in kitchens where chaos should have taken over—but didn’t. Not because we were superhuman…

…but because everything was already prepared, organized, and thought through.

When you master Mise en Place:
• meals taste better
• cooking feels easier
• your kitchen stays cleaner
• and you actually enjoy the process

It’s the difference between cooking feeling like a stressful chore…

…and cooking feeling like something empowering.